Winifred (Win) Whelan was born in Chicago’s Jefferson Park on March 5, 1931. She attended St. Cornelius School, Alvernia High School, and Alverno College, where she majored in Latin. In 1969, she earned a master’s degree in Theology from Marquette University, and later a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Northwestern University. She is of the Alverno class of 1950, the last class to celebrate graduation from the motherhouse, that is, before the new college building was ready to open.
As with many of her colleagues, Win has lived through many changes both in life and in culture. She has taught many grades, starting with first grade in Waupun, Wisconsin, and Lombard, Illinois. She went from teaching first grade to St. Joseph High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where she taught Latin (Sister Mary Acerbi was one of her students).
After six years at St. Joe’s, the community settled on provincial divisions and Win was sent to Yazoo City, Mississippi, to teach Latin at the high school there. She was excited to wear the white habit, and to be the sacristan in the small convent chapel. Sister Michele Doyle was the superior and principal – a perfect job for her, as a strict superintendent of the school and a trusted friend and helper to the sisters.
As the years went on, and Vatican II came around, Win decided to seek employment in a parish rather than a school. Sister Katie Donohoe was leaving her CCD director role at St. Dismas Parish in Waukegan, and Marilyn McCluskey needed a replacement. Win and Marilyn spent a very happy two years there, but when a new pastor came, Marilyn left community to plan for a family with children, which she had always wanted. Win went to St. Linus Parish in Oak Lawn for two years and then to Sacred Heart Parish in Winnetka.
By this time the women’s movement was in full swing. Women were powerful and life was more open than before. A Ph.D. meant that she could look for a job as a university professor. A job opening appeared at St. Bonaventure University in Olean, New York. The interview was successful, housing was available, and off she went to a whole new life and career.
Professors at universities are expected to write, and Win delved into this occupation in earnest. She wrote articles for academic journals. She wanted to think about religious education and how the Church could respond to its obligation to be an effective teacher. She also began a project to interview sisters in her community and to publish these interviews in the Pastoral Ministry Network newsletter where Sister Jane Russell was the editor.
Writing book reviews is also a favorite activity. Some of her reviews can be seen on the Catholic Books Review website, such as her review of Sister Elizabeth Johnson’s 2024 book Come, Have Breakfast: Meditations on God and the Earth. Win has written biographies for women in religion for Wikipedia, such as a page for Sister Rebecca Brenner and another for Mother Corona, with credits to Sister Barbaralie Stiefermann, who write Mother Corona’s biography. Win is now writing a chapter of a book on indigenous religions. Her subject is Calixta Gabriel Xiquin, a Mayan spiritual guide who lives in Guatemala.
Just after Win retired from St. Bonaventure, an irresistible opportunity opened: She was offered a job to teach English in Chile for six months! “Ingles Abre Puertos” was a fully funded program in which the government of Chile wanted all students to be bilingual. Win spent June 2002 to January 2003 teaching in a high school in Punta Arenas and living with a woman who spoke only Spanish. It was an enriching six months.
Photography has always been a major hobby. Win has won several awards over the years, but mostly just has fun taking pictures. On the first Saturday of every month, she heads to the Chicago Botanic Garden to meet with a small group of photographers who share their photos and critique each other’s work.
Thank you, Win, for all your years as a School Sister of St. Francis.