Sister Denise Wilkinson, S.P. is a Catholic leader, writer and educator. She was the

Superior General A superior general or general superior is the leader or head of a religious institute in the Catholic Church and some other Christian denominations. The superior general usually holds supreme executive authority in the religious community, while t ...

of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, from 2006 to 2016. During her term, the congregation's foundress

Saint Mother Theodore Guerin In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Ortho ...

was canonized a saint. Wilkinson also oversaw the founding of the Providence Associates program, the renovation of several properties at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, and long-range planning for the Sisters of Providence.

Career

Wilkinson attended Marywood High School in Evanston, Illinois, where she was first introduced to the Sisters of Providence congregation. Wilkinson entered the congregation on September 12, 1963 and became a fully professed Sister of Providence on August 25, 1973. Wilkinson earned a bachelor's degree in English from

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) is a private Roman Catholic liberal arts college in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. Originally a college exclusively for women, it is now coeducational. It is the oldest Catholic college in Indiana a ...

. She also attended

Saint Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Mississip ...

and received her master's in counseling. She spent some time as Vice President of Student Affairs at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, promoting the college as "a spot to demonstrate works of love, mercy and justice." In 2006, Wilkinson was elected superior general of the Sisters of Providence when Sister Ann Margaret O'Hara decided not to seek a second term. Wilkinson was re-elected in 2011. Her administration focused on long-range congregation planning and moving the Sisters of Providence toward self-sufficiency. Wilkinson and her administration opened

Providence Cristo Rey High School Providence Cristo Rey High School is a private school, private, Roman Catholic high school in Indianapolis, Indiana. Opened in 2007 as a part of the Cristo Rey Network, it is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis and is sponsore ...

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

as a sponsored ministry of the Congregation in 2007. A significant part of Wilkinson's terms involved the canonization of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin in October 2006. Over the course of her administration, Wilkinson led the establishment of the permanent shrine of Saint Mother Theodore, which opened in 2014. She also led efforts to streamline the Sisters' finances and maximize use of buildings owned by the congregation. After two terms as general superior, she was succeeded by Sister Dawn Tomaszewski in the role on September 10, 2016.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkinson, Denise Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College alumni Saint Louis University alumni 20th-century American Roman Catholic nuns 21st-century American Roman Catholic nuns