Dear OLLU Community,
This week is Catholic Sisters Week, a national celebration recognizing the mission, spirituality, and Gospel witness of women religious orders. For our university, this week is our opportunity to pause with gratitude for the women whose faith, courage, and trust in God’s providence have made Our Lady of the Lake University possible.
More than a century ago, the Sisters of Divine Providence arrived with a clear conviction: that God’s providence is active all around us in the world, and that education equalizes and transforms lives. Guided by that conviction, the Sisters of Divine Providence committed themselves to serving those often overlooked. They have built schools, cared for the sick, stood with the poor, and believed deeply in the dignity and potential of every person. No question.
Our university stands today because of their witness.
Across the country, week after week, Catholic sisters love, teach, accompany, advocate, model human dignity, and strengthen communities. Their ministries have shaped the landscape of our country, and they continue to respond with courage and compassion to the needs of our time.
This year’s theme, “Stories of Hope and Heart,” reminds us that the impact of women religious orders is far-reaching. Their lives and their legacies are testimonies of daily service oriented action. At OLLU, our Sisters’ charism of trust in Divine Providence continues to shape our identity, present and future, as we respond to the needs of our time. We carry forward their work by educating students who will serve the world with competence, compassion, and integrity. We honor their legacy by ensuring education remains a pathway to opportunity, dignity, and hope for our communities.
Catholic Sisters Week invites us to follow in their steps and live the values they model. As such, this week, especially, I invite our campus community to take three simple actions:
First, learn a story.
Take time to learn about the life and ministry of a Sister of Divine Providence or another woman religious order whose witness has shaped the Church and the world.
Second, share gratitude.
Reach out and thank a sister whose ministry has touched your life, your family, or your becoming. A simple note of gratitude carries great meaning.
Third, live the charism.
In our classrooms, offices, and campus, recommit to the values that shape our university: trust in God’s providence, service to those in need, and belief in the transformative power of education.
Beyond founding our university, the Sisters of Divine Providence called into being a community dedicated to faith, service, and justice.
Their story continues and endures through each of us.
With prayer and gratitude,
