Wilkinson attended Marywood High School in
Evanston, Illinois, where she was first introduced to the Sisters of Providence congregation. Wilkinson entered the congregation on September 12, 1963, and became a fully professed Sister of Providence on August 25, 1973. Wilkinson earned a bachelor's degree in English from
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. She also attended
Saint Louis University and received her master's in counseling. In 2006, Wilkinson was elected superior general of the Sisters of Providence when
Sister Ann Margaret O'Hara decided not to seek a second term. Wilkinson was re-elected in 2011. Wilkinson and her administration opened
Providence Cristo Rey High School in
Indianapolis as a sponsored ministry of the Congregation in 2007. A significant part of Wilkinson's terms involved the canonization of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin in October 2006. Over the course of her administration, Wilkinson led the establishment of the permanent shrine of Saint Mother Theodore, which opened in 2014. She also led efforts to streamline the Sisters' finances and maximize use of buildings owned by the congregation. After two terms as general superior, she was succeeded by
Sister Dawn Tomaszewski in the role on September 10, 2016. ==References==