Dominican Sister of Peace Sr. Mary Ann Connolly OP, a native of Cincinnati, OH, died on May 28, 2025, at Mt. Carmel East Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.
Sr. Mary Ann was born to John and Frances Koetters Connolly on June 3, 1932. She entered the congregation in 1952 and spent more than 70 years serving God’s people.
Sister Mary Ann was known as a dedicated missionary in Chimbote, Peru for many years. She was one of 24 Dominican Sisters of Peace who served there. On April 29, 2016, a celebration was held for the Golden Jubilee of the Sisters’ presence in Chimbote, where Sr. Mary Ann was in attendance.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts from St. Mary of the Springs College, now Ohio Dominican University, received a PhD in Spanish from Yale University in 1969 and completed course work in Madrid, Spain.
Her early ministry was in education and included teaching grade school in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New Mexico classrooms before taking positions as a faculty member and dean at both Ohio Dominican and Albertus Magnus Universities.
After spending time in higher education, she transitioned to pastoral care and missionary work in Peru from 1984 to 1996. She then became the director of Catholic Charities at the Diocese of Venice, Florida from 1997 to 2001.
For the next ten years, Sr. Mary Ann returned to Peru for more missionary work and then returned to the Columbus Motherhouse where she served as the leadership team secretary. She entered her final ministry of prayer and presence in the Dominican Sisters of Peace Mohun Health Care Center.
In the preaching at her June 11 funeral, Prioress Sr. Pat Twohill, OP said, “The first reading from Isaiah speaks of the Messianic Banquet that Mary Ann now fully enjoys. ‘On this mountain, prepared for ALL peoples is a banquet of rich foods and fine wines… on this mountain our loving God lifts the mourning veil, the shroud, that enwraps all nations and destroys death for ever--wiping away the tears from all of our cheeks.’”
Sr. Pat also added, “Sr. Mary Ann reminded me of Pope Francis--living life to the fullest right ‘till the end. Mary Ann saw her life as a Dominican religious ‘as an adventure.’”
Sr. Mary Ann Connolly is survived by her nieces and nephews. A Vigil of Remembrance Service was held June 10, 2025, at the Motherhouse Chapel in Columbus. The funeral liturgy took place at the same Chapel on June 11, 2025, followed by burial at St. Joseph Cemetery. Memorial gifts in Sr. Mary Ann’s memory may be sent to the Dominican Sisters of Peace, Office of Mission Advancement, 2320 Airport Drive, Columbus, OH 43219, or submitted securely at oppeace.org.