Sisters' Profiles
Sr. La Verne Hincks, fmm
Sr. LaVerne Hincks entered the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary on September 18, 1945 at North Providence, RI. Her name in religious life was Mary of St. John Berchmans. She continues to be known by the name of John.
After pronouncing her first vows on March 19, 1948, she began studies at Emmanuel College in Boston and graduated in 1952 with a B.A. Major in Chemistry.
Sr. John pronounced her final vows on March 19, 1951. Her ministry until 1953 was community service in St. Clement’s Eucharistic Shrine in Boston. In 1953, she was sent in mission to Moratuwa, Sri Lanka where she served as a teacher and was also in charge of the maintenance workers until 1969.
Sr. Frances Milano, fmm
Sister Frances Milano, fmm entered the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Sept. 18, 1951 in North Providence. She pronounced her First Vows March 19, 1954 and her Final Vows March 19, 1957. Prior to her entry she had work experience as a receptionist and aide to a veterinarian and 8 1/2 years as clerk/teletype operator and relief manager for The Western Union Telegraph Company. This latter job entailed extensive travel throughout the United States. After she received “God’s Call”, prior to entering at Fruit Hill, Frances went on a Holy Year pilgrimage to several western European countries.
Her first mission sending was to San Francisco where she was bursar, librarian and the supervisor of young women residents. Frances was missioned to Peru and set sail in February 1958. lquitos on the Amazon was the site of her first work in Peru, teaching English. Later, she was sent to Chile, San Vicente de Tagua Tagua, where she filled a number of positions: English teacher, commissioner, bookstore clerk, and Novice Mistress. Throughout her religious life, Frances has served in various ministries: community and provincial leadership, novice directress, translator, hospital volunteer. Sent in mission to Holy Family Community in North Providence, she serves in community service wherever there is a need.
Sister Anne Kelly, fmm
Sister Anne Kelly entered the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary on September 18, 1950 at the age of seventeen. After pronouncing her first vows on March 19, 1953, she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in 1957 from Emmanuel College with a major in Mathematics. She pronounced her final vows on March 19, 1956 and was sent in mission to St. Anthony’s Community in Fall River, MA. Where Sr. Anne taught the fourth grade at Espiritu Santo School for one year.
In July l958, Sr. Anne was sent to Rome where after one month, was missioned to Pakistan where she spent nine years as a Professor of English in Nazareth College in Hyderabad.
Sr. Margaret Mary Donlon, fmm
Sister Margaret Mary entered the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary on September 18, 1951 in North Providence. A few months after first profession, Margaret was sent to Bell Street, where she learned to put the Montessori Method into practice, also teaching CCD at Mount Carmel Parish. In February of 1956, Margaret was sent on mission to Japan via Rome. Sister Margaret made her Final Vows at the Japanese Novitiate at Totsuka on March 19, 1957. In June of 1957, she was missioned to the foundation in Pusan, Korea. Most of her ministries have been as Directress of Novices, community leadership, teaching English to the novices, translation and other secretarial ministries. Her present ministry is teaching English to the seven Korean novices as well as continuing to translate and render secretarial services.
Sr. Claudette Simard , fmm
Sister Claudette Simard followed her childhood yearning for religious life and was directed to the Institute of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary by a friend of Sister Liephard, fmm. She entered the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in North Providence on September 1951. She pronounced her First Vows in 1954 and her Final Vows March 19, 1957. Most of her ministries have been in nursing with other ministries in St. Francis Hospital, Roslyn, NY, Kennedy Memorial Hospital In Brighton, MA, Fruit Hill Day Program for Elderly and the Franciscan Missionary of Mary Nursing Facility and Director of the Freewheelers of RI. Presently she serves as assistant in the Province Development Office in North Providence.
Sister Vita Marie Riccardelli, fmm
Sr. Vita Marie entered the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in 1960 at North Providence, RI. in 1966. . After her first vows in 1963, Vita studied nursing in Fatima Hospital, Providence and received her LPN. She made final vows in 1966. Sister later went to Roslyn and while working in St. Francis Hospital, studied for her RN at a local community college. In 1973 Vita was sent to England where at Liverpool she studied tropical diseases, and then to Ireland where she studied midwifery. After this Vita was missioned to Ghana where she worked as a nurse and midwife in a government health center until 1985. For the past twelve years, her ministry has been as a hospice nurse and/or at St. Francis Women’s Center. Vita can look back on her life and truthfully say: “Lord, it is good to be here! It’s been a happy, wonderful life, every minute. It’s hard to believe that I am preparing for a Golden Jubilee - wow! Fifty great years!“
