June 16, 2019

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

REGIONAL
Staff report

 

HOLYOKE – Twenty-one Sisters of St. Joseph marked special anniversaries of their entrance into religious life with a June 9 Mass at Mont Marie, followed by a private gathering with friends and family members. Following are brief biographies of the jubilarians.

60 YEARS

Sister Marilyn Bello was born in Vinton, La., and entered from St. Joseph Parish, Vinton. She began her teaching ministry at St. Joseph School in the Diocese of Lake Charles, La., and also taught in other schools in that diocese. She served as both the librarian and a religion teacher at Our Lady’s School in Sulphur, La. She also served as a pharmacy technician at St. Patrick’s Hospital in Lake Charles. She arrived in Fall River in 1993 to serve as an assistant and reading teacher at the Montessori School of the Angels there. After leaving education, she worked for a time at the Open Window Book Store in Chicopee. She lives in Framingham, Mass.

Sister Margaret Crowley (formerly Sister Nora Francis) is a native of Springfield who entered the community from the former Holy Family Parish. She taught in the Diocese of Worcester, Mass., at St. Mary’s School in Southbridge. She served in the Springfield Diocese in several elementary schools, teaching at Sacred Heart, Holyoke; St. Agnes, Dalton; Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Springfield; St. Thomas the Apostle, West Springfield; and Mt. Carmel in Chicopee. On the secondary level, she taught at Cathedral High School, Springfield, for nine years. Thereafter, she was assigned as principal at several elementary schools, including Our Lady of Hope School, Springfield, for nine years; St. Matthew’s, Indian Orchard, for one year; and St. Agnes in Dalton for six years. Before retiring, she worked as a classroom assistant at Holy Name and St. Joan of Arc schools in Chicopee. She resides at Bethany Health Care Center in Framingham.

Sister Lorraine Durand was born in Fall River, Mass., and entered from St. Louis de France Parish in Swansea, Mass. She served in many schools in the Diocese of Fall River, including St. Michael’s in Swansea, and St. Theresa’s and St. Joseph’s in New Bedford. She spent 10 years as a pastoral team member at Queen of Peace Parish in Texas. She then worked at Mont Marie in Holyoke as an appointment driver and administrator. She then served the Elms College community in Chicopee in the Central Services Department for 10 years. Most recently, she served as director of congregational services both at Mont Marie and the Carew Street offices. She is retired and lives in Holyoke.

Sister Frances Gloster was born in Springfield and entered from St. Michael’s Cathedral Parish. She served as a teacher in many elementary schools in the Springfield Diocese, including Sacred Heart, Holyoke; St. Charles, Pittsfield; Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Springfield; Immaculate Conception and Notre Dame schools, Easthampton; St. Michael’s, Northampton; Holy Name, Chicopee; and Cathedral High School. She also was principal at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Holyoke for four years. She was director of religious education at St. John the Evangelist Parish, Agawam, and ministered in the Office of Pastoral Ministry for the Diocese of Springfield. She also was an ESL tutor for several years at the International Language Institute in Northampton and at The Gray House in Springfield. She lives in Chicopee.

Sister Catherine Homrok was born in Holyoke and entered from St. Michael Byzantine Rite Parish in South Hadley. She served for a short time as a teacher and instructor in the Theater Department at Our Lady of the Elms College, Chicopee. She then went on to work with special needs children at the Bureau for Exceptional Children and Adults at Jericho, Holyoke, and was a residential coordinator at the PACE Center for Human Development in West Springfield. She has worked as a writer and producer for the diocesan Catholic Communications Office. She served on the Leadership Team for the Sisters of St. Joseph from 1993 to 1999. Most recently, she was director of pastoral ministry for the Diocese of Springfield and served for five years as coordinator of the Diocesan Catholic Women’s Conference. She is retired and living in Framingham.

Sister Carol Lareau was born in Worcester and entered from St. Peter Parish there. She served as an elementary teacher at St. Charles, Pittsfield; Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Springfield; and St. Mary’s, Longmeadow. She was director of guidance at St. Mark’s, Pittsfield and Our Lady of Hope, Springfield. In 1982, she began her many years of ministry with the deaf, first through the Office for Parish Ministry With Disabled Persons at Jericho House in Holyoke, and then as director of Ministry with the Deaf for the Diocese of Springfield. In 2012, she served as a mentor for incarcerated women in the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department. She lives in Chicopee and currently ministers as a sign language interpreter for religious services for the deaf.

Sister Jane Thomas was born in West Springfield and entered from the former Immaculate Conception Parish in West Springfield. She taught at a number of diocesan elementary and secondary schools from 1962 to 1974. She then began 32 years of employment with Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield. She served as activities director, adapting toys and computers with a special focus on helping children who were nonverbal. In 1980, she established the Graphic Arts/Medical Photography Department, taking photos of children before, during, and after surgery, and preparing material for medical presentations. After retiring from Shriners in 2005, she did graphic arts for Platinum Properties, USA in North Carolina. Currently, she lives in West Springfield and works on the SSJ Tech Team, helping sisters with computer issues.

Sister Joyce Wise is a Springfield native and entered from St. Michael’s Cathedral Parish. She taught in academics and physical education at various diocesan schools for 10 years before beginning her ministry as a probation officer for the Springfield Police Department. She was an outreach therapist at the Osborne Clinic in Agawam and a counselor for At-Risk Children at Forest Park Middle School, Springfield, for 13 years. After her retirement from Springfield Public Schools, she worked at Mercy Health Care for the Homeless and Catholic Services at the Women’s Correctional Center in Chicopee. In addition to her ministry, she has a national rating as a basketball referee and has coached and played softball in the Springfield area. She remains a chaplain-on-call with the Springfield Police Department during her retirement and lives in Holyoke.

65 YEARS

Sister Mary Clare Finn (John Margaret) was born in Edgewood, R.I., and entered from St. Mary Parish in Newport, R.I. She taught in schools in the Springfield, Worcester and Providence dioceses, including Cathedral High School, Springfield; St. Mary’s, Westfield; St. Mary’s, Milford; and Xavier Academy, Providence. Following her years of teaching, she was ward secretary at Springfield Hospital, and, for decades, also ministered as a spiritual and retreat director in Wernersville, Pa., Weston, Mass., and Uncasville, Conn. She served her community as director of ongoing formation and chair of the Team for Christian Growth before creating Spirituality Center on Wheels and assuming a position as pastoral minister at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Agawam. She is retired and lives in Holyoke.

A native of Holyoke, Sister Patricia Johnson (formerly Sister David Robert) entered from Blessed Sacrament Parish, Holyoke. She served at St. Joseph-Hazard Memorial School, Newport, R.I., and St. Francis of Assisi School in Hillsgrove, R.I. She taught in the Worcester Diocese at Sacred Heart Academy and Worcester Central Catholic Middle School, as well as St. Peter-Marian Central Catholic High School, all in Worcester. She served as secretary to the president of the Sisters of St. Joseph and as a secretary in the Worcester Chancery Office. After her work in the Mont Marie communications office, she was secretary and office manager for the Bureau of Exceptional Children and Adults in Holyoke. She is retired and lives in Holyoke.

Born in Worcester, Sister Paula McCrea (formerly Sister Mary Paul) entered from St. Peter Parish there. She taught in the Worcester Diocese at St. Stephen’s and Holy Name High School, Worcester; and the Julie Country Day School, Leominster. In the Diocese of Providence, she taught at Sacred Heart, Pawtucket, and St. Joseph’s, Newport. She also taught in a number of schools in the Springfield Diocese, including Our Lady of Hope, Springfield; Our Lady of the Rosary, Holyoke; Sacred Heart, Pittsfield; and Holy Trinity, Greenfield, where she also worked as director of religious education. She is living in Ayer, Mass., and volunteers at the Council on Aging and the Nashoba Valley Medical Center.

Sister Lorraine Villemaire entered the Sisters of St. Joseph from St. Denis Parish in East Douglas, Mass. As an educator, she taught for 15 years in elementary schools for the Springfield and Rhode Island dioceses. For the next 25 years, she became involved in adult education as a teacher, curriculum developer, consultant and administrator in government-funded programs that trained unemployed people and immigrants in job training. While in this profession, she worked with instructors on how to write curricula in a competency-based format. While in this profession, she wrote a book with her niece titled, Writing and Grammar Skills for the Health Professional. For seven years she was director of ministerial development for the congregation. In 2005, she was certified and began a labyrinth ministry. The ministry included going to churches of all denominations as well as schools, organizations and prisons to introduce the labyrinth as a walking form of prayer for peace, relaxation, and mindfulness. During these years, she wrote two books on the labyrinth: The Labyrinth Experience: An Educator’s Resource and A Labyrinth Program: An Educational Model for Transformation. A third book was written with a co-author, titled Labyrinth Reflections for Labyrinth Facilitators.

70 YEARS

Sister Joan Bellenoit was born in Phoenixville, Pa., and entered from St. Jean Baptiste Parish, Fall River, Mass. She taught in the schools of the Diocese of Fall River and also in Vinton, La. She was director of religious education at Holy Name Parish, New Bedford, Mass., and later in Harlingen, Texas. She served as coordinator for the Fall River convent and later on the executive council of the congregation. She co-founded and worked in the Cape AIDS Ministry in Hyannis, Mass. She is retired and resides in Holyoke.

Sister Rita McCauley (Rose Peter) is a native of Pittsfield and entered from the former St. Mary Parish there. She served as an elementary teacher in a number of schools in the Springfield Diocese, including Blessed Sacrament, Holyoke; St. Joseph’s, Pittsfield; St. Joseph’s, North Adams; St. Thomas, West Springfield; and St. Matthew’s, Indian Orchard. She also taught at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Worcester. For several years, she served on the staff of Mont Marie Infirmary before becoming a pastoral minister at Blessed Sacrament Parish, Holyoke, and later St. Charles Parish, Pittsfield. She is retired and lives in Framingham.

Sister Margaret McNaughton (formerly Sister Dorothy James) is a native of Pittsfield and entered from St. Charles Parish there. She has taught at a number of schools in the Springfield Diocese, including Annunciation, Florence, and Holy Rosary in Holyoke. After serving at St. Mary School, Milford, Mass., she became principal of the Cathedral Grammar School, Springfield, serving in that capacity for 10 years. In addition, she offered career counseling in the guidance departments at Holyoke Catholic and Cathedral High schools. Most recently, she served St. Michael’s Cathedral Parish as pastoral minister for 23 years. She is retired and living in Holyoke.

Sister Jean Elizabeth Scanlan was born in Weymouth, Mass., and entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Rutland, Vt., from Sacred Heart Parish, Weymouth. She taught in the schools of the Diocese of Burlington, Vt., including St. Peter’s, and Christ the King in Rutland; St. Francis de Sales, Bennington; and St. Charles, Bellows Falls. She also was a member of the faculty of the College of St. Joseph, Rutland, Vt., and served as secretary to the president of the congregation. She became a Sister of St Joseph of Springfield when the congregations merged in 2001. She is retired and lives in Framingham.

75 YEARS

Sister Theresa Croteau (formerly Sister Marie Felicité) was born in Central Falls, R.I., and entered from St. Jean Baptiste Parish, Fall River, Mass. She taught in many schools in the Diocese of Fall River, including St. Jean Baptiste and Blessed Sacrament in Fall River; St. Joseph’s and St. Therese schools, New Bedford; St. Michael’s, Ocean Grove; and St. Louis School, Swansea. She was an administrator of religious education programs for St. Louis de France Parish, Swansea, and St. James Parish, New Bedford. She served as pastoral minister at St. James Parish, New Bedford, and St. Stephen’s, Attleboro, as well as Immaculate Conception Parish, Sulphur, La. She also served as director of outreach ministry at St. Louis de France Parish, Swansea. She is retired and lives in Holyoke.

Sister Teresa Moran (formerly Sister Francis Anna) was born in Worcester and entered from St. Stephen Parish there. She taught in the Springfield Diocese at Cathedral Grammar and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart schools, Springfield; and was principal of Sacred Heart School, Pittsfield. She also taught at St. Mary Elementary and High schools in Milford, Mass., and was principal at Sacred Heart School, Pawtucket, R.I. She served as pastoral minister at St. Joseph Parish in North Scituate, R.I., and then St. Teresa Parish, Pittsfield, for nearly 20 years. She is living in Framingham.

80 YEARS

Sister Mary Frances Honnen (formerly Sister James Francis) is a native of Newport, R.I., and entered from St. Joseph Parish, Newport. She taught science at Cathedral High School for 18 years and served as academic dean at Elms College. From 1983 to 1987, she was parish administrator and director of outreach in the Southern Kentucky Missions. She held several positions in the congregation, including director of education, member of the executive board from 1971 to 1979, and president of the congregation from 1987 to 1993. She is one of the four founders of the House of Peace and Education (HOPE) in Gardner, Mass., where she continued as a volunteer and grant writer after her 2000 retirement. She resides in Holyoke.

Sister Patricia Thomas O’Connor is a native of Holyoke and entered from Sacred Heart Parish there. She taught in a number of schools in the Springfield Diocese, including St. Joseph’s, North Adams; Holy Trinity, Greenfield; Holy Name, Holy Family, and Our Lady of Hope schools, Springfield; and Notre Dame and St. Mark schools, Pittsfield. She also taught at St. Peter School and Academy of the Sacred Heart in Worcester. In addition, she was a member of the Communications Department of Mercy Hospital, Springfield, for over 20 years. She lives in Framingham.