What do the vows mean?

The vow of Chastity is the promise to live single-heartedly for God and to love wholeheartedly and inclusively all God's people.

The vow of Poverty is a commitment to simplicity of life in which we share not only possessions but our time, talents, and presence.

The word Obedience comes from the Latin, obedire, which means "to listen." There are community and personal aspects to the keeping of this vow. We are called to listen as a community to the Word of God, to the signs of the times in events and in society, and to the Catholic Church to see where we are being called and what we are being called to do. On the personal level, the vow of obedience requires a prayer life that cultivates a listening heart.
Founding Congregations: Sisters of Divine Providence; Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, Houston; Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament; Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio; and Dominican Sisters of Houston.