Mary Rita Kuhn, SSJ
75 Years

Home Parish: St. Andrew, Erie
Entered Sisters of St. Joseph:     1950
Final Profession:    1956

Encouraged by her 10th-grade religion teacher to do something special during Lent, a young Mary Rita Kuhn began attending daily Mass as often as possible. Today, Sr. Mary Rita Kuhn credits that prayer time and the examples set by the Sisters of St. Joseph with helping her to discern a call to religious life. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph from her home parish, St. Andrew’s in Erie, in 1960 and professed her final vows in 1956.

She attended Villa Maria Academy and graduated from Villa Maria College in Erie with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. She later earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from Gannon University in Erie and furthered her studies in elementary and secondary education at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Sister Mary Rita taught at Villa Maria Elementary, Sacred Heart, St. Peter Cathedral, and Our Lady of Peace Schools in Erie, as well as St. Francis School in Clearfield. She also served as Principal at Our Lady of Peace School and Our Lady’s Christian Schools in Erie and as Administrator of Villa Maria Academy. Sister Mary Rita was appointed Vicar for Religious by Bishop Michael J. Murphy in 1984, a position she held until 2011. 

Sister Mary Rita served on the Saint Vincent Health System Board of Corporators, the Gannon University Board of Trustees, and the National Conference of Vicars for Religious. She received the Gannon University Distinguished Alumni Award, the Serra Club Outstanding Religious Award, and was bestowed the Papal Cross pro Ecclesia et Pontifice by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008. Sister Mary Rita volunteered for many years at Saint Vincent Hospital. She is retired and resides at the Sisters’ Community Living Center

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