Twelve members of the Sisters of Providence celebrate jubilees

Criterion staff report

In 2022, 12 members of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods celebrated significant milestones in the congregation.

75-year jubilarians

Sister Joyce Brophy is a native of Joliet, Ill. She entered the congregation on July 22, 1947, and professed perpetual vows on Jan. 23, 1955.

Sister Joyce earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in St. Mary-of-the-Woods and a master’s degree in education at Indiana State University in Terre Haute.

Sister Joyce served in the archdiocese at the motherhouse as mistress of postulants from 1965-68, mistress of scholastics from 1968-69, as assistant vice president for development from 1980-82, as provincial for the Sacred Heart Province from 1984-91 and as a volunteer in West Terre Haute and at the motherhouse from 1999-2019.

Sister Joyce also ministered in California and Illinois.

She currently ministers in prayer at the motherhouse.
 

Sister Margaret Heese was born in Robstown, Texas. She entered the congregation on June 17, 1947, and professed perpetual vows on Jan. 23, 1955.

Sister Margaret earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree in art education at Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz.

She served in the archdiocese as a teacher at St. Thomas Aquinas School from 1958-60 and at the motherhouse on the staff of the archives from 2001-02.

Sister Margaret also served in Arizona, California, Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas.

Currently, she ministers in the Providence Hall Sewing Room at the motherhouse.
 

Sister Lucille Nolan is a native of Galesburg, Ill. She entered the congregation on July 22, 1947, and professed perpetual vows on Jan. 23, 1955.

Sister Lucille earned a bachelor’s degree in music education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree in music education at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Ill.

She served in the archdiocese at the former St. Bridget School in Indianapolis in 1950, at the former St. Ann School in Terre Haute from 1955-56 and at Holy Cross Central School and the former Cathedral Grade School, both in Indianapolis, from 1968-69.

Sister Lucille also ministered in Illinois, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Texas.

She currently ministers to the homebound in St. Mary-of-the-Woods and West Terre Haute.

70-year jubilarians

Sister Rose Virginia Eichman is a native of Fort Wayne, Ind. She entered the congregation on Feb. 2, 1952, and professed perpetual vows on Aug. 15, 1959.

Sister Rose Virginia earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

In the archdiocese, she served at St. Anthony School in Indianapolis from 1954-56, and in numerous capacities in housekeeping and health care at the motherhouse from 1966-67, 1972-77, 1980-81 and 2018-20, at Providence Retirement Home in New Albany from 1981-94 and at Providence Self Sufficiency Ministries in New Albany and Georgetown from 1994-2018

Sister Rose Virginia also served in California, Illinois and Texas.

She currently ministers as a visitor at Providence Health Care at the motherhouse.
 

Sister Patricia Geis is a native of Chicago. She entered the congregation on July 21, 1952, and professed perpetual vows on Jan. 23, 1960.

Sister Patricia earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree in elementary education at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill.

In the archdiocese, she served at the former Annunciation School in Brazil from 1958-64.

She also served in Illinois and North Dakota.

Sister Patricia currently ministers in prayer at the motherhouse.
 

Sister Marilyn Herber is a native of Jasper, Ind. She entered the congregation on Feb. 2, 1952, and professed perpetual vows on Aug. 15, 1959.

Sister Marilyn earned a bachelor’s degree in English at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, a master’s degree in secondary education at Indiana University in Bloomington and a master’s degree in pastoral theology at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

In the archdiocese, she served in Terre Haute at the former Sacred Heart School from 1954-58, at St. Patrick School from 1958-59 and at the former Archbishop Schulte High School from 1966-67, and in Indianapolis at Holy Spirit Parish from 1973-74, St. Mark the Evangelist Parish from 1980-94, as parish life coordinator of St. Andrew the Apostle Parish from 1994-2004 and as a volunteer at Miracle Place and Abbie Hunt Bryson Home from 2006-20. At the motherhouse, she served in residential services from 2020-21.

Sister Marilyn also served in the Diocese of Lafayette, Ind., and in Illinois.

Currently, she ministers in prayer at the motherhouse.
 

Sister Mary Ann McCauley is a native of Terre Haute. She entered the congregation on July 22, 1952, and professed perpetual vows on Jan. 23, 1960.

She earned bachelor’s degrees in elementary education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and in nursing at St. Louis University in St. Louis, and a master’s degree in education at Indiana State University.

Sister Mary Ann served in the archdiocese at St. Malachy School in Brownsburg from 1963-65, and in health care at Union Hospital in Terre Haute from 1977-78, in the Community Health network in Indianapolis from 1980-2004 and Holistic Health Service in Indianapolis and Clinton from 2004-11.

At the motherhouse, she ministered on the infirmary staff from 1973-74 and 1975-76, as a nurse in Health Care from 1978-80 and as an outpatient nurse at Providence Hall from 2012-16.

Sister Mary Ann also served in Illinois and North Carolina.

She currently ministers as a volunteer in the Clinical Care Office at the motherhouse.
 

Sister Marie Esther Sivertsen is a native of Winthrop, Mass. She entered the congregation on Feb. 2, 1952, and professed perpetual vows on Aug. 15, 1959.

Sister Marie Esther earned a bachelor’s degree in Latin at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree in Latin at Boston College in Boston.

In the archdiocese, she served at the former St. Ann School in Terre Haute in 1954 and at Our Lady of Providence High School in Clarksville from 1968-70.

At the motherhouse, she served as an assistant in the archives from 1995-2016 and as a volunteer at the Providence Spirituality and Conference Center from 2016-21.

Sister Marie Esther also served in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind., and in Illinois, Massachusetts and North Carolina.

She currently ministers in prayer at the motherhouse.

60-year jubilarians

Sister Marilyn Baker is a native of New Delhi, India. She entered the congregation on Sept. 15, 1962, and professed perpetual vows on Dec. 28, 1970.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, a master’s degree in reading at Salem State University in Salem, Mass., and a doctorate in education at Indiana State University.

In the archdiocese, Sister Marilyn served at St. Simon the Apostle School in Indianapolis from 1980-83.

She also served in Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Taiwan and Washington, D.C.

Sister Marilyn is currently between ministries.
 

Sister Martha Joseph Wessel is a native of Ferdinand, Ind. She entered the congregation on Sept. 17, 1962, and professed perpetual vows on Aug. 15, 1970.

Sister Martha Joseph earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree in education at Indiana State University.

She ministered in the archdiocese at the former St. Anne School in New Castle from 1968-74 and 1977-82, at Holy Cross Central School in Indianapolis from 1974-77 and at All Saints School (now St. Bartholomew School) in Columbus from 1982-84.

Sister Martha Joseph served at the motherhouse as administrator of Owens Hall from 1993-96 and 2004-16.

She also served in the Diocese of Evansville, Ind., and in Kentucky.

Sister Martha Joseph currently ministers as coordinator of transportation in residential services at the motherhouse.
 

Sister Therese Whitsett is a native of Indianapolis. She entered the congregation on Sept. 17, 1962, and professed perpetual vows on Feb. 10, 1974.

Sister Therese earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree in communication arts at Webster University in Webster Groves, Mo.

In the archdiocese, she ministered in Indianapolis at the former St. Ann School from 1971-72, at Holy Cross Central School from 1972-79, at St. Lawrence School from 1990-91, at the Hispanic Education Center from 1991-2006 and at St. Philip Neri School from 2006-19.

Sister Therese also served in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, in Illinois, North Dakota and Peru.

She currently ministers as a food pantry volunteer and nursing home visitor in Indianapolis.

25-year jubilarian

Sister Evelyn Ovalles is a native of Polillo, the Philippines. She entered the congregation on Sept. 15, 1997, and professed perpetual vows on Aug. 15, 2004.

Sister Evelyn earned a bachelor’s degree in communication arts at St. Paul University in Manila, the Phillipines, a bachelor’s degree in law at the University of Manila and a licentiate in canon law from St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada.

She has ministered in various positions in parish ministry and in the canon law tribunal of the Diocese of Gary, Ind., and will soon begin parish ministry in Chicago. †