Age 83
Prior to “Sister Bern’s” entrance into the Sisters of Mercy she was employed as a loans officer at Hillsborough Finance Company and as a manager at Radio Station WKBR in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Sister Bernadetta earned a B.A. in education from Mt. St. Mary College, Hooksett, New Hampshire, and an M.Ed with a major in guidance from Salem State College, Salem, Massachusetts. For more than 24 years, Sister Bernadetta was a dedicated educator who taught in Catholic schools in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. In New Hampshire, she taught at St. Catherine, Manchester; St. Patrick schools in Portsmouth, Berlin, and Jaffrey; Sacred Heart School, Hampton; and St. John Regional School, Concord. In Massachusetts, she taught at Marian Court College, Swampscott.
After leaving the ministry of education, Sister Bernadetta served in Manchester as a certified licensed nurses’ aide with the home health care of the Elliot Visiting Nurses Association, People Helping People and the Arbors Nursing Home. At Mt. Carmel Nursing Home, she held positions as a human resource assistant and as an activities assistant. She also served as a senior counselor with Manchester Mental Health and as a senior home companion with the Concord Community Action program, retiring in 2020. Sister Bernadetta also volunteered at Warde Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Windham, New Hampshire.
In 2013, Sister Bernadetta received the Volunteer Service Award from the State of New Hampshire. Over the years, she was recognized for her compassionate care of the elderly.