Sr. Ellen Ignatius Gibbons, FMM

Sr. Ellen Gibbons was born in New York City, December 15, 1922 into a family with seven children. Ellen came to know the FMM through our commissioners who visited homes and parishes to obtain donations for our missions. She first felt drawn to the missions of the world upon seeing a box on her teacher’s desk asking for pennies for poor children around the world.

Ellen entered the pre-novitiate in New York City, September 18, 1942 and the novitiate at Fruit Hill, North Providence, March 19, 1943. After first vows in March 1945, she studied for a BA in Education (English and Sociology) at Emmanuel College graduating in 1949. After pronouncing her final vows in 1949, Ellen was missioned to India as a teacher in Stella Maris College in Madras and later, in St. Thomas College in Madras. From 1953 to 1954, Ellen was Headmistress of the Teachers’ Training Program at Nazareth, Ootacamund and held the same position back in Madras while she assisted the staff at St. Thomas Orphanage. She returned again to teach at Stella Maris and studied Science Education. Later, from 1957 to 1980, Ellen held other positions as her ministries: Headmistress in both St Thomas and St. Anthony in Bombay.

Returning to the States in 1980, Ellen was missioned to Cardinal Hayes Home for Children in Millbrook, NY where she was Coordinator of Education and assistant to the Administrator until 1995. Her sister, Christina, also an FMM, was a nurse at Cardinal Hayes during this time. In 1995 Ellen was missioned to the support and care of the Sisters at St. Antoine Residence until 2002 when she was missioned to Holy Family in N. Providence and was the local bursar.

A good worker and administrator, Ellen took her work seriously, but was open to people and even to being teased. She had a lighthearted side which people appreciated while she was a resident at St. Antoine. Ellen went peacefully home to God on October 6 th , at St. Antoine’s Residence, N. Smithfield, RI. Internment at Holy Family Cemetery, 11 A.M., Thursday, October 14, 2021.