Sister Elizabeth Erbland, a native of Fairport, celebrated 50 years as a Maryknoll Sister May 19 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, N.Y., along with 12 other sisters celebrating jubilees. Sister Erbland has been a missioner and educator in the Philippines and the United States.
Sister Erbland’s brother, Maryknoll Father Philip Erbland, celebrated the Mass.
Sister Erbland taught in Binghamton and Fairport schools before entering the Maryknoll Sisters in 1963. Her home parish is Church of the Assumption in Fairport. She graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a bachelor’s degree in special education.
Her first assignment with Maryknoll was in the Philippines, where she taught at Maryknoll High School in Panabo (1966-72). She then spent a year teaching in Henrietta and then worked in the congregation’s Development Department (1973-77).
She became the Diocese of Rochester’s assistant superintendent for Urban Education (1977-82) and then began teaching in Rochester public schools. She was then appointed director of development for the congregation (1985-89). She taught in Newtown, Conn. (1989-91), studied Spanish for six months in Cochambamba, Bolivia, and then worked in education in McAllen, Texas (1992-2000). After eight years in family ministry, she moved to Asheville, N.C., where she taught English as a second language to immigrants, assisted in the Catholic Social Services food and clothing program, and participated in the Latino Advocacy Committee at St. Eugene’s Parish, Asheville.
Since 2012, Sister Erbland has worked in the Rogers Library at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.
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