Home parish: St. Andrew, Erie, PA

Sister Ricarda Vincent, SSJ, was born Shirley Vincent in Erie, Pennsylvania, on December 29, 1931. She grew up in the St. Andrew Parish community and graduated from Strong Vincent High School in 1949. From an early age, Sister Ricarda was drawn to the spiritual life. She remembers being attracted to the quiet of the church and to the sense that somehow God was present there. Although she could not identify a specific moment when she first felt called to religious life, she describes her vocation as a gradual, constant, and consistent call that she sometimes tried to ignore but ultimately could not resist.

Looking back, Sister Ricarda has compared her experience of vocation to Francis Thompson’s poem The Hound of Heaven, which describes God’s persistent pursuit of the human heart. In time, she responded to that call and entered the Sisters of St. Joseph on August 30, 1952, from St. Andrew Parish in Erie. She made her first profession in 1955 and professed her final vows on August 15, 1958.

Sister Ricarda continued her education at Villa Maria College, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education in 1964. She later pursued graduate studies at John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio, earning a Master of Arts degree in Human Services in 1982. Her education prepared her for a ministry that would encompass teaching, administration, religious education, pastoral care, congregational leadership, and mission integration.

Education was an important part of Sister Ricarda’s early ministry. She taught at St. Patrick School, Blessed Sacrament School, St. Brigid School, and St. John-Holy Rosary School in Erie. She later served as principal of St. Joseph Home for Children and Holy Rosary School. At Sacred Heart School, she served as Director of Religious Education and Guidance Counselor, continuing her commitment to both the education and formation of young people.

Sister Ricarda’s ministry eventually expanded beyond the classroom. She served as Director of Religious Education at Holy Rosary Parish and as a pastoral minister at Sacred Heart Church in Erie. She also served as a pastoral minister and Director of Religious Education at Sacred Heart Parish and, for ten years, served as Adult Formation Director there. Through these ministries, she accompanied people of all ages as they sought to deepen their faith and live it more fully.

Her gifts for leadership and service also led Sister Ricarda into a variety of ministries within the Sisters of St. Joseph. She served as a congregation counselor, novice director, social justice coordinator, and president of the congregation’s Leadership Team. As a leader, she was able to draw upon decades of experience in education, pastoral ministry, and community service while helping guide the congregation in its mission.

In 2008, Sister Ricarda brought her gifts of leadership and mission to Saint Vincent Health Center, where she became its first Vice President of Mission Integration. In this role, she helped connect the work of healthcare with the values and mission at the heart of Catholic ministry. Her years of service in healthcare, parish life, education, and religious leadership reflect her ability to see ministry in many different forms.

Throughout her years as a Sister of St. Joseph, Sister Ricarda has been inspired by the faith of countless people. She credits her family with shaping her during her formative years and speaks with gratitude for the parishioners of Sacred Heart and Holy Rosary, whose faith and commitment have touched her deeply. She also recognizes the many Sisters with whom she has lived and worked, whose dedication and commitment have contributed to her own spiritual growth.

Sister Ricarda has also found inspiration in figures whose lives demonstrate courage, forgiveness, justice, and openness to God’s Spirit. She admires Pope John XXIII for his courage and openness to the Holy Spirit in calling the Second Vatican Council, as well as Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu for their commitment to forgiveness, peace, justice, and unity.

One of the Scripture passages that has particularly inspired Sister Ricarda is the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. She identifies with the disciples who walked with Jesus without recognizing Him until the breaking of the bread. For Sister Ricarda, the story is a reminder that Jesus remains present even during times of discouragement and fear, even when His presence is not immediately recognized. She finds particular comfort in knowing that Christ is always with us, especially in the Eucharist.

She is also inspired by the words of Father Pedro Arrupe, SJ, who wrote about falling in love with God and allowing that love to shape every part of one’s life. For Sister Ricarda, faith is not simply one part of life but something that can influence how a person lives, serves, loves, and responds to the world around them.

After decades of ministry, Sister Ricarda’s life continues to reflect the gradual call she first sensed as a young girl in church. What began as a simple attraction to the quiet and presence of God grew into a lifelong vocation of education, pastoral care, leadership, justice, and service. Her journey reminds us that God’s call does not always come in a single, unmistakable moment. Sometimes it is a gentle and persistent invitation that continues until we are ready to respond.

For Sister Ricarda, that call has led to more than seven decades of life as a Sister of St. Joseph—a life shaped by faith, service, compassion, and a continued awareness of God’s presence along the journey.