Home parish: Blessed Sacrament, Erie, PA

Sister Elizabeth Ann Niebauer, SSJ, has dedicated her life to education, accounting, and financial administration, serving schools, healthcare institutions, and community organizations with care and professionalism. Her ministry has combined a commitment to learning with a desire to help others, guided by her faith and the example of those who have influenced her life.

Sister Elizabeth Ann began seriously considering religious life after high school while working as a legal secretary. She found herself wondering whether there was greater meaning to life. The example of the Sisters at Villa Maria Academy, whose dedication and happiness deeply impressed her, along with her involvement in the parish Sodality, helped her recognize the possibility of a religious vocation.

Sister Elizabeth Ann entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1958 and professed her final vows in 1966. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Villa Maria College in Erie in 1968 and a Master of Business Administration degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1977. She continued her professional development through business education courses at Marywood College in Scranton, accounting coursework at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, and earned her Certified Public Accountant certification from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1985.

Sister Elizabeth Ann began her ministry in education, teaching at several schools throughout the region, including St. Andrew School and Holy Rosary School in Erie, Holy Rosary School in Johnsonburg, Villa Maria Elementary, St. Francis School in Clearfield, and St. Joseph School in Erie. From 1970 to 1972, she taught at St. Bernard School in Bradford, where she also served as principal.

Her professional path later expanded into accounting and higher education. She served as supervisor of accounts receivable at Spencer Hospital in Meadville before becoming an instructor at Villa Maria College. She subsequently worked as a staff accountant at local accounting firms and taught as an assistant professor at Villa Maria College and Mercyhurst College in Erie. From 1988 to 1990, she worked in accounts payable at Saint Mary’s Home of Erie before becoming vice president of fiscal services, a position she held until 2000.

In the years following 2001, Sister Elizabeth Ann served as an accounting associate at the Dr. Gertrude A. Barber Center in Erie, continuing her commitment to supporting organizations that serve others through her financial and administrative expertise.

Throughout her life, Sister Elizabeth Ann has found spiritual inspiration in Scripture, particularly the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. She is moved by the moment Jesus reveals himself to her as the Messiah and reflects on the personal encounter with Christ that the story invites. She also finds meaning in the Transfiguration, especially the Father’s declaration of Jesus as his beloved Son. In prayer, she appreciates the opportunity to be still and contemplate these sacred moments.

Her vocation has been shaped by the love and example of family, friends, and the Sisters of St. Joseph. She remembers her father as her hero, recalling how she followed him everywhere as a child. Her sister, Sister Lois Marie, was both her sibling and her best friend. She also credits the Sisters who taught her at Blessed Sacrament and Villa Maria Academy for demonstrating dedication, selflessness, and joy in religious life. Among those who have offered particular guidance and friendship are Sister Christine Quirk and Msgr. Henry Schauerman, who supported her involvement in the Sodality during her high school years.

Through her many years in education, accounting, and financial leadership, Sister Elizabeth Ann has put her gifts and professional abilities to the service of others. Her life reflects a commitment to faith, lifelong learning, and the mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph.