St. Mary of the Woods, IN - Sister Mary Catherine (Marikay) Duffy, age 90, of St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, died on March 20, 2026 at Lourdes Hall, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN. She was born on May 11, 1935 in Indianapolis, IN, to John F. and Hannah McBraerty Duffy. From childhood on, she was known as Marikay.

Sister entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence on Jan. 6, 1953 and was given the name Sister Marie Michele. She professed Final Vows August 15, 1960. She earned a bachelor's degree from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and master's degrees from Indiana State University.

Of her 73 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered in elementary schools in Illinois and California for nine years and then answered the call to prepare to minister in Arequipa, Peru for nine years. Upon return, she served in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis Hispanic apostolate, and in 1987 was part of founding the Hispanic Education Center. Between 1978 and 1986, she served two terms as a councilor on the St. Gabriel Province in Indiana. Retiring from the Hispanic Center in 2004, she gave immigration assistance at the Marian Center in Indianapolis and beginning in 2015, continued to volunteer at the Office of Immigration Affairs in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. In 2024, she returned to St. Mary-of-the-Woods and was a faithful and encouraging presence to those whom she met.

Sister Marikay is survived by nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by two brothers, John and Michael Duffy; and one sister, Margaret Wade.

The wake is Thursday, March 26 at 3:30 p.m. in the Church of the Immaculate Conception with the wake service at 4:30 p.m. The wake continues Friday, March 27 at 10:00 a.m. with the Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m., Reverend Terry Johnson presiding. Burial is in the cemetery of the Sisters of Providence. DeBaun Funeral Homes and Crematory assisted with arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of Providence, 1 Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876.