ST. MARY-OF-THE-WOODS — Sister Marie Kevin Tighe, a member of the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods for 67 years, is the author of a new book.
“Arch, Steeple, and Dome: Religious Symbols on a Journey of Faith,’” is a reflection on new expectations, growth and collaboration within the Catholic Church, focusing on her own education about the Second Vatican Council’s decrees in the late 1960s and how she helped others understand and implement those changes. The council’s role in the life of the church is explained throughout the book.
“We learned from the Second Vatican Council that if we wanted to fully implement those teachings and decisions, we had to learn to be a more collaborative church with shared responsibility across the line of laity, clergy, religious and bishops,” Sister Marie Kevin said. “We are called to be one people, the people of God. The Second Vatican Council calls us to be a more co-responsible church.”
In a training session at St. Louis University after the council’s conclusion, in which six Sisters of Providence participated, Sister Marie Kevin said, “We learned the basic principles of theological reflection, shared decision-making and collaborative planning. All of those things make us more aware of our unity, our oneness.”
Sister Marie Kevin, who spent years advising other congregations about the findings of the Second Vatican Council, also includes personal information in a three-part epilogue.
Sister Marie Kevin is a graduate of St. Mary-of-the-Woods College. She received a master’s degree in education from Indiana State University and a master’s degree in spirituality from St. Louis University. She has an honorary doctorate from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College.
A native of New Albany, she is a lifelong educator, having spent most of her ministerial life in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis where she taught and served as principal in several Catholic schools. In addition, she served as adjunct professor and spiritual director at St. Meinrad College Seminary. She was the founder and director of the Office for Pastoral Councils for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
Most recently, Sister Marie Kevin served in a prominent ministry for the congregation for nearly 11 years, first as promoter of the Cause of Blessed Mother Theodore Guerin and then as vice postulator for the Cause. Pope Benedict XVI canonized St. Mother Theodore on Oct. 15, 2006.
Sister Marie Kevin is the recipient of the Torchbearer Award, the highest honor presented to women in Indiana by the Indiana Commission for Women. Previously, she received the Outstanding Leadership Award for service on the Coordinating Committee of the National Pastoral Planning Conference and the Dedicated Service Award from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. She also has received the St. Mother Theodore Guerin Award from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and the Career Achievement Award from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
The book is available at The Gift Shop at Providence Center at St. Mary-of-the-Woods and on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Borders.com and AuthorHouse.com.
