Jubilarian 2022 - Sister Marion Weinzapfel

Sister Marion, baptized Anna Maria, was born in Evansville, Indiana. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1961 and was received into the novitiate in 1962. She received a bachelor’s degree from Fontbonne College in 1966, a master's in education from St. Mary’s College in 1975, and a master's in theology from the Institute of Black Catholic Studies at Xavier of Louisiana in 1990.

Sister Marion served in education for 20 years at schools in Georgia and Texas, and as administrator at Holy Angels Model School in Indianapolis, Indiana.

She was the program director at the St. Charles Lwanga Center in St. Louis from 1986-1991, dedicated to advocating for racial equity within the Black Catholic Community.

Sister Marion then moved to Denver and became part-time pastoral assistant at Cure d’Ars Church. Soon after, she served at St. Ignatius Loyola Church. There she met Marcellina and Albert Otii, from Gulu, Uganda. They were helping catechists and first-responders in their war-torn land. In 2004, Sister Marion visited Gulu and saw the “commuter” children who slept in town, out of fear of abduction. She returned to Gulu as part of a larger Denver group in 2007, doing a trauma-healing workshop.

In 2008, five Sisters of St. Joseph began the “Uganda Project,” working in health, education, and pastoral areas. Her pastoral work in Gulu included working with catechists, the Catholic Women Association, the Archdiocesan Synod Secretariat and the resulting Policy Committee.

Back from Gulu in 2015, Sister Marion did some pastoral work at Cure d’Ars Parish, retiring in 2018.

Her commitment to and work in dismantling racism remains strong. She works with various, parish, diocesan and interfaith groups and continues supporting Gulu as a board member of “Team Africa Ties that Bind.” She also organized a pilgrimage to Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama.

Sister Marion says, “I prize and promote the giftedness, history, strength, activism and spirituality of people of color. I feel incredibly blessed to be called as a CSJ to the dear neighbor and called deeper, to be able to join others to do the work of racial justice. With Jesus and all Sisters of St. Joseph and Associates, I dream of a world of dignity, justice, and peace for all.”

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