Akron

Sisters of St. Dominic of the Immaculate Heart of Mary - History

Founded in 1929, Akron, Ohio

The Sisters of St. Dominic of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Akron Dominicans) officially became an independent congregation in 1929, but the history of the Akron Dominicans really began in Germany.

In 1853 Mother Benedicta Bauer, prioress of Holy Cross Convent in Ratisbon, sent four Dominican nuns as missionaries to America, the first of several groups from Germany to found American Dominican congregations. Arriving in New York City, the first Sisters finally settled in Brooklyn. In 1881 another community branched off from this Brooklyn group becoming an independent congregation, now located in Caldwell, New Jersey. These New Jersey Dominicans responded to the needs in the West, staffing schools throughout Northeastern Ohio. In 1887 they came to Ravenna, Ohio, to found Immaculate Conception School. In 1893 they were invited to St. Bernard parish in Akron, and in 1905 they founded Sacred Heart Academy in downtown Akron.

The Caldwell Dominicans purchased Elm Court, the Arthur Marks estate on West Market Street, to be used as a provincial house and novitiate. Because of the difficulty of sustaining two novitiates in the same congregation, arrangements were made to separate the Akron foundation. On March 9, 1929, sixty-seven sisters officially transferred from Caldwell to Akron and a new congregation began. Sr. Beda Schmid became the first Mother General.

Schools were eventually established on the 33-acre property. These included a pre-school, middle school and high school for girls, and for over 20 years a special education school. The work of the congregation also expanded as Dominicans from Akron traveled throughout the United States and Central America, opening new schools, teaching at universities, entering the foreign mission field, launching social service projects, counseling, writing, and preaching.

After completing a long process of information gathering, prayer, and discerment, on April 9, 2007, the Akron Dominican congregation voted to join with other Dominicans to form a new congregation which would come to be known as the Dominican Sisters of Peace.