Sr. Beatrice Jeannette Cote, Fmm

Sr. Beatrice Jeannette Cote (Marie de St. Gandoul), 98, Franciscan Missionary of Mary of Ein Karim Community, died April 22, 2013, at St. Antoine's Residence, N. Smithfield. She was born in Biddeford, Maine, December 10, 1914, the daughter of the late Joseph and Alma (Bonneau) Cote. She entered the Institute of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Sept. 14, 1934 in Quebec, Canada. After pronouncing her First Vows in Quebec in March 1937, Beatrice was sent to do the work of Commissioner (Sisters who sold the handiwork from their workrooms to support their missionary ministries) in Montreal for a year before being sent to Palestine, via Rome. She stayed in Jerusalem until December of 1938, when she was sent to Bethlehem. She pronounced her final vows, March 19, 1940 in Bethlehem. For the next 39 years, Beatrice was missioned in Bethlehem, at first doing such tasks as making altar breads for 20 or so convents in the area; these were the hand-made, hand-cut kind that took a lot of time to make. She was the sacristan, and also learned to machine-knit stockings, sweaters and shawls for the sisters. After Vatican II, the numbers of pilgrims and visitors to the Holy Land increased, and the Bethlehem convent school was pressed into use during student vacation times for inexpensive bed and board. Beatrice was in charge of the hospitality, a more than full-time task for her and the other sisters. For a few years, Beatrice had a special mission with a young, blind Armenian woman who stayed in the Bethlehem convent-one who eventually was healed of extremely violent behavior, and who took to reading the Bible in Braille. Rosa was held especially in Beatrice' memory and prayer.Sr. Beatrice was missioned to the United States in 1977. After some time she regained her health, and then was appointed sacristan in 1978. It was here that she began experimenting with all kinds of sewing which eventually blossomed into the workshop she ran, -limited hours, but lots of lovely aprons, baby bibs, runners and so on were made from the mostly donated materials she had, and the proceeds went either to the Guild of St. Francis or to the Provincialate.Other ministry, aside from her sewing was her sending sunshine cards to a list of about 250 people whom she had encountered over the years. The cards were very simple- a card, probably made from a previously used one, with a brief message of her thoughts and prayer to brighten up the day of the recipient. After 2001, she was no longer the sacristan but helped out there when needed. In July,In 2003, Beatrice was missioned to Holy Trinity Community in Fruit Hill, where she continued the sewing and card-sending.She remained active walking every morning until a fall resulting in a fractured hip necessitated admission to St. Antoine's for rehabilitation. She is survived by her brother Robert Cote, and sisters Mary Jane Cookson and Pauline Smith from Biddeford, Maine and numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.Visiting hours will be from 4 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30, 2013 with a Wake Service at 7 p.m. in the Holy Family Chapel, 399 Fruit Hill Avenue, North Providence; Mass of Christian Burial at Holy Family Chapel on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at 11 a.m. Burial will be in the Holy Family Cemetery. Arrangements by Russell J. Boyle & Son Funeral Home. www.boyleandsonfuneralhome.com