Sister Alicia Alvarado, O.P.

Sister Alicia Alvarado, OP

Sister Alicia Alvarado, 73, died on Saturday, September 17, 2022 at Regina Health Center, Richfield, Ohio. Sister Alicia was born in Puerto Rico to Felipe and Rosa Alvarado. When she was five years old, she and her family moved to Cleveland. She entered the Sisters of St. Dominic of Akron, now Dominican Sisters of Peace, from San Juan Bautista Parish, Cleveland in 1979. Sister Alicia made her First Religious Profession on June 13, 1982 and was now in her 40th year of profession. Her educational background consisted of a BA from Cleveland State University in 1973; MA in Sociology from Case Western Reserve University in 1976; and BA in Communications from Kent State University in 1991. Alicia has ministered with Hispanics most of her religious life and before. In 1982-84 she was Hispanic Program Coordinator on the Commission on Catholic Community Action for the Cleveland Diocese. From 1985-88, she was Associate Director of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Toledo. While in St. Louis, she was Director of the Catholic Hispanic Center in 1992 and in 1993-97 served as Director of the Los Caminantes project.

After six years she returned to the area and served as Director of the Hispanic Office for the Cleveland Diocese in 1998. In 2005, she was elected to a four-year term as Fourth Councilor for her religious congregation.

Sister Alicia has received numerous awards for her work in social justice and her ministry among the Hispanics. Among them are the Individual Award for Justice and Peace by the Cleveland Commission on Catholic Community Action in 2003, Community Relations Award from the Hispanic Business Association (Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for Ohio) in 2003 and the 2004’s Madrina Award (Godmother of the Community). In 2009 she received the Miguel Prieto Service Award in recognition for her efforts on behalf of the Hispanic Community by the Urban Minority Alcoholism Drug Abuse Outreach Program. She belonged to professional societies and memberships including being the first Hispanic woman on the Board of Trustees of Cuyahoga Community College in 2001, was elected to Ohio representative on the Midwest Catholic Association of Hispanic Ministry and chairperson and treasurer of the five-member leadership team of the association and served on the National Farm Workers Ministry Board. Recently, she volunteered at the Peter Maurin Center in Akron. Per her request, her body has been donated to science.

Sister Alicia is survived by sisters Carmen, Lucia Marie and Lourdes Dorsey; brothers Philip, George, and Alberto. She was preceded in death by her father, Felipe and mother, Rosa.

A Funeral Mass will be offered at Our Lady of the Elms Chapel, 1230 W. Market St., Akron, OH on Thursday, September 22, at 10:00 a.m. with visitation from 9:00-10:00 a.m. Kindly wear a mask if attending.

Donations in memory of Sister Alicia may be made to Dominican Sisters of Peace, Office of Mission Advancement, 2320 Airport Drive, Columbus, OH 43219..

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