They all crowded into the living quarters which eventually became the first Sisters of Providence convent. From this uncertain beginning, the Congregation built a solid foundation focused on education, especially of women and children. Today, the college is a sponsored institution of the Sisters of Providence and is the oldest Catholic liberal arts college for women in the United States. Buildings dotted the wooded property, the Academy was flourishing, the magnificent Church of the Immaculate Conception was nearly finished, and the Sisters of Providence were growing each year. The St. Theresa Opportunity Center in Taichung, Taiwan, is a ministry founded by the Sisters of Providence.
Sisters provide physical therapy and education for children with mental and physical disabilities.
In 1920, the Sisters of Providence became the first sisters from the United States to teach in China. Political conditions forced the Sisters of Providence and the Missionary Sisters of Providence, formerly the Providence Sister-Catechists, to depart from the mainland in 1948. Both groups relocated to Taiwan, where they continue today. The Sisters of Providence ministries there include St. Theresa Opportunity Center, a school for children with physical and mental disabilities, and Providence University, a college founded by the Sisters of Providence. In the 158 years since the foundation of the Sisters of Providence, sisters have ministered in more than 260 schools across the United States, in China, Taiwan and Peru.