Aston, PA—Sister Anne Bernadette Mancini, OSF, (formerly Sister Marie Francelle), 93, died in Assisi House on Thursday, February 9, 2023. She had been a professed member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia for 70 years. Sister Anne was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she was a member of St. Edmond Parish. She entered the congregation in 1951 and professed her first vows in 1953.  She earned a Bachelors of English from Neumann University (then Our Lady of Angels College). She ministered primarily in education and pastoral services.

Sister Anne ministered for 18 years in the Diocese of Wilmington where she taught and served as assistant principal at St. Mary/St. Patrick School, worked as a secretarial aide at the Center of Hope in Newark, and served as a librarian at Christ the King School.  She also volunteered at both Sacred Heart Village in Wilmington and at B’Nai B’Rith in Claymont.

Sister Anne spent 13 years in the Archdiocese of Baltimore where she first taught at and was later principal of St. Peter Claver School, Baltimore and taught at Our Lady of Fatima School, Bethesda. She worked as the learning center assistant at St. Katherine School and as the learning center director at Sts. Philip & James School, both in Baltimore.  She also did some volunteer work at Cardinal Shehan School.

When the congregation sent sisters to Africa in the 1970s, Sister Anne was delighted to go.  She served in pastoral work for seven years at Fatima Catholic Church in Zambezi and spent another eight years working for the Diocese of Ngorg at St. Joseph Church.  Sister Anne also spent three years in the Dominican Republic teaching at Santa Teresa de Jesus School.

Additional ministry work includes one year as the director of the learning center at Holy Spirit School in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

In the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Sister Anne taught at St. Elizabeth School.  In 2016 she moved to Assisi House, the congregation’s retirement residence in Aston, where she served in prayer and hospitality ministry until her death.

All services will be held in Assisi House on Thursday, February 16, and will be livestreamed. A Christian Wake Service will be held at 9:30 A.M. followed by viewing. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 A.M. Burial will be in Our Lady of Angels Cemetery in Aston. Sister Anne is survived by her two nephews, Greg and John, and by her Franciscan family. Donations in her name can be made to the Sisters of St. Francis Foundation, 609 S. Convent Road, Aston, PA 19014.

For a more personal write-up about Sister Anne, click here.


The livestream will begin at 9:30 A.M. To access the livestream, click here: https://livestream.com/accounts/18363082/srannemancini