Dominican Sister of Peace Thoma Swanson, OP, (98), a native of Kent, OH, died on January 9, at the Mohun Health Care Center, Columbus, OH.
Thoma was born to Marie Green and Murray Swanson in 1928. She entered the Congregation in 1950, made first profession in 1952 and took her final vows in 1955. She lived those vows faithfully for almost 75 years.
Thoma spent two years at the College of Saint Mary of the Springs, which later became Ohio Dominican University, and finished her undergraduate degree studying liturgical art at Cardinal Stritch College in Milwaukee. She later received her MA in Sculpture and Painting from the University of Notre Dame and her MFA in Painting and Printmaking from the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY.
Thoma began her ministry as an educator at Saint Mary High School in New Haven, Bishop Watterson High School in Columbus, and Albertus Magnus College, where she inspired students and nurtured their talents. She understood herself not simply as an art teacher, but as an artist who taught.
She later played a significant role in Albertus Magnus College’s Centennial, creating silk scarves inspired by the chapel windows she designed - now cherished by generations of graduates.
During a sabbatical in Chimbote, Peru, Sr. Thoma felt a deep call to missionary work. Moved by the beauty of local folk art and a commitment to women’s economic independence, she helped establish a legal cooperative through which Peruvian women could sell their handwoven tapestries.
Depicting scenes from Scripture and everyday life in Peru, these works became powerful expressions of faith, culture, and lived experience while also providing vital support for families. Today, these Tapicitos can be found in many locations. In this video, Sr. Thoma reflects on teaching tapestry-making as a way to nurture dignity, creativity, and sustainable income. The Tapicitos were later featured in an art show at the Martin de Porres Center.
Learning of her passing through social media, Rocio Torres León of Peru shared, “Rest in peace, dear sister. The Church of Chimbote thanks you infinitely for your presence and many services with us. I will always remember you with joy and creativity.”
Throughout her life, Sr. Thoma belonged to numerous organizations, received many honors, and completed a wide range of commissions. Her most well-known works include stained-glass windows in the Columbus Motherhouse and Albertus Magnus College chapels, the mosaic ceiling of the Chapel of the Rosary at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC, and “Dominicans under the Shelter of Mary’s Mantle.” She was active in the Columbus arts community for many years, holding her final exhibition in 2022, at the age of 92.
Sr. Thoma believed that everyone was gifted by God in their own way. Reflecting on her own gift, she shared that she felt a strong pull toward painting creation and the natural world, which she saw as the work of God’s hands. She expressed gratitude and joy for the gift of art she had been given, noting that while not everyone receives the same gifts, all are blessed with gifts meant to be shared. Her art remains her enduring legacy of preaching, reflecting her belief that creativity is a gift from God, shared for the good of all.
In her preaching at the funeral Sr. Anne Kilbride, OP, said: “For Thoma, [..] preaching was grounded in her faith and contemplation – seeing beauty, truth, and justice through God’s eyes.”
Sister Thoma was preceded in death by her parents and brothers, Andy and Tom; and is survived by nieces and nephews and members of her Dominican Family.
The wake was held on Friday, January 16, with evening prayer and the sharing of memories. The Mass of Resurrection was celebrated on Saturday, January 17, and was followed by burial at St. Joseph Cemetery. All services took place at the Columbus Motherhouse Chapel. Please click here to view the funeral mass for Sr. Thoma Swanson, OP.
Memorial gifts in Sister Thoma’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.