Sister Patricia McNicholas, O.S.U., is a 1962 graduate of Cardinal Mooney High School.  She is currently the Executive Director of the Beatitude House where she supervises a program that provides transitional housing, educational opportunities, and career preparation for homeless women with children.  Prior to her appointment to Beatitude House, Sister Patricia was the Director of The Potter's Wheel from 1996 until 2001.  At The Potter's Wheel, she created a new program designed to provide educational opportunities and career preparation for low-income women.

From 19766 to 1989, Sister Patricia was a Director of Religious Education and Director of Catechist Formation for the Diocese of Youngstown.  In 1990, she was elected to a six-year term as General Superior of the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown.

She holds a Doctor of Ministry Degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton and has earned two Master's Degrees: a Master of Science in Administration from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Arts from the Catholic University of America.

Sister Patricia was named YWCA "Woman of the Year" in 2000 and serves on the boards of the Mahoning Valley Association of Churches, Catholic Charities Housing Opportunities, and the Ursuline Sisters Board of Trustees.