History

In 1874 the immigrant children at St. Columba School in Youngstown, Ohio needed teachers. So on September 18 of that year six Ursuline Sisters from Cleveland arrived in Youngstown to begin teaching at St. Columba School. The Ursuline Sisters soon became a welcomed presence in this area of northeastern Ohio. Before long, the sisters launched an academy that eventually evolved into the present day Ursuline High School in Youngstown, Ohio.

In less than nine short years, Ursuline Sisters were teaching at several local parish schools and quickly extended their educational plans to other sites in and around Youngstown, including Campbell, Struthers, Wellsville, Leetonia, Canton, and Girard.

When Youngstown became an official Diocese in 1943, Ursuline Sisters helped in setting up many of the new departments in the diocesan offices. By the 1950’s the Ursuline Sisters established programs of religious education for children with hearing impairments and developmentally disabled children. The Ursuline Sisters also found themselves working at Father Kane’s Camp in the summer and offering special educational programs in the inner city on Saturdays.

The sisters served not only in Catholic schools but also continued to work in other areas of special need. In the early 1960’s the Second Vatican Council called upon all religious women to examine their roots and to renew their lives. The Ursuline Sisters in Youngstown took this mandate seriously and like their founder, Saint Angela Merici, began clarifying the essentials of their lives together and discarding outmoded customs. With a renewed sense of service to the Church and the world, the Ursulines widened their service to include a variety of professions.

The Ursuline Sisters now sponsor a broad range of ministries, including the Beatitude House and the HIV/AIDS ministry. They are teachers, musicians, pastoral ministers, social workers, nurses, directors’ of non- profits, and retired professionals. The Youngtown Ursulines still are a vital presence in this corner of Ohio and beyond.

The sisters lived experience proves that a personal life as an Ursuline Sister offers extraordinary opportunities to make a difference in the world. The women in the Ursuline community lead rich, full lives; are educated and have opportunities to grow and develop as women of our time.

An Ursuline Sister of Youngstown dedicates her life to bringing a nurturing presence to her service to others. She knows that her life is enriched by her commitment to prayer, community living and service to others.

Saint Angela Merici – The Founder of The Ursulines

Angela Merici was born in Northern Italy and lived on Lake Garda with her parents and sister, her closest companions. Angela diligently worked on her father’s farm and was also encouraged by her family to develop habits of prayer and fasting — which she continued to practice her whole life.

After the untimely death of her entire family, Angela went to stay with her uncle in a neighboring town. Angela, obviously quite distraught over this loss, prayed day and night to God for some sign that her family was in heaven. One mid-day during harvest Angela was alone in the fields when she experienced a life-changing vision: the heaven’s opened and angels and young women came toward her singing a melody, surrounded by light. One of the young girl’s was Angela’s sister. From this experience, Angela knew it was her purpose to establish a community of religious and dedicated young women — thus the foundation of the Sisters of Ursuline Order was laid.

Angela spent her early life helping others as a member of the Third Order of Saint Francis. She led a simple life, with only a few hours of sleep a night — much of her waking hours were spent praying.

When Angela was 40 years old she was asked by the Order to travel to the aid of Caterina Patengola, who had just lost her husband and two sons. On her way to Brescia, Angela came to meet up with a religious reform movement, Divino Amore, that catered to the needs of the time.

They established infirmaries for those suffering from syphilis, cared for widows and their families, and founded an orphanage and a shelter for former prostitutes. Here, Angela encountered people and experiences that proved to be especially significant in her later life. In only a few short years, a group of men and women gathered around Angela as their spiritual center.

By 1532, Angela has assembled a small group of women who were her followers and together they embarked on the formation of Angela’s community. By 1536, Angela had won approval from the Diocese for the first Rule written by a woman for a community of women. On November 25, Angela assembled her 28 companions and followers for a founding ceremony.

On January 27, 1540, Angela died in her small room close by the Church of Saint Afra. There was nothing extraordinary about her death, she went quietly home. Although, she did leave behind an extraordinary legacy in her life’s work and to the millions of women who have served God as an Ursuline Sister.

This page has the following sub pages.

• googlec98780bab4c05ede