Sisters to celebrate golden jubilee

Staff report

CANFIELD

The Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown will celebrate the golden jubilee of Sister Darla Vogelsang with a special liturgy and reception on Aug. 7 at the Motherhouse.

Sister Darla ministers as a Catholic chaplain for Humility of Mary Health Partners at its St. Elizabeth in Boardman and St. Joseph in Warren campuses.

Sister Darla visits with new patients of all denominations to provide spiritual care, either through the hospital or their own places of worship, offers prayer and support to patients and families in crisis situations, as well as the hospital staff.

She completed 1,600 hours of Clinical Pastoral Education with SUMMA Health Systems in Akron and in October 2010 received board certification as a hospital chaplain with the National Association of Catholic Chaplains.

Before becoming a chaplain, Sister Darla ministered for 22 years in elementary education, working as a teacher at St. Patrick and Immaculate Conception schools in Youngstown and as a principal at Immaculate Conception.

She also has worked in parish pastoral ministry at Immaculate Conception, Sacred Heart Church, and St. Patrick Church in Hubbard and St. Paul Catholic Church in Canton.

Sister Darla has served as assistant director of The Ursuline Center, the educational facility operated by the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown and served in full-time ministry at the Ursuline Motherhouse as a member of the community’s leadership team.

She also has served as coordinator of the liturgy committee and coordinator of retreats for the Ursuline Sisters.

Sister Darla is the daughter of the late Donald J. Vogelsang, who lived in Youngstown, and Kathleen Rowlands of Hubbard and her husband, the late George Rowlands.

A 1960 graduate of Ursuline High School, Sister Darla entered the Ursuline Sisters a few months later and began a year of postulancy.

She took her final vows Aug. 8, 1968.

Sister Darla earned a bachelor of science in education from Youngstown State University in 1964; a master of arts in reading from The University of St. Francis, Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1973; and a master of arts in pastoral studies from Loyola University Chicago in 1988.

Sister Nancy Dawson, general superior of the Ursuline Sisters, said, “The Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown have been gifted with the vocation of Sister Darla Vogelsang, whose multiple gifts she has generously shared with all those whom she serves.”

A video profile of Sister Darla will be available in August at www.theursulines.org.