Dominican Sister of Peace Ruth Hamel, OP (63), a native of Detroit, MI, died on March 27, 2023, at the Dominican Sisters of Peace Motherhouse in Columbus, OH.
Sr. Ruth was born on May 11, 1959, one of the eight children of Sarah Knight and Daniel Hamel. Of her religious vocation, Sr. Ruth said, “I owe it to my mother’s conversion. She was raised as a southern Baptist, but later in life she became Catholic. She loved the peace of the Church and was always drawn to that. Her religious fervor is what inspired me. She prayed the rosary and made sure I made it to Church. At an early age I developed a prayer life and that’s where it starts. And it’s that prayer life that set me on a path toward Christ.”
She entered the Congregation in 1996, made first profession in 2000 and took her final vows in 2005. She would have celebrated 27 years of religious life this year.
Sr. Ruth earned her Bachelor of Arts in Theology from the Congregation’s founded university in Columbus, OH, Ohio Dominican University. She completed further coursework at Oakland Community College to help her better serve in her ministries.
Sr. Ruth began her ministry at the Congregation’s St. Mary’s Retreat House in Oxford, MI, where she did office work and acted as a receptionist. After earning her Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Ohio Dominican University, Sr. Ruth began a new ministry as a Pastoral Minister and Adult Faith Formation leader at Immaculate Conception Parish in Columbus, OH. She served the people of that Church for eleven years, making many dear friends.
After her retirement in 2021, Sr. Ruth began a ministry of prayer and service at the Columbus, OH, Motherhouse.
Sr. Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, Daniel James Hamel, Sr. and Sarah Joan Knight Hamel, her brother, Gary M. Michael and her sister, Mary Hamel. She is survived by brothers, Daniel J. Hamel and James Hamel, sisters, Nancy J. Fretland, Mary L. Larsen and Lori Ane Hamel as well as many nieces and nephews. A Wake and Vigil of Remembrance Service was held at the Columbus Motherhouse Chapel on March 31, 2023. The funeral liturgy took place at the Columbus Motherhouse Chapel on April 1, 2023, followed by burial at St. Joseph Cemetery.
Sr. Ruth will be remembered for her quiet, caring nature and deep appreciation for community life.
Memorial gifts in Sr. Ruth Hamel’s memory may be submitted securely online or sent to the Dominican Sisters of Peace, Office of Mission Advancement, 2320 Airport Dr, Columbus, OH 43219.
To download a printable copy of this memorial, click here.