Sister Patricia Connolly- 60th Jubilee

Written on: May 9, 2023

Sister Patricia Connolly was born and raised in Corona, New York. She met the Grey Nuns at St. Leo School. Even in her youngest days she knew she wanted to be a nurse. Pat entered the Grey Nuns six years after her sister, Barbara.

Her dream of being a nurse was fulfilled when she received her LPN from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Yonkers, NY after which she worked part­ time in St. Francis Hospital in Trenton, NJ.

After receiving a BSN at D’Youville College, she worked at Buffalo General Hospital on the surgical floor, in hospice care and in other areas of the hospital. Her nursing career was cut short by the onset on an autoimmune disease and the many physical limitations this entailed. Pat remained in Buffalo, a city which she loved, for more than forty years and found her move from there to Philadelphia and residence at Holy Redeemer Lafayette a major change in her life

These past 60 years have been ones of change! Change of leaving my recently widowed mother when I entered the congregation and the changes that came with Vatican Council II. Even now, 60 years later, I experience numerous sources of change. One is my change in residence from Buffalo, New York, to Philadelphia. This has brought a whole new style of living in community.

I have enormous gratitude for my family, for Grey Nun community and for friends and for the assistance I have received since coming to Holy Redeemer Lafayette. All has led me to grow spiritually in the spirit of St. Marguerite.

Today, I and we face some tough questions but not necessarily answers. I (we) do have one constant guide: “To act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

This entry was posted in From our Sisters and tagged: autoimmune disease, BSN D'Youville College, Buffalo, Buffalo General Hospital, change, community, Corona NY, Holy Redeemer Lafayette, Hospice Care, LPN, nurse, Philadelphia, physical limitations, sister in community, St. Francis Hospital Trenton NJ, St. Joseph Hospital Yonkers NY, St. Leo School, surgical floor, Vatican Council II, widowed mother