Oldenburg, In. — On January 19, the OA school community had the rare privilege of hearing the inspiring and challenging words of a woman who grew up locally, graduated from OA, and then went on to serve with one of the most famous women of all time, Saint/Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She spoke to the students and staff in an all school assembly.
After graduation from Oldenburg Academy (ICA) Maribeth Riedeman entered the Sisters of St. Francis. After graduating from Marian College, she taught for a brief time at Scecina High School in Indianapolis. During this time she felt called to serve in foreign missions. She left the Sisters of St. Francis community and went to live and work in Burundi, Africa. Maribeth then made the decision to join Mother Teresa’s group in Calcutta where she became Sister Sepapano. She worked in Calcutta shortly after Mother Teresa’s death and served as the lead on gathering documentation for her beatification. She is now based in Rome where she works in the Archives of her community. She also travels all over the world to educate the over 7000 Sisters in her Community about their foundress and their mission to the poor. Sister is a native of Greensburg, Indiana.
Sr. Sepapano spoke with the students, encouraging them to “follow God’s plan and dream.” When asked what inspired her, she said that it was “the ordinary things of Mother Theresa…I can strive for that. I can aspire to be a better person today than I was yesterday.”
Student reactions to her talk include:
“Sister’s talk about the way Mother Teresa devoted her life to helping others has inspired me to look at my future with a new perspective and to spread love to others everyday.” — Jessica Rees (Freshman)
“Sister Sepapano gave an insightful account of her work as a missionary with the same group of sisters who worked with Mother Teresa. The part that resonated with me was her revelation that she had such a small view of the world and her dreams as a young woman but once she got an education and gained experience she found something she truly loved doing.” — Emma Allen (Junior)
“Sister Sepapano showed that little things can have as big of an impact as the largest acts. A true inspiration in regards to the fact that everyone can impact the world in their own small, special way.” — Pierce Lonergan (Sophomore)
