Former Religious Name: Sister Immaculata
Home parish: St. Leo Ridgway, PA

Sister Margaret Frank felt a call to religious life late in her senior year of high school. She had been taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph throughout grade school and high school and was inspired by the peace and joy they brought to their ministry. In June of her senior year, a Sister of St. Joseph asked her to consider a vocation to religious life. Soon after, Sister Margaret found herself saying aloud that she was going to become a Sister of St. Joseph—a decision that surprised even her. From that moment, she knew her call was from God and never looked back. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph on September 2, 1954, from her home parish of St. Leo in Ridgway and professed her final vows on August 15, 1960.

Sister Margaret graduated from St. Leo Elementary and High School in Ridgway before earning a Bachelor of Arts from Villa Maria College in Erie in 1964. She later received a Master of Education from Edinboro University in 1974. She also continued her studies at Fairfield University in Connecticut and Boston College in Massachusetts.

Sister Margaret dedicated her life to education, serving as a teacher and administrator in schools throughout the Diocese of Erie. She taught at St. Peter Cathedral, St. Patrick, Blessed Sacrament, St. Andrew, and Villa Maria Elementary Schools in Erie, as well as St. Bernard School in Bradford and St. Agatha School in Meadville. She also served as principal of Sacred Heart School in Erie from 1968 to 1974.

Following her years as a teacher and principal, Sister Margaret served as an assistant professor and program director of Elementary Education at Villa Maria College. In 1976, she began her long ministry at Villa Maria Elementary School, where she served as Administrator and Principal for more than 30 years. During her years in education, she also spent many summers ministering at St. Joseph Home for Children in Erie and Harborcreek Home for Boys in Harborcreek.

Sister Margaret’s ministry has continued beyond her work in education. She served as Quality of Life Coordinator at Marycrest, the congregation’s infirmary, and at Heritage Apartments.

Throughout her life, Sister Margaret has been deeply influenced by the strong women of faith in her family, particularly her grandmother and mother. She describes them as women who lived their faith not through preaching, but through their actions—showing what it meant to follow Christ by doing “small things with great love.” Their example, along with the faith of her aunt and sisters, continues to inspire her.

Sister Margaret also draws inspiration from Mary and her response to the Annunciation. Mary’s faithfulness and willingness to say “yes” to God, even without knowing what that yes would entail, reminds Sister Margaret of her own call. She is also inspired by the words of Micah 6:8: “This is what God asks of you, only this—to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God.” These words, together with the Sisters of St. Joseph mission of unity with God and neighbor, continue to remind her of the “yes” she gave to God so many years ago.

Sister Margaret has also been touched by the life and faith of Sister Carol Fischer, whose deep spirituality and pursuit of truth left a lasting impression on her. Sister Carol’s concern for injustice, particularly the poverty and disrespect experienced by women, challenged Sister Margaret while her unwavering trust in God’s presence offered a powerful example of faith.

Looking back on her many years of ministry, Sister Margaret considers herself deeply blessed. She is grateful for the opportunity to work alongside generous and dedicated lay women and men who reflect the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph in their relationships with students and parents. She also credits the many board members, Sisters, administrators, and others who have accompanied her throughout her ministry, enriching her life through their generosity, laughter, and love.

Through decades of service in education, leadership, and ministry, Sister Margaret continues to live out the simple yet profound “yes” to God that began in her senior year of high school.