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Jubilarians 2019 November 7, 2019 CATHOLIC NEW YORK 15 RELIGIOUS JUBILARIANS 2019 Twin Nuns Who Are Franciscan Sisters Thankful for TWICE THE JOY—sister Mary robert Bernet, O.s.F., left, and her twin sister, 70 Years of sister Mary Clare Bernet, O.s.F., share a smile last week in their convent in Peekskill. Both are sisters of st. Francis of the neumann Communities. The Religious Life retired longtime teachers are celebrating 70 years of religious life. Chris sheridan By ARMANDO MACHADO Francis of the Neumann Communities in Syracuse, Sister Mary Clare and Sister Mary Robert decades the twin nuns said that as they looked back on their ago in service to the Church. he Bernet sisters are identical twins who are time since entering religious life, they agreed they Sister Mary Anne said the twin nuns taught most- celebrating 70 years of religious life. Now 89 “would not trade their vocation for anything.” ly general studies to elementary school students, Tyears old, they were born in Brooklyn 15 min- In a phone interview with CNY last week, Sister and Sister Mary Robert also taught high school stu- utes apart. Mary Clare said, “We were happy that we were both dents, mostly religion, at St. Catherine Academy in Sister Mary Clare Bernet, O.S.F., and Sister Mary called by God. We were able to live together at times.” the Bronx, and St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School on Robert Bernet, O.S.F., are Sisters of St. Francis of the Speaking about their jubilee celebration, she said, Staten Island. Neumann Communities. They were raised at the “The Mass was wonderful, and we had lunch after- Both sisters returned to Mount Loretto, the or- Mount Loretto Orphanage on Staten Island, where ward. There were about 150 people. It was a very phanage where they were raised, as teachers. Sister they first encountered the Sisters of St. Francis. special day.” Mary Clare taught boys at St. Aloysius School, 1959- Sister Mary Clare left high school to enter the She said sisters from their congregation and other re- 1975. Sister Mary Robert taught girls at St. Elizabeth religious congregation early in January 1949. Sister ligious communities joined to wish them School, 1961-1964. The twins turned 89 Mary Robert entered the following January, so her well. The twin nuns were grateful for that, “I rejoice with them— on June 6. th 70 anniversary will officially be in the new year. thankful to the bishop and all who were I share their joy,” Here are some of the other schools, On Aug. 3, a morning Mass with reception was present. Sister Mary Robert was born Sister Mary Anne and parish catechism classes in Sister celebrated for both sisters at Mount St. Francis in 15 minutes after Sister Mary Clare; they said. “It is quite a Mary Clare’s case, where they taught Peekskill. Auxiliary Bishop Peter Byrne was the were among five siblings—four girls and milestone. They religion and other subjects: principal celebrant. one boy, and are the surviving siblings. love God, and they Sister Mary Clare: St. John and St. The sisters now reside in a convent of the Fran- Sister Mary Anne Maceda, O.S.F., love Jesus, and they Mary parish in Chappaqua; St. Teresa of ciscan Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Peekskill. who also resides at the convent in Peek- wanted to share that Avila parish and school in Sleepy Hol- The twins served in education from the early 1950s skill, said the celebration in August was in their ministries.” low, St. Catherine School in Pelham; St. to 2011 teaching in the Archdiocese of New York, in- a joyful occasion. Joseph School in New Rochelle; and St. cluding schools on Staten Island, in the Bronx and New “I rejoice with them—I share their Clare Academy in Hastings-on-Hudson. Rochelle, as well as in New Jersey and Connecticut. joy,” Sister Mary Anne said. “It is quite a milestone. Sister Mary Robert: Archbishop Stepinac High Sister Mary Clare also served as novice director They love God, and they love Jesus, and they want- School in White Plains; Christ the King School in for the congregation in the 1970s into the 1980s, and ed to share that in their ministries.” Yonkers; Our Lady Star of the Sea School on Staten as director of religious education at St. Teresa of Bishop Byrne was assisted by nine concelebrants. Island; Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Pelham Man- Avila parish in Sleepy Hollow, 1993-2011. The homilist was Father Daniel Lanahan, O.F.M. or; Holy Name School in New Rochelle; and Immac- In a joint statement released by the Sisters of St. Both the bishop and Father Lanahan worked with ulate Conception School in Tuckahoe. 16 CATHOLIC NEW YORK November 7, 2019 MISSIONARY SISTERS Of THE Western European Province and assistant general uRSuLINE SISTERS Of THE ROMAN uNION, SACRED HEART Of JESuS for Latin America. She restructured a home for the EASTERN PROVINCE 75 Years elderly in France. 60 Years Sister frances Xavier Brogan, M.S.C., born in Sister Damien Ciminera, M.S.C., a native of Sister Barbara Calamari, O.S.u., a native of Man- Jamaica, Queens, served as director of St. Frances Philadelphia, taught ESL and citizenship classes hattan, taught at Blessed Sacrament, New Rochelle, Cabrini Shrine, teacher at Mother Cabrini High at Cabrini Immigrant Services, Dobbs Ferry. She and in the Bronx at St. Angela Merici, Our Lady of School, and ESL teacher at Cabrini Immigrant Ser- taught at Sacred Heart Villa, Dobbs Ferry, and Mercy and the Academy of Mount St. Ursula, from vices, all in Manhattan. She taught at Sacred Heart Mother Cabrini High School, Manhattan. She also 1961 to 1981. She served as principal of the academy, Villa, Dobbs Ferry, and at elementary schools in taught elementary school in Brooklyn, Kearny, N.J., 1981-1992. She served the College of New Rochelle Brooklyn, Kearny, N.J., Denver, Burbank, Calif., and and Scranton, Pa. She served in pastoral ministry as director of Secondary School Relations and Conshohocken, Pa. She was a teacher and served at St. Cabrini Home, West Park, and was resident North American Ursuline Education Services, 1992- in finance in Guatemala and Nicaragua. Now assistant at Cabrini College in Radnor, Pa. 1996. She has served as a community volunteer in retired, she resides at St. Cabrini Nursing Home in Sister frances Italiano, M.S.C., born in Italy, mission effectiveness at the Academy of Mount St. Dobbs Ferry. served as a teaching assistant at Mother Cabrini Ursula since 2013. Sister Julia Toto, M.S.C., a native of Newark, N.J., High School and as a medical technician at Cabri- Sister Pascal Conforti, O.S.u., a native of Brook- served as a pastoral counselor at St. Cabrini Home, ni Hospital in Manhattan. She served in the busi- lyn, taught in Bethesda, Md., 1961-1963, and at the West Park, and at a parish in Philadelphia. She was ness office at a hospital and in parish ministry in College of New Rochelle, 1963-1967. She was dean an assistant professor at Cabrini College in Rad- Melbourne, Australia, assisted at a day nursery in of students at the College of New Rochelle, 1967- nor, Pa., where she helped to establish the evening New Orleans, and served as nuclear med tech and 1969. She served as superior of the Malone Ursuline division. She taught at Mother Cabrini Elementary office staffer at a medical center in Chicago. She community, 1975-1979. She was provincial of the School, Manhattan, and St. Augustine School, High- served in pastoral ministry in Seattle and Aus- Ursuline Sisters, 1979-1985. She became a chaplain land, where she also served as principal. She also tralia. Now retired, she resides at Sacred Heart in 1986 and from then on served in many pastoral taught in Brooklyn, Scranton, Pa., and Burbank, Convent in Manhattan. care roles, including director of Pastoral Care at Calif., where she also was principal. St. Vincent’s Midtown Hospital in Manhattan until 50 Years 2005. She has been delegate superior of the Ursu- 60 Years Sister Antonia Plata, M.S.C., born in Nicara- line Community at Andrus on Hudson in Hastings- Sister Maria Loretta Caeti, M.S.C., born in Sicily, gua, served in campus ministry at Mother Cabrini on-Hudson since 2011. served as superior in Manhattan and Golden, Colo. High School in Manhattan, and in pastoral minis- Sister Elizabeth Dowd, O.S.u., a native of She also served as group mother in Kearny, N.J., Se- try at St. Elizabeth, St. John and St. Mary parishes, Holyoke, Mass., taught at Ursuline academies in attle and Burbank, Calif. She taught kindergarten in all in Manhattan, and at a parish in Houston. Bethesda, Md., 1961-1969, and Springfield, Mass., Philadelphia and served as a volunteer in the par- She served as principal and teacher at schools in 1969-1975. She taught at New Rochelle Catholic ish nurse program in Chicago. She was a pastoral Nicaragua, in parish ministry in Guatemala and as Elementary School, 1977-1993. She was liturgist and minister at a parish in Houston and at a residence a catechist in Argentina. She served in education music instructor at the College of New Rochelle, in Australia. and social and vocational ministry in the Philip- 1977-1983. She was choral director at the Academy Sister Candida Encarnación Soto, M.S.C., born pines, and was chapel coordinator at a Cabrini of Mount St. Ursula, the Bronx, and Blessed Sacra- in the Dominican Republic, volunteered in pasto- shrine in Golden, Colo.
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