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. Anna Tarnauskas, fmm
Sr. Anna Tarnauskas entered the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary on March 14, 1951 in North Providence, RI. Prior to her entering the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, she had completed her studies in Mercy School of Nursing and qualified as a registered nurse. After pronouncing her first vows on September 17, 1953, Sr. Ann was sent in mission to St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, LI. serving as a staff nurse there until 1967. She pronounced her final vows on September 17, 1956. Throughout her religious life her ministry has been that of nursing in various health care settings both in Africa and in the United States.
Sr. Helen Anna Klumpp, fmm
Sr. Helen Anna Klumpp entered the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary June 12, 1935 at North Providence, RI. After pronouncing her first vows, Dec. 15, 1937, her first mission sending was to St. Francis Sanatorium, Roslyn now called St. Francis Hospital. There she received tutoring on setting up and running a laboratory. These were the early challenging years of the hospital. She also worked as a practical nurse.
She pronounced her final vows, Dec. 15, 1940 at Roslyn, NY and she remained in mission there until 1959. Her various ministries have been as a sacristan, receptionist, Liturgist, Religious Educator, and life guard. Her present ministry is that of prayer for the Church and the world.
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!“
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.
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.
