Dominican Sisters of Peace

The Dominican Sisters of Peace is a congregation of Dominican Sisters of apostolic life, founded on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009, from the union of seven former Dominican foundations. With general offices in Columbus, Ohio, the congregation holds legal incorporation in the state of Kentucky, home of the founding community of earliest historical origin. In 2012, following a vote by their General Chapter, the Dominican Sisters of Catherine de' Ricci became the eighth foundation to join the Dominican Sisters of Peace.

The process by which the original seven Dominican communities came together to form a new religious institute, a pontifical canonical union with formal recognition by the Vatican, is known as reconfiguration. As demographics changed following the cultural movements of the late 20th century, the seven congregations determined to collaborate in this manner so that their mission could be most effectively realized. All shared the Dominican charism and found support for this new endeavor in Perfectae Caritatis, one of the documents issued by the Second Vatican Council: "Independent institutes and monasteries should, when opportune and the Holy See permits, form federations if they can be considered as belonging to the same religious family. Others who have practically identical constitutions and rules and a common spirit should unite, particularly when they have too few members. Finally, those who share the same or a very similar active apostolate should become associated, one to the other." The deliberations that led to the merger took place over a period of seven years, culminating in the inaugural General Chapter of April 15–21, 2009. The first Leadership Team of the new congregation was elected during that General Chapter. At the time of the foundation of the new religious institute, the Dominican Sisters of Peace numbered more than 650 members, with more than 500 associates. As of 2017, the community has 510 members, and over 600 lay associates.

Members of the first Leadership Team of the Dominican Sisters of Peace: Sisters Margaret Ormond, OP, Prioress; Joan Scanlon, OP, First Councilor; Gene Poore, OP, Second Councilor; Therese Leckert, OP, Third Councilor; Gemma Doll, OP, Fourth Councilor.

As members of a world-wide Dominican Order (Order of Preachers), Dominican Sisters of Peace belong to a religious family within the Roman Catholic Church that was founded in the 13th Century, to be the "Holy Preaching." The charism and mission of the new congregation are most fully developed in the Constitutions that received formal approval from the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life of the Vatican on March 2, 2010. In that document, Dominican Sisters of Peace affirm their identity as "a religious institute of Dominican women called to preach the liberating truth of the Word of God," and dedicated to a life that integrates "contemplation, study, common life, and ministry." Through their pursuit of truth and justice, they commit themselves to be "a prophetic voice in solidarity with the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed, and to work for human rights."

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