In Memoriam, Sister Marie Victoria Podesta,

Nov. 29, 1922 - Sept. 8, 2015

Sister Marie Victoria Podesta died on Sept. 8, in Mother Theodore Hall, St. Mary-of-the-Woods. Sister Marie Victoria served at St. John in Robstown from 1959-63.

She was born on Nov. 29, 1922 in Chicago to Nicholas and Virginia Rocco Podesta and was baptized Catherine Victoria. Sister Marie Victoria entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence on July 22,1944 and professed Final Vows Jan. 23, 1952. She earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree from St. Louis University.

In her 71 years as a Sister of Providence, Sister Marie Victoria ministered in education for 54 years in schools in Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts and Texas. For six years she served as principal at St. Paul School, Sellersburg, IN and 35 years as assistant principal at St. Mark School, a large central city school in Chicago.

After retiring from full-time ministry at St. Mark, she remained active in the Chicago area giving service to children as a tutor and to her sisters in a variety of ways. In 2011, she returned to the motherhouse where she devoted herself totally to the ministry of prayer.

Sister Marie Victoria was a loving, kind person. She was cheerful and very humorous, bringing fun into any group of which she was a part.