Catholic University in Northeast Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Saint Mother Theodore Guerin

Foundress

— Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana —

Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Marker [Left plaque] image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 26, 2024

1. Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Marker [Left plaque]

Inscription. Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Saint Mother Theodore Guerin was born Anne-Thérèse Guerin October 2, 1798, in the village of Etables in Brittany, France. Her family lived in a small cottage not far from the Atlantic Ocean. Her father, Laurent, was an officer in the French Navy under Napoleon Bonaparte. Her mother, Isabella, cared for Anne-Thérèse and her two brothers and sister. Even when she was very young, Anne-Thérèse loved the natural beauty of the Atlantic Ocean. She would often visit the rock-lined shore and walk the beach while in prayer, nurturing her love for God and her devotion to Mary. She often pondered the mysteries revealed in her mother's belief that the ocean was a symbol of eternity.

Anne-Thérèse entered the Sisters of Providence of Ruillé, France, August 18, 1823. She was given the name Sister St. Theodore.
Across her beloved ocean, pioneer life was changing in the central regions of the United States. The Sisters of Providence of Ruillé were asked by the bishop of Indiana to send sisters to the United States to establish schools and a novitiate, Sister St. Theodore was asked to lead a group of five

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sisters to the Indiana wilderness.

On October 22, 1840, Sister St. Theodore, who soon would be known as Mother Theodore, stepped off a horse-drawn carriage for the first time at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, which is still the site of the Congregation's motherhouse. She and her companions immediately opened a novitiate. Nine months later, their first academy for girls — now Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College — was founded. Schools were established throughout Indiana and, after Mother Theodore's death, in other areas such as Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, and eventually Asia.

Mother Theodore died May 14, 1856. During her beatification on October 25, 1998, Pope John Paul II called her the perfect blend of humanness and holiness. She was canonized October 15, 2006. Her remains are enshrined at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. This statue was erected May 10, 2008.

Erected 2008 by the Friends of the Sisters of Providence.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Religion & Religious Structures • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is May 14, 1856.

Location. 38° 56.067′ N, 77° 0.073′ W.

Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Marker [Right plaque] image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 26, 2024

2. Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Marker [Right plaque]

Marker is in Northeast Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Catholic University. It can be reached from University Drive NE east of Harewood Road Northeast, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 348 University Dr NE, Washington DC 20017, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Upper South,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

in the Tidewater,

and in the Chesapeake Bay Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Dr. Justine Bayard Ward (within shouting distance of this marker); Shoah Memorial (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Pope Francis (about 500 feet away); Veterans Memorial (about 500 feet away); Father Michael J. McGivney (approx. 0.2 miles away); Welcome Plaza (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Catholic University of America Theological College (approx. 0.2 miles away); History of

Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Display image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 26, 2024

3. Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Display

the Catholic University Law School (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northeast Washington.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 26, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 214 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 26, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.