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Please join us in prayer for
these
deceased
members
of our Congregation:
 Sister
Rita Deschenes, (Marie Xavier),
beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph in her 55th
year, died at Mont Marie Health Care Center on January 25,
2010. She was born in Fall River, MA, the daughter of
Albert and Bermonde (Lemieux) Deschenes. She entered the
Sisters of St. Joseph of LePuy in Fall River in 1955 from
St. Jean Baptiste Parish in Fall River and became a member
of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield when the two
Congregations merged in 1974. She attended high school at
Jesus Marie Academy and received a BA degree from Annhurst
College. She later earned an MA degree in religious
studies from Providence College.
Among Sister’s
teaching assignments were St. Michael’s in Ocean Grove,
St. Louis School in Swansea, St. Matthew’s, Fall River,
and St. Joseph School, Vinton, LA. She also taught at St.
Joseph High School, Conway, Arkansas and directed the
Religious Education program. Sister’s most recent ministry
was to the members of St. Joseph’s Parish in DeRidder,
Louisiana, as Director of Religious Education and Pastoral
Minister. Sister served in this ministry for the past
thirty one years.
 Sister
Rita Rafferty,
(Sr. Rose Thomas),
91, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Springfield in her 72nd year, died at Mont Marie Health
Care Center on December 26, 2009. She was born in Webster,
MA, the daughter of Thomas and Rose (O'Brien) Rafferty.
Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield
from St. Louis Parish, Webster. She was graduated from St.
Louis High School. She earned A.B. and M.A. degrees from
the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, MA.
Sister taught
her entire career in the Springfield Diocese, serving in
St. Joseph, Pittsfield; Holy Name, Springfield; Immaculate
Conception, Easthampton; Sacred Heart, Holyoke; Holy
Trinity, Greenfield, and St. Michael's, Northampton. For
thirty years she taught at Cathedral High School in
Springfield.
 Sister
Patricia B. Kane, (Sr. Geraldine Maria)
79, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Springfield for 62 years, died at Mont Marie Health Care
Center in Holyoke on October 27, 2009. Born in Worcester,
Mass., she was the daughter of Patrick and Geraldine
(Shea) Kane. Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Springfield from St. Peter Parish, Worcester. She was
graduated from St. Peter High School, Worcester, earned a
B.A. from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee,
an M.A from Marquette University in Speech/Drama, and an
M.S. in Mass Communications from Boston University.
Sister taught in
the schools of the Springfield Diocese at Sacred Heart,
Holyoke, St. Joseph, North Adams, St. Charles, Pittsfield
and Cathedral High School, Springfield and in the
Worcester Diocese at St. Mary School, Southbridge. She
taught on the faculties of St. Rose College, Albany, NY,
The College of St. Joseph, Rutland, VT and Tangaza
College, Nairobi, Kenya. She served in Catholic
Communications Ministry for the Diocese of Springfield,
including the Chalice of Salvation, and in Radio and TV
for the Diocese of Hartford. Most recently she was
co-director of Clementwood Spiritual Life Center in
Rutland, VT.
 Sister
Mary Richard Tyrrell, (Anna E.),102,
beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield
for 83 years, died at Mont Marie Health Care Center,
Holyoke, on July 5th, 2009. A native of Dudley,
Mass., she was the daughter of Richard and Mary (Harbort)
Tyrrell. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Springfield from St. Louis Parish in Webster, Mass. She
was graduated from St. Louis High School and earned an A.B.
degree from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee,
Mass.
Sister taught in
the Diocese of Springfield at Blessed Sacrament School and
Sacred Heart School, Holyoke; Annunciation School and St.
Mary School, Northampton and St. Patrick School,
Chicopee. She taught in the Diocese of Worcester at St.
Peter School and in the Diocese of Providence at St. Rose
of Lima School, Warwick. She also served in staff
positions in the Springfield Diocesan School Office and at
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and Our Lady of Hope
parishes, Springfield. She retired in 1993.
 Sister
Elizabeth of the Trinity Marcotte,
98, beloved member of the Sisters of
St. Joseph for 79 years, died on June 25, 2009 in the
Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, Mass. A native of
New Bedford, she was the daughter of the late Hormisdas
and Carmelia Marcotte. Sister entered the Sisters of St.
Joseph of LePuy in Fall River in 1930 from St. Joseph
Parish, New Bedford and became a member of the Sisters of
St. Joseph of Springfield when the two Congregations
merged in 1974. She received her early education in the
parochial schools of New Bedford and graduated from
Novitiate High School in Fall River. She earned a B.A.
degree from Sacred Heart College, Fall River.
Among Sister’s
teaching assignments were St. Roch, St. Jean Baptiste,
and Blessed Sacrament Schools, Fall River, St. Louis and
St. Michael Schools, Swansea, and St. Therese and St.
Joseph Schools, New Bedford. She served as a nurse’s aide
in New Bedford and retired in 1974 in Fall River and
joined the Retirement Community at Mont Marie in 1992. She
became a resident of the Mont Marie Health Care Center in
2001.
 Sister
Gertrude Brown, (Sr.
Mauritius Maria ), 86, beloved member of the Sisters of
St. Joseph of Springfield in her 68th year, died in
Holyoke on Friday, March 27, 2009. A native of Holyoke,
Mass., she was the daughter of Maurice and Nora
(Fitzgerald) Brown. Sister entered the Sisters of St.
Joseph of Springfield from Our Lady of the Rosary Parish,
Holyoke. She attended Our Lady of the Rosary
Elementary School and was graduated from Our Lady of the
Rosary High School, Holyoke. She earned an A.B. degree
from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, MA.
Sister taught in
the elementary schools of the Diocese of Springfield at
St. Patrick, Chicopee; St. Thomas, West Springfield; St.
Mary, Longmeadow; Blessed Sacrament, Greenfield; Our Lady
of the Rosary, Holyoke; Our Lady of the Sacred Heart,
Springfield; and St. Mary, Westfield and in the Diocese of
Worcester at St. Ann and St. Peter, Worcester and St.
Mary, Southbridge. She served as Coordinator of Mont Marie
Conference Center, Holyoke and as Special Events
Coordinator at the College of Our Lady of the Elms,
Chicopee. She retired in 2003 and became a member of St.
Joseph Retirement Community, Mont Marie in 2008.
 Sister
Helen Vivian Baillargeon,
(Joseph Bernadette), beloved member of the Sisters of St.
Joseph of Springfield in her 65th year, died at Mont
Marie, Holyoke, on February 15, 2009. A native of Holyoke,
MA, she was the daughter of Donat and Bernadette (Dufault)
Baillargeon. Sister entered the Congregation from Our
Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Holyoke. Her early
education was at Immaculate Conception School, Holyoke.
She attended Holyoke Trade School, now Dean Vocational
School, where she studied culinary arts.
Sister devoted
her entire life to service to her Sisters. For almost 25
years she served as cook at Mont Marie, Holyoke where she
was assisted by young Sisters as they undertook their
early years of training. Her kindnesses and example are
remembered by many. Later she served as Sacristan at Mont
Marie, performing her duties with care and devotion for 30
years. In her later years her ministry extended to Mount
St. Vincent Nursing Home where she also worked as
Sacristan. She retired to St. Joseph Retirement Residence,
Mont Marie in 2002.
 Sister
Helen Catherine Shine,
(Eleanor), beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Springfield in her 69th year, died in Holyoke on January
2, 2009. A native of Worcester, MA, she was the daughter
of Daniel and Ellen (Mahoney) Shine. Sister entered the
Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from St. Peter
Parish, Worcester. She was graduated from St. Peter’s High
School, Worcester. She earned an A.B. degree from the
College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, MA.
Sister taught in
the Springfield Diocese at St. Charles School and St.
Joseph High School, Pittsfield and was Principal at
Immaculate Conception School, West Springfield. Since
1969 she has ministered in the Worcester Diocese in
Gardner, MA. From 1969-73 she was Principal of Sacred
Heart School. She then worked for Catholic Charities in
Gardner for over 25 years where she managed the St.
Vincent de Paul Thrift Shop. She was one of the four
founders of the House of Peace and Education in Gardner.
She retired to Mont Marie Health Care Center in 2007.
 Sister
Peter Maria Picknelly
(Helen M.) 90, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph
of Springfield in her 75th year, died in Holyoke at Mont
Marie Health Care Center on October 31, 2008. A native of
Orange, N.J., she was the daughter of Peter and Helen
(Zimmerman) Picknelly. Sister entered the Sisters of
St. Joseph of Springfield from Holy Name Parish,
Springfield, MA. She was graduated from Our Lady of the
Elms Academy in 1934. She earned B.A. and M.A. degrees
from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, MA.
She also studied history at the University of
Massachusetts, Amherst; American International College,
Springfield and library science at the College of Our Lady
of the Elms.
Sister taught in
the schools of the Springfield Diocese at St. Joseph,
Pittsfield, and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart early in her
career. For over twenty years she taught and was Chair of
the Social Studies Department at Cathedral High School,
Springfield. From 1979-1994 she served as librarian at
St. Thomas Elementary School in West Springfield. She
prepared a monthly meal for Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen
from 1981 – 2007. For several years she volunteered as a
companion to Alzheimer’s patients at the Chicopee VNA.
She retired in 1994.
 Sister
James Marion Butler,
(Florence) 85, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph
of Springfield in her 67th year, died in Mont
Marie Health Care Center on October 26, 2008. Born in
Southbridge, Mass, she was the daughter of the late
Michael and Minnie (Olney) Butler. Sister entered the
Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, MA from St. Mary
Parish, Southbridge. Her early education was in the
parochial schools of Southbridge and she was graduated
from St. Mary High School in 1941. She earned an A.B.
degree from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee.
Among Sister’s
teaching assignments were the following schools: Holy
Rosary, Holyoke; St. Joseph, Pittsfield; St. Joseph, North
Brookfield,; St. Rose, Warwick, RI; Sacred Heart,
Pawtucket, RI; St. Louis, Webster; St. Mary, Southbridge
and St. Joseph, Cherry Valley. She also served as a
Library Aide at Cathedral High School, Springfield and on
the Support Staff at Mont Marie and as a Companion to the
Elderly. She became a member of the Mont Marie
Retirement Community in 1995 and Mont Marie Health Care
Center in 2005.
 Sister
Miriam Regina O’Connor,
(Regina) 95, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph
of Springfield in her 65th year, died on Tuesday, October
14, 2008 in St. Joseph Kervick Residence, Rutland, VT.
Born in Rutland, she was the daughter of Michael and
Bridget (McNamara) O’Connor. Sister entered the Sisters
of St. Joseph of Vermont in 1943 from Christ the King
Parish in Rutland. She became a member of the Sisters of
St. Joseph of Springfield in 2001 when the two Communities
merged. She was graduated from Mt. St. Joseph Academy,
Rutland and earned both her B.S. and M.S. degrees from
College of St. Rose, Albany, NY.
Sister taught at St. Peter and Christ the King Schools in
Rutland; St. Charles School in Bellows Falls; St. Mary’s
School, Fair Haven, and St. Francis de Sales School in
Bennington. She was a faculty member and administrator at
the former St. Joseph College, Bennington, and was
Registrar at the College of St. Joseph, Rutland. For many
years Sister was the archivist for the Sisters of St.
Joseph of Vermont. She retired in Rutland where she
engaged in prayer ministry and visitation of the sick.
 Sister
Kathleen Duffy, (John
Robert) 78, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Springfield for 58 years, died in Uxbridge on September
18, 2008. Born in Worcester, MA she was the daughter of
the late John J. and Grace M. (Horan) Duffy. Sister
entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from St.
Stephen Parish, Worcester.
Sister received
her early education in the parochial schools of Worcester
and was graduated from St. Stephen High School in 1949.
She received an A.B. degree from the College of Our Lady
of the Elms, Chicopee, MA and was certified as an
elementary school administrator in 1970. Sister taught in
the schools of the Springfield Diocese at Our Lady of the
Sacred Heart and Holy Name, Springfield; St. Mary,
Northampton and Immaculate Conception, Easthampton. She
served in the Diocese of Worcester as teacher at St. Mary,
Southbridge and at St. Mary, Uxbridge and as Principal at
Our Lady of the Valley, Uxbridge.
 Sister
Margaret Edward Griffin
(Ruth), beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Springfield for 71 years, died on August 10, 2008 in Mont
Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, Mass. Born in Holyoke,
she was the daughter of Edward and Catherine (Courtney)
Griffin. Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Springfield from Blessed Sacrament Parish, Holyoke. She
was graduated from Sacred Heart High School, Holyoke. She
earned her A.B. and M.A. degrees from the College of Our
Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, MA.
Among Sister’s
teaching assignments were the following: Holy Trinity
School, Greenfield, Holy Family School, Springfield and
Annunciation School, Florence. Sister was Principal at
St. Agnes School, Dalton, St. Lucy School, Middletown, RI
and St. Francis School, Hillsgrove, RI. From 1973-1998
she served first as teacher and then as librarian at Our
Lady of the Sacred Heart School, Springfield. She retired
at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in 1998 and in 2000
she became a resident of Mont Marie Retirement Residence,
Holyoke, Mass.
 Sister
Elizabeth Anna Kane, 87,
beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield
in her 69th year, died in Mont Marie Health Care Center,
Holyoke, Massachusetts on July 7, 2008. A native of
Worcester, she was the daughter of Michael and Elizabeth
(Foley) Kane. Sister entered the Congregation from St.
Joseph Parish, Auburn, Mass. She was graduated from St.
Peter High School, Worcester and earned an A.B. degree
from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, Mass.
Sister
ministered in the Diocese of Springfield as a teacher at
St. Joseph School, North Adams; St. Matthew School, Indian
Orchard, and Sacred Heart School and Central Catholic
School, both in Pittsfield. She also taught in the
Diocese of Worcester at Sacred Heart Academy, Worcester;
St. Louis School, Webster, and St. Mary School,
Southbridge. She served as parish minister at St.
Bartholomew Parish, Bondsville and St. Paul Parish,
Springfield. Sister was the secretary for the Holy Family
League of Charity of Springfield for several years.
 Sister Julia
McGrath, 82, (also known
as Sr. Teresa Edward), beloved member of the Sisters of
St. Joseph of Springfield in her 63rd year, died in Mont
Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, MA on Friday, April,
11, 2008. A native of Northampton, MA, she was the
daughter of the late Edward and Julia (White) McGrath.
Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield
from St. Mary Parish, Northampton. She was graduated from
St. Michael High School, Northampton and earned a B.A.
from the College of Our Lady of the Elms and M.A.T. from
St. Michael College, Winooski, Vt.
Sister taught in
the Diocese of Springfield at St Joseph High School, North
Adams; Pittsfield Central Catholic, Pittsfield and St.
Agnes School, Dalton. She taught in the Providence
Diocese at St. Joseph School, Newport, RI and in the
Worcester Diocese at St. Peter School, Worcester. She
served many years in Williamstown, Mass. in Parish
Ministry, including as a companion to the elderly at St.
Raphael/ St. Patrick Parishes.
 Sister
Charles Joseph Carr,
(Mary E. Carr), 94, beloved member of the Sisters of St.
Joseph of Springfield in her 76th year, died in Warwick,
R.I. on March 29, 2008. Born in Cumberland, R.I., she was
the daughter of Charles and Florence (Giles) Carr. Sister
entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from
Sacred Heart Parish, Pawtucket, R.I. She graduated from
Sacred Heart High School, Pawtucket and earned an A.B.
degree from the College of Our Lady of the Elms in
Chicopee, MA.
Sister taught in
the Diocese of Providence, R.I. in St. Joseph School,
Newport for 28 years and in St. Francis School, Hillsgrove
for 31 years. Since 1994 she has served at St. Francis
School as a teacher’s aide.
 Sister
Grace Mary Klenchik
(Ruth), 81, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph
of Springfield in her 63rd year, died on February 1, 2008
in Mont Marie Health Care Center in Holyoke, MA . She was
born in Binghamton, NY, the daughter of John and Mary (Maliswaski)
Klenchik. Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Rutland, Vermont from St. Mary Parish, Binghamton, NY; she
became a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Springfield when the Congregations merged in 2001. Sister
was graduated from St. Patrick’s High School, Binghamton.
She earned a B.S. degree from the College of St. Joseph,
Rutland, VT. She also studied at Cardinal Stritch College,
Milwaukee, WI and Gonzaga University, Seattle, WA.
Sister
ministered in the Diocese of Burlington as a teacher in
Rutland at Mt. St. Joseph School, St. Peter School, and
Christ the King School; in Fair Haven at St. Mary School;
in Bennington at St. Francis de Sales School, and in White
River Junction at St. Anthony Parish. She also served on
the staff of the College of St. Joseph, in Rutland. In
addition, Sister served as Director of Formation for the
Congregation from 1989-1995. Most recently, she has
ministered as Pastoral Assistant at St. John the Baptist
Parish in North Bennington.
 Sister
Catherine Doherty, (formerly Sr. Rita Maurice),
80, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph in her
59th year, died on Monday, January 21, 2008 in Mont Marie
Health Care Center, Holyoke, Massachusetts. Born in
Springfield, she was the daughter of Donald and Catherine
(Morrison) Doherty.
Sister entered
the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from Our Lady of
Hope Parish, Springfield. She was graduated from Cathedral
High School in 1946. She earned an A.B. degree from the
College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, Mass.
Among Sister’s
teaching assignments were the following schools: in
Holyoke, Holy Rosary; Springfield, Holy Family; West
Springfield, St. Thomas and in Northampton, St. Mary. She
served for eight years in Parish Ministry at Our Lady of
LaSalette Parish, Sulphur, Louisiana. From 1984 until 2002
she was a member of the staff of Alumnae Library, College
of Our Lady of the Elms. She became a resident of St.
Joseph Residence, Mont Marie in 2002.
 Sister
Mathilde Joseph Bessette,
(Beatrice) 95, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph
for 78 years, died on December 25, 2007 in Mont Marie
Health Care Center, Holyoke, MA. A native of New Bedford,
Massachusetts, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and
Mathilde (Millette) Bessette.
Sister entered the
Sisters of St. Joseph of LePuy in Fall River from St.
Joseph Parish, New Bedford. The Sisters of St. Joseph of
Fall River and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield
merged in 1974. Sister attended New Bedford High School
and was graduated from Novitiate High School, Fall River
in 1930. She earned a B.A. degree from Rivier College,
Nashua, New Hampshire and a degree in Library Science from
Bridgewater State College, MA.
Sister ministered in education as teacher/principal at
Blessed Sacrament School and St. Roch School, Fall River
and as Principal at St. Jean Baptiste School, Fall River
and St. Joseph School and St. Therese School, New Bedford.
Sister served as Assistant Provincial from 1959 -1964 and
as Provincial Superior of her Congregation from 1964
-1970. In her later years she served as Appointment
Driver and Assistant Bursar at the Fall River Community.
She retired to Mont Marie in 1992 where she served in the
Finance Department and in the Development Office.
 Sister
Germaine Gendron,
(formerly Sr. Marie Helene)
93, beloved member of the
Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in her 77th year,
died in Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke,
Massachusetts on Tuesday, December 4, 2007. Born in
Westport, she was the daughter of Thomas and Eugenie (Emond)
Gendron. Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of
LePuy, in Fall River from Blessed Sacrament Parish, Fall
River.
Sister’s early education was in the parochial schools
of Fall River. She was graduated from Dominican Academy,
Fall River. She became a member of the Sisters of St.
Joseph of Springfield when the two Communities merged in
1974. Sister served as teacher at St. Matthew School and
Blessed Sacrament School in Fall River. She served as
sacristan at St. Jean Baptiste, Fall River and St. Louis
de France, Swansea. For many years she ministered in her
Community as a staff member of Foyer St. Joseph, the
Provincial House in Fall River, particularly as sacristan.
In 1999 she became a member of St. Joseph Retirement
Community at Mont Marie, Holyoke. She has been a resident
of Mont Marie Health Care Center since 2005.
 Sister
Miriam Francis Donoghue
(Catherine), 84, beloved member of the Sisters of St.
Joseph of Springfield in her 66th year, died in Mont Marie
Health Care Center, Holyoke, Massachusetts on Wednesday,
October 17, 2007. A native of Holyoke, she was the
daughter of Francis X. and Catherine (Quigley) Donoghue.
Sister entered the Congregation from Sacred Heart Parish,
Holyoke. She was graduated from Sacred Heart High School
and earned an A.B. degree at the College of Our Lady of
the Elms, Chicopee.
Sister taught at St. Stephen School, Worcester; St.
Charles School, Pittsfield, and Holy Trinity School,
Greenfield. She ministered in the parish schools in
Springfield at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and at Our
Lady of Hope for nearly thirty years. After her
retirement from teaching she served on the staff of the
Bishop’s Residence for many years. Sister retired in 2002
and became a resident of St. Joseph Residence in 2005.
 Sister
Ann Theresa McCaffrey, (formerly known as Sr. Lawrence
Joseph), 93, beloved
member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in her
76th year, died on Monday, October 15, 2007 in
Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, Mass. A native of
Fall River, she was the daughter of Lawrence and Jane
(Devlin) McCaffrey. Sister entered the SSJ Congregation
from Sacred Heart Parish, Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Her
early education was at Sacred Heart School and she was
graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 1931. She
earned a A.B. degree from the College of Our Lady of the
Elms, Chicopee.
Among Sister’s
teaching assignments were the following schools: St.
Stephen, Worcester; St. Mary, Milford; St. Paul,
Blackstone; Our Lady of Hope, Springfield; St. Joseph,
Leicester; Sacred Heart, Pawtucket and St. Rose of Lima,
Warwick, RI, where she served as a teacher and in her
later years as the school librarian. Sister retired at
St. Francis Convent, Warwick in 1993 and moved to the Mont
Marie Retirement Residence in 1997.
 Sister
Catherine Joseph Adams,
(Marguerite), 84, beloved member of the Sisters of St.
Joseph of Springfield in her 66th year, died in Mont Marie
Health Care Center, Holyoke, Mass. on Monday, October 1,
2007. A native of Springfield, she was the daughter of
Joseph and Mary (Boyce) Adams. Sister entered the
Congregation from Holy Family Parish, Springfield. She was
graduated from Cathedral High School and earned A.B. and
M.A. degrees from the College of Our Lady of the Elms,
Chicopee, MA.
Sister ministered in the Diocese of Springfield for
fifty-five years as a teacher at St. Jerome High School
and Holy Rosary High School, Holyoke; St. Mary High
School, Westfield, and at Cathedral High School,
Springfield where she also served as Associate Principal.
In her retirement she taught part-time at St. Mary School,
Ware. Sister retired to Cathedral Convent in 2001 and to
St. Joseph Residence, Mont Marie in 2003.
 Sister
Elizabeth McKeown,
(Joseph Annette) 80, beloved member of the Sisters of St.
Joseph of Springfield in her 62nd year, died on Saturday,
September 22, 2007 in Mont Marie Health Care Center,
Holyoke, MA. A native of Worcester, MA, she was the
daughter of Peter J. and Hannah M. (Fleming) McKeown.
She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph from St. Ann Parish,
Worcester. Sister Elizabeth received her early education
at St. Ann School and was graduated from Sacred Heart
Academy, Worcester in 1944. She earned her undergraduate
degree from Elms College, Chicopee, MA and her Masters
degree in Administration from Worcester State College.
She participated in Religious Education Institutes at
Catholic University, Washington, D.C. and Religious
Formation Institutes at Stonehill College.
Sister’s teaching assignments were at the
following schools: St. Joseph, North Brookfield; St. Mary
the Morning Star, Pittsfield; St. Joseph, Leicester; St.
Mary, Uxbridge and St. Ann, Worcester. She served as
principal at St. Mary, Uxbridge and St. Mary,
Southbridge. From 1968 to 1971 she served as Mistress of
Postulants. From 1979 to 1987 she was a member of the
Leadership Team of the Community and from 1987 to 1999 she
was Director of Development for the Congregation at Mont
Marie. While on the Leadership Team she worked part-time
in the office of St. Peter-Marian High School, Worcester.
 Sister
Mary Benedicta Cernauskas
(Helen) 93, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph in
her 75th year, died on September 12, 2007 in
the Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, MA. Born in
North Adams, Mass., she was the daughter of the late Adam
and Marcella (Bajorin) Cernauskas.
She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from St.
Francis Parish, North Adams. She attended St. Joseph
Elementary School and was graduated from St. Joseph High
School, North Adams in 1932. She earned an A.B. degree
from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, Mass.
Among Sister’s teaching assignments were the following
schools: Our Lady of Hope, Springfield; St. Thomas, West
Springfield; St. Agnes, Dalton; St. Joseph, North Adams
and Notre Dame, Adams. She retired in North Adams in 1978
and moved to St. Joseph Residence, Mont Marie in 2004.
 Sister
Mildred Morway (Clare
Edward), 87, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph
of Springfield in her 68th year, died on Monday, June 25,
2007 in the Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, Mass.
A native of Worcester, she was the daughter of Edward and
Catherine (Mullaney) Morway. She entered the Sisters of
St. Joseph from St. Stephen Parish, Worcester. Sister was
graduated from St. Stephen High School, Worcester. She
earned A.B. and M.A. degrees from the College of Our Lady
of the Elms, Chicopee, Mass. and a M.A. in Pastoral
Ministry from St. Joseph College, West Hartford, Conn.
Sister served in the Diocese of Springfield as teacher
in Immaculate Conception School, Easthampton; St. Mary and
St. Joseph Schools, Pittsfield; and as Principal at St.
Mary School, Westfield and in the Diocese of Worcester as
teacher at St. Paul School, Blackstone; Sacred Heart
School, Gardner; St. Louis School, Webster; and St.
Stephen School, Worcester. She also served in Pastoral
Ministry at Blessed Sacrament Parish, Northampton and the
Dominican Monastery, West Springfield.
 Sister
Marie Joseph LeBlanc,
95, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph for 79
years, formerly known as Aliette LeBlanc died on Friday,
June 22, 2007 in the Mont Marie Health Care Center,
Holyoke, MA. A native of New Bedford, MA, she was the
daughter of Ernest and Rose Anna (Dansereau) LeBlanc. Sr.
Marie entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Fall River, MA
from St. Joseph Parish, New Bedford and was graduated from
Novitiate High School, Fall River. She earned a B.A.
degree at Rivier College, Nashua, NH. She became a member
of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield when the two
congregations merged in 1974.
Among Sister’s teaching assignments were the following
schools; St. Joseph, St. Therese and St. Anthony, New
Bedford; Blessed Sacrament, St. Matthew and St. Jean
Baptiste, Fall River; and St. Michael, Ocean Grove. When
she retired from teaching she served as a Teacher’s Aide,
as a receptionist at Blessed Sacrament Convent, Fall River
and did volunteer work with the elderly. In 1992 she
became a resident of the Mont Marie Retirement Community.
 Sister
Agnes Maria Brennan
Sister Agnes Maria
Brennan (Katherine), 89, beloved member of the Sisters of
St Joseph in her 67th year, died at the Holyoke Medical
Center, Holyoke, MA on May 15, 2007. A native of
Worcester, MA she was the daughter of John and Mary (
O’Brien ) Brennan. Sister was graduated from The
High School of Commerce, Worcester and earned a A.B.
degree from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee.
Sister served in many schools of the Springfield and
Worcester Dioceses including St. Joseph School, North
Adams; Cathedral High School, Springfield; Immaculate
Conception School, West Springfield; St. John the Baptist
School, Ludlow; Mary Immaculate School, Holyoke; St. Mary
School, Southbridge; St. Louis School, Webster; St. Joseph
School, Leicester; St. Stephen School, Worcester and St.
Peter-Marian School, Worcester. Sister also served on the
Support Staff at Mont Marie, Holyoke in many positions and
was a member of St. Joseph Residence.
 Sister
Agnes Loretto McHugh
Sr. Agnes Loretto McHugh, (Mary), 93, beloved member of
the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in her 77th
year, died on Wednesday, April 4, 2007 in the Mont Marie
Health Care Center, Holyoke, MA. A native of Pawtucket,
RI, she was the daughter of Thomas J. and Mary J. (Goff)
McHugh. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Springfield from Sacred Heart Parish, Pawtucket.
Sister Agnes received her early education in the parochial
schools of Pawtucket and was graduated from Sacred Heart
High School there. She earned a A.B. degree from the
College of Our Lady of the Elms in 1949.
Among Sister’s teaching assignments were Cathedral Grammar
and Our Lady of Hope School, Springfield; St. Joseph High
School, North Adams; St. Stephen High School, Worcester
and St. Jerome, High School, Holyoke. From 1985-1988, she
served as Attendance Secretary at Holyoke Catholic High
School and in 1988 retired to Holyoke Catholic Convent.
In 1990 she retired to Mont Marie and in 1992 she became a
resident of the Mont Marie Health Care Center.
Sr.
Mary Christopher Power
Sister Mary Christopher
Power (Mary C.), 85, beloved member of the Sisters of St.
Joseph of Springfield in her 68th year, died in St.
Vincent Hospital, Worcester, MA on March 22, 2007. A
native of Southbridge, MA she was the daughter of
Christopher and Anna (Nicholson) Power. Sister entered
the SSJ Congregation from St. Mary Parish, Southbridge.
She was graduated from St Mary High School, Southbridge
and earned A.B. and M.A. degrees from the College of Our
Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, MA. She became a Licensed
Social Worker in 1990. Sister served in the Diocese of
Worcester as teacher in St. Paul School, Blackstone and
St. Peter School, Worcester and also as Social Worker in
St. Paul’s Outreach program, Worcester. She also was a
Pastoral Minister at Our Lady of the Angels Parish and St.
Joan of Arc Parish, Worcester. In the Diocese of
Springfield she taught in the following schools: St. Mary,
Westfield; Holy Name and Our Lady of Hope, Springfield;
St. Joseph, North Adams; and St. Joseph and St. Mark,
Pittsfield. In the Diocese of Providence she taught at
St. Rose of Lima School, Warwick. Sister also served on
the Leadership Team of the Sisters of St. Joseph from
1993-1999.
 Sr. Mary Lou
McKinstrie
Sister Mary Lou
McKinstrie, ( Christina Joseph ), 78, beloved member of
the Sisters of St. Joseph in her 60th year,
died in Mont Marie Health Care Center on March 15, 2007.
Born in Turners Falls, MA, she was the daughter of Joseph
and Lulu V. (Leary) McKinstrie. She entered the Sisters
of St. Joseph of Springfield from Holy Cross Parish,
Holyoke. She was graduated from Sacred Heart High School,
Holyoke and earned her A.B. degree from the College of Our
Lady of the Elms, Chicopee.
Sister taught in the schools of the Springfield
Diocese at: Holy Rosary, Holyoke; St. Joseph, North Adams;
Blessed Sacrament, Greenfield; and Our Lady of Hope, and
Holy Name, Springfield. In the Worcester Diocese she
taught at St. Mary, Milford and Worcester Central
Catholic. For twenty years she served the students,
faculty and staff at the College of Our Lady of the Elms
as switchboard operator. She became a member of St. Joseph
Retirement Community at Mont Marie in 2003.
 Sister
Madeleine Marie Cormier,
(Beatrice S. Cormier) 92,
beloved member of the Sisters of
St. Joseph of Springfield in her 74th year, died on
Saturday, January 27, 2007 at Mont Marie Health Care
Center in Holyoke, MA. Born in New Bedford, MA she was
the daughter of the late Donat and Madeleine (LeBlanc)
Cormier. Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Fall
River from St. Joseph Parish, New Bedford.
Sister’s early education was in the parochial
schools of New Bedford. She was graduated from Novitiate
High School and Sacred Heart College, Fall River, MA. The
Sisters of St. Joseph of Fall River and the Sisters of St.
Joseph of Springfield merged in 1974. Among Sister’s
teaching assignments were the following schools: St. Jean
Baptiste, Blessed Sacrament and St. Matthew, Fall River;
St. Joseph and St. Therese, New Bedford, and St. Michael,
Ocean Grove. She retired in Fall River in 1987 and became
a member of the Mont Marie Retirement Community, Holyoke
in 1992 where she served in the Companion Ministry.
 Sister
Marie Daniel Taylor,
(Emma M. Taylor) 93, beloved member of the Sisters of St.
Joseph of Springfield for 73 years, died on Sunday,
December 24, 2006 in the Mont Marie Health Care Center,
Holyoke, MA. A native of Woonsocket, RI she was the
daughter of the late Daniel and Yvonne (Lauzon) Taylor.
Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield
from St. Paul Parish, Blackstone, MA. She received her
early education in the Public Schools of Blackstone and
was graduated from Blackstone High School in 1931. She
earned an A.B. and M.A. degrees from the College of Our
Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, MA. She was a talented artist
and received her training at the Catholic University of
America. Sister's teaching assignments were at the
following schools; St. Joseph, Cherry Valley, St. Joseph,
Pittsfield, St. Peter, Worcester, St. Paul, Blackstone,
St. Francis, Hillsgrove, RI, and St. Rose de Lima, and St.
Francis, both of Warwick, RI. Her last years in school she
served as an office assistant. She retired in Rhode Island
in 1994 and became a resident on Mont Marie in 1997.
 Sister Rose
A. Burns, 90, beloved
member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in her
72nd year, formerly known as Sister Francis
Dolores, died on November 29, 2006 in the Mont Marie
Health Care Center, Holyoke, MA after a long illness. A
native of Gardner, MA, she was the daughter of the late
Frank M. and Joanna (Vaughn) Burns. Sister entered the
Congregation from Sacred Heart Parish, Gardner. She
received her early education in Sacred Heart School,
Gardner and the Elms Academy, Chicopee, MA. She earned
her A.B. and M.A. degrees from The College of Our Lady of
the Elms, Chicopee.
She taught in the following schools: Sacred Heart Elementary,
Holyoke, St. Matthew Elementary, Indian Orchard, MA, St.
Peter High School and Sacred Heart Academy, Worcester,
MA. She served as Principal of St. Mary High School,
Milford, MA. She later served in the Counseling and
Placement Office at the Elms College and as Administrator
of Mont Marie, Holyoke. She also served as Parish
Minister at Blessed Sacrament Parish, Greenfield, MA. In
l987 she retired to Mont Marie and in 1991, became a
resident of the Mont Marie Health Care Center.
 Sister
Therese Nolan, (Sr. John Michael)
75, beloved member of the Sisters of
St. Joseph of Springfield in her 54th year,
died in Holyoke Medical Center, Holyoke, MA on October 15,
2006. Born in North Adams she was the daughter of
John and Anne (Merrigan) Nolan. Sister entered the Sisters
of St. Joseph from St. Francis Parish, North Adams.
Sister received her early education at St. Joseph School
in North Adams and was graduated from St. Joseph High
School in 1947. She earned a B.S. degree from North Adams
State College in 1951.
Sister taught in the Diocese of Springfield in the
following schools: Holy Trinity, Greenfield; Immaculate
Conception, Easthampton; St. Thomas, West Springfield;
St. Patrick, Chicopee; and Holy Name, Our Lady of Hope,
and St. Matthew, Springfield. She also served on the
staff of Mary Immaculate, Holyoke and the Springfield
Diocesan Office. In 1990 she became a resident of Mont
Marie, Holyoke where she served on the staff in various
capacities which involved sharing her talent in art and
calligraphy. In the past several years she was very
involved with the SEED Committee (Sharing in Earth’s
Ecological Design) of the Sisters of St. Joseph.
 Sister
Mary Purissima (Lodema Mary Flanders)
89, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph for 72
years, died on October 5, 2006 at Mont Marie Health Care
Center, Holyoke, MA. Born in North Bennington, VT, she
was the daughter of Ernest and Blanche (Farrand)
Flanders. Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph
of Vermont in 1934 from St. John the Baptist Parish, North
Bennington. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Vermont merged
with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in 2001.
Sister Mary Purissima completed 60 years of ministry in
service to her Sisters in Community as cook and director
of food service. She served in St. Joseph’s Brattleboro,
St. Joseph’s Bennington, Mt. St. Joseph, Rutland, Little
Flower, Bennington, St. Charles, Bellows Falls, and St.
Michael’s, Brattleboro. In 1991 she moved to St. Joseph
Residence, Rutland and in 2000 to Mont Marie Health Care
Center, Holyoke, MA.
 Sister Helen
Benard, 95, beloved
member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield for 62
years, formerly known as Sr. Alice Francis, died on
July 15, 2006 in the Mont Marie Health Care Center,
Holyoke, MA. Born in Boston, MA she was the daughter of
the late Edmond and Alice (Clark) Benard.
Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph from Holy Name
Parish, Springfield, MA. Her early education was in Holy
Name School and she was graduated from Cathedral High
School in 1928. She was a member of the first graduation
class from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee,
MA in 1932. She earned a MA degree from Boston University
in 1941
Her first teaching assignment was at Cathedral
High School, Springfield in 1946. In 1951 she was
appointed Mistress of Novices at Mont Marie. She remained
in that position for 17 years. Later she served as
Principal of St. Mary School, Longmeadow, MA and as a
teacher and tutor at Cathedral High School. She retired
at Cathedral High School Convent in 1989 and continued to
do volunteer work at the High School. In 2003 she became
a resident of Mont Marie Health Care Center.
Sr.
Alice Morway, 93
(formerly known as Sister Louise Catherine) beloved member
of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in her 73rd
year, died on Friday, June 9, 2006 in the Mont Marie
Health Care Center, Holyoke, MA. Born in Worcester, MA she
was the daughter of the late Edward and Catherine (Mullaney)
Morway. She entered the Congregation from St. Stephen
Parish, Worcester. Her early education was at St. Stephen
Elementary School and she was graduated from St. Stephen
High School in 1933. She earned an A.B.degree from the
College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, MA and received
certification as Reading Specialist from Westfield State
College. Sister taught at the former Annunciation
School, Florence; St. Mary School, Pittsfield; and Blessed
Sacrament School, Holyoke. In 1951 she was appointed
Mistress of Postulants for the Sisters of St. Joseph, a
position she held until 1968. She then served at Holy
Name School, Springfield, as teacher and Reading
Specialist for 26 years. Upon her retirement from
education she volunteered in Holy Name Parish Ministry.
She retired to St. Joseph Residence, Mont Marie in 2004
and entered Mont Marie Health Care Center in 2005.
 Sr.
Louis Joseph Bellenoit, (Marcelle),
78, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Springfield in her 63rd year, died on Monday, May 29th
in the Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, MA. A
native of Fall River, MA, she was the daughter of Joseph
and Marie Louise (Proulx) Bellenoit. Sister entered the
Sisters of St. Joseph in Fall River from St. Jean Baptiste
Parish, Fall River. She graduated from
Novitiate High School, earned a A.B. degree from Rivier
College, NH and a Certificate in Theology from Providence
College, RI. She became a member of the Sisters of St.
Joseph of Springfield when the two Communities merged in
1974.
Sister ministered in the Diocese of Fall River as a
teacher in the following schools: Blessed Sacrament, St.
Jean Baptiste and St. Joseph, Fall River; St. Joseph, and
St. Therese, New Bedford; St. Louis and St. Michael,
Swansea. She held several positions within the
Congregation including Treasurer, Administrator and
Coordinator of Finances and Coordinator for Retired
Sisters. Sister moved to Mont Marie in 1994 where she
continued to serve in various capacities.
 Sr.
Catherine Kelley, 82,
(Sr. Maria Patricia) beloved member of the Sisters of St.
Joseph in her 62nd year, died on Wednesday, May
10, 2006 in the Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke,
MA. Born in Northbridge, MA, she was the daughter of
Malachi and Alice (Maguire) Kelley. Sister entered the
Congregation from St. Peter Parish, Worcester. She
graduated from St. Peter High School and earned an A.B.
degree from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee,
MA.
Among Sister’s teaching assignments were St. Jerome, Holy
Rosary, and Holyoke Catholic High School in Holyoke; in
the Worcester Diocese, St. Louis, St. Mary, and St.
Stephen, in the Worcester Diocese and Bishop Keough and
Sacred Heart in the Providence, RI Diocese. Sister also
served as Parish Minister at Immaculate Conception Parish,
Easthampton, MA. She retired in 1999 and became a
resident of Mont Marie Health Care Center in 2002.
 Sr. Dorothy Connors,
84, (formerly known as Sr. Teresa
Elizabeth) beloved member of the Sisters of
St. Joseph in her 66th year, died on Saturday, February 25, 2006
in the Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, MA. Born
in Springfield, MA, she was the daughter of the late
Joseph and Mary Jane (Duclos) Connors and entered
religious life from Holy Family Parish, Springfield.
Her early education was
at Holy Family School, Springfield and she was graduated
from Cathedral High School in 1939. She received an A.B.
degree from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee
and taught in the schools of the Dioceses of Springfield
and Worcester. After teaching at Our Lady of the Sacred
Heart School in Springfield for 28 years, she served as
Pastoral Assistant there from 1980-1985. She
retired to Mont Marie in 1985 and served as a Switchboard
Operator and an Infirmary Aide. She became a resident of
the Mont Marie Health Care Center in 1993.
 Sr. Bertha LeBlanc
(Sr. Marie Ernest),
87, beloved member
of the Sisters of St. Joseph for 69 years, died on January
11, 2006 in the Mont Marie Health Care Cford, MA, she was the daughter of
the late Ernest LeBlanc and Rose Anna (Dansereau)
LeBlanc. Sister’s early education was in New Bedford and
she was graduated from New Bedford High School in 1936.
She received a B.A. degree from Rivier College, Nashua, NH
and entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Fall River from
St. Joseph Parish, New Bedford. Among Sister’s teaching
assignments were the following schools: St. Joseph and
St. Theresa, New Bedford, Blessed Sacrament, St. Jean
Baptisenter, Holyoke, MA. A native of New Bedte and St. Matthew, Fall River and St. Michael,
Ocean Grove. Later she served as a Nurse’s Aide in Fall
River and in 1987 joined the Retirement Community in Fall
River. Sister became a resident of the Mont Marie
Retirement Community, Holyoke in 1992.
 Sr. Maryellen Fisher
(Sr.
Charles Alice)
70, beloved member
of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield died in
Holyoke Medical Center on Friday, July 29, 2005. A native
of Holyoke, MA she was the daughter of the late Charles
and Alice (Marois) Fisher. She entered the Sisters of St.
Joseph from St. Patrick Parish, South Hadley.
She was graduated from the former Holy Name High School in
Chicopee. She earned a BA from the College of Our Lady of
the Elms, Chicopee and a MEd from Westfield State
College. She taught in Holy Family School, Holy Name
School, St. Michael School, and Our Lady of the Sacred
Heart School in Springfield; Blessed Sacrament School,
Holyoke and St. Ann School, Worcester. For several years
Maryellen cared for her parents and taught in the public
schools of South Hadley and Holyoke where she was a
remedial reading and reading enrichment teacher. She was
active in professional associations serving as President
of Pioneer Valley Reading Council, 1982-83. Sister was
also affiliated with the Daughters of the Heart of Mary in
Holyoke for several years, accepting an assignment to
teach English in Poland for a year. In 2003 she rejoined
the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield and pronounced
her Final Vows October 16, 2004.
 Sr. Patricia M. Feeley
(Sr. Edward Agnes) 79,
beloved member
of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, died in
Baystate Medical Center in Springfield on Monday, July 18,
2005. A native of Worcester, MA she was the daughter of the
late Edward and Agnes (Nevalsky) Feeley.
Sr. Patricia received her early education at Sacred Heart School, Worcester and was graduated from
St. Stephen High School, Worcester in 1944. She entered
the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from Blessed
Sacrament Parish, Worcester. She earned a B.A. degree
from the College of Our Lady of the Elms,
Chicopee and a M.A. in journalism at Ball State University, Muncie, IN. She also studied at
Catholic University, Washington, D.C. and Oxford University, Oxford, England. She taught at
St. Joseph School in North Adams, St. Joseph School in
Cherry Valley and at St. Michael School
and Cathedral High School in Springfield. While at
Cathedral, she was awarded the Columbia Scholastic Press
Award for excellence in teaching journalism. Later she
served as Associate Principal at Cathedral and in 1975 was
appointed Principal of Holyoke Catholic High School where
she served for 17 years. Sister also served as Registrar
of the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee until her
retirement in 2000.
 Sr. Mary Margaret Finnane,
91, beloved member of the Sisters
of St. Joseph for 74 years, died Thursday, June 16, 2005
in the Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, MA. Born
in County Tipperary, Ireland, she was the daughter of the
late Edmond and Mary (Moroney) Finnane. She entered the
Sisters of St. Joseph of Rutland, VT from the Kilmoyler
parish in County Tipperary. She became a member of the
Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in 2001 when the two
Communities merged.
Sr. Mary Margaret received
her early education in Ireland and later earned B.A. and
M.A. degrees from St. Michael’s College, Winooski, VT.
She taught at several Vermont schools: Christ the King,
Rutland, St. Michael, Brattleboro, Mt. St. Joseph Academy,
Rutland, and Bennington Catholic. In addition to teaching
chemistry, Sister maintained a keen interest in art which
she studied at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend,
IN. Sister became the coordinator of Mt. St. Joseph
Convent, Rutland, VT in 1983 where she also produced art
works which were sought after items at the annual
community bazaars. In 1994 she retired to St. Joseph
Residence, Rutland and in 2001 became a resident of Mont
Marie Health Care Center. An exhibit of her paintings was
held in the Heritage Room at Mont Marie in 2004.
 Sr. Joan M. McHugh (Sr. Michael
Kevin)
71, beloved member of
the Sisters of St. Joseph in her 52nd year, died at the
Mont Marie Health Care Center in Holyoke on Sunday June
12, 2005. She was born in Worcester the daughter of
the late Henry and Ruth (Reynolds) McHugh and entered the
Sisters of St. Joseph from Blessed Sacrament Parish in
Worcester. Sister's early education was in the Public
Schools of Worcester and she was graduated from St.
Peter's High School and received a B.A. degree from Our
Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee. Among her teaching
assignments were
Cathedral
Grammar School and Our Lady of Hope School, both in
Springfield. She served on the staff and as an
Administrator at Loretto House in Holyoke, as a member of
the Support Staff at Mont Marie, and as a Pastoral
Minister at St. Francis Assisi Parish in North Adams. In
1998, she retired in North Adams and moved to Mont Marie
in 2003.
 Sr. Emma Boivin
(Sr. Gabrielle) 99,
beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph in her 78th
year, died in the Mont Marie Health Care Center on June
6, 2005. A native of Taunton, MA, she was the daughter of
the late Euclid and Mathilda (Madore) Boivin.
Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Fall River
from St. Jacques Parish, Taunton and became a member of
the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield when the two
Congregations merged in 1974. She received her early
education at St. Mary’s, Taunton and was graduated from
St. Mary’s High School in 1926. She was graduated from
Sacred Hearts College, Fall River.
Among Sister's assignments were the following schools:
Blessed Sacrament, St. Matthew, St. Jean Baptiste, and St.
Roch, Fall River, and St. Joseph and St. Theresa, New
Bedford. She served as Sacristan at the Fall River
Provincial House for ten years. She joined the Fall River
Retirement Community in 1987 and moved to Mont Marie in
1992.
 Sr. Nora Harrington (Sr. Maria Maurice)
83, beloved member of the
Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in her 67th
year, died in the Mont Marie Health Care Center on April 12, 2005. A native of
Holyoke, MA, she was the daughter of the
late Maurice and Mary (Courtney) Harrington. Sister
entered the Congregation from Sacred Heart Parish,
Holyoke. Her early education was at the former Sacred Heart School and she was
graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 1938. She
earned a B.S. from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, MA; an
M.S. from Fordham University, New York, NY and an Ed.D.
from Nova University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Sister taught at St. Joseph’s High School,
Pittsfield, MA and Elms College. She was Professor of
Chemistry and Physics from 1950-1982 and later served as
Academic Dean, Executive Vice President and Assistant to
the President. In 1998 she received the Via Veritatis
Medal from the College of Our Lady of the Elms. Sister retired to the Mont Marie Health Care Center in
2004.
 Sr. Mary Paul Desroches
(Lillian)
95, beloved member of the
Sisters of St. Joseph in her 80th year, died
on March 26, 2005 in the Mont Marie Health Care Center,
Holyoke, MA. Born in Mapleville, RI, she was the daughter of the late Lionel and Lea (Latoure)
Desroches. Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Rutland, VT
from St. Charles Parish, Bellows Falls, VT. She graduated
from Mt. St. Joseph High School, Rutland and The College
of St. Rose, Albany, NY. She became a member of the
Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield when the two
communities merged in 2001.
Sister taught in several schools of the Diocese of
Burlington, VT during her teaching career of over 50
years, including: Sacred Heart, St. Joseph and Little
Flower Schools in Bennington; St. Joseph School,
Brattleboro; St. Mary’s, Fairhaven; St. Anthony’s, White
River Junction; Mt. St. Joseph, Christ the King and St.
Peter’s Schools in Rutland. She also served as Principal
at St. Michael’s, Brattleboro and St. Joseph’s Bellows
Falls, VT. In 1986 she retired to St. Joseph Residence,
Rutland and in 2004 she became a resident of Mont Marie
Health Care Center.
 Sr. Helen M.Turcotte
(Sr.
Teresa Cecelia)
89, beloved member of
the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield for 72 years,
died on March 11, 2005, in the Holyoke Medical Center,
Holyoke, MA. Born in Pawtucket, RI she was the daughter
of the late Archibald and Theresa (McGoff) Turcotte. Sister entered the SSJ
Congregation from Sacred Heart Parish, Pawtucket. Her
early education was in the parochial schools of Pawtucket
and she graduated from Sacred Heart High School there. She
earned A.B. and M.A. degrees from Elms College, Chicopee,
MA.
Among Sister’s teaching assignments were the following
schools: St. Ann, Worcester, St. Thomas, West
Springfield, St. Joseph, Pittsfield, and St. Michael,
Northampton. She served as Superior and Principal at St.
Ann and Superior of Cathedral High School Convent,
Springfield. In 1967-1969 she served on the Committee
establishing the Sisters’ Senate in the Diocese of
Worcester. In 1970 she was elected to the Executive Board
of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph and served
two four-year terms. Later, she served Our Lady of Hope
Parish, Springfield as Pastoral Minister for eighteen
years. She entered the Mont Marie Retirement Residence in
1998 and Mont Marie Health Care Center in 2003.
 Sr. Anna Bilodeau (Emilia)
91, beloved member of the
Sisters of St.
Joseph in her 74th year, died on March 4, 2005
in the Holyoke Hospital, Holyoke, MA. A native of Fall
River, MA, she was the daughter of the
late Joseph and Olivine (Auger) Bilodeau. She became a
member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Fall River in 1931
from St. Jean Baptist Parish, Fall River and the Sisters
of St. Joseph of Springfield when the two Congregations
merged in 1974.
Sr. Anna received her early education in the parochial
schools of Fall River and trained in the dietary
department in the Fall River provincial house. She served
in the following convents: St. Jean Baptiste, St. Matthew
and Blessed Sacrament, all in Fall River. In 1970, she joined
the St. Therese Convent and served as a nurse for the
retired and ill Sisters. In 1992, she moved to the
retirement community at Mont Marie and served in the
Companion Ministry.
 Sr. Rose
Maurice Harrington, 83, (Margaret M.)
beloved member
of the Sisters of St. Joseph for 65 years, died on
February 23, 2005 in the Mont Marie Health Care Center,
Holyoke, MA. Born in Holyoke, she was the daughter of the
late Patrick M. and Bridget (Sullivan) Harrington. Sister
entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from
Sacred Heart Parish, Holyoke. Her early education was at
the former Sacred Heart School and she was graduated from
Sacred Heart High School in 1939. She earned A.B. and
M.A. degrees from Elms College, Chicopee.
Among Sister’s teaching
assignments were the following schools: St. Mary,
Southbridge, St. Joseph, North Adams, Annunciation,
Florence, Holy Name, Springfield, Blessed Sacrament,
Holyoke and St. Thomas, West Springfield. Sister served
as Superior and Principal of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart,
Springfield. In 1996 she retired at St. Joseph Residence,
Mont Marie and became a resident of the Mont Marie Health
Care Center in 2004.
 Sr.
Yvette Dumas, 87, (Sr. Marie Alphonse)
beloved member of the Sisters of St.
Joseph for 72 years, died on February 1, 2005 in Mont
Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, MA. Born in Fall
River, MA, she was the daughter of the late Alphonse and Eveline (Pelletier) Dumas. She
entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Fall River, MA from
Blessed Sacrament Parish, Fall River. Her early education
was at Blessed Sacrament School and she graduated from
Novitiate High School and Sacred Heart College. She
became a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Springfield when the two communities merged in l974.
Among Sister’s teaching assignments were the following
schools: St Michael , Ocean Grove; Blessed Sacrament, St. Roch, and St. Matthew, Fall River; St. Joseph and St.
Therese, New Bedford, and St. Louis in Swansea. Sister
also served as Principal of St. Jean Baptiste School in
Fall River. In 1986 she joined the Retirement Community
in Fall River and in 1996 she became a resident of Mont
Marie Health Care Center .
 Sister Mary Ancilla Gallipeau (Madeline),
83, beloved member of the Sisters of
St. Joseph of Springfield died Jan. 23, 2005 in Rutland, VT. She was born in Salt Lake
City, Utah, the daughter of Walter and Agnes (Pidgeon)
Gallipeau. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Rutland from St. Peters Parish, Rutland. She graduated
from Mount St. Joseph Academy, Rutland, and Mount St. Joseph
Normal College and Trinity College, Burlington. She became a Sister
of St. Joseph of Springfield when the two communities
reunified in 2001.
She taught in St. Peter’s School, Christ the King
School and Mount St. Joseph Academy, all in
Rutland; St. Michael’s School, Brattleboro and Sacred Heart School and Bennington
Catholic High School, both in Bennington.
 Sr.
Mary Joan Sullivan (Deborah M.)
87, beloved member of the Sisters
of St. Joseph of Springfield for 68 years, died on
December 28, 2004 at Mont Marie Health Care Center,
Holyoke, MA. Born in Worcester, she was the daughter of
the late Patrick and Catherine (Finnegan) Sullivan.
Sister entered the Congregation from Ascension Parish,
Worcester. She graduated from Ascension High School in
1935 and received an A.B. from the Elms College, Chicopee
in 1952.
Among Sister’s teaching assignments were the following
schools: St. Joseph, Pittsfield; St. Joseph, Cherry
Valley; St. Mary, Southbridge; St. Joseph, North
Brookfield; Annunciation, Florence; Sacred Heart, Gardner;
St. Joseph, Newport, RI; and Sacred Heart, Holyoke. She
served on the support staff at the Elms College from 1974
to 1994. She joined the Mont Marie Retirement Community
in 1994 and became a resident of the Mont Marie Health
Care Center in 2003.
 Sr. Katherine M. Sullivan
(Sr. Agnes Loyola) 96,
beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield
for 75 years, died on December 26, 2004 in the Mont Marie
Health Care Center, Holyoke, MA. Born in Northampton, MA, she was the daughter of the
late Henry J. and Catherine T (Dunn) Sullivan. Sister
entered the congregation from St. Mary Parish,
Northampton. Her early education was at the former St. Michael School and she
graduated from St. Michael High School in 1925. She earned A.B.
and M.A. degrees from Elms College, Chicopee.
Among Sister’s teaching assignments were the following
schools: Cathedral Elementary and Cathedral High,
Springfield and St. Peter High, Worcester. She served as
Superior and Principal of St. Mary Elementary, Milford and
was Principal of St. Rose of Lima, Warwick, RI. In 1976
she began service as the Guidance Secretary at Cathedral
High and in 1979, Secretary at Our Lady of Hope School,
both in Springfield. Her last assignment was as Pastoral
Minister at Our Lady of Hope Parish. Her former pupils
from Cathedral Elementary School honored her on her 90th
birthday with a Mass at the Cathedral celebrated by Bishop
Maguire and followed by a luncheon. In 1998 she retired
at St. Joseph Residence, Mont Marie and became a resident
of the Mont Marie Health Care Center in 2001.
Sr.
Margaret
Cawley
(Catherine Ann)
90, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph for 53
years died on Wednesday, November 17th
in the Mont Marie Health
Care Center, Holyoke, MA. Born in Worcester, she was the
daughter of the late John and Catherine (O’Donnell) Cawley.
Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield
from St. Anne Parish, Shrewsbury. She graduated
from St. Stephen High School in 1933 and earned an A.B.
degree from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee.
Among Sister’s teaching assignments were the following
schools: St. Peter, Worcester, MA, St. Joseph, Cherry
Valley, MA, St. Louis, Webster, MA, St. Joseph, No.
Brookfield, MA, St. Joseph, Leicester, MA, and Central
Catholic in Worcester, MA. In 1993 she retired to Our
Lady of the Angels Convent in Worcester. Sister moved to
the Mont Marie Retirement Residence in Holyoke, MA in 1998
and became a resident of Mont Marie Health Care Center in
2000.
Sister Alice Maria Durnin,
(Mary Rose Durnin) 85, beloved member of the
Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in her 64th year,
died on October 19, 2004 in the Mont Marie Health Care
Center , Holyoke, MA. Born in Springfield, MA, she was
the daughter of Charles and Alice (Troy) Durnin. Sister entered the SSJ
Congregation from St. Francis Parish, North Adams. She was
graduated from St. Joseph High School, North Adams and
Elms College. After entering the convent she earned a
M.A. degree from Boston College in 1953.
After teaching at St Catherine Academy, Newport, R.I.
for nine years Sister was diagnosed with a debilitating
illness. She became a resident of the Mont Marie
Infirmary, later the Mont Marie Health Care Center. At
Mont Marie she served the Community as a switchboard
operator and notary public from 1961 to 1970. She was
also active in the Catholic Union of the Sick in America (CUSA)
and with the help of friends served as New England
Coordinator of their programs held at Mont Marie.
Sister Theresa Fournier
(Sr. Paul Edward), 75, beloved member of the Sisters of
St. Joseph for 58 years, died on September 8, 2004 in the
Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, MA. Born in
Westfield, MA she was the daughter of Edward and Louise (DuBois)
Fournier. Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph
from St. Mary Parish, Westfield. She received her early
education in St. Mary School and was graduated from St.
Mary High School in 1945. She earned an A.B. degree from
the Elms College, Chicopee, MA in 1958.
Sister taught in the parochial schools of the Dioceses
of Springfield and Worcester for 35 years and served as
school secretary at Perpetual Help School in Holyoke until
her retirement in 1984. In retirement she served as a
telephone operator and worked in the development office at
Mont Marie. Sister became a resident of the Mont Marie
Health Care Center in 1995.
Sister
Mary Regina Lynch,
(Sr. Maurice John), 84, beloved member of the Sisters of
St. Joseph for 65 years, died on August 18,
2004 in the Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, MA.
Born in Springfield, MA she was the daughter of Maurice
and Bridget (Coughlin) Lynch. Sister entered the Sisters
of St. Joseph from Sacred Heart Parish, Springfield. She
was educated at Sacred Heart Elementary and Sacred Heart
High School and was graduated in 1937. She earned A.B. and
M.A. degrees from the Elms College, Chicopee, MA.
Sister’s teaching assignments
included Cathedral Elementary and Holy Name, Springfield,
Sacred Heart, Pawtucket, RI, St. Peter, Worcester, and
Cathedral High, Springfield, where she taught for 24 years
and later served as library assistant for 14 years.
She was recently honored by Cathedral High School Alumni
for her service at the school. In 1997 she retired
and in 2004 became a resident of Mont Marie Health Care
Center.
Sister Blanche Benoit, 86,
beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph for 71 years,
formerly known as Sr. Marie Cecilia, died on
August 11, 2004 in Holyoke Hospital, Holyoke, MA after a
long illness. Born in Fall River, MA she was the
daughter of the late Louis and Louise (Bombardier) Benoit.
Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Fall River in
1933 from Notre Dame Parish, Fall River. She became a
member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in 1974
when the two Communities merged.
Sr. Blanche received her early education in the
parochial schools of Fall River and graduated from
Novitiate High School, Fall River. She was graduated from
Sacred Heart Normal School and attended Rivier College, Nashua, NH. She taught at the
following schools: Blessed Sacrament, St. Jean Baptiste
and St. Matthew, in Fall River and St. Joseph in New
Bedford.
In 1975 she moved to Mont Marie where she served in the
Conference Center, Gift Shop and at the Mont Marie
switchboard. In 1988 she retired at St. Joseph
Residence, Mont Marie and in 2003 she became a resident of
the Mont Marie Health Care Center.
Sister
Catherine Brigid McCarthy, 84, beloved member of the
Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield for 51 years,
formerly known as Catherine M. McCarthy, died on
August 9, 2004 in the Mont Marie Health Care Center,
Holyoke, MA. A native of Easthampton, MA, she was the daughter of the
late Patrick and Katherine (O’Connor) McCarthy.
Sr. Catherine received her early education in
Immaculate Conception School, Easthampton and St. Michael
High School, Northampton. She earned an A.B. degree from
the College of Our Lady of the Elms
in 1958. Sister’s teaching assignments were at St.
Patrick School, Chicopee Falls, and St. Mary School, Southbridge. She also served as
Secretary at Marianhill Middle School, Southbridge. She
retired in Southbridge in 1988 and became a resident of
the Mont Marie Health Care Center in 2000.
Sister Mary de Paul Power, beloved member of the Sisters of St.
Joseph for 63 years, died on July 17, 2004, in the Mont
Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, MA. Born in
Springfield, MA, she was the daughter of the late William
and Nora (Curran) Power. Sister entered the Sisters
of St. Joseph from Immaculate Conception Parish,
Worcester. Her early education was in the public schools
of Worcester and she was graduated from North High School
in 1937. She earned A.B. and M.A. degrees from the Elms
College. Chicopee, MA.
Sister was a teacher in the schools of the Dioceses of
Springfield and Worcester. She also served as CCD
coordinator at St. Cecilia Parish, Wilbraham, St. Paul’s
Human Services to the Sick and Elderly at St. Paul Parish,
Worcester, Pastoral Minister at St. Vincent Hospital,
Worcester and foreign student tutor at American
International College, Springfield. In
1993 she joined the Mont Marie Retirement Community and in
2003 she became a resident of the Mont Marie Health Care
Center.
Sister Anne Corbett (Sr.
Rose Helen) 87, beloved member of the Sisters of St.
Joseph for 68 years, died on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 in the
Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, MA. Born in
Pittsfield, MA, she was the daughter of the late Thomas
and Helena (Mullaly) Corbett. Sister entered the
Sisters of St. Joseph from St. Charles Parish, Pittsfield
and received her early education in the parochial
schools. She earned A.B. and M.A. degrees from the Elms
College, Chicopee, MA, a B.S. degree in Library Science
from Villanova University, Villanova, PA and a Secondary
School Principal Certification from the University of
Rochester, Rochester, N.Y. She was also certified as a
Spiritual Director.
Among Sister’s ministries were
teaching assignments in the secondary schools of the
Dioceses of Springfield and Worcester. She served as
Principal of Cathedral High School, Springfield from 1969
to 1973. Before her retirement she served as a
receptionist at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield.
In 2000 she retired and in 2003 she became a resident of
the Mont Marie Health Care Center.
Sister Mary Bernice, (Marion C. Tyrrell),
93, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Springfield for
74 years, died on May 18, 2004 in
the Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, MA. A native
of Dudley, MA, she was the daughter of the late Richard
and Mary (Harbot) Tyrrell, the fifth of fifteen children.
Sister entered the Congregation from St. Louis Parish,
Webster, MA. She received her early education in the
parish school and was graduated from St. Louis High School
in 1925. She earned a BA degree from the College of
Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, MA
Sister’s assignments included St.
Joseph and Sacred Heart, Pittsfield, St. Jerome and Sacred
Heart, Holyoke, and Our Lady of Hope, Springfield where
she taught for 27 years. Her pre-primary rhythm band
learned to play simple percussion instruments to learn
fundamentals of coordination and music. In 1974 she
received the Outstanding Elementary Teacher Award from the
National Education Board of Elementary Educators and in
1990 received the Golden Apple Award given by Channel 40
to outstanding teachers.
In 1992 she retired at Our Lady of Hope Convent and
continued as a volunteer teacher. In 1997 she joined the
Retirement Community at Mont Marie and in 2002 she became
a resident of the Mont Marie Health Care Center.
Sister Helen Elizabeth, (Eileen Lavin), died
on March 16, 2004. She was born in Worcester, MA
and entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from
St. Stephen Parish, Worcester. She was graduated from St.
Stephen High School in 1934, and from the College of Our
Lady of the Elms with an A.B. degree in 1949 and a M.A.
degree in 1957.
Sister taught in the Catholic Schools of the Dioceses
of Springfield, Worcester and Providence for 38 years and
served as Principal at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
School, Springfield for 6 years. In l991 she became the
Elementary Librarian at Holy Cross School, Springfield for
16 years. In 1991 she retired at Holy Cross Convent,
Springfield, and in 1993 at Cathedral High School Convent
Springfield. In 2003 she moved to St. Joseph Residence,
Mont Marie, and in 2004 became a resident of the Mont
Marie Health Care Center.
Sr. Helen
Callahan - March 10. 2004
Sr. Mary
James Galliher - Feb. 29, 2004
Sr. Mary
Barry - Feb. 23, 2004
Sr. Mary
Carr - Feb. 14, 2004
Sr. Mary
Catherine O'Connor - Jan. 2, 2004
Sr.
Margaret C. Walsh - Dec. 19, 2003
Sr.
Thomas Catherine Galvin - Nov. 9, 2003
Sr. Marie
Lucie Faucher - Oct. 18, 2003
Sr.
Regina Joseph Phillips - Oct. 16, 2003
Sr. Maria
Patrick Tierney - Sept. 21, 2003
Sr. Mary
Pauline Reilly - Sept. 13, 2003
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