The Dominican Sisters of Peace and our Church were blessed by the First Vows of Sisters Terri Schell and Paula Danforth at the Columbus Motherhouse Chapel on August 17, 2025.
The ceremony was attended by Sisters and Associates from around the country, Sr. Paula’s and Sr. Terri’s family members, friends, and mentors. It was also live streamed to reach the Congregation’s Sisters and Associates around the world.
The Eucharistic Mass was presided by Dominican Sisters of Peace Associate Fr. Dan Millisor. Both Sr. Terri and Sr. Paula were joined by their families during the celebration. Sr. Terri’s family members performed the opening song and Sr. Paula’s daughter, Janelle, and Sr. Terri’s nieces and nephews presented the offertory gifts.
A reflection was offered by Dominican Sister of Springfield Elyse Marie Ramirez, who was the director of the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate, where both Sisters studied in their canonical novitiate year.
Sisters Terri Schell and Paula Danforth entered the Congregation as candidates in 2022, and both entered the novitiate in 2023 before making their First Vows on August 17, 2025.
Sr. Terri Schell serves as the Director of Shepherd’s Corner Ecology Center, a 160-acre central Ohio ecological ministry of the Dominican Sisters of Peace. She is exploring Land Justice, defined as the principle of ensuring fair and equitable relationships between people, land, and power, as a fundamental way to address climate change and promote racial healing.
A native of North Carolina, Sr. Terri holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and is an alumna of the Honors Scholars College. Her
work experience prior to joining the Congregation includes work in both environmental education and parish ministry, blending her love of nature with her faith.
Sr. Terri says, “My journey to religious life began with a yearning to live close to the land in a radical, communal way…I was drawn to the cultural diversity at the Dominican Sisters of Peace, the Congregation’s commitment to building peace, a focus on creativity and the energy that exists towards the future of religious life.”
Sr. Paula Danforth serves as an accounting specialist at Albertus Magnus College, an education ministry of the Dominican Sisters of Peace, and worked in the College’s finance office during her time as a candidate.
Speaking of her formation to religious life, Sr. Paula says, “When my daughter was finally independent, I felt free to pursue the religious vocation that had always been a part of me...I was drawn to the Dominicans because of their joy, their ability to recognize the signs of the times and their ability to change to accommodate the needs of the times.”
Sr. Paula holds an associate’s degree from Hesser College, Manchester, New Hampshire, and a bachelor’s degree from Castleton State College in Castleton, Vermont. She was introduced to the Congregation during retreats at the Dominican Retreat and Conference Center in Niskayuna, NY.
Prioress of the Dominican Sisters of Peace Pat Twohill, OP, says of the newly professed, “We are so blessed to be able to call Sisters Terri and Paula Dominican Sisters of Peace. Each brings with her rich life experience that will become part of our Community’s future. Paula and Terri are proof of the ongoing vitality of our Congregation and of Dominican life.”
The Dominican Sisters of Peace currently have four women in formation for consecrated religious life.
If you are interested learning more about life as a consecrated woman religious, please visit our website at oppeace.org.