Sister Joanne has been a Dominican Sister of Peace for over 60 years (since she graduated high school). At the Elms, she began by teaching math at the elementary school before moving up to the high school to teach math subjects ranging from pre-algebra to pre-calculus. Her favorite place in the mother house is her office, which can be found next to the back entrance. Learn more by clicking the buttons above to hear the audio of our interview or to read the transcript. 

How long have you been a sister?

More than 60 years, I'd have to do a little bit of subtraction to find out the exact number but more than 60 years. 

Why did you decide to become a sister? 

First of all, a little bit of my family history, my mother had a blood sister who was a sister and we had religion in our family. I went to a catholic girls school, parish and I always had sisters as teachers, so I was familiar with sisters all the way through. Now this is a story. One time, when I was a sophomore or junior in high school, I was helping my mom turn the mattress. This prayer fell out from my mother’s prayer book, and it was by the bed, and it was a prayer that one of her daughters would be a sister and I was like “Oh no that's me and my other sisters.” I'm the oldest of 4 girls, and I knew I would have to do it as the oldest. But I always had a good relationship with sisters, so it wasn't anything brand new to me.

How long have you been a sister at this motherhouse?

Okay, so I did teach at some of the parish schools here in Akron, and then I was at St. Paul's and St. Matthews, and I lived in the convent all my religious life. I've been in the Akron area, but I've lived in this team for probably about 25-30 years.

What made you choose to go into the Dominican Sisters of Peace instead of a different order?

That's a good question. When I went to grade school, I had the Humility of Mary Sisters and I always thought that I would be one of them because my aunt was from Notre Dame and they always wore black habits, and I wasn't gonna wear those, that did not turn me on, but the sisters that I joined were very friendly and they seemed to be happy people. When it came time to go to apply to high school, I just thought naturally that I would go to North High School, but one of the sisters I got friendly with encouraged me to apply to St. Vincents. And I applied and got accepted and that's where I met the Dominican sisters. And some of those sisters were very friendly and happy people so that was the other thing was. Now, let's face it, this motherhouse here in Akron was a lot closer than the mother house for the Humility of Mary, which was in Pennsylvania, so that really that was the final decision.

What would you have done if you didn’t become a nun?

I'm not sure. Probably I would have ended up teaching. I had a very good friend from grade school and high school and she said “let’s go to nursing school,” and I said “mmm, I don't think so, you go ahead” and I'm not good around blood or that kind of stuff, so I think I would probably have been a teacher anyway.

Did you go to college and if so, what did you study? 

I entered the convent right after high school and I graduated in June and entered in August or September, but our first year in the convent, we were called postulants and we wore short black dresses, but ordinary clothes otherwise. As postulants, we went up to St. John Paul College and we used to ride up on the school bus with the nurses from St. Thomas Hospital who also studied at St. Johns in Cleveland, so we rode on the bus with them. I went to college as a postulant. In my novice year, we didn't leave the property at all; we were studying all about religious life and Dominican saints and Dominican tradition and all that, the thing you probably know because you know about the pillars so then that year we stayed on the property. Then the first year of our profession and the whole group of us went up to Cleveland and lived as college students in Cleveland, and our sophomore year of college, basically we started teaching even though we did not complete our degree. We were going to summer school and Saturday school to finish it up, and I got my first degree, my bachelor's degree, from St. John's College. It was a story I tell in Saint Martha's which no longer exists. I don't know if anyone is from Akron from North Hill but now it’s called Blessed Trinity Church, but the Saint Martha's school no longer exists. Saint Vincent High School and St. Mary merged, and Saint Vincent and Saint Mary were opponents, and so when they merged, my school no longer existed. And then Saint John’s College was right there by the cathedral up in Cleveland, and on the same property, but it’s also closed; there is no record of me going to this school. 

What are your favorite parts of the motherhouse?

Well, my favorite part of the motherhouse is my office. I take care of the finances for the sisters. I was called the treasurer, and I had my office right outside the babck door. If you ever come to the back door, my office is right by the backdoor. That's my den or whatever you want to call it. I got closet space in there so I can keep some of my family pictures and things in there, so it’s my place where I go, and I feel more relaxed. I know I probably should've said, because I'm a sister, the chapel. I mean it's not like I don't like the chapel, but the office is my relaxing place. 

What has been the most fulfilling part of being a sister at the Elms?

I enjoy teaching, I really did. Probably most of my students I taught in high school would be old enough to be your grandparents, but anyway, I enjoy teaching girls. When I taught in the parishes, there were boys and girls, of course, but when I taught at the Elms, I really enjoyed just teaching the girls. It was very rewarding, and it wasn't the same tension, like how it was with the boys and girls.

 Do you have any advice for somebody who wants to be a sister?

Well, becoming a sister nowadays was a lot different from when I became a sister. Most of the women that we have apply to be a part of our community now are older. Like I said, I came out of high school. Mostly we got 4-5 people for the stages of formation and most of those women had a career, and they had a full-time job, got their degrees and all of that, and there was something about community in lines that I've heard that appealed to them. Having community support, living with close people who had the same ideas as you did, that sort of thing. Nowadays, we won't accept anyone in high school. You know, we would expect them to complete some college or some work experience so that they really know what life in general is about what it would be like to live in a community.

What does all women's education mean to you and why did you choose to serve an all-female school?

I think I answered part of that. Actually, to tell you the truth, we didn’t have a whole lot of choices. We still are consulted, I mean. Let me just tell you what happened. I was teaching grade school math, and somebody said, “You’re pretty good at this. Maybe you should be teaching math in high school. Let’s see if that’ll work.” So, I came to the Elms and I started by teaching. My first two years, I taught Algebra and pre-algebra, you know, that kind of thing. First couple of years we did team-teaching where I taught with another teacher. We had the whole freshman class, and in those days, there were like 65, 70, 75 girls in the class. We had them all in what we call the team room. I don’t know what you call it. Is that the music room now, back there 216? That’s where we had our team, when we did the team-teaching. We had the whole freshman class in there, and then we’d break off in smaller groups. In those days we also had mods. I know you don’t have, different days you have longer periods or something like that, but we had 20 minute mods. So on some days of the week we would have the whole class together; other days we would break down into 20 minute mods, and then we would have smaller groups and we could have individual teaching. 

I didn’t really choose but I really did enjoy teaching with the girls.

What is some advice you have for the students?

Alright, let’s be honest here. I learned too easily when I was in grade school. I didn't have to work very hard when I was in grade school, and I did not have good study skills because it came easily to me. But I think it’s very important to get good study skills. When I first made my profession, I was living with some of the teachers that taught me in St. Vincents. I’m sure they thought, “What is this kid doing with us?” because I was not a serious student in high school. I mean I just, I had one sister who one time she said to me, “If you don’t do your next assignment (I think I was probably a sophomore), I’m going to have to give you a detention. But I did, I did do the next assignment, but I think that’s the only one I did for that sister all year. I just sorta fluttered by. So when I got into college as a sister, a young sister, I did have a hard time studying because I was not the best student in grade school or high school- I mean grade school I got through okay without working; high school I was a “C” student. Don’t be a “C” student. I mean there’s nothing wrong with “Cs,” but I was not that interested in studying. At that point, I don’t think I would’ve thought of being a teacher. I worked as a clerk. At one point that would’ve been okay for me, I did that part time when I was in high school, but it would’ve been okay for me. And I was the first one in my family of my cousins to go to college. We were working class people, so college education wasn’t something we thought about like nowadays. If you don’t fit into at least some college experience, they don’t think you’re… I’m not sure if you’re learning anything. 

What’s the biggest change you’ve witnessed during your time at the Elms?

When I taught at the high school, the pond used to freeze over. During the winter the girls would put their ice skate on and go out to the pond and go ice skating. And the maintenance would check in the ice in the morning to make sure the ice is thick enough, and in their free time, they would go out and skate.

I remember the time before Walsh and Hoban went co-ed, when Hoban and Walsh were all-boys and the boys from Walsh and the girls from the Elms would go to Walsh to take some classes, and the boys from Walsh would go to the Elms to take some classes there.

What was your favorite subject in school?

I don't really know about my favorite subject while being a student at school, but my favorite subject to teach is pre-algebra to pre-calc.

Who was your favorite saint?

I’d say the Blessed Mother. At home, we had devotion to Mary.

What is your favorite season at the Elms?

I was born in July, and I tend to think that people born in warm months like warm weather and people who were born in colder seasons like colder weather, so summer is my favorite.

What is your favorite Dominican pillar?

Alright let's be really honest, if you would have asked me 25 years ago what the Dominican pillars were I probably wouldn't have known. But prayer is important. Taking time for prayer is important. We pray together every day and chant it. But we also have alone time prayer which is very important. It helps us know that there is God. Like with all these wars and stuff we can turn to God. So to talk about the four pillars, it's not that it's new in Dominica theology, but it was never stressed in those terms. Contemplation, prayer, study, service to others has always been important, but we never really called them the four Dominican pillars. 

“So do I get to ask some questions?”

“Yeah, sure if you would like to.”

Alright, if you really wanted to know anything about me, what would you ask me that you didn't find out right now?

Is there anything about religious life that you thought would happen, or that you had a misconception about?”

I think probably yes. When I thought about religious life before I entered, I think I had a more idealized view and not realizing that sisters/priests are just ordinary people who have special gifts or a calling. But religious life is not that different from any other vocation. I think when I thought about entering, I was not aware about the practicalities of everything. Life was pretty much like everybody else's; it was just in a different setting than most people lived. You're not in a family situation, you're living with a bunch of women, and there is some give and take in that. Ok does that help. 

“Yeah.”

“Does anybody else have a question?” 

What is your favorite part about being a sister?

I think the regular life. There aren't a whole lot of surprises. It's just a regular life. I mean this is true everywhere within families. But there is support with everybody, like everyone living in this house is going through the same thing. Like, if there is a sickness in someone's family, we all know, and we are praying about it. When one of us got Covid, a whole bunch of us got Covid. But the support you get from one another. I mean not everyone is going to be your best bud, like not every sister living here I am going to be confiding in, but you do have friends and support from the whole group. 

Anybody else? 

Have you played any sports in your high school year?

Um no, I was not sporty. I was more of a choir person. I sang in the choir, and I still sing in the choir.

“Well thank you so much, sister.”

“Yes, thank you too.”