Sister Eileen Dede (formerly Sister Anita Therese)
Sister Eileen Dede, formerly Sister Anita Therese, passed away on Monday, May 25, 2026, at Union Hospital in Terre Haute. She was 95-years-old and had been a Sister of Providence for 78 years.
Commentary
By Sister Marsha Speth, SP
A reading from Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith to this grace in which we stand, we boast in hope of the glory of God. Not only that but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us.
The love of God began pouring into the heart of Eileen Dede, at her birth on April 16, 1931, in Terre Haute, Indiana, when she was welcomed by her parents, Arthur H. Dede and Helena O’Leary.
Baptized Cecelia Eileen, the Holy Spirit began her formation in faith. She was definitely a middle child, the fifth of eight in the family. John, Angele, Jim and Mary came before with Patty, Kathleen and Paul following. Her parents, as well as siblings John, Angele, Jim, Kathleen and Paul all preceded her in death.
Eileen described her family as not demonstrative, but loving, stable and always there for one another. Her grandmother O’Leary, who lived with them, told many stories which kept them in touch with their Irish roots. The Dede family, as we know, was distinguished by the fact that all three sons entered the priesthood and all five daughters chose religious life.
Eileen said it wasn’t because they were particularly holy. They fought with one another as much as any family. However, faith and religious services were very much part of their lives. Parish priests often visited their home and her father was always helping the Sisters.
She learned early on about Providence from her mother who would often say, “God will provide.” It was only later in life that Providence took on real meaning for her. She noted, “Providence may not provide a lot sometimes, but always enough.”
Eileen attended St. Ann Grade School in Terre Haute and first thought of becoming a Sister in fifth grade. So, during eighth grade, she decided she would like to go to high school at Providence Juniorate at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
However, this occasioned the first time she was accused of “forgery.” As an independent 13-year-old, Eileen was filling out the application when she came to the line that said “School Principal,” so she wrote in the name of her school Principal, Sr. St. Gertrude. It never occurred to her that this was the line for the principal herself to sign.
Not long after Eileen’s class was given a lesson on the sin of forgery and her application to the Juniorate was denied. She never knew if it was because of the “forgery” or because they wanted to test her vocation. So, after attending St. Patrick High School for one year, she reapplied and was accepted.
It was a few years later at the age of 17 when her second forgery occurred, this time with intention. She very much wanted to join her classmates in applying for a summer job at the Chesty Potato Chip factory. Being just a few months shy of her 18th birthday, she thought it wouldn’t matter if she put that down as her age. Well, it did matter and she was promptly fired. “Not too smart,” she said of herself!
Eileen’s next application appears to have gone well. In January of 1948, she was accepted as a postulant with the Sisters of Providence and received the name Sister Anita Therese. She professed first vows in 1950 and perpetual vows in 1955, both on August 15.
She earned her Bachelor of Science at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a Master’s in Science at Indiana University, both in education. Later on, she obtained certification in pastoral care or chaplaincy.
As an educator, Eileen taught mostly middle grades during a period of 27 years in Massachusetts, Indiana, Illinois and Florida. In those early years, she was moved to a new assignment every one to three years.
She remembered that one of the associate priests said her superiors must think she was very easy to get along with or very hard to get along with. Eileen preferred to think it was the former. She also served another three years as Principal in Vincennes, Indiana.
In one of her first teaching assignments on the east coast, her mother worried that she wouldn’t be able to come home for her brother Jim’s ordination, but Providence took care of it, she said. After only a year in Malden, she was assigned to fill in for a sister who became sick at St. Patrick’s in Indianapolis. Thus, she was able to attend Jim’s ordination.
Sister Joseph Fillenwarth said she really enjoyed working with Eileen as a department teacher at Holy Spirit School. She was loving, giving and knew how to work with others. Eileen wanted her students to succeed so she took her responsibility as a teacher very seriously.
I think she mirrored Mother Theodore’s heart with a genuine love of her students. She wrote that sometimes when her students moved on to another room, she was afraid they wouldn’t be loved as much as she loved them. But, she learned, they were!
During the years when her father was ill, Mary Mark moved back home to help her mother care for him. Eileen, who was in Indianapolis, drove nearly every weekend to support Mary Mark and be with her father. The grief she suffered after her father’s death, she said, helped her later on to be with others in their grieving.
Later, it was Eileen, who moved back home to stay with her mother. During this time, she accepted a position as the first Director of Pastoral Care at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Healthcare. She said, “It was a position I loved!”
Eileen brought her faith and pastoral skills to many others throughout the years, serving as a chaplain in healthcare facilities and as a parish and prison volunteer in Indiana, California and Florida. She said, “I want those I visit to know they are not alone and that I represent a loving, healing Christ …”
It was while working in Florida that Eileen found herself in need of a loving and healing Christ. Some of us remember how Eileen’s life hung in the balance after a serious illness and many surgeries. Her stomach and part of her esophagus had to be removed and she was sent home with a feeding tube.
Mary Mark was her faithful nurse during this time and a good one, Eileen said. Two years later, Eileen was providentially connected with a doctor whose surgery allowed the feeding tube to be removed. Eileen often said, “I firmly believe I was one of Mother Theodore’s unpublished miracles.”
After those difficult years, Eileen returned to Indiana and continued to be a witness of Christ’s loving and healing presence, as best she could. Gradually losing her independence was not easy and she said of herself, “I am not a very good patient.” More often, lately she would talk of being ready to die. And those around her saw her preparing for this final journey.
Eileen expressed her gratitude for family, for being a Sister of Providence, for all her ministries and community experiences, even the challenging ones which helped her grow. Her friends spoke of her as loving, giving, self-effacing and faithful.
As a middle child who often remembers being called “one of the Dedes,” she found her own identity as a Sister of Providence, teacher, friend, co-worker, pastoral presence, the face of Christ for others.
True to her own character, she requested at her burial “instead of thinking of nice things to say about me, I want someone to sing, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’”
Eileen, I have no doubt that Jesus remembers you and the way you endured with faith, hope, love. You stand now with the love of God poured out in your heart.
So, rest, laugh and rejoice with all who have gone before you. And ask Jesus to remember us who are still on the journey.
Funeral Information
Funeral services for Sister Eileen took place on Wednesday, June 3, and Thursday, June 4, 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 Wednesday, June 3, with Vesper Services at 4:30 p.m.
An additional Wake took place from 10-11 a.m., on Thursday, June 4, with Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m.
Memorial contributions may be made in honor of Sister Eileen to the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
We welcome you to share your memories of Sister Eileen in the comment section below.
Sister Eileen Dede (formerly Sister Anita Therese)
Complete Ministry
In Massachusetts: Teacher, Cheverus School, Malden (1950-51).
In Indiana: Teacher, St. Patrick, Indianapolis (1951-53); Teacher, St. Malachy, Brownsburg (1955-57); Teacher, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis (1959-65); Teacher, Immaculate Heart, Indianapolis (1965-67); Principal, St. John, Vincennes (1967-68); Teacher/Principal, St. John, Vincennes (1968-69); Principal, St. John, Vincennes (1969-71); Teacher, St. Luke, Indianapolis (1971-73); Teacher, St. Thomas Aquinas, Indianapolis (1973-77); CPE, Methodist Hospital, Indianapolis (1977); Student Clinical Pastoral Education, St. Joseph Hospital, South Bend (1978-79); Teacher, Sacred Heart, Terre Haute (1983-84); Director of Pastoral Care, Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (1984-90); Assistant Pastoral Associate, Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (1990-91); Volunteer, Eucharistic Minister, St. Francis Hospital, Indianapolis (2011-13); Nursing Home Volunteer, Indianapolis (2013-14); Volunteer, St. Francis Hospital, Indianapolis (2014-16); Volunteer, Providence Spirituality & Conference Center, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (2017-18); Providence Health Care Visitor/prayer for PHC Staff, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (2019-24); Prayer for PHC Staff and Residents, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (2024-26).
In Illinois: Teacher, St. Mark, Chicago (1953-55); Teacher, St. Genevieve, Chicago (1957-58); Teacher, St. David, Chicago (1958-59).
In Ohio: CPE, Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton (1977-78)
In California: Chaplain, Mercy Hospital, San Diego (1979-80); Chaplain, Daniel Freeman Hospital, Inglewood (1980-83).
In Florida: Substitute Teacher, St. Anthony Homecare, St. Petersburg (1993-94); Teacher, St. Joseph Catholic School, Bradenton (1994-97); Tutor, Permanent sub-teacher, Venice (1997-2000); Religious Education, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Dunedin (2001-03); Assisting Elderly/Substitute Teacher for Religious Education, St. Petersburg (2003-04); Ministry to the Elderly, St. Petersburg (2004-06); Volunteer, St. Vincent DePaul, Clearwater (2006-10).
