Sisters' Profiles
Sr. Mary Petrosky, fmm
Mary Petrosky entered the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary September 1951 in North Providence, RI. After making her First Vows, Mary studied in Boston at Emmanuel College, graduating in 1957 with a sociology degree. She pronounced her Final Vows in Boston in March of that same year and was sent to the Midwest where she earned her MSW from St. Louis University in 1959. Many of her ministries were in social work here in the US, Australia and Papua New Guinea. , Mary was named Director of Social Services at McMahon Children's Services in Harlem, NY. Other ministries were in leadership and religious formation here and in overseas missions.
Her present ministries are Spiritual Direction, Local Coordinator of her community and Provincial councilor.
Sr. Helen Mary Riordan, fmm
Sr. Helen Mary Riordan, fmm, entered the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary on September 16, 1946 in Holy Family Novitiate North Providence. She made her first vows on March 19, 1949, and her final vows on March 19, 1952 in Holy Family Chapel, North Providence. After completing studies in nursing, she was sent in mission to St. Francis Sanatorium in Roslyn where she cared for children with rheumatic fever. She served by nursing in the Franciscan Hospital for Children, formerly called Kennedy Memorial Hospital, Brighton, Ma., the FMM Nursing Center and Fruit Hill Day Center for Elderly. Later, her ministry was receptionist and doing other community services in St. Francis Convent, Roslyn, NY. At present, her ministry at Fruit Hill is intercessory prayer for the Church and the world, and occasionally writing to her legislators about matters of concern.
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. 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 Rose Marie Brooks, fmm
Sister Rose Marie Brooks entered the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in 1985 in Chicago, IL. She pronounced her final vows October 4, 1992 in Fall River at St. Stanislaus Parish.
Prior to her entry into the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, she graduated from St. Joseph's as an RN and worked for five years in Rhode Island Hospital Surgical Intensive Care Unit, then six more years in Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, MA.
In 1986, she was sent in mission to St. Francis Hospital where she served as a staff nurse and completed studies earning a B.S. in Nursing from Molloy College. In 1993, she was sent in mission to Bushulo , Ethiopia.
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!“
