1934 – 2024
Born: 9th May 1934
Entered: 7th February 1960
Died: 9th April 2024
Mary Patricia McGraw was born in Airdrie, Scotland, on 9th May 1934 to Edward and Mary McGraw. She was the youngest of three girls. Rose is living in Canada. Susan predeceased Patricia in 2015.
Patricia chose nursing as her career and became a State Registered Nurse in Scotland in 1957 and having specialised in midwifery became a State Registered Midwife in 1958.
Patricia entered the Sisters of Charity on 7th February 1960 and was professed on 24th August 1962. After Profession on 1st October 1962 Patricia was missioned to the Zambia. Her first community was Mazabuka where she spent two years in the health care sector. In 1964 she was missioned to Choma community. Patricia spent a year in Hackney in 1966 training as a nurse tutor. She was awarded a Midwife Tutor’s Diploma in 1967.
Having successfully completed her Tutor’s course, Patricia was missioned to Uromi in Nigeria where she spent five years as a midwife tutor. It was always delightful to listen to Patricia as she recalled her many joys and sometimes sorrows in trying to bring new life into the world in this mission.
After her years in Nigeria Patricia was once again missioned back to Zambia in 1973. Here she lived in different communities in Ndola, Kabwata, Roma and Chikuni. Within these communities she had a variety of Ministries as Local Leader, Hospital Tutor, Regional Bursar and, for a short time, prison ministry.
In 1984 Sr Patricia was appointed by the Ministry of Health and General Nursing Council of Zambia to initiate a new course in Post Basic Training at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka. This was a Diploma Course for Midwifery Tutors. All her pupils were very successful in their exams.
Patricia continued faithfully in her apostolate in the School of Midwifery at the University Teaching Hospital. This apostolate proved very challenging with very few medical facilities available to ensure the safe delivery of babies. Despite all odds Sister Patricia was able to share the values of compassion and care for the sick, especially the sick poor with the students and the patients, they attended to.
Patricia was also called upon to give lectures in obstetrics to the 5th year medical students. The students enjoyed her lectures and her expertise on the ward.
Of Patricia’s sixty-one years in religious life, fifty-one of those years was spent on overseas’ mission.
Patricia was given a Sabbatical Leave 2012. This was a wonderful time for her as she enjoyed her time visiting her family in Canada and attending some short Courses in Scotland. Following her sabbatical leave, Patricia returned to Ireland in 2014 and was missioned to St. Monica’s community in Dublin, until it closed in 2020. She was then missioned to Temple Street community where she spent her time in the office of St. Anthony’s Shrine. This was a mission that Patricia loved, as she was able to connect with people who sent in requests for prayers for a variety of reasons. Patricia answered each letter and made many friends through this ministry.
Throughout her religious life Patricia was fully committed to the motto of the Congregation ‘Caritas Christi Urget Nos’. In the spirit of our foundress, Mary Aikenhead, she touched the lives of many people by reaching out to those in need. Patricia was a kind, caring and compassionate person who had a deep respect for all to whom she ministered. She had a wonderful sense of humour, enjoyed conversations and all sports, especially soccer. Celtic and Liverpool were her two favourite teams! In her retirement Patricia was an avid reader and kept up-to-date with news and current affairs. She had a great love for her family, especially her sisters, Rose and Susan, and the achievements of her nieces and nephews was always a source of great joy for her.
Patricia died peacefully in St. Vincent’s Hospital on Tuesday, 9th April 2024. It was extraordinary that she died in the Mary Aikenhead suite in the hospital.
Her Requiem Mass was celebrated in the Sacred Heart Church, Donnybrook, Dublin on Tuesday, 16th April. She is buried in the community cemetery in Donnybrook. May she rest in peace.
