Kathleen Grattan Dukate, clinical care coordinator at WVU Medicine in Morgantown who lives in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, finally found an artist who is restoring the mosaic that once graced Sts. Peter and Paul School in Monongah.

Kathleen first started this project, and the fundraising for it, in 2015 so it’s been a long, slow path to the goal of putting the mosaic on the Holy Spirit Church grounds in Monongah, not far from where it once stood atop the school that I attended along with many children of Monongah’s Catholic miners.

Fairmont West graduate Kathleen’s latest Facebook post:

“I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything, but I wanted to give an update on the mosaic project. We found a mosaic artist in Morgantown who met with us a couple of times and was able to locate matching tiles in Italy to replace the few missing tiles in the mosaic. The mosaic has been transported successfully to her studio where it has been cleaned and is being restored.

“We are working on obtaining permission from Holy Spirit Parish to erect the restored mosaic on the grounds of the church (near where the Sisters Auxiliaries of the Apostolate Society convent was before it was razed) so that it can be enjoyed by everyone who visits.

“Our goal is to have the project completed this fall. We will be meeting with parish council next month.  But, things are moving along nicely.

“We hope to have a fund established soon to accept donations for the restored piece and its future maintenance.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Please send me a private message if you’d like to help in any way! Thanks so much for your support and patience!

“Kathleen”

There’s a Saints Peter and Paul School Facebook page where you can reply to Kathleen. Or you can go on the Kathleen Grattan Dukate Facebook page to reply.

The mosaic was removed when the school was demolished in 2011. It found a temporary home at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Fairmont, where the Monongah High Alumni Reunion is held every year on Mary Lou Retton Drive.

The Sisters Auxiliaries of the Apostolate Society was dissolved in 2013. The school and surrounding buildings were demolished in 2011.

The order was founded in 1903 in Alberta, Canada. All its nuns moved to Fargo, North Dakota in 1911. In 1931 all the nuns moved again, to New Cumberland, West Virginia. The motherhouse moved once more, to Monongah, with missions in New Cumberland, Scarbro and Kilgore, Texas.

Kathleen moved from Fairmont to Waynesburg. She is a Fairmont West and Duquesne University Nursing School graduate.

Her husband is Brian Dukate. Son Loren Dukate is in the Navy. Kathleen’s father is a college professor.

There’s also a Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School in Oak Hill. Sister Agnes came from Scarbro, West Virginia, which is four miles from Oak Hill, to Monongah.