obituary

Sister Isabel Cavaco

Posted

NORTH SMITHFIELD — Franciscan Missionary of Mary Sister Isabel Cavaco, 88, died November 22 at St. Antoine Residence.

Born in Fall River, Mass., she was the daughter of the late Jose C. and Maria de Gloria (Mirando) Cavaco.

She entered the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in 1952, pronounced her first vows in 1954 and her final vows in 1957 in the Holy Family Community, North Providence.

After pronouncing her first vows, she was sent to the Divine Providence community in New York where she cared for and supervised the small boys in what was then called the Divine Providence Shelter.

Her next mission sending was to another child care facility, McMahon Shelter in Harlem, New York. Seven years later, she was sent to Cardinal Hayes Home for Children in Millbrook, New York.

For several years she served as superior of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Community in New York and of St. Anthony Community, Fall River.

After her many years of caring for children, she was sent to Holy Family Community in North Providence, where she served as the supervisor of the maintenance department. She did this for several years before being sent to St. Jean Community in Pawtucket, RI with a ministry in pastoral care In St. Jean the Baptist Parish.

Sister Cavaco was sent St. Michael’s Community to participate in the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Assisted Living Residence in North Providence.

She is survived by her three sisters, Clarinda Furtado of the Azores; Maria Medeiros, Isaura Pereira, both of Fall River; and a brother, David Cavaco of Fall River.

A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated Tuesday Nov. 27 at Holy Family Chapel. Burial was in the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Cemetery.