Pat Merchant Park was born in 1947. Her father was in the military and she traveled extensively while growing up, including trips to Ireland where her maternal grandparents lived. She attended Madison College in Harrisonburg, Va. and graduated in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work. She was married in 1970 to Steven Park, a seminary student. Pat entered Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Va. in 1971. At the time she entered, women were not being ordained to the full priesthood, but could be ordained to the Diaconate, which she was in 1974.

In 1971, while in seminary, Pat was instrumental in forming the Episcopal Women's Caucus and was co-chairman of a small political coalition for the purpose of changing the church canon which would allow women to be ordained to the priesthood. It would be called the National Coalition for the Ordination of Women to the Priesthood and Episcopcey. It set its goal for the canon change for the 1973 General Convention. The move to ordain women was voted down in 1973, so Pat stayed politically active through 1976 when the canon change was adopted.

Pat gave birth to her daughter, Laura, Feb. 2, 1974 and was graduated from seminary that spring. She served as class president her senior year. From the time of her graduation from seminary until her ordination which was January 2, 1977, Pat served as assistant to the rector at Immanuel Church on the Hill in Alexandria, Va.

Following her ordination, Pat moved to Richmond with her family and was employed as assistant rector at St. Paul's Church. She served here from September 1977 to July 1980. At this time, Pat was separated from her husband and spent one year, unemployed, looking for work.

In July 1981, she was hired as program director for the YWCA Women's Victim Advocacy Program. This program serves raped and battered women and their children including contact by counseling as well as running a shelter for these women and children. She is also responsible for fund raising for this project.

Pat is currently the president of the Episcopal Women's Caucus and is very active in seeking employment for other ordained women.

From May through August 1982, Pat served as supply priest at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Virginia Beach, Va. She worked 2 1/2 days a week while maintaining her full time job at the YWCA. This was a very important event, not only for Pat, but for the Diocese of Southern Virginia. Pat is the first woman priest to preach in this diocese. The presiding Bishop's negative feelings about the ordination of women have been well publicized and no women have been ordained in this diocese. However, since Pat's successful ministry here this summer, a woman has been called as a full time priest within the diocese.

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