Sister Anne Therese Falkenstein

Dr. Anne Therese Falkenstein, SP, is a native of Sommerville, Mass., and has been a Sister of Providence for 47 years. The latter part of her ministry, more than two and a half decades, has been in Catholic higher education in Taiwan, where she served as a professor, administrator, researcher, special assistant to the president and board member at Providence University, and has also founded the Office of International Affairs. Her leadership advanced international collaboration and academic excellence in Catholic higher education. She implemented several international academic exchange programs for students.

While in Asia, she served on two other executive boards: The Association of Southeast and East Asian Catholic Colleges and Universities (ASEACCU) and the Association of Christian Colleges and Universities in Asia (ACUCA). Sister Anne Therese was also an active member of the International Federation of Catholic Colleges and Universities (IFCU) and the United Board for Christian Education in Asia. She traveled extensively around the world and has worked to bridge cultures. Her extensive travel and leadership in these areas have had a profound impact on her, deepening her reverence for diversity.

Before going to Taiwan, she served as a department chairperson and teacher at Notre Dame High School in Illinois; as a recruitment director and campus minister at Mother Theodore Guerin High School in Illinois; and as a teacher at Saint Anthony of Padua School in California. She returned to the United States after being elected to the Sisters of Providence leadership team for 2021-26.

She has a Ph.D. in Language Education from Indiana University; a M.S. in Language Education from Indiana University; an M.Ed. in Religious Education from Boston College; and a double-major BA in Education and Theology from Emmanuel College in Massachusetts. Her academic background and teaching positions underscore her dedication and belief in the power of education.

She participated in the Maryknoll Cross-Cultural Training program in River Forest, Illinois, and studied Mandarin Chinese at Indiana University; Teng Hai University, Taiwan; Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan; and Middlebury College in Vermont. She also studied Spanish at DePaul University in Illinois.

In her current role as a General Councilor, she serves on the boards of Providence Cristo Rey High School in Indianapolis, Providence Associates at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, and Providence Food Pantry in West Terre Haute.

Sister Anne Therese loves being a Sister of Providence, strives to live out the gospel message of love, mercy and justice, and admits she is more successful on some days than on others. She cherishes her close family ties, cool October days and friendships that stand the test of time. As she looks ahead to her second term as General Councilor, Sister Anne Therese is excited to plant seeds of hope for a more just world and invites others to join the Providence Community in this mission. She looks forward to working with the new team as they seek ways to live out the Chapter 2026 vision statement.