Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist
The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist is a 501(c)(3) Catholic women's religious congregation founded in 1997 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with 140+ sisters serving as teachers in 32 Catholic schools, deploying the Education in Virtue curriculum in 850+ schools and 13 dioceses, and producing faith-formation media through Openlight Media.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersAnn Arbor, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist does
The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist is a 501(c)(3) Catholic women's religious congregation founded in 1997 in Ann Arbor, Michigan and canonically established by John Cardinal O'Connor of New York. The community has grown from four foundresses to more than 140 sisters with an unusually young average age of 38, and operates a motherhouse in Ann Arbor plus a second priory in Georgetown, Texas opened in 2019 with capacity for 115 sisters. Its mission centers on Eucharistic Adoration, Marian Consecration, and the Dominican tradition of study, preaching, and teaching.
The community runs a portfolio of Catholic education and evangelization assets. Spiritus Sanctus Academy is an owned K-8 school in Ann Arbor/Plymouth, Michigan; more than 90 sisters serve as teachers and administrators in 32 schools across the U.S. and Rome (15 elementary, 13 high schools, 4 universities), reaching 10,000+ K-12 students. The Disciple of Christ, Education in Virtue curriculum — a virtue-formation program inspired by St. Thomas Aquinas — is deployed in 850+ schools with 13 dioceses adopting it system-wide. Openlight Media, a wholly-owned media subsidiary, produces online courses, video series, and faith-formation content distributed via YouTube and openlightmedia.com. Secure in Grace is a recently launched Catholic alternative to secular social-emotional learning. Vocational discernment retreats held multiple times per year attract 100+ young women ages 18-30.
The organization is funded primarily through donations and planned giving (one-time and recurring gifts at suggested tiers of $50-$500, bequests, charitable gift annuities with a $10,000 minimum, IRA qualified charitable distributions up to $111,000/year, and gifts of stock or real estate), supplemented by modest retreat registration fees ($20-$45). A FreeWill partnership supports the planned-giving funnel. Leadership is provided by Mother Amata Veritas Ellenbecker, O.P., as Prioress General; the community is a member of the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious.
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist
- Legal name
- Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist
- Website
- https://sistersofmary.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist is a 501(c)(3) Catholic women's religious congregation founded in 1997 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with 140+ sisters serving as teachers in 32 Catholic schools, deploying the Education in Virtue curriculum in 850+ schools and 13 dioceses, and producing faith-formation media through Openlight Media.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Catholic religious education and formation
- NAICS
- Religious Organizations (8131), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro industry
- Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents)Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis)Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools
Keywords
Where Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ann Arbor
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: The community operates as a registered 501(c)(3) organization and relies on donations from supporters. Donors can give one-time or recurring donations ($50, $100, $250, $500 or custom amounts) through the website, mail, wire transfer, or stock donations. Donors receive prayers as gratitude (prayers offered each Friday).
- Planned Giving and Legacy Gifts: Various planned giving options including bequests by will, beneficiary designations for retirement plans and insurance, charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities (minimum $10,000), IRA qualified charitable distributions (up to $111,000/year for those 70½+), donor advised fund gifts, and gifts of real estate.
- Event Registration Fees: Registration fees for vocational discernment retreats ($45 for upcoming retreats, previously $35), women's retreats ($20-$25), and other events.
- Stock and Securities Donations: Gifts of long-term appreciated stock provide tax advantages and may eliminate capital gains tax liability. Contact for stock transfer instructions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | One-time or recurring donations accepted |
| One time/ perpetual license | One Time | Vocational Discernment Retreat - $45 |
| One time/ perpetual license | One Time | Women's Retreats - $20-$25 |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Charitable Gift Annuity - minimum $10,000 |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist is a Catholic religious congregation whose core offering is consecrated religious witness and Dominican formation, expressed primarily through Catholic K-12 education at their owned Spiritus Sanctus Academy and partner schools, vocational discernment retreats for young women, and faith-formation media (OpenLight Media, Education in Virtue, Secure in Grace). They sustain this apostolate through donations, planned giving, and retreat registration fees.
Product overview
The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist offer a portfolio of Catholic educational and evangelization products and services unified by their Dominican mission. The core offerings include OpenLight Media (video-based catechesis and online courses), Spiritus Sanctus Academy (K-8 Catholic schools), the Disciple of Christ Education in Virtue program, and the Secure in Grace social-emotional learning alternative. Supporting these are discernment retreats, the semi-annual Mater Eucharistiae newsletter, and planned giving services. The Sisters' apostolate spans education, media, retreats, and vocational promotion across 32 schools serving over 10,000 K-12 students.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- OpenLight Media Professional online video courses, video series, and faith-formation content covering God, prayer, virtue, and Catholic teaching. Targeted at children, educators, and adults, and features sisters alongside priests such as Fr. John Riccardo and Father Thomas Joseph White, O.P.
Quantifiable outcome
- 140+ sisters serving across 32 schools in the U.S. and Rome
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- FreeWillminorFreeWill partnership provides a simple, intuitive tool for benefactors to create a legally valid will at no charge. The Sisters promote this service to supporters as part of their planned giving program, helping donors include the Sisters in their estate plans.
- Fr. John RiccardominorFeatured priest in Openlight Media video content, appearing in professionally produced videos on faith topics alongside the Sisters. Helps make Catholic teaching accessible through media.
- Father Thomas Joseph White, O.P.minorFeatured priest in Openlight Media video content, contributing to educational videos on theology and Catholic faith alongside the Sisters.
- Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR)coreThe Sisters are members of CMSWR, a council of major superiors of women religious congregations in the United States. This affiliation connects them with other religious orders and provides organizational support.
- 13 Dioceses (Education in Virtue Program)coreDioceses that have adopted the Disciple of Christ, Education in Virtue program system-wide. This partnership enables the Sisters' educational methodology to reach schools across entire dioceses.
- 850+ Schools (Education in Virtue)coreSchools implementing the Disciple of Christ, Education in Virtue program developed by the Sisters. The program provides virtue-based formation inspired by Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Society of Jesus (Jesuits): Largest Catholic men's religious order with a dominant education apostolate (60+ universities and high schools); comparable as a Catholic religious order running a national education portfolio.
- EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network): Largest Catholic media network in the world; comparable to Openlight Media as a Catholic content production and distribution platform, but at vastly greater scale.
- Ascension Press: Catholic publishing and digital media producer of catechetical curricula and video-based formation programs; competes for the same Catholic educator and parish buyer.
- Ave Maria University: Catholic university where the Sisters teach and serve; comparable as a faith-based higher-education entity aligned with the same mission and tradition.
- Dominican Friars (Order of Preachers): Male branch of the same Dominican tradition with parallel preaching, teaching, and education apostolates; provides the spiritual/intellectual framework the Sisters operate within.
Emerging players
- Catholic Answers: Catholic apologetics and catechetical content producer with comparable digital evangelization mission to Openlight Media, though focused on apologetics rather than virtue formation.
- Seton Home Study School: Catholic K-12 homeschool curriculum provider; comparable as a Catholic formation/education distribution model serving faith-based families, though via home study rather than classroom.
Direct peers
- Sisters of Life: Women's Catholic religious congregation known for rapid growth and strong vocations pipeline; comparable in apostolate focus (pro-life, evangelization) and demographic profile to the Dominican Sisters of Mary.
- Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal: Active women's religious congregation with a comparable mix of education, retreat, and evangelization ministries; similar small-community operating model.
- Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia (Nashville): Same Dominican tradition; operates schools and runs an education-focused apostolate; the most direct comparable for K-12 Catholic education delivery by a women's Dominican congregation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist social profiles
Digital presenceDominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist
What does Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist do?
The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist is a Catholic religious congregation whose core offering is consecrated religious witness and Dominican formation, expressed primarily through Catholic K-12 education at their owned Spiritus Sanctus Academy and partner schools, vocational discernment retreats for young women, and faith-formation media (OpenLight Media, Education in Virtue, Secure in Grace). They sustain this apostolate through donations, planned giving, and retreat registration fees.
Is Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist a public or private company?
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist founded?
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist based?
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist is headquartered in Ann Arbor, United States, in the North America region.
How does Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are planned Giving and Legacy Gifts, event Registration Fees and stock and Securities Donations.
Who are Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Society of Jesus (Jesuits), EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network), Ascension Press, Ave Maria University and Dominican Friars (Order of Preachers). Emerging players are Catholic Answers and Seton Home Study School. Direct peers are Sisters of Life, Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal and Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia (Nashville).
Does Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist.
What industry is Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in?
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist's product category is Catholic religious education and formation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAJAC, Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents), with a secondary code of BPAGAJAD, Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis). Its NAICS code is 8131 and its SIC code is 8200.