2025 Vocations Awareness Supplement
New Sisters of Providence delve deeper into faith during novitiate year
Providence Sister Dawn Tomaszewski, general superior of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, left, welcomes Ann Duong, second from right, and Maité Rodriguez-Mora as novices in the community during an Aug. 24 ceremony in the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the community’s motherhouse. (Submitted photo)
By Jason Moon (Special to The Criterion)
ST. MARY-OF-THE-WOODS—During a ceremony on Aug. 24 at the motherhouse of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ann Duong and Maité Rodriguez-Mora entered the novitiate and were welcomed into the religious community at St. Mary-of-the-Woods in western Indiana.
Both are now taking part in the religious community’s yearlong Canonical Novitiate Program and have received the title of “Sister.”
“I felt at peace as I entered the next phase of becoming a Sister of Providence,” Sister Ann said. “In addition, I pray to Mary to protect my vocation and help me remain faithful to my call.”
“The Canonical Novitiate is a once-in-a-lifetime gift when, in our formation, we will have time to learn the community and Church history, participate through the formation process in the Intercommunity Novitiate Program at Catholic Theological Union [in Chicago] and have more dedicated time to study Scripture, instruction, conferences, spiritual accompaniment and personal prayer,” Sister Maité added.
During the ceremony, Providence Sister Dawn Tomaszewski, the religious community’s general superior, offered a reflection prior to both sisters requesting entrance into the novitiate.
“This is the ‘we’ moment,” Sister Dawn told the novices. “You are now part of who we are. Welcome to that adventure.”
Both Sister Ann and Sister Maité entered the congregation as postulants on Sept. 14, 2024, while knocking on the entrance door of the motherhouse. They were welcomed by Sister Dawn and other members of the Sisters of Providence.
Sister Ann, 44, is a native of Vietnam. She was previously a member of the Sisters of Mary, Queen in St. Louis for 21 years before entering the Sisters of Providence. She served for 16 years while in that community as a pre-school teacher.
Sister Maité, 49, is a native of Puerto Rico. Prior to entering the Sisters of Providence, she worked for Conception Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Conception, Mo.
According to the Sisters of Providence’s constitutions, the purpose of the Canonical Novitiate Program is to “foster the internalization of Gospel values.”
During the yearlong program, both sisters will have extended time for prayer and have spiritual direction monthly. They will also give service to the religious community and regularly receive instruction in religious life, Scripture, theology and the history and traditions of the Sisters of Providence.
They will be under the guidance of the community’s novice director Sister Norene Wu.
“They will take classes relating to the community history of the Sisters of Providence, Old Testament, New Testament, music, art and spirituality and other important components of novitiate formation,” Sister Norene said. “Additionally, they will join the novices of other communities for weekly classes on different and very important topics for holistic formation through the Intercommunity Novitiate program in Chicago.
“We will join 27 novices and
15 novice directors from eight other communities for the classes.”
Sister Norene said they will travel weekly to Chicago for the classes.
“The weekly gatherings for the novices are a good way to build relationships and hopefully form a strong network serving God’s people,” Sister Norene said. “And as director of novices, my role is to be the novices’ guide, coach, instructor and supervisor.
“I also try to be a ‘midwife’ for their holistic formation on the journey of becoming forever members of the Sisters of Providence.”
During the coming year, both Sister Ann and Sister Maité will begin studying vows for the congregation.
“The goal of the year is to grow in our identity as a Sister of Providence and intimacy with our Creator God,” Sister Maité said.
“This novitiate is a stage for me to go deep into the charism, history and legacy of the Sisters of Providence,” Sister Ann added. “Furthermore, it is a year to pray and study to know more about God.”
(Jason Moon is communications director for the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Women who are interested in religious life are invited to the Sisters of Providence’s Come and See weekend retreats. Learn more at ComeandSee.SistersofProvidence.org or contact Vocations Director Providence Sister Joni Luna at 361-500-9505 or jluna@spsmw.org if you think you are being called.) †
