Sr. Patricia McNally, C.S.J. M’81

Source: https://csjcarondelet.org/remembering-sister-patricia-mcnally-csj/

Sister Patricia McNally (formerly Sister Michael Maureen), 80, died on March 29, 2024, in Utica, New York, in the 60th year of her religious life. Born in Syracuse, Sister Patricia was the daughter of Henry and Geraldine (Colomb) McNally. She was a member of St. Lucy’s Parish and graduated from St. Lucy’s Academy.

On August 6, 1965, Sister Patricia entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. In preparation for her ministry, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in elementary education from The College of Saint Rose and a Master’s Degree in religious education from St. Michael’s College.

From 1969 through 1988, Sister Patricia taught at schools in the Syracuse and Albany Dioceses and also served as Director of Religious Education. Beginning in 1988, Sister ministered in the Utica-Rome area, enabling her, as she said when celebrating her 50th Jubilee, “To live among and serve those most in need.” She did this at first as Associate Director of Parish Service at Utica Catholic Charities, and then as Counselor and Outreach Director at Rome Catholic Charities.

From 1997 until her retirement in 2015, Sister Patricia served at Thea Bowman Day Care Center, a nurturing place that makes daycare and related support activities available for economically-disadvantaged children and families from Utica’s multicultural communities, including immigrants and refugees. Sister Patricia thus practiced the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph and her personal call to “serve the neighbor without distinction.”

In addition to loving and excelling in her service to the “dear neighbor” Sister Patricia also embraced fully her community life with her Sisters of St. Joseph companions, for sixty years. In testimony to this she said, “Living in community has strengthened my love of God and has allowed me to share this love with others.” Likewise, her presence among us, always receiving Sister Patricia’s gracious greeting and smile, strengthened our love of God and neighbor.

Sister Patricia was predeceased by her parents and her brother, Michael. She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Daniel and Anna and their families and will be greatly missed by them and the Sisters of St. Joseph, especially the Utica CSJ community and Sister’s housemates, Sister Elizabeth Giarrusso and Sister Lynn Abdelnour.