Sister Marlene Weisenbeck's Story & Gallery
Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration Marlene Weisenbeck, who was born in 1942 and grew up on a dairy farm in Maxville Township near Durand, Wisconsin, has served as a Catholic Sister with FSPA for over 60 years. Sister Marlene holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a master’s degree in applied music from George Peabody College, Nashville, Tennessee, and a bachelor’s degree from Viterbo University, in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She is an experienced music educator, canon lawyer and accomplished leader. Sister Marlene began her ministry in the 1960s working in elementary and secondary schools teaching music in the Dioceses of La Crosse and Superior, Wisconsin.
She has held a variety of leadership roles including: chairwoman of the Viterbo University Board of Trustees (1994 to 2002), president of the FSPA community (2002 to 2010) and president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (2009 to 2011). As a canonist, she has served as chancellor of the Diocese of La Crosse and Director of the Office of Consecrated Life (1997 to 2002). In 1996 she became the originator and coordinator of the Renaissance of Iconography for Eastern European Institutes of Consecrated Life. In 2013, as part of her ministry as president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, she founded the Task Force to Eradicate Modern Slavery in La Crosse, and has worked to raise awareness to end human trafficking in the Coulee Region and beyond. Since spearheading the Renaissance of Iconography Project, Sister Marlene has continued to write icons as part of her ongoing spiritual practices. Her first icon was written in 1998, and since then she has completed 23 others.
We invite you to experience Sister Marlene's iconography interview and gallery.