80 YEARS

Sister Rachael McGuire, SSJ

 Sister Rachael McGuire, SSJ, is 102 years old, but she still recalls going to morning Mass every day as a young woman. Before leaving for her job at a local hospital, Sister Anna Therese would say to her, “I think you should be a Sister.” The icon of our Mother of Perpetual Help, which hangs in the chapel of the Sisters of St. Joseph Community Living Center in Erie, helps Sister Rachael keep answering that call all these years later. In 1940, Sister Rachael entered the Sisters of St. Joseph from St. Agatha Parish in Meadville. She professed her final vows in 1946. A graduate of St. Agatha High School, Meadville, she earned a bachelor’s degree in social studies from Villa Maria College in 1940. She later received a bachelor’s in English, also from Villa Maria College. She holds a master's degree in English from Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., and a master's in French from Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts. Sister Rachael ministered as a teacher for more than 55 years in several diocesan schools, including Holy Rosary, St. Ann, St. Andrew, St. Patrick, St. Peter, Villa Maria Academy and Cathedral Prep, all in Erie; St. Francis in Clearfield; St. Agatha High School in Meadville; and Bradford Central Christian in Bradford. She also worked at Saint Vincent Hospital and was the pastoral minister at St. Julia Parish, Erie. Sister Rachael currently is retired and living at the Sisters of St. Joseph Community Living Center.

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75 YEARS

Sister Jerome Eustace, OSB (IN MEMORIAM)

 Sister Jerome Eustace, OSB, 94, died June 27, 2020, at Mount St. Benedict Monastery in Erie. She was in her 75^th year of religious life, having entered the community after graduating from St. Joseph High School, Oil City. Sister Jerome ministered in elementary education throughout the Diocese of Erie for 35 years, both as a teacher and principal at the following schools: St. Mary and Mount Calvary, both in Erie; St. Joseph and St. Stephen, both in Oil City; Immaculate Conception, Clarion; and St. Gregory, North East. She later served as a nurse aide for 15 years, and then engaged in contributed services at Mount St. Benedict Monastery, Erie, where she was a community driver, receptionist and long-time infirmary laundress. Up until the end of her life, she assisted the kitchen staff with daily chores and ministered through prayer and presence.

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75 YEARS

Sister Mary Agnes Zore, RSM

 While a student at St. Mary School in St. Marys, Mary Agnes Zore and a friend, Viola Schwabenbauer, shared a mutual desire to become Sisters of Mercy. In fact, they drove to the motherhouse in Titusville and entered together on Sept. 2, 1945. “The greatest influence to enter religious life was the calling from the Lord himself. It was a call that I felt from childhood,” says the 75-year jubilarian. For 40 years, she taught in grade schools in the dioceses of Erie and Pittsburgh. Holding a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, she taught at the following schools: Ss. Cosmas and Damian, Punxsutawney; St. Michael, Greenville; St. Justin, Pittsburgh; St. Patrick, Franklin; St. Titus, Titusville; and St. Catherine of Siena, DuBois. Also, she found joy in ministering to the sick and bringing joy to others. From 1988-91, she was a parish visitor at Ss. Cosmas and Damian Parish. Later, she served her community as a driver for the infirmary. Today, she devotes her time to prayer ministry.

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70 YEARS

Sister Marjorie Adams, SSJ

 Sister Marjorie Adams, SSJ, first became acquainted with the religious life while living and studying at Villa Maria College in Erie. The spirit and spirituality of the Sisters of St. Joseph, exemplified by joy, dedication and concern for others, led her to enter the community in 1951 from her home parish of St. John the Evangelist in Girard. She professed final vows in 1956. Sister Marjorie attended Rice Avenue Union High School in Girard, and Villa Maria College in Erie. She taught at Holy Rosary School, Erie, before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. She served as chief pharmacist at Saint Vincent Hospital, Erie, and later as pharmacy director, purchasing agent and materials manager at Spencer Hospital in Meadville. She then ministered at Saint Mary's Home of Erie as a nurse aide before continuing her education at Pace University in New York. She ministered as a nurse practitioner-coordinator at Booker T. Washington Center, Martin Luther King Center, and Community Health Net, all in Erie, and then served as a school nurse for the Erie School District. In her retirement, Sister Marjorie volunteers in the nursery at Saint Vincent Child Care Center and is busy gardening, cooking, knitting, visiting the sick, reading and praying. Sister Marjorie believes her sustaining inspiration is the simple life of Jesus as written in the Gospels.

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70 YEARS

Sister Agnes Marie Hughes, SSJ (IN MEMORIAM)

 Sister Agnes Marie Hughes, SSJ, 90, died Oct. 3, 2020. From the time she was about five years old, Sister Agnes Marie knew she wanted to be a religious sister. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania in 1950 from her home parish of Immaculate Conception, Osceola Mills, and professed final vows in 1956. She graduated from Osceola Mills High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Villa Maria College in Erie. Sister Agnes Marie taught at St. Ann, Blessed Sacrament, Holy Rosary, St. Andrew, St. Joseph and St. Patrick schools, all in Erie; at St. Leo School in Ridgway; and St. Francis School, Clearfield. She also ministered at Erie Day Nursery, Houtzdale Catechetical Center, and as an infirmary assistant for her congregation. She provided home care for her brother for several years and retired from active ministry in 2011. In her retirement, she participated in the Sisters of St. Joseph prayer card ministry.

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70 YEARS

Sister Mary Claire Kennedy, SSJ

 As a student at Villa Maria College in Erie, Sister Mary Claire Kennedy learned of the rich social teachings of the Catholic Church and met individuals, both lay and religious, who lived their faith seriously. These experiences led her to join the Sisters of St. Joseph from her home parish of St. Joseph in Erie. Sister Mary Claire graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Erie’s Villa Maria College. She later earned a master’s in organic chemistry and a doctorate in biochemistry from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Sister Mary Claire taught at Villa Maria Academy and at St. Peter Cathedral School in Erie. At Villa Maria College, she served as the chemistry department’s chairperson and an associate professor. She was a clinical chemist and an instructor in the School of Medical Technology and School of Nursing at Saint Vincent Hospital, Erie. She served as a visiting professor at the Institute for Enzyme Research at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She was a professor of biochemistry at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Additionally, she was a visiting scholar on the biology faculty at the University of Konstanz, Germany, and was the recipient of a fellowship from the German Academic Exchange Service. Sister Mary Claire also served as research consultant at Gannon University in Erie. She served on her congregation’s council and was its social justice coordinator for many years. In 2015, she was the recipient of the Archbishop Oscar Romero Award from Mercyhurst University, and in 2018, she was honored locally during National Catholic Sisters Week for her work in social justice. Sister Mary Claire retired from active ministry in 2017.

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70 YEARS

Sister Mary Rita Kuhn, SSJ

 Sister Mary Rita Kuhn, SSJ, recalls being encouraged by her 10th-grade religion teacher to do something special during Lent. The experience led her to start attending daily Mass. Today, she believes that special time of prayer and the example of the Sisters of St. Joseph led her to pursue a religious vocation. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph from her home parish of St. Andrew in Erie in 1960. She attended Villa Maria Academy and graduated from Villa Maria College, both in Erie. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, and later earned a master’s in teaching from Gannon University. She furthered her studies in elementary and secondary education at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. She taught at Villa Maria Elementary, Sacred Heart, St. Peter Cathedral School and Our Lady of Peace School, all in Erie; and at St. Francis School in Clearfield. Additionally, she was the principal at Our Lady of Peace School and Our Lady’s Christian School, both in Erie, and was administrator of Villa Maria Academy. Sister Mary Rita was vicar for religious in the Diocese of Erie from 1984 to 2011. She served on the Saint Vincent Health System’s board of corporators, the Gannon University board of trustees, and the National Conference of Vicars for Religious. Among the honors she received are the Gannon University Distinguished Alumni Award, the Serra Club Outstanding Religious Award, and the papal cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice. Sister Mary Rita volunteered for many years at Saint Vincent Hospital and is now retired.

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70 YEARS

Sister Edith Langiotti, RSM

 As she celebrates 70 years as a Sister of Mercy, Sister Edith Langiotti, RSM, continues to offer a caring presence to her work as sacristan at the motherhouse chapel in Erie, as librarian, and by helping keep the grounds a visual testimony of God’s creation. Throughout grade school and high school at St. Michael in Greenville, she knew that she would become a religious sister. She taught at Catholic elementary schools in the Diocese of Erie and was principal at Ss. Cosmas and Damian Grade School in Punxsutawney. She also was librarian at Mercyhurst Prep and Mercyhurst University, both in Erie. Additionally, she served as manager at Mercy Terrace Apartments, Erie, as motherhouse coordinator and as her community’s archivist. Reflecting on her religious life, Sister Edith says: “While these years have been very satisfying for me, I hope they have made at least a little bit of difference in the lives of those I have encountered on my journey through life.”

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70 YEARS

Sister Anne McGreevy, OSB (IN MEMORIAM)

 Sister Anne McGreevy, OSB, died June 13, 2020, at Saint Mary’s East, in her 70^th year of religious life. Born and raised in Oil City, she entered the Benedictine Sisters of Erie in 1949. For 58 years, she was best able to use her talents and gifts in the field of education. After 12 years as an elementary school teacher, Sister Anne went on to become an exemplary school administrator for 46 years in schools throughout the Diocese of Erie and in the dioceses of Cleveland, Ohio, and Arlington, Virginia. She served at the following schools: St. Mary, Erie; St. Joseph and Sacred Heart, both in Sharon; St. Michael, Fryburg; St. Gregory, North East; St. Stephen, Oil City; All Saints of St. John Vianney, Wickliffe, Ohio; St. Ann, Cleveland Heights, Ohio; and Our Lady of Good Counsel, Vienna, Virginia. From 2008-13, Sister Anne served as director of housekeeping projects at Mount St. Benedict Monastery, Erie. Until the end of her life, she was strong in spirit and remained active in the ministry of prayer and presence.

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70 YEARS

Sister Geraldine Olon, SSJ

 Sister Geraldine Olon, SSJ, entered the Sisters of St. Joseph from St. Joseph Parish in Oil City.in 1950, professing her final vows in1956. She attended St. Joseph High School in Oil City, and graduated from Erie’s Villa Maria College with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She also earned a master’s reading specialist degree from Syracuse University in New York. Sister Geraldine taught at Sacred Heart, Holy Rosary, St. Andrew schools and Villa Maria Academy, all in Erie; at St. Leo School, Ridgway; St. Mary School, Reynoldsville; and Elk County Catholic High School in St. Marys. She was the founder, president and executive director of the Word of Life Catholic Charismatic Renewal Center in Erie. She founded the Bread of Life Community and the House of Praise in Erie. Currently, Sister Geraldine is retired and resides at the Sisters of St. Joseph Community Living Center.

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70 YEARS

Sister Mary Louis Oslick, RSM

 Sister Mary Louis Oslick, RSM, recalls the influence of the Sisters of Mercy who taught her at St. Adriane’s Grade School in DeLancey, Pennsylvania, and the Order of Franciscan Sisters at Holy Redeemer High School in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. She entered religious life 70 years ago. Like her mentors, she became a teacher, ministering for 38 years at St. George School, Erie. She also taught at other diocesan elementary schools in DuBois, Erie, Greenville, Pittsburgh and Titusville. This year, she completed her volunteering as residence hall monitor at Mercyhurst University, Erie. Asked about her favorite ministry, she says, without hesitation: “Teaching! It enabled me to make a difference, to touch so many lives. I had students whose parents and grandparents were my students. Being a teacher and having a positive influence is so important in the life of a child.” Sister Mary Louis notes that being a Sister of Mercy helped her to find a “great confidence in God and trust in God’s providence.” Her advice to anyone seeking religious life: “Pray and follow your heart.”

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70 YEARS

Sister Stephanie Wagner, SSJ

 During high school, Sister Stephanie Wagner, SSJ, heard a vocation talk that God might be calling. She discerned that thought for about a year and a half before realizing she was being called to religious life. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph from her home parish of Immaculate Conception in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. She professed her final vows in 1956. She graduated from Villa Maria College, Erie, with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She also earned a master’s in mathematics from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and studied gerontology at Gannon University in Erie. Sister Stephanie taught at St. Andrew, Villa Maria Elementary, Sacred Heart, St. John, St. Peter Cathedral and Blessed Sacrament schools, all in Erie; at Holy Rosary School in Johnsonburg; and at St. Bernard School in Bradford. She ministered at St. Joseph Home for Children in Erie, the Mercer County Catechetical Center and at Erie’s Holy Rosary Parish as diocesan consultant for the hearing impaired and special education students. For many years, she ministered as coordinator of Rosary Hall Infirmary and Marycrest Infirmary for her congregation. Currently, she Is a volunteer, visitor and Eucharistic minister at Saint Mary’s Home at Asbury Ridge. She visits nursing homes on behalf of St. Andrew Parish, Erie.

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65 YEARS

Father Rocco A. Tito

 At 93, Father Rocco Tito continues to inspire those with whom he lives at Wesbury Retirement Community in Meadville. As a resident, he had for many years supported the Catholic population by saying Mass and offering sacraments. He considers the Eucharist, care for the sick and meditation among the most inspiring aspects of his life. A native of St. Bernard Parish, Bradford, Father Tito’s first assignment was as parochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish, Warren. He was chaplain at Warren State Hospital and served as a moderator of the Christian Life Communities and the Warren and McKean Catholic Youth Councils. In 1965, he was appointed parochial vicar at St. Brigid Parish, Meadville, and was named chaplain at Allegheny College. He also served as a chaplain at Saint Vincent Hospital, Erie, from 1967-71. Father Tito was pastor of two parishes: St. Paul, Erie, and St. Walburga, Titusville. In Titusville, he was presented the Titusville Area Health Center’s Humanitarian Award for having a positive impact on health care services. Additionally, he was named diocesan director of the Apostleship of Prayer. In 2002, he became senior associate of St. Brigid Parish, Meadville, retiring in 2010.

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60 YEARS

Sister Judith Bohn, OSB

 Sister Judith Bohn, OSB, attended Erie’s St. Mary’s School and St. Benedict Academy before entering the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, where she has been a faithful monastic for 60 years. Initially, Sister Judith served in various roles in the Erie diocesan school system, first as a primary teacher and then as an office staff member at the following elementary and secondary schools: St. Mary, Erie; St. Joseph, Sharon; St. Michael, Fryburg; and St. Stephen and Venango Catholic, both in Oil City. After that, she was a nurse aide at Mount St. Benedict Monastery, Erie; a typist for the former Benet Press (the community’s print shop); and did secretarial work for outside employers. In 1979, Sister Judith became a foster mother to very young babies who eventually would be adopted. She fostered babies for 15 years and provided unconditional love at a very crucial time in their early development. Sister Judith is presently a member of the business office staff, where she has served for 22 years. She is a joy-filled presence to all, and her kindness and care are evident in all that she does.

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60 YEARS

Sister Mary Herrmann, SSJ

 From her earliest memories, Sister Mary Herrmann felt she wanted to be a religious sister. Educated by the Sisters of St. Joseph, she entered the community in 1960 from her home parish of St. Ann in Erie. She made her final profession in 1968. She graduated from Villa Maria Academy, Erie, and earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Erie’s Villa Maria College. Later, she earned a master’s in nursing administration from Boston University. She also received certification in advanced nursing service administration by the American Nurses Association. She ministered for many years in nursing/patient services and as executive vice president at Saint Vincent Hospital. She then ministered as a nurse clinician at the Booker T. Washington Center in Erie. She was admitted to the Honor Society of Nursing. For her religious community, she served as vice president for 10 years before co-founding the Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Network in 2000. She was the ministry’s executive director for 11 years before serving as her congregation’s president from 2011-19. In 2004, Sister Mary was recognized by the Mercy Center for Women as one of its Dynamic Dozen, Women Making History. She is a past recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Award and the received numerous other community distinctions. Currently, she serves on the boards of the Sisters of St. Joseph, the Shankar Service Foundation, and the SSJ Mission and Ministry Foundation. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, she was an active volunteer at the Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Network.

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60 YEARS

Sister Karen Kosin, OSB

 Sister Karen Kosin, OSB, a native of Erie’s St. Hedwig Parish and a graduate of St. Benedict Academy, has been a vowed Benedictine Sister of Erie for 60 years. For 29 years, she was an elementary teacher at the following schools in the Diocese of Erie: Mount Calvary and St. Mary, both in Erie; St. Stephen, Oil City; St. Joseph and Sacred Heart, both in Sharon; St. Gregory, North East; and Immaculate Conception, Clarion. In 1988, Sister Karen joined the staff of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwestern Pennsylvania. From 1995 until the present, she has served as product resource manager for Second Harvest. Sister Karen’s concern for the hungry and her careful, meticulous approach to her work serve the food bank well. She also served as oblate co-director for the Erie Benedictine community. From 1993 to 2006, she worked closely with oblates, helping to strengthen them in their commitment to living the Benedictine way of life through a meaningful relationship with the community.

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60 YEARS

Msgr. Henry L. Krebs

 Msgr. Henry Krebs, who grew up attending St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Clearfield, brought his priestly ministry to a close in 2003, when he retired from the same parish as a senior associate. During his 60 years as a priest, he was active in education, often handling weekend assistant duties at parishes near the schools where he was assigned. Among those parishes were St. George, Erie; St. Boniface, Kersey; St. Catherine of Siena, DuBois; and Sacred Heart, Sharon. Upon ordination, he began work at Erie’s Cathedral Prep before moving to Elk County Catholic in St. Marys, where he became assistant headmaster. His next assignment was as high school headmaster of what is now called DuBois Area Catholic. He then spent two years as high school headmaster at Kennedy Catholic, Hermitage, before being named pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, DuBois, in 1982. He remained at St. Michael’s for more than 20 years. Msgr. Krebs was named a Chaplain of His Holiness with the title of monsignor by now Pope St. John Paul II in 1991.

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60 YEARS

Sister Miriam McMullen-Pastrick, OSB

 Sister Miriam McMullen-Pastrick, OSB, entered the Benedictine Sisters of Erie after graduating from St. Joseph High School in Oil City. She is known for her compassionate heart and warm, welcoming presence to all. The academic world is where Sister Miriam found her niche as a teacher. Her career in education spanned 53 years, including five years in elementary education, 13 years in secondary education, and 35 years as a college professor. She taught at the following schools in the Diocese of Erie: Mount Calvary, Erie; and Sacred Heart and Kennedy Catholic, both in Sharon. She earned a doctorate in speech communication and then taught for 35 years at the following institutions of higher learning: Mercyhurst University, Erie; the University of Denver, Colorado; St. John’s University, Minnesota; and Penn State Erie—The Behrend College. In 2017, Sister Miriam retired from Penn State Behrend. Sister Miriam was always concerned for the good of her students, and they, in turn, found in her a person who genuinely cared for them and who was always interested in their welfare.

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60 YEARS

Sister Jean Wolbert, OSB

 Sister Jean Wolbert, OSB, was born and raised in Oil City and entered the Erie Benedictines after graduation from St. Joseph High School. As a faithful monastic the past 60 years, she served for 38 years in elementary schools, first as a classroom teacher before specializing in music and becoming a music teacher. She taught at the following schools in the Diocese of Erie: St. Mary and Sacred Heart, both in Erie; St. Joseph, Sharon; Immaculate Conception, Clarion; St. Gregory, North East; and St. Michael, Fryburg. For 14 years, Sister Jean served as community liturgist, putting her liturgical education from the University of Notre Dame to good use. Today, she maintains a strong involvement in music ministry at Mount St. Benedict Monastery, Erie, where she adds a special beauty to the liturgy with her flute playing. In 2010, she began serving as director of hospitality, the ministry in which she is presently engaged. She is known for extending a warm and gracious welcome to the many guests who visit the monastery.

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50 YEARS

Father Raymond C. Gramata

 As he celebrates 50 years of priesthood, Father Ray Gramata remains active as the pastor of St. Bernard or Clairvaux Parish in Bradford, where he has served since 2011. As a result of pastoral planning implemented in 2017, Father Gramata took on another parish, St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Bradford, which includes the secondary mission church of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Lewis Run. His role as a pastor of partnered parishes is a testament to the fact that throughout life, priests are called to accept change and growth. A native of Cleveland, Father Gramata first served as parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish in Warren. He later pastored St. Anthony in Sheffield, St. Agatha in Meadville, and St. Bernadette in Saegertown. He also spent a significant portion of his priesthood — 30 years — as chaplain at Saint Vincent Hospital, Erie, and another five as chaplain at Warren State Hospital in Warren. Father Gramata also has represented his brother priests well during several terms serving on the Presbyteral Council on behalf of various deaneries including Erie, Meadville and Bradford.

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50 YEARS

Father James J. Kennelley

 Father James Kennelley’s priesthood has included parish and school assignments; he also has made an impact on many people’s lives through his work as spiritual director for both the Cursillo movement and Engagement Encounter. Father Kennelley, a native of St. Bernard Parish in Bradford, was first assigned as a parochial vicar at St. John the Baptist, Erie, after ordination. He went on to become pastor at several parishes, including St. Joseph, DuBois; Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mercer; St. Philip, Crossingville; and St. Lawrence, Albion. His teaching assignments led to time at both Kennedy Catholic High School in Hermitage, and Elk County Catholic High School in St. Marys. After earning a doctorate in counselor education from Penn State, Father Kennelley served as an instructor at Gannon University, Penn State and Mercyhurst University. He also worked as a drug and alcohol specialist at the Community Counseling Center in Hermitage. Prisoners benefited from his assignment at FCI McKean County, while senior citizens were aided by his successful work securing a $2.25 million HUD grant for building Tushim Manor, an affordable housing residence for seniors in Mercer.

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50 YEARS

Father Daniel J. Kresinski

 Father Daniel Kresinski’s list of assignments during his priesthood reads like a tour of the Diocese of Erie. Retired since 2017, he served as pastor at St. Patrick Parish, St. Casimir Parish and St. Stephen Parish, all in Erie. He also was administrator of Immaculate Conception Parish, Erie; Sacred Heart, Sharon; St. Raphael, Eldred; St. Mary, Sartwell; St. Theresa, Shinglehouse; St. Anthony, Sharon; Holy Trinity, Farrell; St. Adalbert, Farrell; and St. Joseph and St. Michael the Archangel, both in DuBois. Father Kresinski has said he finds inspiration in Matthew 28:19: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” He was able to live that out in a particular way while serving with the Missionary Society of St. James the Apostle in Lima, Peru, from 1979-84. He later brought that experience to bear as director of the diocesan Mission Office and as director of the Spanish Catholic Apostolate for the diocese.

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50 YEARS

Msgr. Henry A. Kriegel

 Msgr. Henry Kriegel, a native son of Holy Rosary Parish in Johnsonburg, has served as pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Erie, for more than a decade. Located in downtown Erie, the parish adopted the moniker “The Spirit of the Bayfront,” and Msgr. Kriegel empowers parishioners to fulfill that role. Under his leadership, volunteers oversee a food pantry serving hundreds of people each week. They also co-host a week of shelter and food for the homeless through a city-wide effort each winter. Msgr. Kriegel served as parochial vicar at Sacred Heart in Sharon, St. Joseph in Oil City, and St. Jude the Apostle, Erie, before becoming pastor of the latter in 1986. He briefly served as pastor of St. Francis Xavier, McKean, and administrator of Mount Calvary, Erie, before his current assignment. He also pastored Erie’s St. Hedwig Parish from 2009 until it was merged with St. Stanislaus Parish through pastoral planning in 2017. Known for his skills as a writer and speaker, he served as editor of the Lake Shore Visitor for 10 years beginning in 1976. He and a team of parishioners continue to livestream Mass on Sunday mornings.

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50 YEARS

Father Philip M. Oriole

 Since his ordination 50 years ago, Father Philip Oriole has served many parishes throughout the Diocese of Erie. Now retired, he currently is a priest-in-residence at St. George Parish, Erie, where he provides sacramental assistance and coverage for priests who are away. Father Oriole was parochial vicar at St. Bernard Parish, Bradford; St. Michael Parish, Greenville; Notre Dame Parish, Hermitage; St. Thomas, Corry; and Our Lady of the Lake, Edinboro. He served as pastor at the following churches: St. Eusebius, East Brady, and its mission of St. Richard, Rimersburg; St. John the Baptist, Erie; Sacred Heart (co-pastor), Erie; Mount Calvary, Erie; and St. Lawrence, Albion. In Erie, he served as a Catholic chaplain for the Erie County Prison. Also, he carried out temporary assignments at parishes in Corry, Oil City and Rouseville, and served as an administrator for one year at St. John in Tidioute and St. Anthony in Tionesta. While serving as pastor of St. Lawrence, he was administrator at St. Philip, Crossingville, and was chaplain for the State Correctional Institution at Albion. After his retirement from St. Lawrence in 2017, he served as a temporary administrator at the three parishes that comprise the Catholic community of Meadville. Some of his assignments involved working as a campus minister at local colleges/universities (Thiel College, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, and Edinboro University of Pennsylvania). Today, he continues to serve as a senior priest advocate on the diocesan priest retirement board.

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50 YEARS

Sister Margaret (Margie) Park, RSM

 Sister Margaret Park’s spiritual walk began early, nurtured by her Roman Catholic mother, Mildred Park, “a woman of deep faith,” and her Presbyterian father, Charles Park, who gave her the seed of love for the Scriptures. When she was four years old, she would sit happily with Sister Maureen Pyne while her mother attended Mass at Immaculate Conception Church in Brookville. “Her joy left a permanent touch within me,” she says. Years later, she met more Sisters of Mercy while attending Immaculate Conception School and Mercyhurst University, Erie. The golden jubilarian taught at St. Luke School, Erie, and Msgr. Geno Monti School, Farrell, before teaching and serving for 10 years as administrator at Mercy Center of the Arts preschool from 1977 to 2010. She also served on the leadership team for the Sisters of Mercy in Erie from 2000-04. Since 2010, she has been co-director of the Rural House of Mercy, which serves the DuBois Deanery in the Diocese of Erie. “God’s presence enlivens my experiences of sharing the Scriptures, visiting the frail and lonely, burying the dead, and serving the underserved in many ways,” she says.

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50 YEARS

Msgr. Robert J. Smith

 In his 50 years as a priest of the Diocese of Erie, Msgr. Robert Smith has held many titles: monsignor, chancellor, vicar general, director of clergy personnel, judicial vicar, and member of the bishop’s college of consultors, personnel board and Presbyteral council. For this Oil City native, the most effective way to serve people is with lightheartedness and sincerity. It is what helped him do his job in diocesan administration the past 43 years. He retired last March. For about 20 years, he served as judicial vicar of the Marriage Tribunal Office of the diocese, enlisting the expertise of religious sisters and priests. He also founded the NOVA program for people experiencing second marriages, and he worked closely with divorced and separated Catholics. He was active in the Cursillo movement and Pre-Cana outreach. He served as director of the Permanent Diaconate Program since its inception in 1991, and he helped plan and launch the opening of the Priest Retirement Residence, for which he served as its first director. Early in his priesthood, Msgr. Smith was a parochial vicar and later served for six years in team ministry at Sacred Heart Parish, Erie. He also said Mass regularly for Our Mother of Sorrows Parish, Erie.

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40 YEARS

Father William J. O'Brien

 Father William O’Brien has served many parishes and schools throughout the Diocese of Erie during his 40 years as a diocesan priest. A native of St. Bartholomew Parish, Sharpsville, he spent his first years as a parochial vicar at Holy Rosary, Erie, and St. Brigid Parish, Meadville. He was a member of the faculty at the following schools: Elk County Catholic, St. Marys; Kennedy Catholic High School, Hermitage; Venango Catholic High School, Oil City; and Bradford Central, Bradford. As a weekend assistant at St. Ann Parish, Farrell, he also served as chaplain to the Saint John XXIII Home. He was administrator at different times at Our Lady, Help of Christians, Oil City; Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Oil City; and St. John the Evangelist, Girard. For two years, he was a weekend assistant at St. Walburga Parish, Titusville. From 2004-12, he served as pastor of St. John the Evangelist, and for the following five years was pastor of St. Andrew Parish, Erie. Since 2017, he has been pastor of St. Callistus Parish in Kane.

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40 YEARS

Father Matthew J. Ruyechan

 Father Matthew Ruyechan began his 40 years as a priest as a member of the Croatian Franciscan Fathers. After serving Franciscan parishes in Illinois, Milwaukee and Wisconsin, he moved to the Shenango Valley in 1995 to serve as pastor of St. Anthony Parish, Sharon. While in Mercer County, he also served for three years as administrator of St. Ann in Farrell. In April 1995, he officially became a priest of the Diocese of Erie and was named pastor of St. Stephen Parish, Oil City, and administrator of St. Venantius in Rouseville, positions he held until 2017 when he was appointed pastor of St. Adalbert and Our Lady of Fatima, both in Farrell, and St. Anthony and St. Stanislaus Kostka, both in Sharon. During his years as a diocesan priest, he also served as a dean for the Oil City Deanery and was a member of the Presbyteral Council and the bishop’s college of consultors. In the Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2016, Father Ruyechan served as a minister of mercy for the diocese. He says the priests of the Diocese of Erie “have been a fabulous group of guys.”

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40 YEARS

Father Richard C. Tomasone

 Father Richard Tomasone has experienced the priesthood in various capacities over the past 40 years: as pastor, administrator, dean, Catholic school faculty member and president, even coach. For the latter, he was inducted earlier this year into the Mercer County Hall of Fame for his years of coaching the Kennedy Catholic High School girls’ basketball team. He coached at Kennedy while serving as a faculty member and assistant headmaster at Kennedy Catholic High School in Hermitage. While in Erie and serving as pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish, he continued honing his coaching skills as he led the Mercyhurst Prep junior varsity girls’ basketball team. Other pastorates include St. Bernard, Falls Creek; Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sykesville; St. Mary, Reynoldsville; and currently St. Joseph, Warren, and its mission St. Luke in Youngsville. While in the Shenango Valley, he also served as an administrator and weekend assistant at various parishes. For a couple years, he was chaplain at Christ the King Manor in DuBois, and for one year was on the faculty of St. Mark Seminary in Erie. He also served on the Presbyteral Council and as dean of the Erie East Deanery.

Congratulatory messages

40 YEARS

Father John A. Walsh

 Father John Walsh, a resident of St. Mary’s Home East, is celebrating his 40^th anniversary as a priest of the Diocese of Erie. He was ordained May 16, 1980. His home parish is St. Philip in Linesville. Immediately after ordination, he was named parochial vicar for a few months at St. Stephen Parish, Oil City. He then was named parochial vicar of Beloved Disciple Parish, Grove City, where he also served as campus minister for Grove City College. After eight years in Grove City, he was named administrator of St. Anne Church, Wilcox, and its mission of Holy Cross in Rasselas. During his priesthood, he served as pastor of three parishes: St. Michael, Fryburg; St. Peter in Conneautville; and St. Philip, Linesville. From 2014-15, he was sacramental/pastoral assistant at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Erie. For the past five years, he has been a resident at Saint Marys Home.

Congratulatory messages

40 YEARS

Father Gerald Wright, OMV

 We congratulate Father Gerald Wright on his jubilee while respecting his request not to be featured in a story. Please enjoy the following messages from those he has served.

Congratulatory messages

NEWLY ORDAINED

Father Kevin O. Holland

 Newly ordained Father Kevin O. Holland, a native of Our Lady of Peace Parish, Erie, has been appointed parochial vicar of Queen of the World Parish, St. Marys, and campus minister of the Elk County Catholic School System, effective through June 30, 2023. A graduate of Cathedral Prep, he entered St. Mark Seminary and earned his undergraduate degree in history from Gannon University. He went on to major seminary at Saint Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland. Bishop Lawrence Persico ordained him to the diocesan priesthood in May 2020, at St. Mark Seminary Chapel. Since he was about 10, he always wanted to be a priest. That call was affirmed in high school when he took service trips to Kentucky and Frenchville. He also went on mission excursions to Guatemala and to the Mission of Friendship, an outreach coordinated by the Diocese of Erie and the Archdiocese of Yucatán in Mérida, Mexico. In 2013 and 2016, respectively, he attended World Youth Day events in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, and Krakow, Poland. Of his priesthood, he says, “I hope I am able to help remind people that they’re never alone in their trials, that people in the church are always willing to listen to whatever pains or joys they are going through.”

Congratulatory messages

NEWLY ORDAINED

Father Joseph A. Petrone

 Newly ordained Father Joseph Petrone has been appointed parochial vicar of St. George Parish, Erie, effective until June 30, 2023. Bishop Lawrence Persico ordained him to the diocesan priesthood on May 29, 2020, at St. Mark Seminary Chapel in Erie. Baptized Methodist and raised in Wesleyville, he attended the Lawrence Park United Methodist Church and graduated from public elementary and high schools. In 2010, he enrolled at Gannon University after spending a year studying aerospace engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. He became active in campus ministry at Gannon and felt called to seek reception into the Catholic Church. In April 2012, he was confirmed and received first Eucharist. Two years later, he earned his undergraduate degree in biology, and in 2016, a degree in philosophy. Father Petrone went to major seminary at Saint Vincent in Latrobe. Of his priesthood, he says: “First and foremost, I have a love for the Lord and a desire to share him with others. When we go out to people, we must bring the Lord to them."

Congratulatory messages

Adams, SSJ, Sister Marjorie
Bohn, OSB, Sister Judith
Eustace, OSB, Sister Jerome
Gramata, Father Raymond
Herrmann, SSJ, Sister Mary
Holland, Father Kevin
Hughes, SSJ, Sister Agnes Marie
Kennedy, SSJ, Sister Mary Claire
Kennelley, Father James
Kosin, OSB, Sister Karen
Krebs, Msgr. Henry

Kresinski, Father Daniel
Kriegel, Father Msgr. Henry
Kuhn, SSJ, Sister Mary Rita
Langiotti, RSM, Sister Edith
McGreevy, OSB, Sister Anne
McGuire, SSJ, Sister Rachael
McMullen-Pastrick, OSB, Sister Miriam
O'Brien, Father William
Olon, SSJ, Sister Geraldine
Oriole, Father Philip
Oslick, RSM, Sister Mary Louis