Sister Miriam Erb, formerly Polly Erb, was called home to God on December 27, 2025. She was born on March 22, 1939 to Robert and Miriam Erb and was baptized on April 16 of the same year. She entered the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine on August 30, 1957 and professed final vows on August 22, 1965. For nearly 70 years, she embodied the charism of her religious community and was a radiant example of God’s loving spirit.
Sister began her years of ministry in education. In 1963, she received her Bachelor of Science in Education from St. John College, and would go on to earn her Master of Science in Education from St. John’s in 1973. Sr. Miriam taught in primary schools across the Diocese, including Assumption in Brook Park, Holy Family in Stow, and Immaculate Heart of Mary in Cuyahoga Falls where she also served as Principal from 1974-1982. Sister Miriam would also later serve at St. Luke the Evangelist parish in Lakewood from 1994-2001. There, she engaged in the parish’s bereavement ministry and initiated the Social Concerns Committee along with numerous other community outreach programs.
Sister Miriam was also called to community leadership. She served as the Director of Formation for the Sisters of Charity from 1982-1988 and Director of Candidates from 1982-1984. In these roles, Sister assisted in the discernment of young women contemplating religious life, and many recall the compassionate grace that she brought to those conversations.
In 2001, Sr. Miriam was elected to her first term as Congregational Leader. She would go on to serve three four-year terms and was a pillar of support for her fellow Sisters. Sister Miriam also was a valued member of numerous boards, including Providence Hospitals, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, St. John West Shore, the St. Ann Foundation, Regina Health Center, and the Sisters of Charity Health System.
In 2014, she was named the Vice President of Mission and Ministry at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. Sister Miriam was passionate in her role, and became an invaluable presence of faith, comfort, and joy. She was a founding partner of the hospital’s Mission Kitchen program, where she ensured that all attendees were treated with dignity and respect. The week before she died, the Mission Kitchen team distributed food and clothing to almost 200 Central Neighborhood residents. Sister Miriam embodied the mission of the Sisters and the hospital by sharing her compassionate and loving care to everyone she met.
A woman of tremendous faith and strength, Sr. Miriam was undaunted by any of life’s challenges. She remained steadfast in her love and dedication to her family, Sisters, and all those she served. Her positive spirit and commitment to the poor is an inspiration to us all. She will be dearly missed. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Robert and his wife Mary. She is survived by her brother Thomas (Ruth) Erb and sister Pamela (David) Melville, numerous nieces and nephews, and her CSA Sisters and Associates.