Posts by Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern PA
Sisters of St. Joseph Commemorate 10th Anniversary of Agrégée Vocation
In 2016, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania accepted nine women as the first Agrégée (ah-greh-ZHEY) members of the congregation. Agrégées are Catholic women called to permanently commit themselves to growing in a closer union with God through Jesus Christ by embracing the Sisters’ mission of unity and by closely connecting with the…
Read MoreWe remember . . . Sally Villa, SSJ
Sister Sally (Sarah) A. Villa, SSJ, age 81, of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania, died on November 17, 2025, in the 38th year of her religious life. She was born in Rochester, New York, on July 19, 1944, the daughter of the late Donald A. and Marion Kraft Gillette. She graduated from…
Read MoreU.S. Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph National Event
Hundreds of Sisters, Agrégées, Associates and Partners in Mission gathered in Kansas City, MO in July for the U.S. Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph Event which takes place every 5 years. This year’s gathering coincides with the 375th anniversary of the founding of the Sisters of St. Joseph in LePuy, France. The anniversary lent…
Read MoreNancy Prenatt, SSJ 60 Years
Formerly Sr. Ann Charles Home Parish: St. Venantius, Rouseville, PA Entered Sisters of St. Joseph: 1965 Final Profession: 1972 When she was a senior in high school, Sister Nancy Prenatt felt a call to serve God and God’s people, but she fought the notion of entering the convent. After graduation, she was trained by the…
Read MoreMary Herrmann, SSJ 65 Years
Formerly Sister Rosemary Home Parish: St. Ann, Erie Entered Sisters of St. Joseph: 1960 Final Profession: 1968 From her earliest memories, Sr. Mary Herrmann felt a strong desire to be a Sister. When she started school with the Sisters of St. Joseph, she knew more specifically that she wanted to be a Sister of St.…
Read MoreAngela Marie Servidea, SSJ 70 Years
Home Parish: Holy Rosary, Johnsonburg, PA Entered Sisters of St. Joseph: 1955 Final Profession: 1961 When I was in first grade at Holy Rosary School and throughout the years there, I had always felt a call to the convent. I was drawn to the Sisters, and I did not want to attend public school, but…
Read MoreAndre Feulner, SSJ 70 Years
Home Parish: St. George, ErieEntered Sisters of St. Joseph: 1955 Final Profession: 1961 Sister Andre Feulner recalls being influenced by Maryknoll magazine while in college. She felt a missionary call and went to the Sisters of St. Joseph, who were closer to home. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1955 from St. George Parish…
Read MoreMaria Assumpta Ruza, SSJ 70 Years
Home Parish: Holy Family, Erie Entered Sisters of St. Joseph: 1955 Final Profession: 1961 Sister Maria Assumpta Ruza says she knew since second grade at Holy Family School that she wanted to be a Sister. The prayerfulness of the Franciscan Sisters in the school always impressed her, and one of the Sisters told her that…
Read MoreJosephine DePetro, SSJ 70 Years
Formerly Sister Mary Anthony Home Parish: Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Bradford, PA Entered Sisters of St. Joseph: 1955 Final Profession: 1961 Sister Josephine DePetro recognized a call to religious life while in the eighth grade when Fr. Daniel Lord told her that she had a vocation. She pushed it aside, but prayed for guidance…
Read MoreStephanie Wagner, SSJ 75 Years
Home Parish: Immaculate Conception, Johnstown, PA Entered Sisters of St. Joseph: 1951 Final Profession: 1956 It was during a high school vocational talk when Sr. Stephanie heard that God may be calling her. She discerned this thought for about a year and a half, and then realized she was being called to a life of…
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