Sister Patricia Chappell’s Work Recognized by Archdiocese of Cincinnati

In honor of Black Catholic History Month, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s Catholic Social Action-Respect Life Office recognized the incredible work of Sister Patricia Chappell, SNDdeN. 

For more than 40 years, Sister Patty has collaborated with her own religious community and other congregations of women religious to examine and dismantle institutional and systemic racism.

In the web post, Sister Patty was recognized for more than 40 years of advocacy. She served as president of the National Black Sisters’ Conference (NBSC) from 1996 to 2001 and as executive director of Pax Christi USA from 2011 to 2019. She continues her work to examine and dismantle institutional and systemic racism in the Church, including as co-chair of the U.S.A. SNDdeN Anti-Racism Team (ART) since 2001.

Sister Patricia has received numerous honors, including the Harriet Tubman Award from the National Black Sisters’ Conference in 1997, the Outstanding Leadership Award from the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in 2011, the Ambassador of Peace Award from Pax Christi USA in 2022, and the Sister Mary Rosa McDonough Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut, in 2025.

The National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus established Black Catholic History Month in 1990 to honor the spiritual contributions, heritage and resilience of Catholics of African descent and recognize historical oversights within the Church.

• Read the full article here.
• Also read: Sister Patty Chappell Featured in Article about the Synod