Sister Claire Belforti (Grace Edward), (2/10/1929), beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, died in Framingham, Mass., on November 24, 2023. A native of Milford, Mass., she was the daughter of Edward and Grace (Byrnes) Belforti.
Sister Claire entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from Sacred Heart Parish, Hopedale, Mass., in 1950. She graduated from St. Mary Central Catholic High School, Milford. She earned a B.A. degree from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, and an M.Ed. from Boston College.
Sister served as an elementary teacher at St. Thomas the Apostle, West Springfield; St. Peter’s, Worcester; St. Mary’s, Southbridge; and Milford Catholic Elementary. She taught secondary education at the Academy of the Sacred Heart, Worcester; Cathedral, Springfield, St. Mary/Marianhill, Southbridge, and St. Mary’s, Milford. She was principal at St. Mary’s and Milford Catholic Elementary Schools, Milford. She served at La Salette Conference Center, Enfield, New Hampshire and as Parish Minister at Sacred Heart Parish, Milford. She also served her Congregation as an administrator at Mont Marie, Holyoke.
In addition to her Sisters in community, Sister Claire leaves her sister, Frances Giacomuzzi and several nieces and nephews. Sister was predeceased by her sisters, Sister Grace Belforti,SSJ, Marie Gaffney and Ann Lopes.
All services for Sr. Claire will take place in Sacred Heart Church, 5 E. Main Street, Milford, MA on Wednesday, November 29, 2023. She will be waked from 9:00 A.M. with a prayer service at 9:30 A.M. The Liturgy of Christian Burial will follow at 10:00 A.M. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Milford, Mass.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of St. Joseph, 577 Carew St., Springfield, MA 01104.