Sister Helen Francis Curnan, OP, of the Dominican Sisters, Sparkill, New York, died on March 27, 2017 in Siena Hall, Sparkill, NY.
Born in New York City, NY on October 9, 1927, Helen was the daughter of Francis and Helen Connolly Curnan. She entered the Dominican Congregation of Our Lady of the Rosary in Sparkill on September 8, 1946 and received the name Sister Helen Francis. She professed her first vows in 1948 and her final vows in 1953.
Sister Helen Francis received a BA in English, Manhattan College, New York in 1953 and her MA in English from St. John’s University, New York in 1956.
Sister Helen Francis served in the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn as a teacher in St. Helena School, Bronx, NY (1948-1953), Mary Queen of Heaven (1953-1955), St. Helena High School (1955-1956), and Aquinas High School, Bronx, NY (1956-1961). Sister Helen Francis was principal of St. Augustine School, New City, NY (1961-1966). From 1966-1968 Sister Helen served in Formation for Junior Professed Sisters in Sparkill. She then returned to teaching and from 1968-1975 was at Albertus Magnus High School, Bardonia, NY, followed by St. Helena Commercial High School (1975-1989). Sister Helen served as Librarian at St. John Chrysostom School (1989-1998) and then assisted in the Development Office of Msgr. Scanlan High School (1998-2000) and Dominican Convent (2000-2006) before retiring to Siena Hall.
Sister Helen Francis is predeceased by her parents Francis and Helen Curnan and two siblings, Catherine and Francis Patrick. She is survived by three nephews and a niece.
Sister Helen Francis was a very kind and caring person. She served her God and congregation faithfully for over seventy years as a Dominican Sister of Sparkill. We thank God for her life and her goodness and we pray she be brought swiftly into the fullness of joy in the presence of the God she loved and so faithfully served. We will miss her presence among us.