The Dominican Sisters of Peace of Columbus, Ohio, completed the sale of their former motherhouse at 1230 W. Market St., Akron. The new owners are Life Gurukala, a local religious organization of the Hindu faith. The building will be used as a retreat center. (The accompanying photos show the former motherhouse as it looked in 1923 and in more recent times.)
“Our God is a God of surprises, and we are happy to realize that the Hindu community in Akron shares many of our own values: the dignity of the individual, the value of educating our youth and the importance of community,” said Sister Pat Twohill. OP, Dominican Sisters of Peace prioress.
“It's important to remember that while our motherhouse in Akron has closed and our sisters have relocated to other congregational sites, our work, in Akron and beyond, continues. Our Lady of Elms School in Akron will continue to offer an excellent education for girls grades 1-12, with a coed kindergarten. Crown Point Ecology Center in Bath, will continue to serve as a role model for food security and sustainable land use. And Dominican Sisters of Peace around the world continue our work in health care, education, spirituality, poverty alleviation and peace building,” Sister Twohill added.
She said the many historic sacred objects housed in the former motherhouse were moved to other congregational facilities, including the Kentucky motherhouse and the congregation’s health care centers.
The Dominican Sisters of Peace, who are members of the Order of Preachers, are vowed Catholic women who preach the Gospel of Christ through lives of service and peace-making. The congregation has a presence in 22 states and Nigeria. They serve in many ways, including education, health care, spirituality, pastoral care, prison ministry, the arts, and care of creation. There are 299 Sisters and more than 500 lay women and men associated with the congregation.