Catholic Diocese of Spokane, Washington

From the

Official News Magazine of the Diocese of Spokane

Six Spokane Sisters of Providence mark 60, 70 and 80 years

the Inland Register

(From the May 1, 2003 edition of the Inland Register)

Six Sisters of Providence in Spokane will celebrate 60th, 70th and 80th anniversaries of their years in Religious life on Saturday, May 17, in the chapel at Mount St. Joseph. Bishop Skylstad will preside at the liturgy. Another 10 jubilarians from Mother Joseph Province will attend a similar jubilee celebration in Seattle in August, presided over by Seattle’s Archbishop Alex J. Brunett.

The Providence Sisters’ Mother Joseph Province encompasses Alaska, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana and Washington in the United States, as well as El Salvador.

Sister Jane Dufault, 98, was born in Gaspe, Quebec. She calls herself a “jack of all trades but master of none” as far as her ministries are concerned. She served in St. Ignatius, Great Falls and Missoula, Mont., in Spokane, and in DeSmet, Idaho. She also cared for the aged, helped in the garden, and assisted with the province’s archives after her retirement to Mount St. Joseph in Spokane in 1976.

Sister Marguerite O’Connor, born in Missoula, was a teacher and/or principal for more than 30 years in schools in Sprague, Wash., Wallace, Idaho; and Great Falls, Missoula and Glasgow, Mont. Then, for 24 years, she served at the College of Great Falls in Montana, where she became registrar. After retiring in 1993, she began working in the Religious community library at Mount St. Joseph in Spokane in 1994, a job she kept until last March.

Sister Margaret Anne Vosen was born in the town of Bowbells, N.D. Her principal ministry was caring for children in boarding schools. She served at St. Thomas Orphans’ Home in Great Falls, where she was receptionist and business office assistant. She also served in DeSmet and Wallace, Idaho; Missoula, Mont.; Sprague and Spokane, Wash. In her later years, she was a patient counselor at Columbus Hospital and then served as receptionist at Mount St. Joseph in Spokane for 10 years before retiring.

Sister Cecile Laprise was born at home about 12 miles from La Fleche, Saskatchewan. Her first ministry was a short period spent as a companion at Providence Hospital in Wallace, Idaho. Then, for more than 50 years kitchens were her domain, in Spokane, Sprague, Great Falls and Colfax. She was a kitchen supervisor, a dietary supervisor, a chef, manager of the food service, a baker and a cake decorator, as well as an assistant in the sacristy. She retired to Emilie Court in Spokane in 1997.

Sister Annette Parent and her twin sister, who also is a Sister of Providence, were born in Baker, Mont. After earning a degree at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., she became a pharmacist, a career she maintained for more than 30 years at Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane, Columbus Hospital in Great Falls, and St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. She retired to Mount St. Joseph in Spokane in 1993, but served for a time as its receptionist and community bookkeeper.

Sister Dorothy Zimmer, born in Glentana, Mont., cared for the sick for 45 years at Sacred Heart Hospital, Spokane; Providence Hospital, Wallace, Idaho; Holy Family Hospital, St. Ignatius, Mont.; Columbus Hospital, Great Falls, Mont.; St. Patrick Hospital, Missoula, Mont.; and at Valley View Nursing Home in Glasgow, Mont. She also was a pastoral associate at St. Patrick. She retired at Mount St. Joseph, Spokane, in 1996.