Sister Michele Healy, SSJ, was born in Ridgway, PA, to Clair and Lulu Margaret McDonald Healy. Following high school, she received a bachelor’s degree in education from Villa Maria College, a master’s in theology from St. Bonaventure University, and a master’s in sacred Scripture from St. Michael College in Winooski, VT.  She also studied at Rutgers University, Penn State, the University of Notre Dame, and St. John’s University.

She first heard the call to religious life while in college and riding a bus home to Ridgway. Sister Teresina Onofrio, SSJ, rode the bus to her home in Bradford. During their conversations, SisterTeresina would tell her about the Sisters of St. Joseph and religious life. Sister Michele entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1961 and made her final profession in 1969.

Sister Michele taught elementary and secondary education at several Erie Diocesan schools, including St. Andrew, St. John, Villa Maria Elementary, and Villa Maria Academy in Erie; Notre Dame in Hermitage, PA;l and Elk County Catholic in St. Marys, PA.  She taught post-secondary education at Villa Maria College and Gannon University in Erie and the Erie Diaconate Program.  She also served as a religious education coordinator at St. Jude the Apostle parish, Erie.

In the early days of the SSJ Associate program, she served as its director. She served on the board of Housing and Neighborhood Development Service (HANDS). Currently, Sister Michele serves in a presence ministry with seniors at Villa Maria Apartments and volunteers for the SSJ Mission and Ministries Foundation.