Sister Pat — Winooski Legacy Campaign

Sister Patricia McKittrick

Sister Patricia McKittrick (or ‘Sister Pat’ as she’s known locally) came to Winooski in 1972 to serve with the Sisters of Providence, whose mission supports the wellbeing and needs of community members around the world. During her visit, she connected instantly with Winooski’s spirit of welcoming and opportunity and would find herself beginning an inspiring career of altruism, volunteer service, and community building.

Sister Pat’s education and experiences have been invaluable to making Winooski a better place. From working in nursing homes, studying languages in other countries, and becoming certified at the Institute for Healing Arts, Sister Pat has dedicated her life to caring for others. In 1994, Sister Pat studied Spirituality at St. Michael’s College and took a job with UVM’s Health Ministries, leaning on her experience working with immigrants and refugees. While the job was only supposed to last one year, Sister Pat still works in this position almost 28 years later.

“The work was difficult initially. But after I got to know the community, and they got to know me, it was easy to connect and engage to find out how I could help bring people together and support those in need.”

One of the first groups that Sister Pat helped to establish was called the Winooski Network - a coalition of people from different parts of the community who always asked "Who's not around the table? Who do we need to invite in?" Sister Pat knew it was important to keep the Winooski Network as an open group, allowing for as many voices to join who wanted to. In 2004, the Winooski Network partnered with the Winooski School District for "Don't Hate ... Appreciate A Study of Tolerance and Acceptance". During the first nine weeks of the 2004-2005 school year, Winooski Middle and High School students engaged each other, staff, and speakers to discover the importance of appreciating Winooski's cultures and backgrounds.

Later, the "Winooski Network" would become the "Winooski Coalition for a Safe and Peaceful Community", which held community dinners, educational events, public forums, and celebrations such as the Winooski Culture Hop.

Most recently, the Winooski Peace Initiative was created to address local issues, celebrate the annual International Day of Peace, and provide community-building opportunities for learning and growth. The Winooski Peace Initiative was created by Sister Pat, Pat Sears, Anne Linton, and Karen Prosiak. With the support from the Sisters of Mercy, the Winooski Peace Initiative was able to secure the necessary grant funding to begin their work. Feel free to follow the work of Sister Pat and the Winooski Peace Initiative on their Facebook page: facebook.com/winooskipeace.

“Winooski is a unique and blessed community and we want to work together to make it an even stronger, more peaceful place to live. Our goal is to use a differentiated approach to reach as many community members as possible. We believe that communication builds community and that a strong community builds lasting peace. Our hope is that through our various initiatives we can communicate across our various siloes by using methods beyond simple words on paper. We believe that by doing this we will open doors to a stronger community and that the foundation for lasting bridges between various groups will be built. Our understanding of each other – knowing each other by name across various ethnicities, ages, incomes, and education will serve us well as we face future challenges. The Winooski Peace Iniative’s mission can be summed up through the words of Mary Lou Kownacki, OSB: There isn’t anyone you couldn’t love once you’ve heard their story.”