In Memoriam: Sister Paula Burke, OSB
January 29, 1937 ─ June 18, 2025
God of laughter and God of silence,
our sister Paula now knows the fullness of your love.
We will miss her expressive presence
and good-natured playfulness
even as we celebrate her new life.
In white face paint, without uttering a word,
Paula, the mime, invited us into hidden depths
with gesture and expression and spirit-filled grace.
Paula, the lover of life, sparkled with joy
in the presence of children and in the
sheer awareness of creation’s beauty—
trees, animals, and flowers, especially her daisies.
‘Tis truly a gift to be simple,
a gift that Paula spent a lifetime modeling for us.
May we, O God, find peace in simplicity,
joy in laughter, and grace in silence.
Amen
Sister Paula Burke, OSB, 88, died on June 18, 2025, at Mount St. Benedict Monastery in Erie. She was born in Erie on January 29, 1937, to Thomas and Bernadette Brand Burke, their only daughter among five sons. Thomas and Bernadette named their daughter Marilyn Ann and baptized her at Holy Rosary Church, their home parish.
Marilyn attended St. Benedict Academy and shortly after graduation in 1954 she entered the Benedictine Sisters of Erie. As Sister Paula, her name in religion, she made her final monastic profession on January 3, 1959.
Sister Paula taught grade school at St. Stephen and St. Joseph in Oil City, St. Gregory in North East, St. Michael in Fryburg, and St. Joseph and Sacred Heart in Sharon. She loved teaching the younger children and even after leaving teaching she remained attentive to the needs of children. In 1970 she completed her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Mercyhurst College. After leaving education she began working in various aspects of food service, first at St. Benedict Academy, then Mount St. Benedict Monastery, and Glinodo Center. She also spent several years as a manager at Smuggler’s Wharf in Erie.
Sister Paula’s gifts served the community in other ways—in the 1980s she was part of Fools on the Hill, the community’s clown ministry. She continued developing her skills as a mime and for many years contributed creatively to liturgies and other events. Sister Paula loved the outdoors, and her long walks doubled as care for the earth as she regularly collected litter along East Lake Road in front of the monastery.
She transitioned to internal ministries in 1991—in the monastery Business Office, groundskeeping, and as a community driver. Sister Paula retired from active ministry in 2020.
Sister Paula was preceded in death by her parents, twin brothers Wilbert and Gilbert, and brothers Richard and Paul. She is survived by her brother, Thomas and his wife Phyllis, many nieces and nephews, and her Benedictine Community.
Services will take place at Mount Saint Benedict Monastery: Sunday, June 22, Visitation from 2:00-5:00 p.m. and a Service of Memories at 7:00 p.m.; Monday, June 23, Visitation from 2:00-5:00 p.m. and a Mass of Christian Burial at 5:30 p.m. Interment will be Tuesday, June 24, at 8:30 a.m. at Trinity Cemetery. Brugger Funeral Homes and Crematory, Pine Avenue Branch, 845 East 38th Street, is handling arrangements.
Memorials may be made to the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, 6101 East Lake Road, Erie, Pennsylvania, 16511, click here.
