COLUMBUS, OH – On March 14, students and alumni from Ohio Dominican University‘s Panthers for Peace joined with Dominican Sisters of Peace to kick-off their four-part book club study of Jo Piazza’s book, If Nuns Ruled the World (2014). The book tells the stories of ten Catholic Sisters who live the Gospels through their daily lives and the work they do to make the world a fairer and more loving place.
Author Jo Piazza, San Francisco, CA, attended the first meeting of the book study. Her travel was funded by a grant from National Catholic Sisters Week. Piazza shared with the group how meeting Sisters has impacted her life in beautiful and unexpected ways. Her intent in writing the book was to “tell Catholic Sisters’ stories in a way that more people can hear them and understand all the amazing work that Sisters have been doing in the United States and all over the world.”
“I don’t think there are enough stories about women that tell us we can do something fulfilling and meaningful for ourselves and for the world that doesn’t necessarily focus on making a profit or a name for ourselves,” Piazza said. “Each of these Sisters is a great role model, particularly for young women trying to figure out what they can and should be doing in their lives. The Sisters’ stories profiled in this book give me endless hope and inspiration because they act as leaders and role models. If nuns ruled the world, truth, justice, and love would prevail.”
The book club will continue to meet monthly over the next three months to discuss the book and the impact Sisters continue to have in society today. At the end of the three months, students and alumni of Ohio Dominican University will interview Dominican Sisters of Peace about their own stories. These interviews will be compiled into a mini-memoir of the history and impact of the Dominican Sisters of Peace.
Panthers for Peace was created by students of Ohio Dominican University in August 2012 and works to learn about peace and justice in our changing world. Panthers for Peace also seek to build connections with the Dominican Sisters of Peace, who share a campus with Ohio Dominican University.