Eight Sisters of Providence celebrate golden jubilee
Eight Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods celebrated their golden jubilee of religious profession on June 30, 2007, at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
Sisters Susanne Gallagher, Janet Gilligan, Mary Catherine Keene, Margaret Kelly, Arlene Knarzer, Carol Lindly, Patricia Mahoney and Carol Meyers currently minister or formerly ministered in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
A native of Chicago, Sister Susanne Gallagher ministers as assistant director of SPRED (Special Religious Education Development) in Chicago.
She entered the congregation on July 22, 1957, and professed her perpetual vows on Aug. 15, 1965.
Sister Susanne graduated from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College with a bachelor’s degree in education then earned a master’s degree in religious education at Loyola University and a master’s degree in special education at Northern Illinois University.
In the archdiocese, she taught at St. Patrick School in Terre Haute from 1960-61.
Sister Susanne also ministered in New Hampshire and Illinois.
A native of Chicago, Sister Janet Gilligan ministers as a professor of English at Wayne State College in Nebraska.
She entered the congregation on Jan. 7, 1957, and professed her perpetual vows on Aug. 15, 1964.
Sister Janet graduated from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College with a bachelor’s degree in education then earned a master’s degree in English and a doctorate in English at Northern Illinois University.
In the archdiocese, she taught at St. Andrew School in Indianapolis from 1961-62 and St. Simon School in Indianapolis from 1962-67.
Sister Janet also ministered in Illinois, Oklahoma, New York, and Nantes, France.
A native of Indianapolis, Sister Mary Catherine Keene ministers to memory loss patients at Lakeview Manor Health Care in Indianapolis.
She entered the congregation on Feb. 2, 1957, and professed her perpetual vows on Aug. 15, 1964.
Sister Mary Catherine graduated from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College with a bachelor’s degree in music education then earned a master’s degree in music at the University of Illinois and a master’s degree in theological studies at the Catholic Theological Union.
In the archdiocese, she taught at the former St. Ann School in Terre Haute from 1971-77, served as provincial councilor of the congregation’s St. Gabriel Province in Indianapolis from 1986-90, worked in retreat ministry from 1992-99, and ministered as a staff member at A Caring Place Adult Day Care in Indianapolis from 1998-2005.
Sister Mary Catherine also ministered in Illinois and Tennessee.
A native of Chicago, Sister Margaret Kelly ministers as a teacher at Maternity BVM School in Chicago.
She entered the congregation on Feb. 2, 1957, and professed her perpetual vows on Aug. 15, 1964.
Sister Margaret graduated from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College with a bachelor’s degree in education then earned a master’s degree in elementary education at Ball State University.
In the archdiocese, she taught at St. Joan of Arc School in Indianapolis from 1961-62.
Sister Margaret also ministered in North Carolina and Missouri.
A native of Indianapolis, Sister Arlene Knarzer ministers as business manager at the Church of St. Agnes in St. Paul, Minn.
Sister Arlene, the former Sister Jean Cecile, entered the congregation on July 21, 1957, and professed her perpetual vows on Aug. 15, 1965.
She graduated from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry then earned a master’s degree in business administration at Indiana State University and a master’s degree in library science at the University of Kentucky.
In the archdiocese, she served as a business officer at the former Ladywood-St. Agnes Academy in Indianapolis from 1970-73.
At Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Sister Arlene taught in the congregation’s Aspirancy program in 1962 then served the congregation as assistant treasurer from 1967-70, on the business office staff from 1973-78 and as assistant to the director of finance from 1978-82.
She also taught at a Catholic grade school staffed by the sisters in Washington, Ind., and served in data processing at Holy Cross Health Systems in South Bend, Ind., in 1986.
Sister Arlene also ministered in Massachusetts, Texas, Kentucky, Illinois and Michigan.
A native of Fort Wayne, Ind., Sister Carol Lindly ministers as a laboratory technician in Indianapolis.
Sister Carol, the former Sister Richard Ann, entered the congregation on Feb. 2, 1957, and professed her perpetual vows on Aug. 15, 1964.
She graduated from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College with a bachelor’s degree in education then earned a master’s degree in elementary education at Indiana University.
In the archdiocese, Sister Carol served the Indianapolis Public Schools as principal at McClelland Elementary School from 1979-89 and principal at Stout Field Elementary School from 1989-96.
She also ministered as program coordinator at the Hispanic Education Center in Indianapolis from 1998-99.
Sister Carol also taught and served as the principal at a Catholic grade school staffed by the sisters in Jasper, Ind., and taught at a Catholic grade school in Fort Wayne, Ind.
A native of Chicago, Sister Patricia Mahoney ministers as a prevention coordinator in the Community Prosecution Unit for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in Chicago.
She entered the congregation on Feb. 2, 1957, and professed her perpetual vows on Aug. 15, 1964.
Sister Patricia graduated from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College with a bachelor’s degree in education then earned a master’s degree in psychology at Illinois State University.
In the archdiocese, she taught at St. Thomas Aquinas School in Indianapolis from 1962-67.
Sister Patricia also served as associate director of the Catholic religious education office in the Diocese of Gary from 1968-71 and as a parish religious education coordinator in Whiting, Ind., from 1971-72. She also ministered in Texas.
A native of Chicago, Sister Carol Myers ministers as a consultant for Oakbrook Montessori School in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.
She entered the congregation on Jan. 7, 1957, and professed her perpetual vows on Aug. 15, 1964.
Sister Carol graduated from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College with a bachelor’s degree in education then earned a master’s degree in early childhood education at Indiana State University and a master’s degree in adult education at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
In the archdiocese, she taught at St. Matthew School in Indianapolis from 1961-64.
Sister Carol also ministered in Washington, D.C. †