Patricia Anne Ferrick, SSND
April 1, 1943 – June 28, 2025
Patricia Anne Ferrick was born on April 1, 1943. Perhaps her delightful, yet quirky, sense of humor can be attributed to an April Fool's birthdate. She was welcomed into the family by her mother, Anne Phinn, her father, Myles, and her older brother, Donald. St. Cecelia Parish in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York, was the church where Pat was baptized, received her First Holy Communion, and made her Confirmation.
At the parish school, Pat met the kindergarten friends with whom she kept in touch all these years. After graduation from elementary school, Pat joined the freshman class at St. Saviour High School, where she met the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Pat was involved in many activities and was the editor of Skyline, the school newspaper. It was in her junior year that she felt called to religious life and the School Sisters of Notre Dame.
On September 8, 1960, Pat traveled to Baltimore and met her 100 classmates in the candidature. Her scholastic abilities were recognized immediately, and she, with several other candidates, traveled by bus to Notre Dame College (now University) each morning. Soon after reception into the novitiate, Pat, now Sister Mary Myles, journeyed with the Northeast Province novices to open the new Motherhouse in Wilton, Connecticut. One day, Mother Paschal visited the novices and asked for volunteers for the first Wilton Province mission in Chile. Of course, Pat, ever the risk taker, volunteered!
Her First Profession was July 28, 1962. Pat was sent to St. Patrick, Glen Cove, Long Island, New York, to teach 6th grade—not Chile! Her teaching years were in several Long Island schools, followed by Archbishop Walsh High School in Irvington, New Jersey; Mission High in Roxbury in Massachusetts; and five years as pastoral minister at St. Joseph in Yorkville, NY.
Twenty-one years later, with much gusto and joy, Pat sang, “Here I Am Lord” in the Wilton Chapel. When she received her mission cross, a long-awaited dream came true. Her many talents were tapped during those 33 years in South America, two of which were spent in Paraguay. Pat served at Colegio St. George and New World Foundations in Santiago as well as being a pastoral minister and Diocesan Mission Coordinator when a new mission opened at Santa Rosa in Los Andes. The close-knit community of Helen Ann Nelson, Bernie Ballasty, and Pat formed a deep bond with and for each other. She also had key responsibilities in the transition of our Latin American missions to become the District of Latin America. The District became part of the Province of Latin America and the Caribbean (ALC) in 2012.
In 1996, Pat took a sabbatical to study at the Theological Institute in Columbia and spent personal renewal time at a little cabin in Las Cruces on the Pacific Coast. For two years, Pat answered a need for a pastoral minister at San Gerado in Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay. A sister who visited her in Paraguay related this humorous event. Trying to be the perfect hostess and not concerned about the extreme heat, Pat suggested that they take a walk to get an ice cream. However, the “ice cream parlor” was two miles away and it meant crossing the Brazilian border. Young men with machine guns met them at the border, but Pat just smiled, greeted them, and continued on to get the desired ice cream cone.
Pat’s passion for the poor and immigrants continued when she returned to the states in 2015. For two years she volunteered at the Arizona/Mexican Border. It was there she was attracted to the beauty of the desert. Later, while living in Wilton, Pat, always the procrastinator, talked about living and ministering with the Woodhaven Community. The sisters called her when the COVID lockdown was announced and within three hours Pat was packed and settled into Woodhaven. Here she continued advocacy work for immigrants and did translations at the Center.
Pat’s kind and gentle heart was shared with sisters and laity alike when she moved to 3030 Park Ave. in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Many will remember her simple greeting, “How are you doing?” She continued walking many hours each day to combat her arthritis. Her prayer group noted how frequently Pat emphasized, “God is within You”.
Pat always had a firm commitment to her family. She left her beloved Chile for a year to care for her brother Donny until he died. When her nephew Jeff met with a tragic death, Pat made many trips to upstate New York to be with his wife, Liz.
Annual retreat was very important to Pat and, of course, walking by the beach. What a gift for her to meet the Love of her life, face to face, when she fell while walking near San Alfonso retreat house. At Pat’s side in the hospital for the hours before she died on June 28, 2025, were Sisters Connie Carrigan and Eileen Shea, and Fr. John Collins CSSR, who anointed Pat.
On July 7th, a wake service, led by Sister Pat Hammond, preceded the Mass of Resurrection at St. Andrew Church in Bridgeport. Reflections were offered by Sister Cathy Feeney, Pat’s nephew David Harris, and her niece Liz Harris. Fr. John Collins presided at the Mass. Sisters Joan Doyle and Marie Kathleen Dunham proclaimed the readings, and Sister Mary Dooley led the Prayer of the Faithful. Interment was at St. Mary in Bethel, Connecticut.
Pat walked right into heaven! We’ll miss her, but we can’t take that joy away from her.
