 You
can find Sisters of St. Joseph just about anywhere. We
were founded to discover where the need was greatest. We
were to go there with love of God and love of neighbor
without distinction. For over 350 years, that’s what we
have been doing, and it must be effective, for you can now
find us in 57 countries. The Springfield Congregation and
our lay associates serve in schools and prisons, protest
war and advocate nonviolent means of peacemaking, and work
with and for justice. We do so joyfully.
The SSJ
Springfield Congregation is part of a Federation of
all the Sisters of St. Joseph in the United States which
includes over 7,000 members of 23 congregations.
Visit their web site at:
http://www.sistersofsaintjosephfederation.org.
Special Anniversaries June
2008
The following
Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield celebrated Special
Anniversaries June 10 at Mont Marie. A Liturgy in
Mont Marie Chapel and a private reception marked the
anniversaries of their entrance into religious life.
Celebrating
60 Years (Entered in 1948)
 Sister
Marguerite Blackburn
(Jean) was born in Burlington, Vermont and entered from
St. Mary Parish in St. Alban’s, Vermont. She taught in
the schools of the Burlington Diocese for 45 years. She
also served in the Appalachia Child Development Program,
Lancaster, Kentucky and the Foster Grandparent Program at
Christ the King School, Rutland, Vermont. She is the
library coordinator presently at Christ the King School.
 Sister
Catherine Hayes (Sr.
Catherine Edmund,) a Springfield native, entered from Holy
Name Parish in Springfield. She taught at Cathedral High
School for over 40 years and served at Alumnae Library of
the College of Our Lady of the Elms for nearly 10 years.
She was awarded the St. Joseph Medal by Cathedral High
School in 2006. She is a resident of Mont Marie, Holyoke.
 Sister
Mary Lyons (Sr. Raymond
Maria) was born in Holyoke and entered from St. Jerome
Parish, Holyoke. She taught in the schools of the
Springfield Diocese at St. Mary, Pittsfield; Immaculate
Conception, Easthampton; St. Mary, Northampton; St.
Joseph, North Adams and Cathedral High School,
Springfield. She served in the Worcester Diocese at St.
Ann, Worcester and St. Joseph, Leicester. Sister also
ministered for over 20 years on the staff of Mont Marie as
a nurse’s aide. She is retired and lives in Holyoke.
 Sister
Ruth Virginia Quinn
(Margaret Mary) was born in Worcester and entered from St.
John Parish, Worcester. She taught at Sacred Heart School,
Holyoke, 1950-1968 and Holy Family School, Springfield,
1968-1972. From 1972 to the present she has served at
Holy Name Parish, Springfield as teacher and most recently
as secretary for Religious Education. She was awarded the
Daily Points of Light Award in 2004 for her extensive
volunteer work especially at Ronald McDonald House and
Holy Name Parish. She resides in Springfield.
 Sister
Loretta Scarlett (Sr.
Vincent Joseph) was born in So. Barre, Massachusetts and
entered from St. Thomas Parish there. Sister taught at
Cathedral Grammar, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, St.
Matthew and Holy Name Schools in Springfield; St. Agnes
School, Dalton; St. Mary, Southbridge and Sacred Heart,
Gardner where she also served as Principal and Pastoral
Associate. She is a resident of Mont Marie, Holyoke.
 Sister
Anne Marie Wildenhain
(Sr. Cecilia John) a native of Pawtucket, Rhode Island
entered from St. Joseph Parish, Pawtucket. Sister taught
at Sacred Heart School, Gardiner, Massachusetts, St.
Joseph School, Leicester and Worcester Central Catholic
School and St. Joseph School, Newport, RI. She has served
as a Pastoral Assistant at St. Richard Parish, Sterling,
Massachusetts. She is lives in Worcester.
Celebrating
65 Years (Entered in 1943)
 Sister
Gertrude Conway (Sr.
William Marie) was born in Rutland, Vermont and entered
from St. Peter Parish, Rutland. She taught at St. Peter
and Christ the King Schools and Mt. St. Joseph Academy,
Rutland and St. Francis de Sales School, Bennington. She
taught in business departments of Bennington Catholic High
School, St. Joseph College and Southern Vermont College,
Bennington. She was active in the business community of
Bennington and also served in parish ministry at St.
Francis de Sales Parish, Bennington. Sister was a member
of the Vermont State Symphony Orchestra as a cellist
before she entered the Congregation. She is a resident of
St. Joseph Residence, Rutland.
 Sister
Rita Marie Emerson (Rita
Agnes) was born in Whitehall, NY and entered from St.
Peter Parish, Rutland, Vermont. Sister taught at St.
Charles School, Bellows Falls and St. Peter, Rutland. She
served as Principal at Christ the King and St. Peter
Schools, Rutland and Currier Memorial Graded School,
Danby, Vt. Sister also taught at College of St. Joseph,
Rutland and was the Elementary Supervisor for the
Bennington/Rutland Supervisory Union. She was awarded the
Certificate of Special Recognition of the Vermont
Headmasters’ Association. She also was named a police
commissioner for the city of Rutland. Sister is a
resident of Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke,
Massachusetts.
 Sister
Mary Fidelis McLee (Sr.
Margaret Elizabeth) was born in Brooklyn, New York and
entered from St. Anthony Parish, Brooklyn. Sister taught
at Christ the King School, Rutland, Vermont; St. Michael
School, Brattleboro and served as Principal at St. Francis
de Sales School, Bennington and was on the faculty of the
College of St. Joseph in Rutland. She also served as
Treasurer of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Rutland as well
as Congregational Treasurer. Sister was involved in
ministry to the elderly in several parishes. She is a
resident of Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke.
 Sister
Janice Molloy (Sr.
Elizabeth James,) a native of Auburn, Massachusetts,
entered from St. Joseph Parish, Auburn. She taught at St.
Thomas School, West Springfield and Holy Name School,
Springfield. The majority of her teaching, however, was
at Cathedral High School, Springfield where she taught for
forty years. She resides at St. Joseph Residence, Mont
Marie.
 Sister
Mary Ellen Murphy (Sr.
Stephen Maria) a native of Holyoke, Massachusetts, entered
from Sacred Heart Parish, Holyoke. She taught at St. Mark,
St. Joseph and St. Charles Schools, Pittsfield; Holy
Family, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and Cathedral High
Schools Springfield and St. Mary School, Milford. She
served on the Central Services staff at Elms College for
several years before her retirement. Sister lives in
Chicopee.
Sister Miriam
Regina O’Connor (Regina)
was born in Rutland, Vermont and entered from Christ the
King Parish, Rutland. Sister taught at St. Peter and
Christ the King Schools in Rutland; St. Charles School,
Bellows Falls; St. Mary School, Fairhaven and St. Francis
de Sales School in Bennington. She served as a faculty
member and administrator at the former St. Joseph College,
Bennington and as Registrar at the College of St. Joseph
College, Rutland. For many years she was the archivist
for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Vermont. She resides in
Rutland.
 Sister
Ruth O’ Connor (Sr.
Miriam John,) a native of West Springfield, entered from
Immaculate Conception Parish, West Springfield. Sister
ministered in the Diocese of Springfield as a teacher at
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Holy Name, Cathedral Grammar
and Cathedral High Schools and as Principal at St. Matthew
School, all in Springfield. She served as teacher at St.
Stephen and St. Peter Schools, Worcester and at St.
Catherine Academy, Newport, Rhode Island. She is a member
of the retirement community at Mont Marie, Holyoke.
 Sister
Patricia Francis Sharron,
(Lillian) a native of North Adams, Massachusetts, entered
from St. Francis Parish, North Adams. Sister taught at
St. Mary School, Pittsfield and Holy Name School,
Springfield. For many years she served on the diocesan
staff, including that of the Bishop’s residence. Sister
lives in Springfield.
 Sister
Julia Marie Walsh (Teresa
Ann) was born in Rutland, Vermont and entered from Christ
the King Parish, Rutland. Sister taught at St. Peter,
Christ the King and Mt. St. Joseph Schools in Rutland.
She was a member of the faculty and administration at the
former St. Joseph College in Bennington serving as
President 1966-1970. She served as Executive Secretary to
the President of the Congregation and worked in the
Guidance Office of Mt. St. Joseph Academy, Rutland. Sister
is a resident at Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke,
Massachusetts.
Celebrating
70 Years (Entered in 1938)
 Sister
Ellen Therese Barry,
(Ellen Mary) a native of Bellows Falls, Vermont, entered
from St. Charles Parish, Bellows Falls. She taught in
Christ the King and St. Peter Schools, Rutland and St.
Mary School, Fairhaven. She served at Sacred Heart
School, Bennington as teacher and also as Principal for
many years. She resides in Bennington.
 Sister
Cecile Lafond (Sr.
Veronica) was born in Fall River, Massachusetts and
entered from St. Matthew Parish, Fall River. Sister
taught at St. Jean Baptiste and Blessed Sacrament Schools,
Fall River and St. Michael School, Swansea. She was on
the faculty of St. Joseph Prep and St. Joseph Teachers
Institute in Fall River. She served as librarian and
instructor at Divine Heart Seminary, Donaldson TX in the
early 1970’s. Sister was awarded a fellowship by the
French government for study in France; she was also
awarded a Fulbright grant by the United States government.
Celebrating
75 Years (Entered in 1933)
 Sister
Mary Beatrice Gauthier
(Edna Therese) a native of Bennington, Vermont, entered
from Sacred Heart Parish, Bennington. She taught at St.
Peter and Christ the King Schools and Mt. St. Joseph
Academy in Rutland; St. Charles School in Bellows Falls;
Sacred Heart and St. Francis de Sales Schools in
Bennington. She also served on the staff of Mt. St. Joseph
Convent, Rutland, where she now lives as a member of the
retirement community.
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