She decided that instead of remaining with the Sisters of Charity, she would make the rare move of living and working outside any order. She could still minister in the community but subsisted by her own means.
Sister Ann made the move to Boston in the 1969 when Cardinal Richard Cushing invited her to come and work at the Bromley- Heath housing development. At the development she ran a program geared towards educating welfare mothers. She stayed at Bromley-Heath until 1987, when she made her move to South Boston. Her initial role in the neighborhood was as executive director of the South Boston Neighborhood House. It was here that she established a reputation for her dedication and commitment to the South Boston community.
