Sister Barbara Joan Lynaugh started out teaching in the Rochester Catholic schools, along with spending time at St. Paul's, Oswego and St. Mary's, Auburn.

In 1974, Sister Barbara Joan became a pastoral assistant, working with Father Henry Atwell, at St. Agnes, Avon. While at St. Agnes she worked closely with the funeral directors at Stephenson-Dougherty.

“I discovered that the bereaved were often overwhelmed with follow-up paperwork that led many to distraction and an inability to cope,” said Sister Barbara during her 70th Jubilee in 2020. “That experience guided me to my next ministry as a health insurance consultant where I helped people process their checks, pay their bills, and oversee their insurance plans.” From there Sister joined the Congregation’s finance office, working with the caring support of the SSJ Finance Director in coordinating health insurance for the Sisters.

During her Jubilee reflection she said, “Each ministry had its own challenges and all these ministries evolved one into the other.”