NORTH PROVIDENCE — Franciscan Missionary of Mary Sister Rosalina Cabral, a member of the Queen of Peace Community, died May 9 at Miriam Hospital, Providence.
Born in Fall River, Mass., she was the daughter of the late Ernest T. and Rosalina (Barbosa) Cabral.
Sister Cabral entered at the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in North Providence in December 1951. The following September, she received the habit and the name Sister Mary of St. Agathangelus. After pronouncing her first vows in 1954, Sister Cabral was sent to Fall River, where she served as a “Commissioner” – one of many members of her Institute who went all over the United States selling handwork to obtain the funds to support missionary works in the United States as well as young girls employed in needlework rooms in overseas missions. Sister Cabral also taught in Espirito Santo School, Fall River.
In 1958, Sister Cabral was assigned to Peru. After a month in Lima, she went to Iquitos in the tropics not far from Brazil, where she taught English-as-a-Second Language until 1968. Sister Cabral was fluent in French, Spanish and Portuguese as well as in English. She was later sent in mission to Cartavio on the coast helping in a hospital department until 1972, and then was sent to Chaclacayo in the Lima area where she served as superior.
In 1985, Sister Cabral was sent to Ancon and worked with the girls in a shelter for children from broken families. In 1992, she was transferred to Chaclacayo, where she served as superior.
She returned to the United States for health reasons in 1998 and was assigned to St. Francis Community in Roslyn, N.Y., where she served as a receptionist. In 2002, Sister Cabral celebrated her Golden Jubilee of religious life.
In August 2005, Sister Cabral was sent in mission to Queen of Peace Community in North Providence where her ministry was that of prayer and suffering for the Church and the world.
She is survived by a brother, Albert Cabral of Spring Hill, Fla. She was predeceased by siblings Agnes Cabral, Alice Cabral, Mary Moniz, Ernest Cabral, David Cabral and Anthony Cabral.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated May 13 at Holy Family Chapel. Burial was in the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Cemetery.
