Rose Marie Chisholm, SSJ

A native of Cambridge, Mass., Sister Rose Marie Chisholm, SSJ, has never lost her New England accent, even after spending the past 70 years as a Sister of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania. Nor has she lost the generosity that she first exhibited on May 8, 1947, when she entered the community from Sacred Heart Parish in Watertown, Mass. She professed her final vows in 1953. “The deep faith and teaching of my parents [the late Hugh and Lillian Chisholm] helped me over the years, and also the sisters I met during my school years helped me to know the future for me,” she says. Sister Rose Marie graduated from Watertown Senior High School in Massachusetts and continued her education at Villa Maria College in Erie. She also attended the Cardinal Glennon School of X-ray Technology in St. Louis, Mo., and earned certification as a registered radiologic technician. After entering the community, Sister Rose Marie taught at Sacred Heart School in Erie. She then spent most of the rest of her religious life in health care as an X-ray technician and supervisor at Spencer Hospital in Meadville. She worked in this field for more than 30 years, the majority of which were in Meadville. In Meadville, she served in the mid-1970s as the superior of St. Joseph Convent. When Sister Rose Marie returned to Erie, she worked as coordinator of the Sisters of St. Joseph Community Living Center and at Saint Mary’s Home of Erie. Today, visitors often encounter her at the receptionist desk at the community’s Living Center. Her quiet manner and helpful nature are apparent to all visitors. She looks forward to continued prayer and service to others.