The Dominican Sisters of Peace is a Congregation of Catholic Sisters who serve God and God’s people in 22 states and Nigeria. We are members of the Dominican Order, also known as the Order of Preachers. (The OP after our names stands for Order of Preachers). We are vowed Catholic Sisters who are dedicated to living a life of peace-making wherever we are and in everything we do.
The Dominican Sisters of Peace is a pontifical congregation, which means our congregation has been approved by the Holy See, or the Vatican, by formal decree. We work with Bishops and Archbishops in every diocese where we serve in order to ensure that our local ministries of education, health care, spirituality, ecology and community service are able to offer God’s love to God’s people.
The Dominican Sisters of Peace number nearly 320 members and 250 Associates. We have four “Motherhouses” in Columbus, OH, Akron, OH, St. Catharine, KY, and Great Bend, Kansas. We also have two Houses of Welcome, where both Sisters and women in formation for religious life live, pray and minister together.
Back from left: Sr. Carol Davis, OP, Sr. Anne Lythgoe, OP, Sr. Susan Leslie, OP;
Seated from left: Sr. Cathy Arnold, OP, Sr. Patricia Twohill, OP, Prioress
Prioress Sr. Pat Twohill, OP, served as the Prioress of the Congregation from 2015-2022. Prior to her leadership position with Peace, Sr. Pat also served in Vocations, in pastoral ministry, in campus ministry, and as an educator.
First Councilor Sr. Anne Lythgoe, OP, is serving her second Leadership term with Peace. Presently, she is also President of the Dominican Sisters Conference (DSC) and served six years as President of the Dominican Leadership Conference (DLC). Sr. Anne has worked in retreat ministry and as a communicator.
Second Councilor Sr. Carol Davis, OP, has extensive experience in spiritual direction and counseling and has ministered as a credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselor. She has also worked with survivors of sexual abuse. She has also held leadership positions with US Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking and the Interfaith Community of Schenectady, NY.
Third Councilor Cathy Arnold, OP, has ministered in Vocations and Formation for many years, most recently as Co-Director of the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate. Sr. Cathy has also served as an educator and as a program coordinator for persons with intellectual and physical disabilities.
Fourth Councilor Sr. Susan M. Leslie, OP, has served most recently as Mission Group Coordinator of Sansbury Care Center, the Congregation’s licensed long-term care facility in St. Catharine, KY. Sr. Susan has also served as a physical therapist, a hospital Vice-President of System Mission, a missionary in Peru, and in parish, prison, and retreat ministry.
The Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of Peace elects a new Leadership Team every six years. The team consists of a Prioress and four Councilors. “Prioress” is a Benedictine term that means “first among equals.”
East Local Community Mission Group
Sr. Ceal Warner, OP
Midwest Local Community Mission Group
Sr. Charlene Moser, OP
West Local Community Mission Group
Sr. Rene Weeks, OP
Free-Formed Mission Group
Sr. Margie Davis, OP
Akron Motherhouse Mission Group
Sr. Barbara Ebner, OP
Columbus Motherhouse Mission Group
Sr. Therese Leckert, OP
Sr. Ellen Dunn, OP
Great Bend Motherhouse Mission Group
Sr. Barbara Kane, OP
Mohun Health Care Center
Sr. Linda Lee Jackson, OP
Sr. Diane Kozlowski, OP
St. Catharine Motherhouse Mission Group
Sr. Pat Connick, OP
Sansbury Care Center Mission Group
Sr. Barbara Rapp, OP
Jesus’ words in John’s Gospel are our prayer for the world. It is our work and our calling to create peace in our daily lives, by our actions and our prayers. But how do we create peace? We begin where Jesus did. In the book of John, Jesus said “I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another.”
The Apostle John told new Christians, “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth” (3:18). To truly follow Christ’s command, we build peace and show love through our actions. Through our ministries across the nation and around the world, we offer food, shelter, medical care, education, career training, spiritual development, care for the Earth and more. By working with our own Dominican Associates, lay women and men who are each dedicated to the Dominican way of life, we share Christ’s peace with everyone:
The charism, or foci, of Dominican life, include prayer, community, study and ministry. We join Catholics around the world as we pray the Liturgy of the Hours each day. We live, pray, and serve God’s people in community. We study not only the Word of God, but the world around us, and share the fruit of our study through our ministries in education, healthcare, farming and social justice. And we minister to God’s people, through preaching, spiritual teaching and counseling, academic education, poverty alleviation, advocacy and more.
By acting as witnesses and examples of Christ’s peace, we desire to lead others to Jesus. Our hope is to make the world a place that is more accepting of people of all races, genders, religions and cultures, and less violent and divisive; more welcoming of others and less alienating; more respectful of our planet and less consuming of Earth’s resources.
The Gospel message of love and compassion leads us to be concerned about peace and justice issues, including comprehensive immigration reform, sensible gun control, alternatives to the death penalty, and advocacy against human trafficking among others.
To preach is to communicate the Word of God found in Sacred Scripture and connect it with the everyday experiences of life. But preaching does not always mean being in a pulpit or speaking to a crowd at Mass.
For Dominicans, preaching is bringing God’s Word to everyday life and inviting people into the Community of God to listen to the ways in which God is speaking in their lives.
There is so much more that we have to offer that cannot be covered on a website. We invite you to get in touch with us today with any questions you may have about our service, our history and your opportunities to spread peace!