ALUMNI PROFILE
Woman
at the Vatican
Marjorie Weeke’s desire
to see the world took her to the Vatican, where she facilitated
media coverage during the papacies of Paul VI, John Paul I
and John Paul II.
 By Joni Moths Mueller
Activity
really churned up when Pope John Paul II was elected. “He
rolled up his sleeves and never stopped. He was so young and
energetic, we were running after him all of the time,” she
says. Not only did the young pope change the news the Vatican
had to share — with initiatives such as World
Youth Day — but
advancing technology sped the media’s ability to cover
the Holy Father. And the media, Weeke says, couldn’t
get enough of John Paul II.
Weeke, Jour ’54, was one of
the first women professionals on the Vatican staff. She vividly
recalls the Swiss Guard stopping
her at the gate every morning and asking to see her ID. Sometimes,
old habits die hard. Still, she loved the work and the service
she was able to do for the church.
Now retired, Weeke finds
her insights are still valued. She recently completed work
on a picture book about Pope John
Paul II and is active as an adviser on a television series
being
produced on the first year of Pope Benedict XVI’s papacy.
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