2024 Jubilarians | Sisters of Divine Providence

Sisters of Divine Providence

2024 JUBILARIANS

**Sister Grace Babuscio, CDP**
70th Jubilee

Sister Grace Babuscio entered religious life from St. Rosalia’s parish in Greenfield, Pa. When considering a vocation to religious life, she recalls that the deep faith and prayerfulness of her grandmother, whose name she chose for her religious name, greatly influenced her decision to become a Sister. She chose the Sisters of Divine Providence because of her fondness for the Sisters who taught her at SS Peter & Paul School in East Liberty and Divine Providence Academy, then located on Larimer Avenue in the East End of Pittsburgh.
She was an educator in the early part of her ministry, having taught at St. Mary in Ford City, Pa. (1957-1958); St. Norbert in Overbrook, Pa. (1959–1960); Queen of Peace in Detroit (1960–1963); St. Sylvester in Brentwood, Pa. (1963–1965); and SS. Peter & Paul in Beaver, Pa. (1965–1967; (1967–71), St. Basil in Carrick, Pa. (1972–1974); and St. Margaret in Greentree, Pa. (1974–1976). She also served as principal at St. Mary in Beaver Falls, Pa. (1971-1972).
Sister was the director of religious education at St. Pamphilus in Beechview, Pa. (1976–1983); Our Lady of Fatima in Hopewell, Pa. (1983–1994); St. Bonaventure in Glenshaw, Pa. (1994–2002); and SS. Peter & Paul in Beaver, Pa. (2003–2013). From 2013-2015, Sister Grace volunteered at Providence Villa, a former sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Divine Providence that was located in Gibsonia, Pa.

**Sister Maura Luffy, CDP**
75th Jubilee

Sister Maura Luffy entered the Sisters of Divine Providence in 1949 from St. Basil parish in Carrick. She is the 9th of 11 children born to Margaret and Craig Luffy. Her sister, Sister Marlene, is also a member of the community. When their father died, their mother continued to raise a close-knit family. Realizing that her call to religious life is a gift, Sister Maura credits her mother’s life of faith and good example, for her decision to become a religious.
Sister Maura earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Duquesne University, a certificate in theology from Mount Mercy (now Carlow University) and a master’s degree in religious education from La Salle University, with additional studies in spirituality.
Sister Maura’s teaching ministry took her to Etna, Braddock, Spring Hill, Allison Park (Marycrest High School), Carrick and Sharpsburg. When St. Mary High School in Sharpsburg closed, Sister Maura opened a Youthhouse, based in the former Madonna Convent, where three other Sisters joined her. The convent was renamed Ketteler House.
Sister Maura was appointed director of novices, then elected to the Provincial Council in 1980 and subsequently to the General Council in Rome in 1990. Returning from Rome in 1995, she accepted the position as pastoral associate at St. Joseph Catholic Community in Sykesville, Md.
On returning to Pittsburgh in 2001, she served as co-director at Providence Villa, and continued her ministry as spiritual director until she gradually moved into retirement and to ministry of prayer and presence.

**Sister Bernadette Duman, CDP**
70th Jubilee

Sister Bernadette Duman, formerly Sister Maximilian, entered religious life from St. Walburga parish in Pittsburgh’s East End. She credits her very loving and prayerful mother and dad — who were great role models — supportive brothers and sisters, and the Sisters of Divine Providence for encouraging and influencing her vocation.
Sister Bernie, as she is affectionately known, served as a grade school and high school teacher and associate dean of students at La Roche University in the earlier part of her ministry. She also served in nursing home administration for 20 years and was the treasurer/director of finances for the community for 12 years, serving in Pittsburgh and Kingston, Mass.
From 2010 to 2016, she served as the archivist for the Marie de la Roche Province. From 2016 to 2019, she was the administrator of Providence Heights. In these ministries, she strove to bring spirit, peace and organization. She was very mindful of her responsibility to have each Sister’s spiritual, medical, social and emotional needs be met with the help of the nursing staff and others who are deeply committed to the other respective needs.
She also readily reached out for assistance when extra help was needed. Her ministries over the years have given her a deeper level of knowledge of administrative pros and cons related to medical information, finances and human resources. Since 2019, Sister Bernie has volunteered in the community’s Mission Advancement Department.

**Sister Jeanine Ruhe, CDP**
75th Jubilee

Sister Jeanine Ruhe entered religious life from St. Joseph parish in Duquesne, Pa. Her paternal grandmother always prayed that one of her nine children would enter religious life. Although that didn’t happen, her oldest son’s daughters, Sisters Agnes Therese and Mary Lea (both deceased), and her youngest son’s daughters, Sisters Marietta (deceased) and Jeanine, entered the Congregation of Divine Providence — the religious community that staffed their parish school, St. Joseph School.
Sister Jeanine earned a master’s degree in library science from the Catholic University of America. From 1952 to 1991, she was a teacher and a principal in Catholic elementarys chools, including St. Norbert in Overbrook, Pa.; St. Sylvester in Brentwood, Pa.; St. Isaac Jogues in St. Clair Shores, Mich.; St Basil in Carrick, Pa.; Sacred Heart in New Philadelphia, Ohio; and St. Mary in Glenshaw, Pa.
From 1991 to 1998, Sister Jeanine was a teacher of the hearing impaired at DePaul Institute in Mt. Lebanon, Pa. From 1998 to 2019, she was a tutor, library assistant and part-time kindergarten aide at Providence Heights Alpha School, where she helped the children with their reading, motorskills and game playing, reinforcing what they’d learned.

**Sister Carolyn Winschel, CDP**
70th Jubilee

Sister Carolyn Winschel, formerly Sister Jean Francis, entered religious life from St. Mary’s in Glenshaw, Pa. She credits the Sisters of Divine Providence who taught her, as well as her sister, Sister Anne Winschel; her aunt, Sister Alacoque Winschel; and Sister Myra Rodgers, a classmate who had already entered, with influencing her vocation to religious life.
From 1957 to 1975, Sister Carolyn was an elementary and high school teacher. From 1975 to 2005, Sister Carolyn ministered at La Roche University in Allison Park, Pa., serving as assistant to the academic dean and special assistant to the president and, later, the executive vice president for mission and planning.
While in this ministry, she completed her PhD at the University of Pittsburgh. She also served as a council member on the Sisters of Divine Providence administrative team (1980 to 1985) and as assistant to the provincial director (1985 to 1990, 2001 to 2006). From 2007 to 2016, Sister Carolyn was executive director of Providence Connections.
In 2017, Sister Carolyn began her ministry as senior development specialist for the community’s Mission Advancement Department. In this position, she was responsible for the cultivation of new donors and ongoing communication with established donors. She spent a good deal of time calling to thank donors for their gifts, finding out more about their connections to the Sisters, and requesting any needs for prayer for their family and friends.

**Sister Agnes Raible, CDP**
75th Jubilee

Sister Agnes Raible entered religious life in 1949 from St. Mary German Church in McKeesport, Pa. Growing up in a rural area, she was attracted by God’s Creation and beauty all around her.
Her early ministry was in education, teaching primary grades in Pittsburgh and other dioceses. Then from 1971 to 1978 she was principal at Saints Peter and Paul School in Beaver, Pa.; and from 1978 to 1990 was principal at St. Margaret School in Pittsburgh, Pa. From 1978 to 2007, she became co-director and director at Kearns Spirituality Center in Allison Park, Pa.
In each of these ministries, she found the charism of Providence (trust in the goodness of God and God’s constant care) most attractive and nourishing. She has learned to dwell on the positive blessings of her life each day, including the love of her Sisters in community and wonderful friends from whom she has learned so much. These have facilitated her growth, drawing her ever closer to the God of Providence.
In 2017, Sister Agnes retired from active ministry and now devotes her time and energy to prayer and to helping in community life.

**Sister Judith Connor, CDP**
25th Jubilee

Sister Judy Connor was raised in Fair Haven, N.J., by her parents, Mary Ellen and Joe, and with her seven older siblings. After participating in a long-term volunteer program with the Sisters of Divine Providence in Kingston, Mass., she entered the community in 1999, and then moved to Pittsburgh in 2007.
Encouraged by her eldest sister, Sister Judy developed a strong interest in issues of social justice and, after graduating from the University of South Carolina in 1988, she entered the field of social work, first working in a hospital in Georgia and then with special needs adults in South Carolina.
As a Sister of Divine Providence, Sister Judy has furthered her education and ministered as a teacher of religion and Spanish, a basic needs case manager, and a clinical social worker. Of her life as a religious, Sister Judy says, “Living a life of service and prayer in the community of the Sisters of Divine Providence has been a sacred blessing and a privilege.”

Other 2024 Milestones

Click on the names of the Sisters below to link to additional information on their community website.

65 Years
Sister Catherine Ann Koller, CDP
Sister Carole Riley, CDP

60 Years
Sister Lois Spinnenweber, CDP

Community Website

Catholic Sisters of Western PA

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