New leadership team for Ursuline Sisters to be installed Sunday

The general superior and council members will serve six-year terms.

CANFIELD — Sister Nancy Dawson will be installed as general superior of the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown along with other members of the leadership team during the Eucharistic liturgy Sunday at the Ursuline Motherhouse, 4250 Shields Road.

Monsignor John Zuraw, executive director of clergy and religious services for the Diocese of Youngstown and pastor of Immaculate Conception Church, will preside.

The nuns, who will serve six-year terms on the council, are Sisters Mary McCormick and Mary Alyce Koval, who served previously, and Sisters Charlotte Italiano and Norma Raupple.

Sister Regina Rogers is the outgoing general superior, and Sisters Darla Vogelsang and Therese Ann Rich served on the council.

The new team is charged with implementing the directional statement approved by the Chapter of the Ursuline Sisters, which was in January 2008. Chapter is an elected assembly of vowed members of the community, which is the highest governing body of the assembly when it is in session. The purpose of the Chapter is to promote the life and growth of the institute.

Sister Nancy of Youngstown, a daughter of the late Francis and Hannah Dawson, entered the Ursuline Sisters in 1958 from Immaculate Conception Church. Her previous ministries include teaching and serving as principal at St. Charles School in Boardman, Ursuline and Cardinal Mooney high schools, working from 1974-78 in the communications department for the Diocese of Youngstown and serving in parish ministry at St. Paul the Apostle Church in New Middletown. Sister Nancy has served two previous terms as general superior, 1984-90 and 1996-2002, and on council, 1980-84. Sister Nancy, who has served as director of the Ursuline Center, is an adjunct instructor in the Religious Studies Department at Youngstown State University. In 1999, she was honored as the Distinguished Alumna of the Year by Ursuline High.

Sister Mary, who was born in Colorado and reared in Youngstown, is a daughter of the late John McCormick and Martina McCormick. She entered the Ursuline Sisters in 1975 from St. Joseph Church in Austintown. Her previous ministries include teaching at Ursuline High and St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Louisville, serving as school consultant for religious education for the Diocese of Youngstown, pastoral ministry at St. Mary Church in Conneaut and serving as director of vocations and formation for the Ursuline Sisters. She is an associate professor of systematic theology at St. Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology for the Diocese of Cleveland.

Sister Charlotte, a Youngstown native and daughter of the late Pasquale and Clara Italiano, entered the Ursuline Sisters in 1955 from St. Patrick Church in Youngstown. She has spent most of her ministry in elementary administration at the former St. Patrick and Immaculate Conception schools and Holy Family School in Poland. In 2006, Sister Charlotte was appointed the director of the Ursuline Preschool and kindergarten in Canfield. In 2005, she was honored with the Lifetime Educational Service Award by the Beeghly College of Education at YSU for her outstanding contribution to education. Sister Charlotte also served two terms on the leadership team of the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown, 1990-96 and 1996-2002.

Sister Norma, a Youngstown native and a daughter of the late Dr. M. Carl Raupple and Clarita Raupple, entered the Ursuline Sisters in 1964 from St. Charles. Her previous ministries include teaching at St. Nicholas School in Struthers, St. Rose School in Girard, and Cardinal Mooney High, parish ministry at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Vienna, St. Jude Church in Columbiana and Immaculate Conception. For 10 years, Sister Norma worked in Brownsville, Texas, in the Ursuline Mission. She also has served the Ursuline Sisters as director of vocations and formation. She ministers at Beatitude House in Youngstown as coordinator of Hispanic outreach.

Sister Mary Alyce, a Youngstown native and the daughter of the late John and Margaret Koval, entered the Ursuline Sisters in 1965 from Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Youngstown. Her previous ministries include teaching at St. Nicholas and St. Rose schools and St. Luke School in Boardman. She has served as principal at St. Joseph School in Austintown and St. Rose and is principal at St. Charles. She also has served the Ursuline Sisters as director of formation and is a member of the Gamma Epsilon Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma.