Category: News & Media

Visit the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown Motherhouse in Canfield, Ohio and you’ll find it doesn’t look very different – outside or in — than when built in 1963. The Sisters have always been good stewards of the structure.

That’s not to say it hasn’t undergone additions, renovations and reconfigurations, but the Sisters make changes with prudence and a desire to retain and preserve.

December 2025 saw the completion of a $6 million transformation from a convent into a resident care facility that offers assisted living. When planning began in 2024, discussions included ways to preserve and adaptively reuse historical elements. In fact, the entire project adaptively reuses and revitalizes a building that has few other options for function.

It was 2011 when the living spaces were last reimagined and a three-phase transformation began. Dorm areas became 24 living spaces with private, handicapped-accessible bathrooms better equipped for the safety of the aging Sisters. Contemporary plumbing, electrical, and HVAC components were installed. The health care wing was modernized. Gone were outdated building materials, out-of-reach cabinetry, and window air conditioners.

The most recent project has modified those spaces again while expanding their security and purpose. The Sisters’ rooms and offices are now 45 assisted living suites, including 11 for memory care, which provide a safe home for the Sisters and lay residents. Bathrooms in public areas were modernized to accommodate people with mobility challenges. A safely-lit hallway replaces a dark garage area for walking from the Motherhouse/assisted living to the pool – itself renovated and rehabilitated in 2014 and 2022 – for aquatic exercise. A fire suppression system was installed throughout the building.

Whenever possible, existing spaces were renovated and rehabilitated rather than reconstructed.

For instance, with the help of paint, new carpet and fixtures, the former library is now a social room.

Wooden ceilings in our former living spaces no longer passed fire codes. Instead of discarding the planks, they were carefully dismantled and repurposed to become decorative elements around doorways of newly created rooms.

Antique stained glass was preserved and transferred from old dining room doors into new doors that meet state-mandated fire codes. It’s hard to distinguish them from the originals.

Much of the environment remains the same as it’s been for decades. Tables and chairs used in the Sisters’ Rayen Avenue convent, built in 1897 and occupied by the Sisters until they moved to Shields Road, find continued employment. A relief of The Last Supper restored after the St. Columba Cathedral fire in 1954 continues to stir faithful hearts from its longtime re-home opposite our chapel. Dining room tables purchased for the Motherhouse in 1963 provide the base for many pursuits in the social room.

Historical relics, photographs and artwork created by Sisters over the last 150 years continues to decorate the spaces, continues telling the story of their journey.

The renovation, revitalization and preservation undertaken as part of this project was a way to both care for these women in the present, into the future, and preserve their remarkable history.

The Ursuline Sisters celebrated their commitment to the Mahoning Valley with a 150th anniversary celebration in 2024. Since September 18, 1874, more than 200 Ursuline Sisters have dedicated their lives to helping the people of our community.

Through their nonprofit Ursuline Sisters Mission, the Sisters continue their mission and ministry by offering housing, food, health care, education, wellness and advocacy.

The Sisters’ median age is 82 ½. Most of the 23 remaining Sisters are still active in some type of ministry, although most of it is volunteer service.

For many parents, the birth of a new baby is a joyous occasion. 

But when a child is stillborn or dies shortly after birth, the heartache is felt by hospital staff as well as the family.

That gave Mindy, a labor and delivery nurse at St. Elizabeth Boardman and member of the Ursuline Sisters Prayer Shawl Ministry, an idea.

Shawls made by the group are given freely to people who need to feel wrapped in the comfort of God’s love. Why not make ones special for suffering moms and the children they must say goodbye to? 

Mindy’s idea was warmly accepted by the group. In the last few months, 10 sets of shawls have been made – a larger one for the mother, and a tiny matching shawl to envelop their little one when they’re buried.

Shawls for this special project are created with matching, soft white yarn. Mindy, longtime Prayer Shawl Ministry member Alice, and Youngstown State University honors student Mason have made shawls for this special project. Mason even created a little stuffed bear with a prayer shawl to go with his donation. 

Thousands of prayer shawls have been created by our group since it was founded by late Ursuline Associate Eileen W. Novotny in 2008. Anyone can come by our offices from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday to request one. We’re located at 4280 Shields Road, Canfield, Ohio, USA. 

Eileen’s husband, Ray, and other ministry volunteers also take shawls to area hospice and cancer centers, assisted livings and nursing homes, parishes, and a veteran’s clinic.

Planned giving is a meaningful way to support Ursuline Sisters Mission while also making thoughtful financial plans for your future. These gifts can have a lasting impact on the people and programs we serve, helping sustain our mission for generations to come.

There are several simple ways to include Ursuline Sisters Mission in your plans:

Include a bequest in your will
Name Ursuline Sisters Mission as a beneficiary of your estate. You may choose to leave a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or the remainder after other obligations are met.

Designate us as a beneficiary
Add Ursuline Sisters Mission as a beneficiary on your retirement plan, IRA, life insurance policy, or bank account. This is often as easy as completing a beneficiary designation form.

Give appreciated securities
Donating appreciated stocks, bonds, or mutual funds can support our mission while potentially providing tax advantages to you.

Make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)
If you are age 70½ or older, you can give directly from your IRA to Ursuline Sisters Mission. These gifts count toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) and may help reduce your taxable income.

Planned gifts of all sizes help ensure that our ministries continue to serve with compassion, dignity, and hope well into the future.

To learn more about planned giving options, please contact USM Development Director Sheila Donnadio at 330-793-0434 ext. 358 or speak with your financial advisor.

When Joe Fleming died in September 2024, a family lost a beloved member, and area nonprofits and faith-based organizations – including us – lost a devoted supporter.

Joe, cousin to Sister Patricia McNicholas, had long volunteered with Ursuline Sisters’ ministries. He was a successful businessman locally, so the executive insights he offered during board and committee work were invaluable.

“He just had a generosity and a wisdom,” remembers Sister Patricia.

That generosity continued after Joe’s passing. Joe’s family honored him with a memorial for Ursuline Sisters Mission, because the good we accomplish meant so much to him.

Many people are familiar with 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, often read at weddings, which begins, “Love is patient, love is kind.” It was Joe’s favorite passage.

Joe’s wife, Mary Ellen, says their son Kevin observed that they could replace the word “love” with Joe’s name.

“He said often those words in that reading, and that that’s how you should run your business, run your life,” Mary Ellen says, noting that it’s a philosophy their entire family embraces.

“In his memory, his family wanted to keep the work he was so devoted to going,” Sister Patricia says. “What a difference it continued to make in his memory.”

Memorials are a lovely way to honor loved ones and help make the world a better place.

By creating a memorial for yourself or a loved one, you can ensure our care for poor and marginalized people in our community continues, and that the Ursuline Sisters – who devoted their lives to living the gospel – are cared for as they age.

If you’d like create a memorial for yourself or a loved one, you can do so by working with your funeral director.

To set up an estate gift, please contact Sister Patricia, our donor relations director, at 330-793-0434.

A group of 17 – 15 Ursuline Associates and Sisters Mary McCormick and Norma Raupple – recently returned from a two-week trip to Italy that started in Milan and ended in Rome, with visits to Desenzano and Brescia in between.

One of the hotels the group stayed in was on the shore of Lake Garda. Everyone agreed it was a highlight to visit Ursuline Sisters founder St. Angela Merici’s house and the Duomo where she was baptized.

Ursuline Associate Linda McClure said the group found the visit very emotional. “When we set foot on the driveway of this home, there were unexpected tears.”

The group also participated in events for the Holy Year of Hope. One highlight was having Mass in St. Peter’s Square with Pope Leo!  So many Italians congratulated our group as American pilgrims, saying, “We have an Americano Pope!”

“So very exciting to be able to celebrate Mass there with 70,000 others,” Linda says.

The experience resonated with the entire group, Sister Mary says.

“The pilgrimage was a wonderful experience on many levels as we were bonded in the presence and history of Angela,” Sister Norma says. “We established deeper relationships to carry us into the future of our charism.”

“The pilgrimage to Italy was an experience that deepened my rootedness in St. Angela and the charism she left for the church and the world,” Sister Mary adds.

Ursuline Associate Marianne Potina adds, “My experience in Italy has enhanced my understanding of the quiet power of a woman who listens to God’s call and acts, risking new things, and ready for big surprises!”

“We were able to visit many of the sites where St. Angela lived and worked,” she continues. “And we reflected on the ways that Sisters and Associates carry the charism in the 21st century.”

Sister Darla Jean Vogelsang feels at home surrounded by pieces of her lifelong passion for art, the environment, and her dedication to creating a beautiful liturgical space in the Ursuline Sisters Motherhouse chapel.

Sister Darla has always had a deep love for the Eucharist and the worship environment. She finds a sense of peace while arranging flowers, carefully adjusting the altar cloth, and decorating for the Liturgical seasons. Even the simple act of ironing the altar linens becomes a form of meditation for her.

She has a special talent for sewing that began in her teenage years. Sister Darla and her sister, Linda, would take a bus from Hubbard to Youngstown every Monday for eight weeks to attend a Singer sewing class. Both Sister Darla and her sister would eventually contribute their sewing talents to the church, including creating vestments for priests.

Along with teaching sewing through the USM Education Outreach program, Sister Darla helps shape the sacred atmosphere for liturgy and the Eucharist in the Motherhouse chapel as the Community Liturgist.

Her master’s thesis in Spiritual Studies from Loyola University, Chicago, focused on the chapel’s 1989 renovation, a collaboration between architects Buchanan, Ricciuti, & Balog, the creators of the magnificent faceted-glass windows, and the Sisters.

She was part of a team educated in the process of design and renovation of worship spaces. She and the Sisters spent two years thoughtfully discussing their vision for the chapel’s future.

“We talked about what we wanted it to become as we looked ahead,” she says.

“We recognized that we were an aging community, and bad knees would make kneeling difficult,” she explains.

A first change was moving the tabernacle and the reserved Blessed Sacrament to a private space, but still visible and separated for private devotion. Another big change was the removal of the pews and kneelers.

They opted for chairs with arms to make standing and sitting easier and which would allow rearranging the assembly seating for various services.

The sanctuary was recently repositioned to be more central, with the ramp and railing to allow better accessibility for readers and presiders.

Sister Darla follows the “Art and Environment in Worship” directives from the US Catholic Bishop’s office, which offers guidelines on how to appropriately decorate sacred spaces.

Everyone involved in liturgical decoration in a Catholic church is expected to study and follow these directives.

“I keep the environment simple and cohesive, adding flowers on the windowsills to decorate the assembly space, and making sure everything complements the focus of sacred space,” she says. “It’s all about creating a setting that draws people into prayer and reflection.”

The directives also ask that the work be done using quality skills and items.

“My greatest joy is when the chapel houses people,” she says. “It is more than a building, a beautifully designed and functional space. It is the House of the Church where people gather for prayer and worship and sense the Divine Presence in the Scriptures, in the Eucharist, and in each other.”

Sitting in the chapel, dressed in a blue blouse she made herself, she clasped her hands and gestured the well-known nursery rhyme: “Here’s the church, here’s the steeple, open the door, there’s all the people.”

Thanks to Sister Darla, the Ursuline Motherhouse chapel genuinely feels like home to all who gather there.

The Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown, our Associates, and Ursuline Sisters Mission mourn the death of our Holy Father Pope Francis. Since 2013, Pope Francis has been a beacon of mercy, hope, and love to people around the world, especially the poor, the sick, exiles, refugees, those who were imprisoned, as well as all those who felt isolated from the mainstream. He visited peoples around the world as a way to point to the value of the global human family. He also focused attention to the care of our earthly home and vulnerable populations.

Each Ursuline Sister and all our colleagues in ministry hope to honor his life and memory by our witness to gospel service and missionary discipleship.

CANFIELD – Ursuline Sisters Mission is honored to announce a generous donation of $300,000 from Fred Moran, co-owner of Window World, Boardman, to support the Fullness of Life, Future of Hope campaign. Mr. Moran presented a check during a ceremony in our Motherhouse Lobby April 12. This campaign is dedicated to ensuring compassionate care for the Ursuline Sisters in their retirement, sustaining the mission’s vital programs and addressing essential capital needs to continue its life-changing work.

In recognition of Fred Moran’s commitment to the mission and its ongoing efforts, the lobby of the Ursuline Motherhouse is being named in memory of his beloved wife, Lucy L. Moran, who passed away in January 2024.

As part of the campaign’s goals, the Ursuline Motherhouse is being renovated into a licensed assisted living facility that will provide care for both the Sisters and laypeople in need of support during their retirement years.

Fred and his family have been dedicated supporters of Beatitude House and Ursuline Sisters Mission for many years. In addition to his philanthropic contributions, Fred, alongside his son Pat Moran, co-owner of Window World, hosts an annual Golf Outing Tournament to raise vital funds to support the programs and services of Ursuline Sisters Mission and Beatitude House, which is dedicated to assisting homeless families and individuals with housing and educational opportunities.

The Golf Outing Tournament was originally founded by Fred’s daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Joe Vivacqua, after they connected with Sister Margaret Scheetz, founder of Beatitude House. She shared her mission to provide homeless women and children with the resources they need to achieve stability and success.

“We are deeply grateful for Fred’s continued generosity and the impact he and his family have made on our mission,” said Sister Patricia McNicholas, Donor Relations Director of Ursuline Sisters Mission. “We can always count on the Moran family to champion our work, particularly in improving the lives of the most vulnerable populations in our community, especially disadvantaged women and children.”

To celebrate your loved one by naming a site at the Motherhouse in their honor, and thereby supporting our important work, contact Sister Patricia McNicholas, donor relations director, or Sheila Donnadio, development director, at 330-793-0434.

Ursuline Sisters Mission is gospel service poured out into the world by the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown and their ministries. These include Beatitude House, Ursuline Sisters Senior Living, the Ursuline Education & Wellness Center, Education Outreach & Children’s Programs, Ursuline Sisters HIV/AIDS Ministry and Immigrant Outreach. The Sisters are celebrating 150 years of service in the Mahoning Valley.

CANFIELD – Construction to create an assisted living facility at the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown Motherhouse is almost complete, reports Brigid Kennedy, president & CEO of Ursuline Sisters Mission.

USM is the Sisters’ nonprofit that operates their programs.

The project began in 2024. It comprises the reconfiguration of existing spaces and the installation of a fire suppression system.

“We’re establishing 45 assisted living suites, including 11 for memory care,” Kennedy says. “Residents, who will include many of our 26 Sisters, will enjoy a range of services, such as activities, meals and medication support. Further, they’ll have access to such amenities as USM’s Education and Wellness programs.”

USM also operates Ursuline Sisters Independent Living for 21 people age 55 and older. Ursuline Sisters Senior Living, comprising the independent and assisted living, began in 2013 to meet the need for care of aging adults locally.

The Youngstown Ursulines marked their 150th Anniversary of ministry Sept. 18. Since 1874, more than 200 women have given their lives in service.

The Sisters’ median age is 81, notes Sister Mary McCormick, Ursuline Sisters general superior and USM board chair. Most are still in ministry, she says, with much of it volunteer service.

“Typically, women entered the Ursuline Sisters when they were 18. They earned a modest salary and contributed all to the religious community,” Sister Mary says.

“The religious community, in turn, has taken care of the needs of the Sisters, such as housing, food and medical care,” she continues. “We will continue to do this for the rest of our lives.”

Despite sound financial stewardship, the Sisters know their funds aren’t sufficient for that, so last year they initiated the major gift campaign Fullness of Life, Future of Hope. It’s raised $6 million of the $10 million goal.

Of that, $4 million will support care of the Sisters, $3 million will support establishing Ursuline Sisters Assisted Living, and the remaining funds will further the Sisters’ legacy by supporting USM’s programs.

Donors like businessman Greg Greenwood and his wife, Alice, have been a gift to the Sisters and USM.

“Their donating began with Beatitude House, working with families. From there they’ve embraced the larger scope of USM and expanded their donations to include the entire mission,” Sister Mary notes. “And as an added bonus, two of Alice’s great aunts were members of the community — Sisters Kathleen and Eileen Kelly.”

To aid in fundraising, Sister Patricia McNicholas, donor relations director, and the USM development team are soliciting naming opportunities for areas of the assisted living.

In 2024, USM invested more than $350,000 to reconfigure its former preschool to create a centralized office with funding provided by the Mahoning County Commissioners through the American Rescue Plan Act.

Through programs including Beatitude House, an HIV/AIDS Ministry, Scholars, Immigrant Outreach and Children’s Programming, USM’s 90 employees directly serve 1,500 people in Mahoning, Trumbull and Ashtabula counties, offering housing, food, healthcare, education, wellness and advocacy.

Many more people are served through USM’s and the Sisters’ presence and prayer.

YOUNGSTOWN — Beatitude House has received $140,500 in grant funding to support its efforts in helping fight addiction by delivering needed recovery support services, Brigid Kennedy, CEO, announced today.

The grant from the OneOhio Recovery Foundation will go toward providing a peer support specialist and other support, Kennedy said.

“Substance abuse is a major cause of homelessness,” said Whitney Washington, Beatitude House director. “This grant will allow us to add a peer support staff member with lived experience to work specifically with residents experiencing active substance abuse or are in recovery, allowing them to break free from the cycle of addiction.”

The grant is part of an inaugural round of approximately $51 million in funding made available by the Foundation as part of its mission to combat the opioid epidemic by supporting prevention, treatment and recovery programs and services in our communities. The grant money was funded by 55% of settlement funds that Ohio is receiving from the pharmaceutical industry as a consequence of its role in the national opioid epidemic.

The grant received by Beatitude House reflects the foundation’s commitment to supporting organizations on the frontlines of the addiction epidemic by advancing efforts that foster more resilient, healthier communities across Ohio.

Across Ohio, organizations like Beatitude House are working day in and day out to strengthen their communities that have been impacted by the opioid epidemic, said Alisha Nelson, executive director of the OneOhio Recovery Foundation.

“We’re pleased to partner with Beatitude House to support their efforts to save lives, rebuild families affected by addiction, and foster strong and resilient places to live,” Nelson said.

The recipients announced as part of the foundation’s first grant cycle were chosen after a robust review process that included evaluation by the local OneOhio Regional Board, the OneOhio Expert Panel and the foundation’s Board of Directors.

Grant recipients have demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing the opioid crisis. The funded initiatives are evidenced-based and align with Ohio’s approved abatement strategies, including prevention, recovery supports, services for impacted families and children, and many more.

A complete list of recipients can be found at OneOhioFoundation.com/GrantAwards.

OneOhio Recovery Foundation had an overwhelming response to the 2024 Regional Grant application process, with more than a half-billion dollars in funding requests submitted for the $51 million available this cycle. Organizations and leaders seeking to submit applications in the future can sign up on the foundation’s website here to receive updates.

About Beatitude House

Beatitude House has provided housing in the Mahoning Valley for over 30 years. While this program has always focused on the individual needs of each client, our program has evolved and adapted to meet the ever-changing needs of homeless families.

Beatitude House Permanent Supportive Housing currently provides 50 units of safe and secure housing for homeless individuals and families in Mahoning County. This program uses evidenced-based, innovative, outcome-driven interventions designed to assist our residents in obtaining and maintaining permanent housing in the community.

We employ a multi-level approach that addresses the economic, social and emotional barriers that have limited our residents’ ability to gain stability in their lives. Program services include case management, education assistance, employment assistance, financial literacy, mental health counseling, parenting programs and more.

By creating homes, providing educational opportunities and fostering healthy families, we provide them with the opportunity to transform their lives.

In 2016, the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown created Ursuline Sisters Mission to oversee the various ministries started by the Sisters, including Beatitude House. Ursuline Sisters Mission is gospel service poured out into the world by the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown and their ministries.

About the OneOhio Recovery Foundation

The OneOhio Recovery Foundation is a private, non-profit foundation created under the leadership of Governor Mike DeWine and Attorney General Dave Yost, and other state and local leaders, with the mission of advancing Ohio’s addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts now and into the future.

The Foundation is governed by a 29-member board from across Ohio and is funded by 55 percent of settlement funds that Ohio is receiving from the pharmaceutical industry as a consequence of its role in the national opioid epidemic. Funds support local efforts to prevent and combat addiction and are also invested to support those efforts for the long term.

Nearly a decade ago, Kevin Talley graduated from the Ursuline Sisters Mission Scholars Program.

We connected with him recently to discuss the program’s impact on his life.

Kevin resides in Pittsburgh with his family, where he owns two businesses and is a recruiter for UPMC.

He began his relationship with the Ursuline Sisters under a program with Sister Jerome Corcoran. When he was a social work student at Youngstown State University, he took Sister Nancy Dawson for World Religions and learned about our Scholars Program.

The demands of school and working full time were difficult, in addition to having experienced homelessness and other challenges. He wasn’t sure he was the best candidate for the Scholars program, but Sister Nancy (left, with Sister Jerome) encouraged him to take a chance.

“I entered the program with a 1.3 GPA but graduated with a 3.3 GPA,” he says.  As a first-generation student, “the program benefited my life, made my life easier.” It allowed him to work less and focus more on being a student.

He has advice for other non-traditional students juggling a full plate: “Hang around people who are like-minded, who get A’s and B’s. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Have fun but also keep an eye on your degree.”

One day, Kevin said, he’d like to be able to donate to the program himself to honor the memory of Sister Jerome, who “saw young people with bright futures and a love for learning very early on.”

A retired adjunct instructor of World Religions studies at Youngstown State University and former General Superior for the Ursuline Sisters’ community, Sister Nancy Dawson misters as a chaplain at Youngstown’s Ohio State Maximum Security Penitentiary.

Sister Nancy shares gospel readings for each Sunday of the year in her weekly classes at the prison. Inmates discuss how the readings relate to their personal journeys while being incarcerated.

One individual writes, “It does not take all that much to have all you need in this life. Prison has shown me how much money and time is wasted on acquiring an excess of what we really need.”

Another reflects, “I get excited when I hear that I am a part of God’s plan for the world. It’s nice knowing I have purpose.”

Several members of the Ursuline Sisters Mission staff and Ursuline Sisters Associates are letter writers with the ministry, and Ursuline Associate Gerry Mansour assists Sister Nancy with the organizational work.

The prison ministry reminds us that all lives are valuable and that the spirit can flourish everywhere. 

As Jesus said in Matthew 25: “For I was in prison and you visited me…I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least of my brothers, you did it for me!”

Artwork at right created by an incarcerated man for Sister Nancy.