Celebrating her 60th jubilee this year, Sister Joan Marie Harper — formerly Sister Marie David, a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia — entered religious life in 1956 from St. Bernadette in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. She credits her elementary school teachers, who all were Sisters, for the inspiration to consider religious life. As a member of the Franciscan Sisters, Sister Joan Marie earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Neumann College in Aston, Pa., in 1969, and spent 15 years in elementary education, 12 years as a teacher, and three as a principal in schools in North Carolina, Maryland and Delaware.
In 1974, Sister Joan Marie began a transfer process to the Sisters of Divine Providence. Spending two years at the Transfiguration House of Prayer in Butler, Pa. — a former sponsored ministry of the Sisters — she served as a core staff member of the House during this time. As a Sister of Divine Providence, Sister Joan Marie served with La Roche College as the Associate Director of Development from 1976 to 1978 and was on the college board of trustees from 1981 to 1985 and 1996 to 1998.
In 1980, Sister Joan Marie earned a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University in Chicago. She then began a long career in parish and church ministry. She served as Parish Minister in the Dioceses of Greensburg and Youngstown. From there, she spent six years as Associate Director of Family Life for the Diocese of Columbus and continued to serve the diocese in various roles: Episcopal Vicar for Religious; Episcopal Vicar for Church Ministry and Delegate for Religious; and Episcopal Moderator for Church Ministry and Delegate for Religious.
Since 2005, Sister Joan Marie has served as Pastoral Associate at St. Brigid of Kildare parish in Dublin, Ohio, in the Diocese of Columbus. She also is the president of Diocesan Holding Inc., an officer of the Diocese of Columbus Retirement Corporation and a chairperson of the Worship & Spiritual Life Committee at St. Brigid. Previously, she served on the Bishop’s Administrative Council for the Diocese of Columbus and the Board of Conciliation. In 1992, Sister Joan Marie received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal, also known as the Cross of Honour. The medal was established by Pope Leo XIII in 1888 and currently is awarded to both clergy and lay persons for outstanding service to the Pontiff or the Catholic Church. Her experience on transferring religious congregations and poems has been published in various journals, including La Roche University’s Creative Writing Journal, “Foreshadows.”
Sister Joan Marie said she finds her life and ministry very rewarding. “Being a religious is the greatest adventure anyone can ever have,” she stated. “In parish ministry, we are dealing with huge challenges, which also bring surprising rewards. It is a grace to be able to serve for and with God’s people.”