Sister Joseta Ernest

Sister Joseta Ernest died on August 20, 2026, in Riddle Hospital and was buried on September 4, 2026, at Saint Joseph Villa. Given her earliest days at St. John Chrysostom in Wallingford and Notre Dame, Moylan, few would have imagined that she would be a faithful sister of Saint Joseph for over 60 years. Even Joseta would admit that she was not a teacher’s favorite. She always enjoyed entertaining others creatively, which may have endeared her to classmates, but not her teachers. She could have been voted most unlikely to enter the convent. But through those years, Joseta made lifelong friends and that was important to her.

Anyone who knew Joseta knew how much she loved her family. Her parents, her sister Kathy and her husband George, and their children were part of her daily conversation. When her nieces and nephews were young, she often enjoyed sharing stories of their antics. Some of them definitely took after their aunt!

Many of us knew Joseta enjoyed going to the beach, riding a bike, supporting all the Philly sports teams, and the String Bands. She was always ready for fun, especially if it included dancing. She had a great sense of humor and her laugh could fill the room and beyond. Many knew her as a woman of hope, with a confidence in God that led her to believe “everything happens for a reason.”

Over the past few months, as Sisters and Associates, we have been invited to pray with one of the core elements of our spirituality – self emptying love. While it may be difficult to define, we recognize it when we see it. In Joseta, we saw the lived experience of pouring out one’s life for others as a response to God’s invitation to love as Jesus did. Joseta’s faithful life was marked by her compassion, generosity, humility, and simplicity. Her life was one of self-emptying love, whether she knew it or not.

From her days as a teacher and her work with very challenging adolescents, to her 20 years serving the people of Chester as a social worker, she did all with an unassuming presence with only a desire to serve. As one author said of Jesus, his life was not one of love stored up, but of love poured out. The same could be said of Joseta. Life was not easy for her, but she carried her struggles while focusing on others. Her sense of humor was one of her great gifts. She could hold things lightly and help others do the same, without minimizing a difficult situation or another’s feelings.

She was practical in the way she faced life and shared what was important to her, not by her words, but in how she lived. When asked many times when she would retire from full-time ministry, she would generally just say “Why retire?” When, at age 75, she finally did, she shared herself as a volunteer at Divine Providence Village and visited the home bound in her parish. After visiting with one of these parishioners and administering Holy Communion, Joseta volunteered to take out the garbage. No task was too daunting or too menial.

Joseta, you gave your all to your family, your friends, and our dear neighbors. Your love, your laughter, your generous heart, have been gifts to so many of us. Finally, you deserve your rest in the arms of the God who first loved you.