Foundation grant aids sisters with discernment process

The Dominican Sisters of Peace are vowed Catholic sisters who strive to live a life of peacemaking. They share this commitment with Dominican associates who are laywomen and -men dedicated to a Dominican way of life, which is predicated on prayer, community, ministry and study. 

Together, the Dominican sisters and associates follow the Gospel and the traditions of the Church to build a more peaceful world through their ministries, prayer and way of life.

Helping those discerning God’s call to the religious life is one of the most important ministries for the sisters. They established a House of Welcome in 2013 in New Haven, Connecticut to host women who have begun the discernment process with the Dominican Sisters of Peace and have been invited to spend a week or two living with the sisters to experience their daily life in community, prayer and ministries. 

These experiences have proved invaluable to discerners because they offer a view of the sisters’ life from the inside. In 2018, after noticing that more women were expressing interest in religious life, the sisters opened a second House of Welcome in the Columbus area.

Nashville, Tennessee native Annie Killian is a canonical novice. She received her bachelor’s and doctoral degrees at Yale University and her master’s at the University of Oxford before becoming a candidate for the sisterhood in June. 

“Living in the House of Welcome has been a formative experience for me as I begin the adventure of religious life,” Killian said. “Our intercultural community witnesses to the unity of the human family. God desires that we may all be one in Christ. Our human family is a global reality. We are called to foster these global connections as we seek to preach the Gospel for our world today.”

As with most businesses, organizations and ministries, the Dominican sisters have faced challenges because of the pandemic. Their priority has been staying connected with the women who are in discernment. To help them achieve that goal, the Catholic Foundation provided the Dominican Sisters of Peace with a grant to purchase technology, including a video camera, television, microphone and tripod. 

Sister Bea Tiboldi, OP, a vocations minister, said, “Just one example of how we were able to use the grant was for what we call an Immersion Week, which is a concentrated time to focus on the questions women have about becoming a Dominican and includes time for service and prayer. 

“It’s usually a hands-on opportunity to see what the sisters do. We can’t do that in person because of COVID. However, because of the equipment we were able to purchase fromthe grant, we were able to do that virtually and ‘Zoomed’ with women from all over, including women from Nigeria, Kansas, Kentucky and Arizona.”

The sisters have also used the equipment for virtual prayer meetings. “Prayer is at the heart of our life,” said Sister Pat Dual, OP, director of formation. “Personal prayer is where a woman hears the Holy Spirit talking to her. God needs to be the center of our lives, and the deepening of prayer is so important. No matter what path a woman chooses, whether married, religious or single, prayer is still at the heart of it.”

Sister Patricia Twohill, OP and prioress, said, “In every age, God raises up individuals who are called to serve the Church, and one very vibrant way to do that is as a religious sister. There are any number of individuals who are seriously considering that call, and our Church will benefit from that. 

“We are very grateful for the support of The Catholic Foundation as it takes a village, it takes all people in our Catholic community, to support those called to religious life.” 
To support the Dominican Sisters of Peace, visit their website – oppeace.org – or contact Scott Hartman at (614) 443-8893 or shartman@catholic-foundation.org.