Dominican Sister of Peace Mariellen Phelps, 99, died September 9, 2026, at Mohun Care Center, just weeks before her 100th birthday. She was born in Wooster, Ohio, and entered the Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of the Elms, now the Dominican Sisters of Peace, in 1943.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in education from St. John College, Cleveland, Ohio, and her master’s degree in administration and guidance from the University of Colorado.
Her ministry in education began in Ohio, where she taught students in Cleveland, Akron, Alliance, and Youngstown schools. She then spent almost 30 years ministering in Colorado, serving as a principal and teacher, a coordinator of elementary curriculum for the Denver Diocese and in various parishes as a religious educator. She returned to Ohio in the mid-90s and served as Outreach Coordinator at Crown Point Ecology Center in Ohio for almost 20 years, and also as a tutor at the Dominican Learning Center.
Referring to Sr. Mariellen’s devotion to nature, Dominican Sisters of Peace Prioress Sr. Pat Twohill writes this…She had a profound reverence for Earth, and long before Laudato Si’, she promoted care for God’s creation…with a pioneering spirit, she cleaned up communities, recycled, and opposed harmful environmental policies.
During Sr. Mariellen’s Mass of Resurrection at the Columbus Motherhouse Chapel on September 23, Sr. Marilyn Ambrosic, OP, offered a reflection, saying, “She always tried to give her best, which she believed helped her to be a better person. As proclaimed in John’s Gospel, she claimed ownership from the Good Shepherd. He knew her name, and she was a faithful member of the flock He chose and led.”
She was preceded in death by her parents Lester and Anne Thoner Phelps, her brothers Lester, Kenneth and Robert, and her sister Rosemary Whapham. She is survived by her sister, Nancy Phelps.
Memorial gifts in Sr. Mariellen’s memory may be sent to Dominican Sisters of Peace, Office of Mission Advancement, 2320 Airport Dr., Columbus, OH 43219-2098. To make a secure online donation, please go here.
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