Remembering Sisters Marilyn Therese Lipps and Concetta Banez

This photo of Sister Marilyn Therese was taken in 1938.

This year, 10 Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, have passed away.

In this final month of the year, the weekly Throwback Thursday blogs have taken a look at the lives and ministries of those sisters.

Last week, we focused on Sister Mary Loyola Bender and Sister Ann Kevin O’Connor. This week, we’ll take a look at the lives and ministries of Sister Marilyn Therese Lipps and Sister Concetta Ban᷉ez.

Sister Marilyn Therese was born Therese Marie Lipps on Sept. 15, 1920, in Indianapolis, to Henry and Stella Lipps.

She entered the Congregation in July 1948. During her 68 years as a Sister of Providence, Sister Marilyn Therese taught for 25 years in schools in Indiana, Illinois and North Carolina. She ministered as a teacher and principal of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Village School, located in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, from 1961-63.

This is a photo of Sister Marilyn Therese Lipps from 1922, when she was 2.

In 1976, Sister Marilyn Therese began ministering as a director of religious education for parishes located in Lafayette and Plainfield. In addition, in 1988, she became Coordinator of Reception Volunteers and Chaplain to AIDS patients at the Damien Center, located in Indianapolis.

In 1992, Sister Marilyn Therese received the Archbishop Edward T. O’Meara Respect Life Award for her ministry to persons with AIDS, including children.

While she retired in 1992, Sister Marilyn Therese continued to volunteer at the Damien Center before returning to the Motherhouse in 1998.

After returning, Sister Marilyn Therese ministered as the sacristan for the chapel in Providence Health Care before committing herself entirely to the ministry of prayer in 2016.

Sister Marilyn Therese also had two sisters who were Sisters of Providence: Sister Marie Joan (died in 1993) and Sister Marie Agnese (died in 1994).

In her commentary for Sister Marilyn Therese, Sister Martha Wessel said “Marilyn was also an excellent Rummikub player, winning as often as she lost games with the group that gathered in the Providence Community Room after Sunday dinner.”

Sister Marilyn Therese died on Aug. 26, 2016. She was 95 years old.

Sister Concetta with Pope Benedict XVI at the canonization of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin.

Sister Concetta was born Mary Asuncian Ban᷉ez on Aug. 27, 1937, in Jolo, Meycauayan, Bul, Philippines, to Nemesio and Mauricia Ban᷉ez.

Initially, Sister Concetta entered the Benedictine Sisters (based in Ridgely, Maryland) in 1960, but after an encounter with a Sister of Providence in Arizona in 1976, Sister Virginia Marie Cashion, she transferred her vows in 1980.

During her 36 years as a Sister of Providence, Sister Concetta ministered as a teacher, principal and retreat house supervisor – mainly in California.

Sister Denise Wilkinson with Sister Concetta at Marywood, California.

In addition, she ministered for three years in Taiwan, teaching two years as an English Instructor at Providence College.

In 1996, Sister Concetta answered a call from American Bishops to come to Eastern European countries to help “revive the Catholic faith” after the fall of the Soviet Union. She taught at a school in Slovakia.

She also ministered at Providence in the Desert, located in Coachella, California.

In 2013, Sister Concetta returned to the Motherhouse, committing herself entirely to the ministry of prayer.

In her commentary for Sister Concetta, Sister Ann Casper said “She seized challenges and new opportunities with a tenacity that sometimes inspired others and at other times, exasperated them.”

Sister Concetta died on Nov. 15, 2016. She was 79 years old.

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