June 12, 2018

Sisters of St. Joseph celebrate special anniversaries with Mass, private gathering

REGIONAL
Staff report

 

HOLYOKE – Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield who entered religious life 60, 65, 70, 75 or 85 years ago, celebrated their anniversaries June 10. The sisters marked the occasion with a Mass and private gathering at Mont Marie in Holyoke. 

60 years (entered in 1958)

Sister Jean Bostley entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from Holy Trinity Parish in Greenfield. She was a teacher and longtime librarian at St. Joseph Central High School, Pittsfield, spending more than 31 years at the school. Prior to that time she taught at the Academy of the Sacred Heart, Worcester, Mass., and St. Thomas the Apostle School, West Springfield.

Sister Mary Patricia Carr entered the Sisters of St. Joseph from Holy Name Parish in Springfield. She was involved in elementary education in several schools in the Providence, R.I., and Springfield dioceses. She ministered in pastoral care at Providence Hospital, Holyoke, and was congregational representative at Mont Marie Health Care Center.

Sister Gloria Corriveau entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from Sacred Heart Parish in Southbridge, Mass. She taught at St. Louis School, Webster, Mass.; Sacred Heart, Gardner, Mass., and St. Joseph High School, North Adams. She also taught at Our Lady of the Valley, Uxbridge, Mass., for 16 years before becoming principal in 1998.

Sister Patricia Curran entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from St. Mary Parish in Southbridge. She taught at St. Joseph School, North Brookfield, Mass., and Sacred Heart, Gardner, where she later became principal. She also served as principal at Annunciation School, Florence, and Our Lady’s Regional School, Vinton, La. She worked as a licensed practical nurse at Farren Memorial Hospital, Montague and the Mont Marie Infirmary.

Sister Mary Duffy entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from Sacred Heart Parish in Pawtucket, R.I. She was an elementary teacher at Blessed Sacrament School, Holyoke; St. Charles School, Pittsfield; St. Lucy School, Middletown, R.I.; and Our Lady of Hope School, Springfield. She served as director of religious education at St. Anne Parish, Chicopee, and Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Granby. She served as religious education coordinator for the Diocese of Worcester at the South County Offices of Religious Education in Webster and Dudley, and later at the East County Office in Milford.

Sister Mary Lou Gillon entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from Sacred Heart Parish, Holyoke. She taught at St. Mary High School, Westfield and Holyoke Catholic High School. She was pastoral minister at St. Mary Parish in Haydenville.

Sister Kathleen Imbruno entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Milford, Mass. She was a secondary teacher at St. Catherine Academy, Newport, R.I.; Sacred Heart and Bishop Keough high schools, Pawtucket, R.I. She also taught at Marianhill School, Southbridge, Mass., and was principal of Mary Immaculate Grammar School, Holyoke, before becoming a Spanish instructor at Elms College in 1977. She went on to become both an associate professor and professor at Elms, where she served for 22 years.

Sister Margaret Kenny entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from St. Joseph Parish in Newport, R.I. She was an elementary teacher at St. Mary School, Milford, Mass.; Immaculate Conception School, Easthampton; and Our Lady of Hope School, Springfield. She also taught at St. Joseph Central High School, Pittsfield, before serving as principal of Notre Dame Middle School, for 11 years.

Sister Paula Misitano entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish, Springfield. She was an elementary teacher at Immaculate Conception, Easthampton; Holy Name, Springfield; St. Joseph’s, Cherry Valley; Sacred Heart, Pittsfield; and St. Mary Central Catholic High, Milford.

Sister Eileen Murphy entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from St. Augustin Parish in Newport, R.I. She taught at Cathedral High School for 10 years and Holyoke Catholic High School for 13 years, before becoming a mathematical science teacher at the College of Our Lady of the Elms for 23 years.

Sister Miriam Francis Predom entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Rutland, Vt., from Annunciation Parish in Ludlow, Vt. She became a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in 2001 when the two communities merged, and was president of the Rutland congregation at the time of the reunification. She also has served her congregation as a member of the executive council, director of novices, motherhouse coordinator, and director of operations for the Rutland congregation’s property.

Sister Patricia Rahaim entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Worcester, Mass. She taught at St. Catherine Academy, Newport; St. Louis High School, Webster; Academy of the Sacred Heart, Worcester; and St. Mary School, Milford. She also served at Bishop Keough High School, Pawtucket and Bishop Feehan High School, Attleboro, Mass., and was vice principal at St. Raphael Academy, Pawtucket.

Sister Simone Rodrigues entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Le Puy in Fall River, Mass., from St. Joseph Parish in New Bedford. She became a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield when the two congregations merged in 1974. She taught at Blessed Sacrament School in Fall River, St. Michael School in Swansea, and St. Joseph and St. Theresa schools in New Bedford all in Massachusetts. She also served as religious education coordinator at St. Joseph Parish, Vinton, La., St. Peter Parish in Worcester and St. Francis Xavier Parish in Acushnet, Mass.

Sister Eunice Tassone entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from St. Anthony Parish in North Adams. She was an elementary teacher at St. Louis School, Webster; St. Stephen School, Worcester; Blessed Sacrament School, Holyoke; Holy Trinity School, Greenfield, and St. Agnes School, Dalton. She spent three years teaching in a native school in Black Tickle, Labrador, Newfoundland.

65 years (entered in 1953)

Sister Ann Gibeault entered from Holy Trinity Parish, Central Falls, R.I. She taught in a number of schools in the Springfield, Worcester and Providence, R.I., dioceses, including St. Mary School, Southbridge; St. Mary School, Northampton; Blessed Sacrament School, Greenfield; St. Joseph School, North Brookfield; Sacred Heart School, Pawtucket; Holy Trinity School, Central Falls, R.I., Our Lady of Consolation School, Pawtucket, R.I.; and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Academy, Central Falls.

Sister Esther Hannigan entered from St. Mary Parish in Milford. She taught in the Catholic schools of the Dioceses of Springfield, Worcester and Providence for 22 years, including Sacred Heart and Blessed Sacrament schools, Holyoke; Cathedral High School, Springfield; and St. Xavier Academy and Bishop Keough High School, Providence.

Sister Judith Kappenman entered from St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, West Springfield. She taught at Sacred Heart School, Holyoke; Immaculate Conception School, Easthampton; St. Patrick School, Chicopee Falls; St. Peter’s and St. Peter-Marian high schools, Worcester.

Sister Paula Kelleher entered the community of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from Blessed Sacrament Parish, Worcester after graduating from St. Peter High School in Worcester. She taught in Gardner and served as principal in Holyoke and in Leicester. She also served as pastoral associate in Spencer, Mass., and vicar for religious in the Diocese of Worcester, from which she retired in 2014.

Sister Edith McAlice entered from Sacred Heart Parish in Pawtucket. She taught in St. Charles School, Pittsfield and was librarian at Elms College for 20 years. She also served two terms on the executive board of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Beginning in 1987, she ministered for 22 years as pastoral minister at St. Patrick Parish, Chicopee Falls.

Sister Theresa Murtha entered the Sisters of St. Joseph from Sacred Heart Parish, Pawtucket. She taught in the Diocese of Springfield at Cathedral High School and in the Diocese of Providence at St. Catherine’s Academy. She also served as registrar at Elms College.

Sister Jeanne O’Shea entered the Sisters of St. Joseph from St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Northampton. Before entering, she worked in the Northampton Public School System for two years. Prior to serving as librarian at Cathedral High School for 14 years, she taught in both the grammar and high school at St. Mary Parish, Westfield. She then returned to St. Mary’s for another 14 years as school librarian.

Sister Constance Quinlan entered from St. Joseph Parish, Pittsfield. She taught at Immaculate Conception School, West Springfield and Holyoke Catholic High School, Holyoke. She was principal of St. Mary High School, Westfield for 10 years and in 1979 was elected vice president of the Sisters of St. Joseph for two terms. She served in family life ministry at the Diocesan Christian Life Center in Springfield and later as administrator of the Mont Marie Infirmary in Holyoke.

Sister Eileen M. Shea entered the congregation from St. Michael’s Cathedral Parish, Springfield. She taught in the Springfield Diocesan Schools and served as principal of St. Michael Elementary School, Northampton, and Holy Cross School, Springfield. She worked for Visiting Nurse Health Services as a hospice chaplain in Portsmouth, R.I.

70 years (entered in 1948)

Sister Catherine Hayes entered from Holy Name Parish, Springfield. She taught at Cathedral High School for 43 years and served at the 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 East Longmeadow.

Sister Mary Lyons entered from St. Jerome Parish, Holyoke. She taught in many schools in the Springfield Diocese including at St. Mary School, Pittsfield; Immaculate Conception School, Easthampton; St. Michael High School, Northampton; St. Joseph High School, North Adams; and Cathedral High School, Springfield. She also taught at Sacred Heart Academy, Worcester and St. Joseph School, Leicester in the Worcester Diocese.

Sister Ruth Virginia Quinn entered from St. John Parish in Worcester. She has served the Diocese of Springfield for 67 years. She taught at Sacred Heart School, Holyoke, and for three years at Holy Family School, Springfield. From 1966-1976 she worked to open 13 religious education centers for exceptional children in the Springfield Diocese.

Sister Loretta Scarlett entered from St. Thomas Parish, South Barre, Mass. She taught at many schools in the Springfield Diocese, including Cathedral Grammar, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, St. Matthew’s and Holy Name Schools in Springfield; and St. Agnes School, Dalton. She also served in the Worcester Diocese at St. Mary School, Southbridge; St. Joseph School, North Brookfield; and Sacred Heart, Gardner, where she also served as principal and pastoral associate in the parish.

Sister Anne Marie Wildenhain entered from St. Joseph Parish in Pawtucket. She spent 18 years teaching at St. Joseph School, Newport. She has served the people of God in the Diocese of Worcester for more than 47 years. She taught at Sacred Heart School, Gardner, and Worcester Central Catholic School. She also served as principal at St. Joseph School, Leicester.

75 years (entered in 1943)

Sister Janice Molloy entered from St. Joseph Parish, Auburn. She taught at St. Thomas the Apostle and Immaculate Conception schools in West Springfield and Holy Name School, Springfield. The majority of her teaching, however, was at Cathedral High School, Springfield where she served as a biology teacher in the science department for 40 years.

Sister Mary Ellen Murphy entered from Sacred Heart Parish, Holyoke. She taught at Our Lady of Hope, Holy Family, and Cathedral High schools, Springfield, and St. Charles School, Pittsfield. She later served as librarian at St. Joseph Central High School, Pittsfield; St. Mary School, Milford; Sacred Heart, Holyoke; and Our Lady of Hope School, Springfield. She worked on the central services staff at Our Lady of the Elms College for several years before her retirement in 1996.

Sister Patricia Francis Sharron entered from St. Francis of Assisi Parish, North Adams. She taught at St. Mary School, Pittsfield and Holy Name School, Springfield. She served as housekeeper at the bishop’s residence for more than 26 years.

85 years (entered in 1933)

Sister Mary Beatrice Gauthier entered from Sacred Heart Parish, Bennington, Vt. She taught at St. Peter and Christ the King schools and Mt. St. Joseph Academy in Rutland, Vt.; St. Charles School in Bellows Falls, Vt.; and Sacred Heart and St. Francis de Sales schools in Bennington.

For more information, visit http://www.ssjspringfield.org/.