Soon after Jean Rae Ringuette moved with her family from Jamestown to Fargo, she enrolled at St. Mary’s Elementary School. From there she went to Sacred Heart Academy from which she graduated in 1948. After working for a few years at the AC (now NDSU) she entered the convent and received the name Sister Mary Paula claiming St. Paul the Apostle as her patron saint.
Her bachelor’s degree is from the College of St. Scholastica. She holds two master’s degrees one in Religious Studies from the University of Detroit and the other in Adult Christian Community Development from Regis University. She taught at St. Anthony’s School (Fargo), St. James Academy (New Rockford) and at Shanley High School. She ministered at the NDSU Newman Center and the UND Newman Center and promoted team ministry in rural areas.
For 16 years Sister Paula served in the administration of her Religious Congregation, Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She was Director of the North Dakota Catholic Conference for seven years and chaired the planning committee for the Fargo Diocese Centennial observance. Her governing board memberships include Riverview Place, Catholic Family Service (Catholic Charities), Home on the Range, North Dakota Conference of Churches, Region XI Leadership Conference of Women Religious, Villa Nazareth, Valley City Mercy Hospital, Lisbon Area Health Center, Carrington Health Center, Church Women United and the Fargo Catholic Schools.
Whatever her job title has been over the years, her work has always been focused on education. In that she is a true daughter of Nano Nagle.
