Co-Founder and Former Executive Director
Co-Founder and Former Executive DirectorDominican Sister of Peace Patricia Kilbane, OP (formerly Sr. Ellen Patrick), was born and raised in Chicago by her parents Ellen (Garrity) and Patrick Kilbane. Sr. Pat entered the Novitiate of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catharine of Siena, St. Catharine, KY (now Dominican Sisters of Peace), in 1949 and made her First Profession of Vows in 1951. She earned a BA in education and history from Siena College, (Memphis, TN) in 1956 and an MA in education and history from Creighton University (Omaha, NE) in 1967.
After her Profession, Sr. Pat began a long career in Catholic education teaching in elementary schools in North Cambridge, MA; Williamstown, NJ; and Hastings, NE. She served as the principal of Grand Island Central Catholic High School (Grand Island, NE) and was an instructor in the graduate school of Creighton University for one year. After her career in education, Sr. Pat began a 25-year career in addiction education and addiction counseling. Back in Chicago, She worked for Catholic Charities, served as the Director of Alcohol and Drug Education at the Central States Institute of Addiction, and served as the Executive Director of Intervention Instruction, Inc., which she co-founded with Monsignor McDermott in 1974. Sr. Pat was a dedicated volunteer at Intervention Instruction until the time of her death in her Chicago home on March 13, 2013.
Sr. Pat will be remembered for her devotion to her Irish heritage, her love of history and politics, and her serious commitment to her own recovery and her spiritual journey. As a Dominican, she was always reading and studying and keenly interested in new ideas and spirituality. Sr. Pat was consistently committed to her exercise programs. She was an eager participant in the newly formed Dominican Sisters of Peace and will be missed by all who shared life with her during her 64 years as a Dominican Sister.
By Sr. Joan Scanlon, OP