Sisters of Divine Providence

2022 JUBILARIANS

 

+Sister Mary Kriley, CDP
80th Jubilee

Sister Mary Kriley, CDP (formerly Sister Philomene) entered religious life from St. Mary parish in Herman, Pa. The eighth of 12 children, she followed her father’s sister, two of her mother’s sisters, and her own older sister, Sister Sylvester, into the same community.

Sister Mary credits her mother, prayer and desire to follow Christ in a more fulfilling way as most influencing her decision to enter religious life. Although she wanted to be a nurse, the superior at the time asked her to teach, which she did for 11 years in the primary grades. Her desire to be a nurse was eventually fulfilled, and she spent 18 years as an operating room supervisor. She also took care of the infirm Sisters at Providence Heights for 13 years. She enjoyed hearing many stories of the early years of the Community and how earlier members had struggled to give their all to those they taught and nursed.

“This fills me with a sense of gratitude for the sacrifice others made to pave the way for me today,” Sister says. “One important lesson I learned was ‘age is a continuation of how you lived your life.’”

After caring for the infirm Sisters, she took a brief sabbatical. During this time, she began working with a Sister who served at St. Thomas Parish and St. Michael Mission in Braxton County, W.Va. The beauty and low-key living of the area enticed her, and, in 1994, she moved there and began ministering at St. Michael’s in Burnsville. She visited the sick and homebound in the area, ministering not only to their physical and spiritual needs. She went on to become the pastoral assistant at St. Thomas in Gassaway, where she directed a food pantry and thrift store for the people of Braxton County, continuing to visit Burnsville for many years to deliver clothing.

She is now engaged in prayer ministry. Self-described as healthy, willing and desiring to be a true religious, Sister Mary has enjoyed praying for vocations and working with the poor.

Sister Maureen Grabowski, CDP
75th Jubilee

Sister Maureen Grabowski, CDP entered the Sisters of Divine Providence from St. Boniface parish in Penn, Pa. She credits one of her Sister teachers, who she felt was very close to God, as well as feeling God's pull, as influencing her decision to enter religious life.

She came to religious life thinking she would do small tasks around the convent, but she mostly desired to help the elderly Sisters. God's plan was otherwise. Educated at Duquesne University and Notre Dame University. Sister Maureen became a teacher and child caregiver, which she thoroughly enjoyed. From 1950 to 1985, she taught elementary grades and CCD to high school students in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Arizona. In 1985, the St. Anne Day Care Center in Castle Shannon, Pa., opened, providing Sister Maureen the opportunity to be with the very young.

In 1988, she moved to San Antonio, Texas, to minister as a house parent/childcare worker at St. Peter-St. Joseph Children’s Home, a long-term residential facility is for abused, neglected and dependent children. Sister Maureen always felt called to work with underprivileged children, so she considers the time she spent in Texas challenging yet satisfying. She recalls how thrilling it was for her to hear the children say, “Tell us about Jesus ... tell us a Bible story.”

When she returned to Pittsburgh in the latter part of 1989, she ministered at Providence Heights Alpha School, as a private nanny, and at UPMC Children's House.

In 1992, Sister Maureen's poem Winter Days of Mist and Darkness was published in On the Threshold of a Dream, Vol. III. Now semi-retired, Sister Maureen is dedicated to prayer ministry and likes to visit the sick Sisters at St. Joseph’s Center. Self-described as interested, kind, curious, gentle and compassionate, Sister Maureen loves the outdoors, jigsaw and crossword puzzles, and anything regarding children.

Sister Maureen says, “To me, the most important way is a simple lifestyle and a prayerful spirit, as exemplified by the founder and foundress of the Sisters of Divine Providence.”

+Sister Mary Weatherly, CDP
80th Jubilee

Sister Mary Weatherly, CDP (formerly Sister Pius) entered religious life from St. Mary’s parish in Beaver Falls, Pa. Her decision to enter religious life was greatly influenced by the prayerfulness and cheerfulness of the Sisters at her home parish.

“The charism of our community is trust in Divine Providence. As I entered the community that was the purpose of my life — to be true to this calling,” Sister says.

Sister Mary holds a bachelor of education from Duquesne University and a master of arts from the University of America. As an educator, she served as both an elementary school teacher and principal from 1941 to 1980.

With a certificate of clinical competence in speech pathology from the American Speech and Hearing Association, she ministered in speech therapy from 1980 t0 2005. Sister Mary was also a pastoral associate and volunteered as a daycare worker at St. Anne’s in Castle Shannon, Pa., from 1997 to 2009.

Since 2010 she has been in prayer ministry. She describes herself as a happy religious, enthusiastic teacher and joyful member of the community.

Sister Charlene Schaaf, CDP
50th Jubilee

Sister Charlene Schaaf, CDP entered religious life from St. Luke parish in Erie, Pa. Sister Charlene served as an elementary music teacher in various parochial schools and as a pastoral associate and liturgy/music director in parishes in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. She got her first two units of CPE through Duquesne University and later earned four more units at Presbyterian/St. Luke Hospital in Denver. She was the spiritual services director at St. Francis Nursing Center in Colorado Springs, Col. (1996-1999); staff chaplain at St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver (2000-2005); and night/weekend chaplain at Exempla Lutheran Medical Center in Wheat Ridge, Col. (2005-2010).

A certified spiritual director, Sister guided several directees through the Benedictine Spiritual Formation Program in Colorado Springs (2005-2010) and served as fifth grade teacher and music/liturgy director at St. Louis Parish in Louisville, CO (2008-2010).

In 2010, Sister Charlene returned to her hometown in Erie to care for her aging mother. In her free time, she taught music for five years at Neighborhood Art House, an afterschool program for low-income students. She also spent eight years as choir director at St. Lawrence Parish in Albion, Pa.; was a substitute music teacher at her former high school, Mercyhurst Preparatory School in Erie (2010-2022); and chaplain at UPMC Hamot medical center.

Currently chaplain at Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette, Col., Sister Charlene often plays guitar and other instruments at the Sisters’ annual Assembly and other special liturgical events

Sister Dorothy Ransil, CDP
75th Jubilee

Sister Dorothy Ransil, CDP formerly Sister Rose Bernard, entered religious life from Saint Norbert parish in Overbrook, Pa. She credits the Sisters of Divine Providence — who taught her for eight years at St. Norbert School — for influencing her decision to enter religious life. Sister Dorothy's sister, the late Sister Michele Ransil, was also a Sister of Divine Providence.

Sister Dorothy earned a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Mercy College. As a young child, she took up drawing, and she loved the process of starting with a blank page and then drawing something from scratch or trying to recreate an image. She recalls that the years she spent in art training were long and difficult, going to school on Saturdays, summers and evenings. It took her 20 years to earn her bachelor's degree from Mount Mercy and three years to earn a Master of Education in Art at the University of Pittsburgh, partly because of teaching full time and spending eight years in Puerto Rico. She is grateful that the Community afforded her the opportunity and experience.

Sister Dorothy ministered at Divine Providence Academy as an art teacher and assistant principal (1978-1984); at Serra Catholic High School as an art teacher and counselor (1984-2007); and at Providence Art Center at St. Sylvester Convent in Brentwood, Pa., as an art teacher (2008-2020). Her classes included pencil, pen and ink, painting and much more.

Of Sister Dorothy's ministry, Sister Barbara McMullen, CDP, says, “Reverencing beauty in our world and helping others discover and appreciate it through art ministry is a sacred task."

Sister Dorothy says, “I want to share my knowledge and art skills with those who have the desire to learn about art but have had little opportunity to do so. I offer the students a base upon which to build their knowledge of art and their art skills, opening a wide new world.

What she has found most satisfying, rewarding and, at times, surprising is being allowed to witness over and over the work of Providence in her students' lives and how so many of them have been able to use their art training by educating, inspiring and delighting those whose lives they have touched.

With the pandemic, Sisters’ art classes at St. Sylvester's came to an abrupt end. The convent and school were also sold, so she set up an art studio in Providence Heights and keep in touch with her students. “Being a very close group, missing their art experience and each other, they rented a room and meet every Tuesday as they did before the pandemic began,” Sister Dorothy says. “They send me their work for suggestions and I continue to guide them as best I can."

Self-described as creative, caring and persevering, Sister Dorothy enjoys reading and crossword puzzles.