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 Sr.
Dorothy Manz
, OP
(Sr. Thomas Aquinas)
Diamond Jubilarian
60 years (July 9, 1947)
At the tender age of eight, her mother died. Even so, the faith her mother cherished had made an impression on Sr. Dorothy Manz – her deep devotion to the Catholic Church, her reverence of the Mass, and her love for the Dominican Sisters who served their community. And, when her father abruptly agreed to allow her to enter the convent after years of protesting, she believes it was her mother's heavenly hand that influenced him. This year, Sr. Dorothy (formerly Sr. Thomas Aquinas) celebrates 60 years of religious life, having joined the congregation of Dominican Sisters both she and her mother had grown to love.
When she first came to St. Mary of the Springs, Sr. Dorothy was so excited about fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a Dominican that she hadn't thought about the fact that she would probably be expected to become a teacher. She wasn't initially very happy about the profession, but after dutifully entering the field, she eventually came to love teaching. Initially she taught at the sixth- and seventh-grade levels, but later she also served as principal at several schools. Her assignments brought her to various cities in Ohio and to New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
Health problems in the late 1970s prompted Sr. Dorothy to ask for a reprieve from teaching for a year. In an abrupt change of ministry, she found herself coordinating transportation and driving cars for the congregation's Mohun Health Care Center in Columbus. Sr. Dorothy found her new position to be a true joy, and instead of returning to teaching, she continued in it for ten years. "I loved my years at Mohun, and I really felt a great sense of ministry helping the older Sisters and talking to them while we were driving to and from doctor appointments and such," she explains. "Their faith and their joy, even amid terrible pain that many of them experienced, were inspirational. I met many saints in my time there."
In another major change of ministry directions, one day Sr. Dorothy was asked to sit in on a computer class being offered at the motherhouse when the congregation was acquiring its first computers. She was surprised to find she had not only a keen interest and but also a great talent in computer work. Soon, she was asked to work part-time for the congregation on special computer projects, and, learning by doing on the job, soon she was designing liturgy guides, necrology booklets, policy manuals, and more for St. Mary of the Springs.
In 2002, Sr. Dorothy retired after 55 years of service. Today reflecting on 60 years as a Sister, she says she has no regrets and is grateful for the blessings she received in all her ministries. |
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