Retired Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Avila University • Serving on the Board of Avila University
After attending Loretto Heights College in Denver for a year, Marie entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1960. Upon completing her Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Kansas, she was hired to teach at Avila University. She served as a faculty member for 17 years and then became the Vice President for Academic Affairs for the next 28 years. Marie also had the opportunity to serve on the Province Council for ten years and various boards. Marie retired from Avila University in 2015 and moved to the next phase of ministry—service on boards, volunteering for local and Province projects and enjoying reading, prayer groups and walking for exercise.
Connection to CSJs and their ministries
Marie attended St. Francis de Sales grade school in Denver where she first met the CSJs. She admired their spirit, their commitment to the people of God and the love they showed for each other and their students. Having experienced two other communities, she felt drawn to join the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.
Besides her commitment to Avila University, Sr. Marie has served on the Province Council, the hospital board for St. Joseph/St. Mary Medical Centers, the board for St. Teresa’s Academy, Fontbonne University board, the Nazareth Living Center Board and the KC Advisory board for St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf. She is currently serving on the board of Avila University. Marie was also appointed to a Province Task Force to study the future of CSJ sponsored institutions and make a recommendation to the Province leadership. The recommendation to plan for the eventual withdrawal of CSJ sponsorship of our institutions led to the formation of the Sponsorship Collaborative which resulted in the creation of St. Joseph Educational Ministries (SJEM).