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Fr. Jerry Simmons Receives Priest of Year Award
We are excited to share that Fr. Jerry Simmons Received the 2026 Priest of Year Award! Fr. Jerry was chosen for this award based on his witness and service that strengthens the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Erie. The award was presented on June 2nd, when the Serra Club of Erie gathered for its…
Read MoreSSJ Participates in 2026 Relay for Life
The Sisters of St. Joseph are proud to participate in the annual Relay for Life of Erie County. The 2026 Relay for Life of Erie County raised $131,509.16 which exceeded the overall goal of $130,000. The Sisters of St. Joseph raised $5,300 as an organization, which exceeded the initial goal of $5,000. The Relay for…
Read MoreSSJ Mission & Ministries Foundation Launches BE KIND Coast to Coast
The SSJ Mission and Ministries Foundation has launched an initiative called ‘BE KIND Coast to Coast,’ with the goal of getting BE KIND clings to every US state. The next time you are at the SSJ Community Living Center or the Administration Building, be sure to pick up a BE KIND cling to share with…
Read MoreSr. Benita Repasky Included in WRAC Video
Catholic Charities USA has launched an immersive storytelling experience with a travelling museum exhibit that celebrates the power and transformative impact of service to neighbors. The People of Hope Museum: Faith-Filled Stories of Neighbors Helping Neighbors, celebrates the power of Christian service and its transformative impact on both giver and receiver. The travelling museum stopped…
Read MoreSSJ Organizes ‘You Are Not Alone’ Community Gathering
The Sisters of St. Joseph organized ‘You Are Not Alone,’ a community gathering to pray for immigrants, migrants, and refugees on Friday July 10th at the Erie Federal Courthouse. The event focused on supporting immigrants, migrants, and refugees by offering calm during a time of concern for immigrants and refugees nationwide.
Read MoreSSJ Employees Attend Spirits on Fire!
Almi Clerkin, Connor Herron, and Theresa Walsh
Read MoreSisters 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 MoreWe remember . . . Bernadine Gehringer, SSJ
Bernadine Gehringer, SSJ, formerly Sister Mary Michael, 87, of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania, died on June 19, 2025, in the 70th year of her religious life. She was born on September 15, 1937, in Erie to the late Elmer and Agnes Gehringer. Sister Bernadine would recall how, even as a young…
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