Sr. Anne Kelly, FMM

Sr. Anne Kelly was born in Providence, RI, May 20, 1933 to James and Rose Degnan Kelly. Prior to her entrance to the FMM Novitiate September 18, 1950, Anne had experience as a baby sitter, worked one summer at a card factory and then as a sales person in a department store. On March 19, 1953, Anne made her first vows and was sent to Emmanuel College to earn a BA in Mathematics. She pronounced her final vows on March 19, 1956 and was sent on mission to St. Anthony’s Community in Fall River where she taught the fourth grade at Espiritu Santo School for one year. In July 1958, Anne was sent to Rome where after one month, was missioned to Pakistan where she spent nine years as a professor of English in Nazareth College Hyderabad.

In 1967 the new Pakistan FMM Juniorate was opened in Lahore and Sr. Anne was missioned to assume the challenging responsibility of serving as Junior Mistress. The Juniorate was transferred to Malir in 1969, Sr. Anne continued her work as Junior Mistress until her return to Hyderabad in the fall of 1973. After this, Anne was missioned to the ministries counseling girls in a hostel, serving as an Archivist for the diocese, secretary to the bishop and teaching English in a Muslim Boys School where there were no Christian faculty members or students. Later, when the government nationalized the Pakistani Schools, it was not possible for a non-Pakistani to assume a teaching post in any school. Anne loved her Pakistani students and was grateful for the appreciation they showed at meeting her on a human as well as a professional level.

In 1978, Anne was missioned back to the United States to St. Anthony’s Community in Fall River, MA, teaching at Espiritu Santo Elementary School. While teaching there for two years, she also studied, earning a MS in Education, majoring in Elementary Language Arts. From 1982-1989 her mission was being an Elementary School Teacher at St. Theresa’s School in Providence. She also served in the Finance Office at Holy Family Convent at Fruit Hill.

From 1982 to 1989 Anne’s mission was to serve as the Assistant Provincial Treasurer at Miriam Community in the Bronx, NY. In 1998, Anne was sent in mission to Our Lady of Wisdom Community in St. Louis, MO where she taught ESL to immigrant and refugee women while being the local coordinator of the community. In 2005, Anne was missioned to Pine Mountain, GA, Emmanuel Community to teach ESL as well as be active in FOCUS, an ecumenical outreach to the needy people of Pine Mountain. When missioned to Holy Family Convent in at Fruit Hill, N. Providence. she did some social security work as well as prayed for the needs of the world. Anne was then missioned to St. Antoine Residence in 2019 until her death, January 12th, 2024.

Anne is well known for her strong attention to details, ability to handle responsibility and finances, and her kind and patient listening.

Sr. Kelly's funeral will be held on Thursday, January 18, at 11:00 am in Holy Family Chapel, 399 Fruit Hill Avenue, North Providence. Interment will follow in Holy Family Cemetery. Visiting hours will be held in Holy Family Chapel on Wednesday, January 17 from 4:00 - 7:00 pm.