Passaic County proclaims Irish American Heritage honorees Ursula Ehret and Sister Colleen Clare

Passaic County officials read and approved proclamations recognizing Ursula Ehret and Sister Colleen Clare during an Irish American Heritage Month observance at a March meeting of the Passaic County Board of County Commissioners.

The proclamations, presented during the board's ceremony, honored Ursula Ehret for decades of community involvement and named Sister Colleen Clare, FMA, as the county's 2025 Irishwoman of the Year.

The board read a summary of Ursula Ehret's biography during the ceremony, noting she was born and raised in Brooklyn, is the eldest of six children, attended Hunter College and taught in the Wayne school system until retiring in 1996. The proclamation also referenced family roots in counties in Ireland, parish membership, volunteer work with Little Sisters of the Poor Auxiliary and Birthright, and travel to Ireland with a parish group. After the proclamation, Ehret, identified in the record as 93 years old, thanked the board and offered a prayer-like blessing: "May your morning spring joy and your evening spring peace. May your troubles grow less as your blessings increase."

The board also read a proclamation for Sister Colleen Clare, summarizing her background as one of 16 children, her academic credentials (a bachelor's in elementary education and religious studies and a master's in educational leadership), more than three decades as a Salesian sister, service as a vocation director during which the transcript records that 58 young women entered the order, and leadership roles at several Catholic schools. Sister Colleen accepted the honor and noted her gratitude, saying she received it "in the name of every Salesian sister" and reflecting on service overseas and the "beautiful gift" of life in the United States.

The presentations included an invocation by Father Ryan and musical accompaniment by a pipes-and-drums group. Staff and officials thanked event volunteers and parish representatives; staff member Lou (identified in the record as the clerk) and others offered logistical notes, such as sodabread and local pub hours tied to the Saint Patrick's Day weekend. The board recorded motions and roll-call votes to approve proclamations and to proceed with the meeting agenda during the same session.

The proclamations were presented as part of the board's broader ceremony and did not, in the transcript, trigger follow-up actions or policy items. Meeting minutes show the recognitions were followed later in the session by routine administrative reports and the board's consideration of budget-related resolutions.