Sister of Providence Emily TeKolste professed first vows with the Sisters of Providence of St. Maryof-the-Woods, Indiana, on June 30 in the Church of the Immaculate Conception at St. Mary-of-theWoods.
During the June 30 ceremony, Sister Emily received the symbol of the Congregation — a white cross with a black symbol to represent Christ in the world, described by some as the white cross of gladness. This symbol is worn by every professed sister as a sign of her vowed commitment to God and neighbor.
The Carmel, Indiana, native entered the novitiate in 2017; and this past year, as a mission novice, she taught theology and sociology at Bishop McNamara Catholic School in Kankakee, Illinois. In addition to professing first vows, Sister Emily is changing ministries and her local living community. She has been assigned to a new ministry on the east coast. “I will be living in Maryland with Sister Marilyn Baker and Sister Clelia Cecchetti and working at NETWORK in Washington, D.C., as a Grassroots Mobilization Specialist,” she said.
NETWORK was founded by Catholic Sisters, and the organization promotes justice-related issues. Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament Sister Simone Campbell serves as the executive director of the organization.