Historical marker for Vigo Co. Saint

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Vigo County now has a permanent reminder that a saint lived here.

Saint Mother Theodore Guerin settled in western Vigo County in the 1800's. Wednesday, a new state historical marker was dedicated on the campus of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

The sign was placed near the motherhouse of the Sisters of Providence, which was founded by her. Guerin became a saint during a ceremony in Rome in October 2006.

"It's a wonderful day. It's another recognition of a wonderful woman who really created from this forest a wonderful college and a wonderful community of women," Sister Denise Wilkinson of the Sisters of Providence said.

The marker comes from the State of Indiana Historical Marker Program and the Indiana Historical Bureau. Historical Marker Program manager Jeremy Hackerd worked for more than two years to get the sign placed on the campus.

The two-sided state marker text reads:

"Born Anne-Thérèse Guerin in 1798 in France. In 1823, she entered the Catholic congregation Sisters of Providence of Ruillé; received the name Sister St. Theodore. Noted for her teaching, she led a mission from France to establish schools and orphanages in the Indiana wilderness; arrived here fall 1840 and established the Sisters of Providence in U.S. Guerin opened a female academy in July 1841, the predecessor of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Initially, she and the sisters endured anti-Catholic sentiments and harsh frontier conditions. At her death in 1856, she had directed the opening of 11 schools in 9 Indiana towns. Pope Benedict XVI canonized her in 2006, naming her Saint Theodora Guerin."