Each year, as the Thanksgiving season approaches, we take time to reflect on the many blessings in our lives and the ways our community gives thanks. Throughout November, we will shine a spotlight on the Sisters of St. Joseph and our four sponsored ministries: SSJ Mission & Ministries Foundation, St. James Haven, St. Patrick’s Haven, and SSJ Neighborhood Network.
Each of these individuals, ministries, and organizations embodies the Charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph through their commitment to serving their neighbors without distinction. Join us as we celebrate their meaningful work and give thanks for the difference they make in our community.
Sisters
Since their founding in 1650 in Le Puy, France, the Sisters of St. Joseph have lived-out unity of neighbor with neighbor and neighbor with God without distinction. Moved by the suffering they witnessed around them, the first Sisters lived among the people, responding directly to the needs of the poor and underserved.
Throughout the centuries, the Sisters have continued to live out this mission through service in education, healthcare, social justice, administration, parish ministry, and countless other areas. Today, in 2026, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania remain dedicated to living out their charism, building relationships, and serving their neighbors with compassion and love.
St. James Haven
Since 1997, St. James Haven has been providing a safe, welcoming temporary shelter for men experiencing homelessness in Crawford County. Offering more than just a warm bed, the shelter also provides hot meals and basic necessities for guests. On top of physical needs, the Haven also provides guidance, accountability, and connections to community resources that help guests achieve stability, independence, and permanent housing.
The Haven's Community Dinner fundraisers on the third Thursday of each month, bring the community together while raising much-needed funds to support their mission. The Haven is also excited about the addition of a new Transitional Living Center, which will provide continued support and structured housing for men in recovery as they work toward long-term sobriety, financial stability, and independent living. St. James Haven believes in offering a hand up, not just a handout, while treating every man with dignity, compassion, and respect. To learn more about St. James Haven, visit https://stjameshaven.org.
St. Patrick's Haven
Founded by Mary Fromknecht, SSJ in response to the homeless population near St. Patrick's Parish in 1984, St. Patrick's Haven has provided men in Erie with nightly refuge, food, comfort, friendship, and hope. Many of the men seeking shelter at the Haven experience homelessness due to addiction, mental health challenges, recent incarceration, or personal circumstances. Many are also veterans.
Through their ministry, the Haven also strives to hire people who have lived experience being unhoused to empathize with and care for the needs of all guests. All managers and assistants, who were former guests, are no longer homeless because they work for and reside at the Haven. Through their ministry, St. Patrick's Haven not only provides refuge for men, but also employment and a path forward. To learn more about St. Patrick's Haven, visit https://stpatrickshaven.org.
Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Network
The Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Network (SSJNN) was established in January of 2000 by Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern PA to meet the needs of impoverished residents of Erie’s Little Italy, and work toward revitalization of that blighted neighborhood. Sister Mary Herrmann, SSJ, and Sister Carol Wilcox, SSJ, accepted this work as their full-time ministry and set out to interview every neighbor and conduct a needs assessment. Programs were created accordingly, the very first being a weekly soup kitchen held in collaboration with St. Paul Church, and tutoring for children provided by generous volunteers.
SSJNN provides one-on-one advocacy for the residents, a weekly soup kitchen, emergency assistance with food and hygiene products, affordable housing, community gardens and seasonal farmers market, community bike programs, tutoring and a wide variety of enrichment programs for youth. In collaboration with the City of Erie and many other organizations, businesses, and individuals, SSJNN also works toward neighborhood revitalization and community and economic development.
SSJNN today serves neighborhoods across the core of Erie, bounded between East Avenue and Cranberry Streets, from 12th to 26th Streets. To learn more about SSJNN, visit https://www.ssjnn.org.
Sisters of St. Joseph Mission & Ministries Foundation
On January 1, 2015, the Sisters of St. Joseph established the Sisters of St. Joseph Mission & Ministries Foundation (SSJMMF) as the fundraising and grantmaking arm of the congregation. The mission of the SSJMMF is to build resources to support the congregation, its ministries, and other like-minded organizations. While the primary work of the SSJMMF is fundraising, its fundamental purpose is to unite with community members to advance the SSJ mission for future generations.
The SSJMMF recently secured a $40,000 grant from the Norbert H. Hardner Foundation and Serving Our Aging Religious (SOAR!) for the purchase of a new accessible 8 passenger van for the sisters, which will be arriving this year around Thanksgiving. The SSJMMF is also gearing up for the annual Thanksgiving Dinner, which delivers around 1,700 meals to neighbors in need in the Erie area. These efforts are just two examples of how the SSJMMF embodies the SSJ charism through direct support of the Sisters, as well as neighbors in the community. To learn more about the SSJMMF, visit https://ssjmmf.org.