The Ursuline Sisters have left an indelible mark on the city of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley for nearly 150 years. Their mission of advocating for the humanity and divinity of all people has touched countless lives.

In recognition of their work, there's a new exhibit at the Tyler History Center in Youngstown that showcases the remarkable contributions and unwavering service these dedicated women have made.

"Most of the items here are items that were part of our history," Sister Patricia McNicholas said. "For example, one of the cases you will see a chalice that was engraved in 1902 as a gift to Mother Lawrence who was the leader of the community from the late 1800's to the 1920's. There's a lot of photographs, there's a lot of art by the Sisters, so there is a painting by Sister Alice Marie who studied in Florence, Italy so there is a picture of Florence that she painted."

The exhibit features a treasure trove of historical photos, artifacts and artwork that embodies the spirit and mission of the Sisters.

"It is a wonderful feeling to realize you've been in this Valley making a difference in this community for 150 years and you see the work of the Sisters in the past and how that continuity but change has taken place," Sister McNicholas said. "It struck me for example that when we found pictures of the very early days teaching, you can look at it and tell they are teaching immigrants and we're still teaching immigrants today."

It's a testament to the enduring impact these incredible women have made and will continue to make.

"Our goal is to not have this be about the past but about the future and to say this mission is going to continue," Sister McNicholas said. "The nuns came from Cleveland and Toledo 1874, 1878 and they created a mission here and we're still serving people with HIV Aids, we're still serving the homeless, we're still serving immigrants, we're still serving low-income women helping them get through post-secondary education, we have a legacy, we have a vision."

There are currently 27 Ursuline Sisters backing a number of ministries and if you are looking to help, they could use monetary donations.

"We're starting a campaign to assure the long-term care of the Sisters themselves, the long-term viability of all these ministries and we're starting construction of 45 units of assisted living within our mother house that will be a benefit to the whole Mahoning County community but we will certainly need some help with construction costs," Sister McNicholas said.

You can see the exhibit at the Tyler History Center from now until Sunday, April 21, 2024.