Obituaries

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…

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…

Marilyn Zimmerman, SSJ, 90, of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania, died on June 9, 2025, in the 72nd year of her religious life. She was born in Erie, PA, on May 17, 1935, the daughter of the late Louis F. and Bernice (McNulty) Zimmerman.  She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph from…

Sister Mary Claire Kennedy, SSJ, 96, of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania, died on May 23, 2025, in the 75th year of her religious life. She was born in Erie, PA, on November 24, 1928, the daughter of the late Charles and Bernice (Graney) Kennedy. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph…

Sister Mary Arnold Tann, SSJ, 93, of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania, died on May 5, 2025, in the 73rd year of her religious life. She was born on October 15, 1931, in Hamilton, Ohio, the daughter of Arnold and Margaret Chapman Tann. Her family later moved to Erie, where she graduated…

Sister Maria Onuffer, SSJ, 91, of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania, died on April  12, 2025, in the 74th year of her religious life. She was born in Lewis Run, PA, on September 17, 1933, to the late John and Anna (Hvizdak) Onuffer. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph from Our…

Rose Marie Chisholm, SSJ, 99, of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania, died on April 1, 2025, in the 78th year of her religious life. She was born on August 30, 1925, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the daughter of the late Hugh and Lillian (Vearse) Chisholm. She graduated from Watertown Senior High School in…

Sister Barbara Ann Vavreck, SSJ, 87, of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania, died on January 15, 2025, in Erie, in the 70th year of her religious life. She was born on December 11, 1937, in Philipsburg, PA, to the late Andrew and Barbara (Rusnak) Vavreck.  She attended Hawk Run Elementary School and…

Sister Ann Patrice Murnock, SSJ, age 100, of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania, died on January 8, 2025, in the 72nd year of her religious life. She was the oldest living Catholic Sister in the Erie Diocese. Born in Forest City, Pennsylvania, on December 13, 1924, Sister Ann Patrice was the daughter…