Sr. Jean Carpinelli, SUSC

Sister Jean Carpinelli, SUSC, a resident of Prosper Fall River, died on December 13 at the age of 90. Born in Camden, New Jersey on March 29, 1933, she was the daughter of the late Francis and Emma (Garrity) Carpinelli. In addition to her Holy Union Sisters, she is survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Frances and Michael Mihna, nieces and nephews and grand nieces and nephews. She was pre-deceased by her sister, Sister Helen Carpinelli, SUSC.

Sister Jean attended Camden Catholic High School and graduated from Sacred Hearts Academy, Fall River. She entered the Holy Union Sisters on June 26, 1950, pronounced her first vows on August 22, 1953, and perpetual vows on August 22, 1959. She earned a B.A. in Education from the Sacred Heart School of Education and a B.A. in Art from Hunter College in New York.

Sr. Jean’s teaching ministry in middle and junior high classes spanned over thirty-five years. She taught in parish schools staffed by the Holy Union Sisters in Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. After leaving teaching, Sr. Jean joined the staff of the Jesuit Program for Living and Learning on Staten Island, New York where she served as a residential counselor. In 1989, a new Holy Union formation community was established in Brockton, MA and Sr. Jean was a member of the community. While in Brockton, she participated in a YMCA program to assist homeless families, and was a teacher in the General Education Diploma class and taught language arts classes at Sacred Heart School in Brockton. From 1992 to 1997, she was a member of the pastoral team for the Holy Union retirement community at Sacred Hearts Convent in Fall River. She then worked at the resident’s day center of the Swansea Council on Aging. Sr. Jean retired in 2006 and volunteered in the Holy Union Sisters Archives Office and at Prosper, Fall River. She joined the Holy Union Sisters at Prosper in 2019 and resided there until her death. Sr. Jean celebrated seventy years as a Holy Union Sister in 2020.

A visitation will be held Wednesday, December 20, 2023 from 9:00 – 9:40 AM in St. Mary’s Cathedral, 327 Second St., Fall River, followed by a Memorial Prayer Service from 9:40 – 10:00 AM and a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 AM. Contributions in her honor may be made to the Holy Union Sisters Mission Advancement Office, 205 Bedford St., Fall River, MA 02720. Burial will be in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, 2233 Robeson St., Fall River. For tributes and directions, www.waring-sullivan.com.