Mary Jane “St. Anthony” Cavallo

“The Lord has done great things for me.”

Luke 1:49

Sister Mary Jane Cavallo, SNDdeN  was the youngest of five children born to Anthony, who was born in Calabria, Italy, and Isabelle (Dwyer) Cavallo, a native of  St. John, Newfoundland, Canada. “We say we are Gaelic and Garlic!” she says. “My parents were hard workers sustained by their deep faith. Perhaps they unknowingly planted the seed for my vocation.”

St. Bernard School was in her neighborhood, and she was often “helping Sister” and doing errands for those who didn’t drive in those days. Sometimes the Sisters would be at recreation when she and her friends passed by the convent.

She recalled, “The Sisters’ joy did not go unnoticed by me. I remember having “instruction” as part of our religion class. This too made an impression on me. These were more reflections rather than doctrine-oriented. Studying was not my favorite pastime. This did not stop me from wanting to join a teaching order. I had made friends with the cook, Sister Adelaide, so I knew there were other possibilities.”

She entered the Sisters of Notre Dame in Waltham, Massachusetts on August 16, 1959. After her first year as a novice, she was asked if Ishe wanted to try other charges—kitchen, bakery, laundry, sacristy—and she loved it. Her ministries continued to be varied over the decades, and after more than 60 years as a Sister of Notre Dame, she says, “I feel I have received as much as I have given. I have lived with many wonderful Sisters and learned so much from them. My life experiences are a gift from Notre Dame and the Goodness of God.”

Updated 2025