Religious Candidacy is a Homecoming for Ohio Native

Kristen Wolf Enters the Dominican Sisters of Peace

Kristen Wolf, right, knocks on the door of the Congregation as part of her entrance ceremony as Vocations Director Sr. June Fitzgerald, OP, (left) looks on.

In the book of Corinthians, the Apostle Paul reminds the people of God that the Holy Spirit empowers all gifts. 

For Dominican Sisters of Peace Candidate Kristen M. Wolf, known as Kristie, those gifts include intelligence, compassion, and physical gifts like athleticism and strength. After coaching young gymnasts for many years, Kristie’s ministry for the past 15 years has been as a physical therapist, working with stroke survivors and other persons with physical challenges. She will continue to serve the people of God in this capacity as she discerns her call to become a Dominican Sister of Peace. Wolf will officially enter the Congregation as a candidate on Sunday, February 13 in Columbus, OH.

Kristie earned her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. She went on to earn a Master of Science and Clinical Doctorate in Physical Therapy at Walsh University in North Canton, OH. 

Kristie was drawn to religious life by a search for a deeper, more personal walk with God. She saw an article in her parish bulletin that asked the question, ‘Are you feeling called to a deeper spirituality?’ “It’s like they were speaking directly to me,” Kristie says. 

When she read further to see that the article was inviting adults to discern joining the Associates’ Program of the Dominican Sisters of Peace, she knew she had found the answer. Kristie had attended Our Lady of the Elms High School, a founded ministry of the Congregation, and was familiar with the Sisters and their spirituality.

Kristie had already integrated three of The Four Pillars of Dominican Life into her own life – prayer, study, and ministry – and was looking for the fourth pillar – community. Celebrating Mass at The Elms and attending Come and See retreats at several different Motherhouses gave her the opportunity to experience that community life. “Everywhere I have gone, I have been welcomed with love and joy. This gave me the courage to move from exploration to application and entrance. I will continue to learn, grow, and discern as I pray, study, and live with these strong and compassionate women dedicated to serving the needs of others, as Jesus modelled.”

Candidate Kristen Wolf, in green, receives the blessing of the Congregation during her Entrance ceremony on February 13 in Columbus, OH.

Kristie found the place of women in the Dominican family attractive. “Women have been essential to the mission of the Dominican order from the beginning of Dominic’s leadership,” Kristie says. “The Dominican mission and the commitments of the Dominican Sisters of Peace – especially work for social and ecological justice – also resonate strongly with my own convictions.”

Kristie Wolf is the daughter of Leland (Lee) and Diane Wolf of Cuyahoga Falls, OH. She has a one sister, Jacqueline. She is a member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary parish in Cuyahoga Falls.

Kristie moved into the Dominican Sisters of Peace House of Welcome in January 2022. She will continue her ministry in Physical Therapy in Columbus, OH, during her candidacy. The Dominican Sisters of Peace have an active Vocations and Formation ministry, with three Sisters in the Novitiate and three having taken Temporary Vows.