Sister Mary Catherine “Marikay” Duffy (formerly Sister Marie Michele)

Sister Mary Catherine “Marikay” Duffy, formerly Sister Marie Michele, passed away on Friday, March 20, 2026, at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. She was 90-years-old and had been a Sister of Providence for 73 years.

Commentary

By Sister Ann Casper, SP

Reading: 1 Peter 4:10-11

Each of you should use whatever gifts you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Mary Catherine Duffy, whose life of service to others epitomized the reading we just heard, was born May 11, 1935, to Irish parents John and Hannah McBrearty Duffy in Indianapolis, and baptized soon after in St. Philip Neri parish on the city’s eastside.

Her three siblings, John, Michael and Margaret, who spent several years as Sister Mary Ellen, preceded her in death. She is survived by several nieces and nephews who knew her as Aunt Mae and dearly loved her.

Marikay, as she was known since early childhood, graduated from St. Philip Neri grade school and completed high school at Providence Aspirancy at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She said, “I loved school” and credits “the enthusiasm, friendliness, creativity and mysterious reserve” of her Sisters of Providence teachers for her own religious vocation.

She entered the Congregation as a postulant Jan. 6, 1953, and received the religious name of Sister Marie Michele, which she later changed to Marikay. She professed first vows in 1955, and perpetual vows in 1960, both on August 15. She wrote in a paper during her sabbatical year in 1998: “This is 43 years later and I am still a Sister of Providence. I am happy to be one and know that it was the example of the sisters’ lives supported by my home life of faith, love and discipline and the early devotion to the Eucharist, that I was placed, led and nurtured to a life of service to others, in some capacity.”

To prepare for that life of service, Marikay earned a bachelor’s degree in education from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and a Master’s of Science in Special Education from Indiana State University. Of her 73 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered in elementary schools in Illinois and California for nine years and then answered a call of the Catholic Church to minister in Arequipa, Peru, which she did for nine years.

Upon her return to the States, she served in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis Hispanic apostolate, and in 1987, was part of founding the Hispanic Education Center. Prior to that ministry, she served two terms as councilor in the St. Gabriel Province in Indiana, the Midwest and as far south as Florida.

Besides her more than full-time assigned ministries, Marikay volunteered her services in many civic, religious and cultural programs. Even her summers seemed filled. In a 10-year period, from 1975 to 1985, she herself chronicled that service in nine different locations, among them various migrant camps in Indiana, a Cuban Refugee Camp in Wisconsin and as a translator for a Doctor’s Eye Clinic in the Dominican Republic.

She retired from the Hispanic Education Center in 2004, having served 17 years, after which she gave immigration assistance at the Marian Center in Indianapolis and beginning in 2015, continued to volunteer at the Office of Immigration affairs in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. In 2024, she returned to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods and was a faithful and encouraging presence to those whom she met.

In reviewing her “stuffed” personal file from the Office of Records, I discovered a life full of movement and activity as she served others. The fact that she was issued six passports between the years of 1969 and 2010 was my first clue! To name all the certificates of recognition and commendations she was awarded could engage us for hours.

Here’s a sampling:

• 1995 – Outstanding service to the Fountain Square area (Indianapolis),
• 2002 – A Career Lifetime Achievement award, and
• 2014 – An Intercultural Ministry Award, both from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, with the latter recognizing her “four decades of service within the Catholic Hispanic community.”

No wonder that an article in 1995 Sunrise section of the Indianapolis Star had the headline “Sister Savior,” with the subtitle, “Nearly everyone in the Hispanic Community has heard about Sister Duffy.”

I doubt that this was an exaggeration. Until her presence in Indianapolis, there was no Hispanic Ministry presence in the Archdiocese. She was hired by St. Mary Parish in 1975 to change that. She began by going through the white pages of the Indianapolis phone book and circling 200-300 Hispanic surnames. Then, she made an effort to visit each family and from that effort was born the first Hispanic ministry in the archdiocese.

Her niece, Ann Nicholson, spoke fondly of her Aunt Mae, noting that “in our later years, we did have many good telephone conversations. We would talk for over an hour, catching up on both sides of the family. She was a good listener, always encouraging and, no surprise, suggesting ways to solve problems. She always ended the phone call with ‘give my love to everyone.’

“On our last call, with Aunt May practicality, she went over the funeral schedule, saying that The Woods will have everything taken care of. However, I might get a phone call asking if I’d like to contribute some words to be said at the funeral. She added ‘a little Duffy humor would be much appreciated.’ I thought ‘oh no, that’s your department.’ She could always make us laugh.”

She continued, “If I were to bring up a memory of Aunt Mae, it would be from her 90th birthday party last summer when she stood up to say a few brief words – only to talk for nearly 30 minutes with a broad smile on her face the whole time.”

Her niece Karen noted, “how proud the family was of their Aunt Mae.” She recalls that her “Aunt Mae, along with other sisters missioned in Peru, returned with pierced ears.” She also recalls as a youngster not being old enough to help with lessons at the Hispanic Education Center, but being satisfied to help out by cleaning the bathrooms. At least that put her near her Aunt Mae.

Sister Therese Whitsett, Marikay’s house mate of 36 years and frequent co-worker, said, “You always knew where you stood with Marikay; she was direct; you never had to guess what she meant.” Her niece Karen corroborated that trait calling Aunt Mae, “transparent; not holding back.” Given Marikay’s advocacy and justice work throughout her life, such directness, along with courage and dogged determination, served her well.

In 1999, Marikay was awarded an Honorary Degree in Humanities from the University of Indianapolis. I have chosen the citation accompanying her Honorary Degree to end this commentary because it summarizes so well Marikay’s life and ministry, as she continued to live it out for another 25-plus years.

It reads in part, “Mary Catherine Duffy, SP – Devoted Advocate of Education and Dedicated Civic Leader – You have established yourself as a compassionate and effective friend and advocate for Hispanic people and as a steadfast member of the Sisters of Providence and the Catholic Church. (The faculty and board of trustees acknowledges) your many achievements and your faithful and tireless support of worthy causes and civic concerns, and (appreciates) your commitment to values and education and your significant service to the life of the community and its people.”

Rest in the peace of Christ Sister Mary Catherine Duffy, Sister Marikay, Aunt Mae, devoted friend and servant and Sister Savior to the Hispanic Community!

Funeral Information

Funeral services for Sister Mary Catherine took place on Thursday, March 26, and Friday, March 27, in the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

A Wake took place from 3:30-4:30 p.m., on Thursday, March 26, with Vesper Services at 4:30 p.m.

An additional Wake took place from 10-11 a.m., on Friday, March 27. Mass of Christian Burial was at 11 a.m.

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

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

Sister Mary Catherine “Marikay” Duffy (formerly Sister Marie Michele)

Complete Ministry

In Illinois: Teacher, St. Athanasius, Evanston (1955-56); Teacher, Our Lady of Mercy, Chicago (1956-58); Teacher, St. Sylvester, Chicago (1958-61).

In California: Teacher, St. Joseph, Hawthorne (1961-64).

In the country of Peru: Teacher/Principal, Colegio San Jose, Arequipa (1964-69); Principal, Colegio San Jose, Arequipa (1971-75).

In Indiana: Archdiocese Hispanic Apostolate, St. Mary Parish, Indianapolis (1975-78); Second Councilor Director of Christian Development, St. Gabriel Provincial House, Indianapolis (1978-82); Provincial Councilor/Care of Parents, St. Gabriel Provincial House, Indianapolis (1982-86); Religion Teacher/Care of Parent, St. Matthew School, Indianapolis (1986-87); Hispanic Wholistic Education Center, St. Mary Parish, Indianapolis (1987-88); Executive Director, Hispanic Education Center, Indianapolis (1988-97); Executive Director, Hispanic Education Center, Indianapolis (1998-2004); Immigration Assistance, Marian Center, Indianapolis (2004-14); Volunteer consultant for immigration affairs, Archdiocese of Indianapolis (2015-16); Document Translator for Immigration Office, Archdiocese of Indianapolis (2016-21); Document Translator for Immigration Office/Volunteer, Archdiocese of Indianapolis (2021-24); Prayer, Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (2005-26).