Carolyn Winschel, CDP

Sister Carolyn Winschel, formerly Sister Jean Francis, entered religious life from St. Mary’s in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania. She credits the Sisters of Divine Providence who taught her, as well as her sister, Sister Anne Winschel, her aunt, Sister Alacoque Winschel, and Sister Myra Rodgers, a classmate who had already entered, with influencing her vocation to religious life.

From 1957-1975, Sister Carolyn was an elementary and high school teacher. From 1975-2005, Sister Carolyn ministered at La Roche University in Allison Park, Pennsylvania, serving as Assistant to the Academic Dean and Special Assistant to the President and later the Executive Vice President for Mission and Planning. While in this ministry, she completed her Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh. She also served as a Council Member on the Sisters of Divine Providence administrative team (1980-1985) and as assistant to the Provincial Director (1985-1990, 2001-2006). From 2007-2016, Sister Carolyn was the executive director of Providence Connections.

In 2017, Sister Carolyn began her ministry as Senior Development Specialist for the Community's Mission Advancement department. In this position she was responsible for the cultivation of new donors and ongoing communication with established donors. She spent a good deal of time calling to thank donors for their gifts, finding out more about their connections to the Sisters and requesting any needs for prayer for their family and friends.

Regarding her ministry, she said, "No matter how or where I am ministering, I try to remember that I am first and foremost a woman of Providence, trying to make God's Providence more visible in our world."

Self-described as faithful, a lover of nature and energetic, Sister Carolyn loves to spend time in prayer, gardening, cooking and baking, singing, reading, painting with watercolor and with computer technology. She was noted as saying, "My prayer life has been the center of my life. Amid my struggles and yearning, I have experienced surprise, inspiration and satisfaction. 'Jesus My Love' is engraved on my ring. No more needs to be said."

CLICK HERE to make a gift in honor of Sister Carolyn's 70th Jubilee.