Obituary: Patricia ‘Pat’ Ann Haley, SCN, 73, Nazareth

Patricia (“Pat”) Ann Haley, SCN, 73, of Nazareth, died Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018, at Nazareth. She was born in Columbus, Ga., and was a professed Sister of Charity of Nazareth for 52 years.

In September 1963, Sister Pat entered the novitiate of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth as the Congregation’s first African American postulant and was the first African American sister to serve in the Archdiocese of Louisville. She is a founding member of the National Black Sisters’ Conference. She continued to be a vital and inspirational member of the Conference until her death, attending the 50 year anniversary celebration in New Orleans this past August.

She served in educational ministries as an elementary school teacher at St. Ladislas in Columbus, Ohio, and in Louisville at Immaculate Heart of Mary and St. Thomas-St. Vincent. From 1970-1981, she served in parish ministry at St. Benedict Church in Louisville. She spent 18 years in ministry in Philadelphia, serving the Mariyama Vocation Center and as coordinator of the Spiritual Enrichment Program for the Institute of Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of New Orleans. She also served for many years in pastoral/social ministry in St. Petersburg, Fla., before returning to Nazareth in 2011.

Throughout her 52 years as a Sister of Charity of Nazareth, she attended especially to the African American community, serving with her gift of spirit, her dynamism and her gift of song.

She is survived by her sister, Gladys McGee of Birmingham, Ala.; her extended family; and her religious community.

The Mass of Resurrection is 10:30 a.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church at Nazareth. Burial is in the Nazareth Cemetery.

The Wake is 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018, at St. Vincent Church at Nazareth.

Memorial donations may go to the Office of Mission Advancement, P.O. Box 9, Nazareth, KY, 40048.

The Houghlin-Greenwell Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

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