Born: October 16, 1937
First Profession: August 15, 1960
Deceased: January 23, 2026
Sr. Annnemarie Woeste was born on October 17, 1937, in Neuborger, Germany, to Marie and Hermann Woeste. Her mother had married a widower with 6 children and Annemarie was one of their 6 children, becoming number 9, in this large and loving family. She was an inquisitive child, funny and sweet, as well as challenging, she found her way into everyone’s heart.
Having suffered through a war, her strong Catholic family, steeped in faith, sustained her. Sr. Annemaire, would now choose to be a Marist Missionary Sister following in the footsteps of her older sister, Margarete, and 2 brothers who became Marist priests. She left her mother and her homeland in 1957 so as to begin her formation in Bedford, MA. English language studies, preceded and continued throughout her formation. She was professed: August 15, 1960.
After Profession, Sr. Annemarie would study Nursing at St. Vincent Hospital, Worcester MA. and Midwifery in Australia. She was assigned to the Solomon Islands from 1970 to 1983 to be hospital Staff, then, health center Director. She trained local staff in improving health in the villages through her manuals.
From 1984 to 1991, Sr. Annemarie was assigned to Papua New Guinea to be staff, then Director of the Diocesan Pastoral Training Center in Erave. From 1993-1997, she went to the Republic of Kiribati to teach at the National Nurses Training School. From 1998-2003 she was Director of Vocations in the United States for the SMSM. From 2003 to 2006, she was on the staff of the HIV/AIDS Community Clinic in Uganda.
From 2007-2012, Sr. Annemarie was assigned to Shinyanga, Tanzania. Sr. Annemarie wrote of her pastoral ministry in Tanzania: “I love to be here. In a team of three we set out to renew the Basic Christian Communities. Bishop also asked us to include training of pastoral ministers for the sick and homebound. We travel to the remotest villages for our 5-day seminars. The people are so responsive and they are hungry for the Word of God and knowledge of their faith. 96% of the people live in rural areas which see a priest a few times a year. It is a blessing for me to be here among the people and I sense the experience is enriching me, both in faith and understanding. Their endurance in so many trials and deprivations, their inner joy and contentment with what is, are gifts that help them survive. I believe firmly that this is where Jesus and Mary would have been, and where Francoise Perroton showed us to be.”
Her list of achievements, range from health care to pastoral care, to formation of nurses, village workers, catechists, seminarians and SMSM. She was a woman of many talents and skills, ever humble and hidden in Mary’s way. A woman whose influence spanned the globe from Germany to the USA, to Australia, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Kiribati, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Sr. Annemarie left her beloved Tanzania for the US in 2012 to a difficult transition. The saving grace was her involvement with formation. She was appointed to accompany the women from Africa inquiring about Marist Missionary Sisters. Sr. Annemarie loved this mission and spent days at the office on zoom with the women. She would spend a year or even more guiding them through our SMSM process, evaluating the depth of understanding of their faith, the Church, their own maturity and a multitude of requirements. She has many smsm daughters.
The past 2 ½ years brought Sr. Annemarie a new mission. This has possibly been the most difficult mission of all, suffering. A serious back injury over a year ago slowed her down for several months of recovery. She bemoaned the fact that she was not able to get to the office, or help the other Sisters, etc. This inactivity and vulnerability hurt more than the pain. This past September, she once again had a serious fracture of the back with pain on walking, standing and moving in general. This was just improving when she was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma with its symptoms of persistent bone pain, weakness and infection. How brave she was and how determined to be self-sufficient, her greatest anxiety was to be a burden. Aging is a time of surrender and Sr. Annemarie was asked to let go more and more. She turned to her faith and her loving God to bear this suffering in union with Him. We thank her for her spirit, love and determination. Imagine the reception she received in heaven when JESUS came!
“Take Lord, receive, all is yours now. You have given all to me, now I return it.”
We love you Sr. Annemarie. May you rest in God’s loving peace. Please pray for us.
In Jesus and Mary,
Sr. Palepa Ioane, smsm Sister Judith Sheridan, smsm
Regional Superior
