Special to The Message
“I knew that I felt called to a life of service.”
On Sept. 14, 2009, Sister Corbin Hannah made real her calling to be a Sister of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. She was attracted to the Sisters of Providence specifically through their ministry, White Violet Center for Eco-Justice.
And on Sunday, July 26, 2020, Sister Corbin fulfilled her call to Providence by professing final vows with the Congregation during a ceremony at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
Sister Corbin says she found her place in the world with the Sisters of Providence.
“I was looking for community living, where I could learn and grow with others who also desired to be of service,” Sister Corbin said. “I was also looking for guidance and accountability. I needed something different than what society or ‘the world’ was offering me.”
Reflecting on the past decade, Sister Corbin said getting to know the other Sisters of Providence and Saint Mother Theodore Guerin’s story helped her feel even more at home with the Congregation.
“As I got to know the sisters, I was drawn to Mother Theodore’s story,” Sister Corbin said. “I felt connected to her, her experiences and her spirit. I was also attracted by the focus on social justice as well as by the sisters living in our health care facility who, despite health issues, were still learning about the issues of the world, changing their behaviors and acting for the common good.
“I thought, That’s how I want to be when I’m 85, 90 or 95.”
Sister Corbin spent the past year in what is called Tertianship, the final formal period of initial formation.
“I can’t think of a more appropriate time for me to profess perpetual vows than now, during a chaotic time on Earth with the pandemic and global uprising for Black lives,” Sister Corbin said. “There is a significant potential for change during this painful time. And professing perpetual vows is my ‘yes’ to giving my life to be a positive force to bring about more love, mercy and justice in our world.”
“We are always welcoming new women who wish to join in our mission,” said Sister Jenny Howard, a member of the Congregation Leadership. “The purpose of this Congregation is to honor Divine Providence and to further God’s loving plans by devoting ourselves to works of love, mercy, and justice in service among God’s people.
“We’re very blessed to have new members so that together we can carry forward God’s mission in our world.”
Would you like to learn more about life as a Sister of Providence? Visit SistersofProvidence.org or contact Vocation Director Sister Joni Luna at 361-500-9505 or [email protected].