Sr. Pat Dual, OP, was honored with a special achievement award by the Ladies Auxilary of the Knights of Peter Claver, St. Cyprian Court #298, on Sunday, March 8 - a day also celebrated as International Women's Day AND the first day of Catholic Sisters Week. The awards ceremony took place at the House of Prayer in Columbus, OH.

Sr. Pat serves as the Congregation's Formations Coordinator.

The Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary (KPC) is historically the largest and oldest African American Catholic lay-led fraternal organization in the United States, founded in 1909 in Mobile, Alabama. It focuses on serving the Church, supporting communities, providing social/intellectual fellowship, and advocating for social justice, rooted in Catholic, Black, and family values.

Columbus Motherhouse staff member Susan Colbert introduced St. Pat before the award ceremony. Her introduction is shown below.

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Sr. Patricia Dual, OP, is a Dominican Sister of Peace who entered Catholic religious life later in life. She is a cradle Catholic, was raised in St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Norfolk, VA (now known as the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception), and is the mother of two adult sons.

 In 1995, Sr. Pat met Sr. Pat Twohill, a St. Mary of the Springs Dominican, while serving together on the Diocesan Pastoral Council for the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia. Sr. Pat began asking questions about Sr. Twohill’s order. During one of her many conversations with her new friend, Sr. Pat asked, "Do you have any African American sisters in your congregation?" Sr. Twohill answered with a laugh, "No, but you could be the first!" On that day, a seed was planted, and Sr. Pat started thinking about it periodically over the next few years.

After attending the Black Women’s Gathering sponsored by the National Black Sisters Conference in 2002, and meeting a “sister mom” already on the road to religious life, Sr. Pat launched the process that would take her from Norfolk, VA to Columbus, OH in 2005, when she entered initial formation with the Dominican Sisters, St Mary of the Springs, (now known as the Dominican Sisters of Peace).  She celebrated her final profession of vows on December 11, 2011, and now serves as the Director of Formation for her congregation under the visionary leadership of Sr. Pat Twohill, who now leads the congregation as the Prioress for the Dominican Sisters of Peace.

Sr. Pat Dual has served as a Pastoral Associate at St. James the Less Parish in Columbus, OH, and now serves as the Director of Formation for the Dominican Sisters of Peace, helping other women discern their calling. She holds an undergraduate degree in Religion from St. Leo University and a graduate degree in Religious Studies from Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, OH.

As a Dominican Sister of Peace, Sr. Pat is a preacher and a bearer of the Word. She works to embody the Gospel message of Jesus through both words and actions. She understands that the “Holy Preaching” must reach all of God’s diverse people and creation. To that end, she has been involved in vocation ministry and religious formation, maintaining a focus on justice, equity, and inclusivity. She has spoken at the Religious Formation Conference and has participated in the National Religious Vocation Conference.