Former Religious Name: Sister Mary Zita
Home Parish: Sacred Heart, Houtzdale, PA

Sister Barbara Ann Zakutney, SSJ, formerly Sister Mary Zita, was born in Houtzdale, Pennsylvania, on July 15, 1934, to Stephen and Elizabeth Susko Zakutney. She attended Houtzdale Woodward School before continuing her education at Villa Maria College in Erie, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education in 1964. She also pursued additional studies at the University of Dayton and Edinboro University.

For Sister Barbara Ann, the call to religious life was nurtured through prayer, the example of her mother, and the influence of a dear friend of her mother’s who frequently visited their home. That friend became an important source of encouragement when Sister Barbara Ann began considering religious life. “The seed of my vocation was watered by a dear friend of my mother’s who frequently visited our home,” she recalls. “When I decided to enter the Sisters of St. Joseph, she was a great support.”

Sister Barbara Ann entered the Sisters of St. Joseph on August 31, 1951, from Christ the King Parish, formerly Sacred Heart Parish, in Houtzdale. She professed her final vows on August 15, 1957. From the beginning of her religious life, she found many ways to put her gifts at the service of others.

Much of Sister Barbara Ann’s early ministry was dedicated to the education and care of children. She taught at St. Patrick, St. John the Baptist, St. Ann, and St. Andrew schools in Erie, as well as St. Leo School in Ridgway. She also served as a housemother at the former St. Joseph Home for Children in Erie, where she cared for children and young people in a very personal way.

Her gifts in education eventually led to administrative responsibilities. Sister Barbara Ann served as principal of St. Ann School in Erie and later became the first principal of Spirit of Christ School, created through the merger of St. Ann and St. Casimir schools. Her years as an educator and administrator allowed her to contribute not only to the academic development of young people but also to the formation of the school communities in which she served.

Music was another important part of Sister Barbara Ann’s ministry. She shared her musical gifts by teaching piano and organ, including during her years of ministry at St. Leo. Through music, she found another way to encourage and enrich the lives of the children and young people entrusted to her care.

After many years in education, Sister Barbara Ann felt called to a new form of service. She returned to school to study nursing at Saint Vincent School of Nursing in Erie and became a registered nurse in 1986. She then served as a staff nurse at Saint Vincent Health Center for 17 years, working in the surgical unit. Her transition from education to nursing reflected the same desire to care for others that had characterized her earlier ministries.

Sister Barbara Ann also served the Diocese of Erie in other ways. In January 2001, she was appointed to the Diocesan Medical/Moral Advisory Committee, an appointment confirmed by Bishop Donald Trautman. Her experience in both healthcare and religious life provided a valuable perspective as she participated in this ministry.

One of the most personal expressions of Sister Barbara Ann’s ministry of care was her service to Father Joseph Kacprowicz following his retirement. She considers it a privilege to have served as his personal caregiver. Father Kacprowicz had also been someone who recognized her abilities, encouraged and supported her, and trusted her judgment and administrative decisions during her years of ministry.

Throughout her life as a Sister of St. Joseph, Sister Barbara Ann has been blessed by the people she has encountered. She remembers Sister Michelle Pillar as someone who particularly influenced her from her early days in the community. “Sister Michelle was full of love and life and I have tried to imitate her example,” Sister Barbara Ann says.

Reflecting on her years as a Sister of St. Joseph, Sister Barbara Ann recognizes the many personal connections that have shaped her vocation. “My life as a Sister of St. Joseph has been blessed with many personal contacts throughout the years in keeping with our mission,” she says. Whether she was teaching a child, caring for children at St. Joseph Home, sharing her musical gifts, nursing a patient, administering a school, or accompanying someone in need, her ministry has consistently centered on relationships and care.

A passage that expresses something of Sister Barbara Ann’s spirituality is Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.” These words reflect the trust that has accompanied her through the many chapters of her life and ministry.

Today, Sister Barbara Ann is retired and resides at the Villa Maria Community Living Center in Erie. Looking back over her years of service, her vocation has taken her through many different forms of ministry, but the heart of her calling has remained remarkably consistent: to use her gifts in caring for others and to respond generously wherever she is needed.

From the example of her mother and the encouragement of a dear family friend, Sister Barbara Ann’s vocation began as a seed planted in faith. Through education, music, healthcare, administration, and personal caregiving, that seed grew into a lifetime of service as a Sister of St. Joseph.