Sisters of Providence (Ruillé-sur-Loir, France)
| Motto | Deus Providebit ("God will provide") |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1806 |
| Type | religious institute |
| Headquarters | Ruillé-sur-Loir, Sarthe, France |
| Location |
|
Superior General | Sister Martine Meuwissen, S.P. |
| Website | Sisters of Providence of Ruillé sur Loire, France |
The Sisters of Providence of Ruillé-sur-Loir or the Sœurs de la Providence de Ruillé-sur-Loir, France, are a congregation of Roman Catholic Religious Sisters founded in 1806 by Jacques-Francois Dujarié.
History
During the French Revolution religious practice was banned, churches secularised, seminaries closed, and religious executed. Jacques François Dujarié was ordained in secret on the 26th December 1795, and ministered as an "underground priest" in Ruillé and surrounding area. Although the Concordat of 1801 lifted prohibitions, the effect of the Revolution on French Catholicism and education was severe. In January 1803 Fr.Dujarié was named parish priest of Ruillé.[1]
Three miles from the village, there were scattered farm houses where families in need of catechesis, children in need of education, and sick in need of care. In 1806 Abbe Dujarie was able to recruit two laywomen and had a small house built for them, "The Little Providence".[1] By 1808, there were a dozen members whose work had spread to neighboring parishes.
In 1820 Zoe du Roscöat (Mother Marie-Madeleine) from In Brittany, in Pléhédel, in Brittany was chosen as first Superior General. Upon the death of Mother Marie-Madeleine in 1820, Perrine Aimée Lecor (Mother Marie) from the Island of Brehat in Brittany was named as her successor. Under her leadership numerous communities were opened in France to serve the poor, the children and the sick.[1]
In 1840 Saint Theodore Guerin and several other Sisters of Providence went to Indiana in the United States, where they became the autonomous congregation of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
The Sisters of Providence of Ruillé-sur-Loir currently have 377 sisters ministering in France, England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Madagascar and Sri Lanka.