Sister Sharon Nolte, formerly Sister Perpetua, was born in 1947 in Golden Eagle, Ill., and entered the Sisters of Divine Providence in 1963. She professed her final vows in 1971, and earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Harris Stowe Teacher’s College and a master’s degree in education in 1982 from Dayton University.
Sister Sharon’s teaching ministry included the following schools: Mount Providence School (Normandy, Mo., 1966, 1969–77 and 1983-84), Divine Providence School (Westchester, Ill., 1967 and 1981–82), St. Stanislaus School (Wardsville, Mo., 1968), St. Pius X School (Shreveport, La., 1978–80), and North American Martyrs School (Florissant, Mo., 1985).
She worked in public relations at St. Elizabeth Medical Center (now Gateway Regional Medical Center) from 1986–87, and she was the secretary at St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf from 1989–98. Sister Sharon also helped coordinate more than 25 religious pilgrimages to Europe. In 2000, she became the secretary and archivist for the Sisters at Providence Center in Bridgeton, Mo., where she currently serves. She also cares for her mother, Evelyn, and mentors many on their spiritual journey at Our Sorrowful Mother’s Ministry in Vandalia, Ill.
Sister Sharon was most influenced to enter religious life by several Sisters she encountered during her childhood, including her grade school teachers. She describes herself as creative, prayerful, and enjoys adapting recipes and caring for plants. One of her favorite scriptures is Mark 6:32: “Set your hearts on his kingdom first, an on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given to you as well.”