Sisters of Divine Providence
2025 JUBILARIANS
Sister Emma Jean Middendorf, CDP
80th Jubilee
Sister Emma Jean Middendorf entered religious life from St. Martin in Pittsburgh's West End. She credits the Sisters of Divine Providence who taught her at St. Martin for influencing her decision to enter religious life.
“The CDP Sisters were excellent examples of happy, enthusiastic teachers. I always wanted to be a teacher, so I joined them,” she says. “It is a wonderful profession, showing God's face to the world."
Sister Emma Jean's ministry in education spanned 70 years. “Always a teacher,” she says. “In the second grade of Saint Martin’s school, I decided I would be a teacher. The 75 years in our CDP Congregation has given me many varied and greatly appreciated opportunities for education. I have been a teacher since I was 18 years of age. I loved it."
She taught at St. Sylvester (Brentwood, Pa.), Queen of Peace (Harper Woods, Mich.), St. Joseph (Braddock, Pa.), St. Alphonsus (Springdale, Pa.), All Saints (Etna, Pa.), St. Joan of Arc (Orleans, Mass.), St. Francis Xavier (South Weymouth, Mass.), St. Cecilia (Stamford, Conn.), Fachschule fur Socialpedagogisch (Oberursell, Germany) and Sacred Heart High School (Kingston, Mass.), where she taught German and was chair of the World Languages Department.
She was a great influence on Robert Munsch, a best-selling children’s author. “She let me live in the school library (at All Saints School in Etna),” he recalls. “I didn't do well in school, but I was an avid reader and she was happy to let me muck around in the library."
While in Kingston, Sister Emma Jean also served as the co-coordinator of our CDP Associates.
Sister Wilma McKee, CDP
75th Jubilee
Sister Wilma McKee, formerly Sister Alice Ann, entered religious life from St. Alphonsus Parish in Wheeling, W.Va. From as early as first grade, she knew she wanted to be a Sister.
“I admired their way of life,” she says of the Sisters who taught her. “It held a certain attraction for me.”
Her ministry as a teacher included St. Basil in Carrick, Pa. (1953-1955; 1957-1960; 1975-1976); St. Martin in Pittsburgh’s West End (1955-1957); St. Mary in Glenshaw, Pa. (1960-1965); All Saints in Etna, Pa. (1965-1967); St. Mary in Ford City, Pa. (1967-1968); St. John in Monaca, Pa. (1968-1969); St. Brendaus in Detroit, Mich. (1969-1972); St. Joseph in Dover, Ohio (1972-1974); St. Joseph in Braddock, Pa. (1974-1975); St. Mary in Beaver Falls, Pa. (1976-1979); and Providence Heights Alpha School in Allison Park, Pa. (1979-1993).
“I was surprised how quickly I adjusted to a new convent and school,” she says of moving from one school to another over the years. “When I first went to school, to prepare my classroom, I felt very much adjusted. So much so that by the end of the first morning, I felt very comfortable in my new surroundings. I often thanked God for that marvelous gift.”
She also ministered at Kearns Spirituality Center (1993-2004). Since 2017, Sister Wilma has served in prayer and general service ministry at Providence Heights.
Sister Julia Hillary, CDP
70th Jubilee
Sister Julia was an elementary teacher at St. Francis Xavier School in South Weymouth, Mass. (1958-1961); St. Cecilia School in Stamford, Conn. (1961-1964); and Sacred Heart Elementary in Kingston, Mass. (1964-1987).
She was a life enrichment specialist and bereavement coordinator at Cranberry Hospice in Kingston, Mass. (1988–1994); a life skills teacher to mentally-challenged children at Cardinal Cushing School in Hanover, Mass. (2000-2004); a groundskeeper at Mishannock Convent in Kingston, Mass. (2004-2015); a library volunteer at Sacred Heart High School in Kingston, Mass.; and groundskeeper at Providence House in Kingston, Mass.
One of Sister Julia’s most moving experiences came when she visited a hospice patient who had been diagnosed with cancer of the tongue. He lived alone, and when he refused help from the hospice team, she was asked to visit him. When she entered his room, window shade drawn, she noticed upon drawing closer, his long matted beard, which gave him an unsightly appearance. As the visit progressed, he allowed her to open the shade, and with gentle persuasion, he allowed her to wash his face and shave him.
She recalls, “With each stroke of the razor, right before my eyes, a most beautiful face was revealed,” she recalls. “I thought to myself, and felt profoundly, ‘this truly is the face of Jesus.’ For me, God’s Providence was made visible in human form.”
Sister Julia Hillary now makes her residence in Allison Park, Pa., where her presence is a wonderful addition to The Commons.
Sister Loretta Jean Schorr, CDP
70th Jubilee
Sister Loretta Jean Schorr entered religious life from St. Joseph Parish in Duquesne, Pa., where the Sisters of Divine Providence who taught her also influenced her decision to enter religious life because she admired their joyful spirit and dedication.
Sister Loretta Jean holds a master’s degree in religious education from La Salle University in Philadelphia; a master's in adult education from Penn State University; and a library certification from St. Francis University in Loretto, Pa. She also completed a retreat internship at the Cenacle Retreat Center in St. Louis.
Sister Loretta Jean taught for 10 years at elementary schools in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, including St. Mary’s in McKees Rocks, St. John’s in Monaca, SS. Peter and Paul in Beaver, St. Mary in Glenshaw, and St. Margaret in Greentree. She also served as religious education coordinator at St. Anne in Castle Shannon, St. Winifred in Mt. Lebanon and St. John Capistran in Upper St. Clair.
She directed the religious education for military families in Mainz, Germany in 1976. In 1978, she was invited to the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in West Virginia, where she coordinated the Diaconate formation program and later the Adult Faith Formation program. During this time she also taught part-time at Wheeling Jesuit College and gave retreats and spiritual direction.
In 1984, Sister Loretta Jean became director of adult faith formation at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Raleigh, N.C. Over six years there, she was active in social justice issues concerning migrant workers, the death penalty and Witness for Peace. She participated in a delegation that traveled to Guatemala/El Salvador, held prayer vigils on the eve of execution for individuals on death row, and took part in and Good Friday Stations of the Cross marches through Raleigh. Sister later continued her work with the marginalized as coordinator for volunteers at Urban Ministries of Raleigh, serving the homeless.
In 2002, she returned to Pittsburgh to serve as program director at Kearns Spirituality Center, where she continued to offer and sponsor adult faith formation programs. From 2008 to 2010, Sister Loretta Jean ministered as director of operations for the Jubilee Kitchen in Pittsburgh and, from 2011 to 2018, as co-director of the motherhouse in Allison Park.
In 2012, Sister participated in a 10-day trip to Cuba through the Witness for Peace program, learning about sustainable living, hearing lectures on Cuban culture, and making onsite visits to senior citizen facilities and schools to observe local gardening operations. Upon returning to the U.S., the group traveled to Washington, D.C., to share what they learned with legislators.
After leaving her ministry at the motherhouse, Sister Loretta Jean took a sabbatical for life-long learning and travel before, once again, being called by God to minister at Jubilee Kitchen.
Sister Nancy Schnur, CDP
70th Jubilee
Sister Nancy Schnur (formerly Sister Dorothy Ann) entered religious life from St. Mary Parish in Herman, Pa., in 1955. She recalls that witnessing her parents’ strong faith and love of God and the Blessed Mother influenced her decision to enter the Community at age 16.
She was taught by the Sisters of Divine Providence in grade school, and their dedicated lives impressed her to follow God’s call as a Sister, too.
“I wanted to get to heaven because I was positive all the Sisters were going to heaven,” she says.
Sister Nancy earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Pittsburgh. She was a teacher for 19 years and a principal for 21 years in the Pittsburgh area. Her ministry in education included St. Joseph’s in Duquesne (1958–61); St. Mary’s in McKeesport (1961–1963); Sacred Heart in Tarentum (1963–1966); St. Bonaventure in Glenshaw (1966–1976); St. Martin’s in Crafton Heights (1976–1977); principal at All Saints in Etna (1977–1981); principal at St. Alphonsus in Springdale (1981–1990); and principal at Butler Catholic in Butler (1990–1998).
She also served as the pastoral assistant (1998-2013) and director of religious education (1999-2013) at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Butler.
Since 2013, Sister Nancy has served in the Pastoral Care Ministry at All Saints Parish in Butler.
Sister Theresa Stegman, CDP
70th Jubilee
Sister Theresa Stegman entered religious life from St. Mary Parish in Sharpsburg, Pa., pronouncing first vows in 1958. She credits her seventh-grade teacher, Sister Mary Grace Walter, as the person who most influenced her vocation.
She taught in schools in Pittsburgh and Dover, Ohio, until 1967 when she was sent to Puerto Rico. There, she earned a master’s degree from the InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico. She served for 17 years in Utuado and Arecibo in various ministries, including teacher; director of Colegio San Felipe; regional superior; director of postulants, novices and junior Sisters; and co-founder of the Religious Conference of Puerto Rico.
In the Community, she started the process of incorporating Puerto Rico into the Province and advocated for young women to receive their formation on the island instead of in Pittsburgh.
Sister Theresa also served as education director (Hispanic Ministry Office) for the Diocese of Cleveland (1996–1997); pastoral associate (1998–2005); director of the Hispanic Choir, and initial formation mentor director (2007–2008) for Sacred Heart Chapel in Lorain, Ohio; assistant to the regional director in Peru (2006); novice director for the Diocese of Springfield, Ill. (2008–2010); St. Peter School in Lorain, Ohio (2010–2013); part-time chaplain at Mercy Regional Medical Center in Lorain, Ohio (2013-2015); and part-time parish visitor at St. Joseph Parish in Pittsburgh (2015-2019).
In 2001, Sister Theresa, Sister Carmen Torres and seven members of Sacred Heart Chapel traveled to El Salvador to help Santo Domingo Church recover from a devastating earthquake. The group brought tools, medical supplies, blankets, clothing and computer equipment and helped to rebuild a residence at the parish for four Dominican nuns.
Other 2025 Milestones
Click on the photos of the Sisters below to read more about them on their community website.
Sister Janet Folkl, CDP
65 Years
Sister Jean Rene Seiler, CDP
65 Years
Sister Margaretta Nussbaumer, CDP
65 Years
Sister Maria Fest, CDP
65 Years
Sister Marilyn Bergt, CDP
65 Years
Sister Benedicta Ha, CDP
60 Years
Sister Carol Stenger, CDP
60 Years
Sister Margarita Rivera Rivera, CDP
60 Years
Sister Veronica Gumja Kim, CDP
40 Years