Providence Sister Connie Kramer led Terre Haute parish for 19 years

By Sean Gallagher

Providence Sister Constance Kramer, a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, died on Jan. 30 at Providence Hall on the campus of her religious community in St. Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 82.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Feb. 11 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception on the grounds of the motherhouse of the Sisters of Providence. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

Popularly known as “Sister Connie,” she served as one of the first parish life coordinators in the history of the archdiocese, leading the former St. Ann Parish in Terre Haute from 1993 until its closure in 2012.

While leading that faith community, Sister Connie started there the St. Ann Medical Clinic and the St. Ann Dental Clinic that was operated by volunteers and served uninsured people in need in western Indiana. The medical clinic continues today as the Wabash Valley Health Center.

Father Rick Ginther ministered in Terre Haute for the seven years before St. Ann Parish was closed, being appointed pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish and St. Patrick Parish there in 2005.

He admired Sister Connie’s pastoral leadership, ably taking on and completing challenging projects like establishing St. Ann’s medical and dental outreach ministries.

“She was an excellent leader,” Father Ginther said. “She worked very hard to collaborate with the people of her parish. Once she got something into her head that needed to be done, it got done.”

At the time of St. Ann’s closure, Father Ginther saw another aspect of Sister Connie’s ministry—her ability to help people grieve.

“She was very compassionate,” Father Ginther said. “She was willing to address the emotions that people were feeling. She made it clear that this was not something to be fought but, rather, let’s move into the future. She provided them with a number of opportunities to grieve.

“She had had loss in her life. Because she wasn’t afraid to grieve, she helped people do that. That was very clear, especially in her very strong providence spirituality.”

Sister Connie later focused on grief ministry, often doing this in later years in programs and retreats at the archdiocese’s Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House in Indianapolis.

Sister Constance Kramer was born on April 1, 1942, in Dayton, Ohio. She joined the Sisters of Providence on Sept. 12, 1964 after earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in St. Mary-of-the-Woods.

Sister Connie made her first profession of vows on Aug. 15, 1967, and final vows on Oct. 4, 1970. She earned a master’s degree in mathematics at Indiana State University in Terre Haute and a master’s degree in pastoral ministry at Trinity Washington University in Washington, D.C.

In the archdiocese, Sister Connie served in education at Our Lady of Providence High School in Clarksville from 1970-73 and the former Ladywood-St. Agnes High School in Indianapolis from 1973-75.

Beginning in 1980, she moved into parish ministry. Sister Connie ministered in Indianapolis as director of religious education at St. Simon the Apostle Parish from 1980-81 and St. Thomas Aquinas Parish from 1981-83 and as a pastoral associate at Holy Spirit Parish from 1984-89 and Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ Parish from 1989-91.

She served at St. Ann Parish in Terre Haute from 1991-93 before being appointed its parish life coordinator, a position she held until the faith community was closed in 2012.

After a sabbatical, Sister Connie returned to Indianapolis where she served in grief ministry, spiritual direction and as a retreat leader, often at Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House and at the Providence Spirituality and Conference Center, at St. Mary-of-the-Woods.

She continued these ministries after returning to the motherhouse in 2023 before her health declined quickly the following year.

Memorial contributions may be sent to the Sisters of Providence, 1 Sisters of Providence, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876. †