Sr. Irene Fortier, 89, a member of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit died June 9, 2023 at St. Joseph Living Center in Windham.
Born Marie Alda Irene Fortier June 14, 1933, in Waterbury, she was one of 14 children of Arthur and Regina (Berger) Fortier.  She entered religious life in Putnam at the Holy Spirit Provincial House on Sept. 5, 1951 and made her religious profession there on Aug. 18, 1953.  She was then known as Sr. Albert Rita. Sr. Irene had just celebrated her 70th Jubilee.
She held a bachelor’s in education from the Diocesan Sisters’ College and a master’s in education from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
For 18 years she taught in schools staffed by the Daughters of the Holy Spirit in Connecticut, California and Massachusetts. She served as director of Religious Education in various parishes in Massachusetts and Connecticut.  From 1978-1988 Sr. Irene was associate retreat director and the first woman to serve in that capacity at the Holy Family Retreat House in West Hartford under the auspices of the Passionist Fathers.  Following that, she was pastoral associate at Ascension Parish in Worcester and St. Peter’s Parish in Elizabethtown, Penn.  Returning to Connecticut, Sr. Irene served in various capacities in the Archdiocese of Hartford—instructor in Marriage Tribunal, archivist, director of the Office for Religious and co-director of the Haitian Ministry.  In 2001 she became the archivist for the US Province of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit.  At that time, she also assumed the responsibility for the Jubilee Choir and served on a number of Consultative Committees. Retiring in 2015, she joined the community at St Joseph Living Center in 2016.
She leaves the Daughters of the Holy Spirit spiritual family – her Sisters in community, the Consecrated Seculars and the Associates; nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brothers and sisters Albert, Omer, Aurea, Rita, Stella, Sr. Regina, DHS, Armand, Therese, Lorette, Bella, Henry, Roger and Roland.
The Mass of Christian Burial was June 20 at Corpus Christi Parish/St. Joseph Church in Willimantic with burial in St. Mary Cemetery, Putnam. Donations: DHS Retirement Fund, P.O. Box 497, Putnam, CT 06260. Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.

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