For nearly 150 years, the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown have quietly and faithfully served the Mahoning Valley. In the last year, their mission has grown—and not just in spirit, but also in bricks and mortar.
Construction at the Ursuline Motherhouse in Canfield is nearing completion, transforming parts of the historic facility into a modern assisted living facility. But behind the drywall and fire suppression systems lies a deeper story: one of enduring faith, tireless service and commitment to the community.
Bishop David Bonnar visited the site on Monday, June 23. He toured the renovated spaces, celebrated Mass with the sisters, and even joined in a birthday dinner for 93-year-old Sister Marilyn.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my visit with the Ursuline Sisters,” Bishop Bonnar said. “Much of the facility has been beautifully transformed. I’m grateful to the Ursuline community for their presence, prayers and outreach. All the sisters are homegrown products of our diocese, and I saw again just how much they love this community.”
The project, begun in 2024, includes the reconfiguration of existing spaces and the addition of a fire suppression system. When complete, the facility will feature 45 assisted living suites, including 11 designed for memory care. The updates reflect both a practical need and a spiritual calling.
“Our two main goals are care for the sisters as long as they live, and to advance our mission,” said Sister Mary McCormick, general superior of the Ursuline Sisters and board chair of Ursuline Sisters Mission (USM), the nonprofit that operates their programs.
Eighteen sisters currently live at the Motherhouse, and many of the new residents will be among the order’s members, whose median age is 81. Still, most remain active in ministry—much of it in a volunteer capacity.
The majority of the sisters entered religious life as teenagers, usually around age 18. According to Sister Mary McCormick, they earned modest stipends and contributed financially to the community, which in turn provided for their lifelong needs—including food, housing and medical care. That model of mutual care and shared commitment continues today.
Founded in 1874 at the request of a priest from St. Columba Parish, the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown came to serve a growing industrial town in need of educators. “When a priest at St. Columba Parish asked his sister, an Ursuline Sister of Cleveland, for help, our ministry in the Mahoning Valley began,” said McCormick.
While the sisters’ original mission was education—and thousands of students have passed through their classrooms—today’s ministries include elder care, parish service and prayer. Through USM, their 90 employees serve over 1,500 people across Mahoning, Trumbull, and Ashtabula counties.
Those services are broad: housing for the vulnerable, meals for the hungry, support for those living with HIV/AIDS, educational programming for children and outreach to immigrants. The assisted living facility will also offer residents access to USM’s wellness and education programs.
“As Catholics, we respond together to the most critical needs of God’s people in the community,” said McCormick. “We live the Gospel and adapt our ministries to meet the needs of the times.”
Ursuline Sisters Independent Living, also operated by USM, serves adults 55 and older, while signature programs like Beatitude House and Ursuline Scholars focus on housing, education and advocacy.
The physical renovations to the Motherhouse—fresh spaces, enhanced safety features and modern amenities—are essential. But for McCormick, they are more than structural updates; they are tools for mission.
“Ursuline Sisters Mission maintains the vibrancy of our major programs,” she said. “These are rooted in the charism of our founder, Saint Angela Merici.”
And that charism—a combination of contemplation and action—continues to shine through the lives of these women.
“We are rooted in Gospel values of the Church that Jesus started 2,000 years ago,” McCormick said. “We are going to feed the hungry, care for the sick, give those in need clothing and whatever people may need.”
