Sister Andre Panepinto

Sister Andre Panepinto passed away on Saturday, January 11, at the Gibson Hospice Center at Union Hospital, Terre Haute. She was 82-years-old and had been a Sister of Providence for 64 years.

Commentary

By Sister Diane Mason, SP

Ephesians 3:14-19

I bow my knees before God, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

A little girl was born to Ignatius (Red) and Edith Panepinto on August 14, 1942 in Joliet, Illinois. She was the first child of Red and Edith and they named her Genevieve Louise Panepinto. Edith and Red went on to have three more children: Andy, who died on April 19, 2001, Junior and Mary Kay.

Gen went to St. Mary’s grade school in Joliet, followed by attending Providence High School. It was during her high school years that I met Genny. At that time, Providence High School was located in downtown Joliet, and during our time there, the high school building was condemned as the building was so old. The Diocese of Joliet found a parish that had an elementary school with empty rooms so Providence High School was moved up the hill and continued educating their young women in this building for a couple of years while the new Providence High School was being built in New Lenox, Illinois.

It was at this new building that I found out just how competitive Genny really was – as we had access to a gymnasium and at lunch time, we would play basketball and even after school, we would stay to have a few games. She played hard – just as she worked hard!

We had a lot of fun – Genny was a year older than me – therefore she got her driver’s license earlier – and she ended up having her own car – which was a Studebaker! Those cars really didn’t have much “pickup,” but she put her foot to the pedal and gunned it! We had a lot of laughs and fun times cruising around Lockport and Joliet.

There were socials every Sunday night at Joliet Catholic High School, which was an all-boys high school. The dances were opened to all high school age students. So every Sunday night, I would go to these dances. Genny really didn’t care to go as often as I did, but she went.

So now it is 1959-60. Genny is a senior at Providence High School and when we weren’t playing basketball during our lunch period, we would talk about her future, her feelings about what and where she would go. She finally said to me, “Di, I am applying to go to the novitiate of the Sisters of Providence.” My response was, “Oh Gen, I am so happy for you that’s what I hope to do as well.”

Genny filled out her paper work and got accepted into the Novitiate of the Sisters of Providence. Her entrance date would be September 12, 1960!

But we had a lot of living to do until then! My boyfriend had a 1960 red ford convertible. Oh, was it ever neat! Tom would pick me up – then we would go down to pick up Gen to ride around Joliet and even Chicago in this beautiful car, with the top down. We loved our rides in Chicago in the summer time!

Driving down State Street, seeing all the lights and people simply enjoying themselves. Those were fun times.

Tom would hear Genny and I talking about the Woods frequently. He would ask, “What’s this Woods you two are always talking about?” So we explained it to him and that is where Genny would go in September – she would be entering the convent.

He was rather intrigued about this – so he said, “Why don’t we take a ride down to the Woods to see it?” Well, you can imagine how Genny and I both felt about that – a loud “YES” came from both of us.

We made our trip together to the Woods. We were driving up St. Mary’s Road and just before we entered the gate, I asked Tom to please pull over and he did. “Would you please put the top down?” And he did and Genny and I got up on the back seat of the car as we drove slowly down the Avenue waving to the Sisters as though we were queens. Yes, it was summer and the Sisters were in full habit! And some of the Sisters would even wave back to us. Once again, we sure did laugh and Tom said “You two are crazy together.”

It is now September 12, 1960, and my friend was leaving Joliet to enter the Novitiate of the Sisters of Providence! My heart ached because my friend was leaving, but I was very happy for her. Thinking back we were so young, and yet we had this very deep feeling of what we wanted to do. I entered the following year on September 18, 1961, and neither of us ever looked back.

During her postulant year, Gen received her religious name, Sister Andre! At that time, the General Superior would place a “black cap” on our heads and say something like, “From this day forward as a Sister of Providence, you will be known as Sister Andre!” And Andre flew with her name, she loved it! She received her habit on August 15, 1961, and for the next two years, she was a novice and lived in the novitiate at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

On August 15, 1963, Andre took her first vows and remained at the Woods to continue her education. While at the Woods, she received her bachelor’s degree in 1967 and received her master’s degree in education at Illinois State University in 1975.

On August 15, 1965, she was assigned to teach in Chicago at Maternity BVM as a first-grade teacher. Andre went on to teach at the primary grades until 1980. While in Galesburg, Illinois, at Costa Catholic, she was in the buildings where the primary grades were housed.

In 1980, Andre was called to be the principal at St. Dennis in Lockport. Andre was strong in her convictions but always lived out the Sisters of Providence charism: LOVE, MERCY AND JUSTICE!

A former teacher and friend, Nancy Lindsey, shared “I was blessed to have both a professional and personal relationship with Sister Andre. I not only taught eighth grade with her as my principal, but she also became close friends with my entire family.”

Nancy added, “Many Fridays after school, we would go out to ‘Charley Horse,’ a restaurant in Orland Park, for their 10-cent shrimp and happy hour wine. We sure shared in many laughs and great conversations.

Nancy had other neat stories to share about Andre. She said “I, often worked late in my classroom. One particular evening, around 7 p.m., I was in my room grading papers and Sister Andre walked in, surprising me with a glass of wine and some cheese and crackers. She demanded I take a break, and she sat with me ‘in communion’ with the wine and cheese. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

While at St. Dennis, the computer age was upon us. Sister Andre saw to it that the school could get one computer and she saw to it that the first computer was installed and she expected to have to strictly ration its use by the students.

There was no way we would be able to let all 200 of our students use it, but one was all we could afford. We also had no one who knew how to teach the children how to use it. It was a modest program. A parishioner whose daughter had become a computer buff arranged a meeting between Sister Andre and a Joliet computer firm where his daughter attended and thus the company donated five Apple IIe computers, two printers, software and a certified computer education teacher. And the computer age became a reality at St. Dennis School.

Sister Kathleen Leonard shared, “Peter, Bill and Tony, Andre’s nephews, spent a lot of time with Andre and the Sisters in Lockport. One day, I don’t know what Peter was doing but Sister Patty Geis said to him, ‘Do you think you’re the boss of the world?’ Peter’s response was very serious: “NO, AUNT GEN IS.”

After seven years at St. Dennis, Sister Andre felt a need for renewal within herself. She then went to the University of Notre Dame as a student – renewed herself professionally, but mostly spiritually. Oh, yes, she certainly enjoyed every second being on the campus at Notre Dame!

She came back to the Woods in 1988 and became the Director of the Learning Center.
In the Community News in September/October 1988, the headline read, “Sister Andre and Literacy Program: Working Wonders. Because of this wonderful literacy program, 20 dropouts are returning to high school this fall. Two high school dropouts have passed GEDs (tests of General Educational Development) and have applied to colleges. This newly established Comprehensive Competency Program at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, under the guidance of Sister Andre Panepinto, can boast of these successes and more – this is just another passion for education Andre shared with all of those with whom she came in contact.”

In 1992, she went out to Chelsea, Massachusetts and here she would spend the next 23 years teaching anywhere from grade five through eighth-grades. She loved her years as a teacher. She also did some substituting as a teacher and volunteered at the General Children’s Hospital in Massachusetts.

She returned home to the Midwest in 2015 to be closer to her family.

She lived at Guerin Convent in River Grove, Illinois, from 2015-18 and returned to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in 2018. Here, she ministered in residential services and as a driver for other Sisters.

Andre’s sister, Mary Kay Scholtes, said, “I was 3-years-old when my sister Gen left for the convent, there was 15 years between us. She gave her life to God for 65 years. I 100 percent supported the decision she made. Quality of life is a real thing and the life she had near the end turned into her own personal hell and she was tired. Just so tired and ready for peace and to be with her God.

“Gen, you were the absolute best sister and aunt and we are all o blessed you were a part of our lives! Your family was everything to you and you meant everything to us. When we gather we will definitely tell stories of your antics. Love you my sister. I will miss you always, from your baby Sister Mary Kay.”

In closing, Andre’s niece Kate said it best: “Gen was a daughter, sister, teacher and friend, but most of all, she was the loudest, proudest Aunt. Her nieces and nephews of all generations were her pride and joy. ‘Sliding you cash/don’t tell your mom,” Aunt Gen would say.

“She was the first to the table for game night, and never held back. National Football League Playoffs? She would say, ‘Who are you rooting for?’ Kentucky Derby? ‘Who’s your pick?’ Casinos, Scratch offs – a beer?

“Though spending years in Massachusetts, it felt like she still was always around. She prioritized our achievements and as I keep hearing from the Sisters, bragged about us a lot. Loving long distance takes a lot of work, but she made it seem so effortless.

“She never missed a birthday phone call, even once we started adding spouses to the crew. There were cards for every occasion, right on schedule.

“Calling her my Aunt feels so inadequate because she was so much more. ‘Did you know my Aunt’s a nun?’ She never judged us for not practicing. (Oh, and that woman had opinions, trust me). She was the Panepinto matriarch, in my experience.”

Well Gen, your family, your sisters and friends have spoken. You can tell you are loved and already being missed by all of us.

But you were getting tired. We all knew it. We just didn’t want to see it!

When you asked to see me last fall, I went to your room. I listened to you intently, taking notes as fast as I could. You were weeping and your tears were rolling down your face. You said to me, “Diane, I don’t want to leave. I love my family so deeply and the Sisters of Providence.” Through my tears, I simply nodded my head. I so agreed with what you just said.

We stood and embraced very tightly. I told her that I loved her, just as each family did the last days that they got to spend with her. She opened her eyes as wide as she could. As fast as she did, she closed them and she took hold of our Provident God’s hand and God said, “Gen, welcome home my sister, my faithful servant. You are HOME. You are whole and free of pain.”

On Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at 8:30 p.m., she arrived home. We were all standing in your hospital room crying. You were being welcomed home by our God of Providence, your mom and dad, your brother Andy and the rest of your family and friend who have gone before you. And oh, YES, our own Saint of God, Saint Mother Theodore Guerin and Sisters of Providence who have gone before you.

Oh Gen, you are missed. Your legacy will be that you constantly were giving to others in whatever way you could. Thank you my Sister. My friend. Now rest and be peace-filled. Please continue to watch over all of us! We love you!

Funeral Information

Funeral services for Sister Andre took place Friday, January 31, and Saturday, February 1, at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

A Wake took place from 2:30-4:30 p.m., on Friday, January 31. Mass of Christian Burial was at 11 a.m., on Saturday, February 1.

Memorial contributions may be made in honor of Sister Andre to the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

We welcome you to share your memories of Sister Andre in the comment section below.

Sister Andre Panepinto

Complete Ministry

In Illinois: Teacher, Maternity BVM, Chicago (1965-68); Teacher, Immaculate Heart, Galesburg (1968-72, Teacher, Costa Catholic, Galesburg (1972-74); Teacher/Principal, Costa Catholic, Galesburg (19787-80); Principal, St. Dennis, Lockport (1980-87); Convent Service, River Grove (2015-18).

In Indiana: Director of the Learning Resource Center, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (1988-92); Residential Services, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (2018-22); Prayer for Vocations, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (2022-25).

In Massachusetts: Teacher, St. Rose School, Chelsea (1992-2008); Teacher, St. Rose School, Chelsea (2008-12); Substitute Teacher, St. Rose School, Chelsea (2012-13); Substitute Teacher, Chelsea/Boston (2013-15); Volunteer, Massachusetts General Children’s Hospital (2013-15).