Sister Patrice once said, “There is no question that my current ministry with the terminally ill and their loved ones is one of the greatest privileges, and simultaneously, one of the most humbling experiences of my life. God allows me first hand experiences through my hospice patients of what it is to face the end of one’s life with courage and grace, dignity and peace.”

Sisters of Charity of New YorkSister M. Patrice Murphy (Patricia) was born January 1, 1933 in Manhattan, the daughter of Patrick and Helen Sheridan Murphy. Patricia attended Saint Rose of Lima Elementary School and Elizabeth Seton High School, Yonkers, before entering the Sisters of Charity of New York on September 8, 1950. Sister Patrice earned an RN diploma from Saint Vincent Hospital School of Nursing. She received a BS degree in Nursing and an MS degree in Medical-Surgery from Hunter College. She also received New York State certification as a Registered Nurse, Pastoral Associate in General Health Care, and a practitioner in the field of Family Therapy.

Sister Patrice spent forty-eight of her fifty-five years of active ministry in the field of nursing. She began as a student nurse at Saint Vincent Hospital School of Nursing, Manhattan, and moved through every aspect of nursing. At Saint Vincent Hospital, she ministered as a senior staff nurse, head nurse, Supervisor of Nursing Services; instructor in the School of Nursing, supervisor and instructor in Psychiatry, and Director of the School of Nursing. For ten years, Sister Patrice coordinated the Supportive Care Hospice Program of Saint Vincent Hospital and, from the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, was a pioneer in ministering to the needs and concerns of those dying from the illness. She was the recipient of several awards given in recognition of her leadership in this field. At Saint Vincent Hospital, Staten Island, Sister Patrice served as Nursing Supervisor and Assistant Director of Nursing, and instructor and Department Chair in the School of Nursing. In later years, Sister Patrice served as Director of Nursing Services at Convent of Mary the Queen, Yonkers, and then provided her skills and experience to the retirement community at Saint Patrick Villa, Nanuet. In 1989, Sister Patrice responded to the call of the Congregation for someone to direct the newly opened Department of Development and, for seven years, offered a different set of her skills to the Sisters of Charity. In her retirement, Sister Patrice moved to Mount Saint Vincent Convent in 2008 and then to Convent of Mary the Queen in 2013. With the closing of Mary, the Queen in 2015, Sister Patrice was in the first group of sisters to move to Schervier Nursing Care Center in the Bronx where she died April 18, 2019.

Sister Patrice once said, “There is no question that my current ministry with the terminally ill and their loved ones is one of the greatest privileges, and simultaneously, one of the most humbling experiences of my life. God allows me first hand experiences through my hospice patients of what it is to face the end of one’s life with courage and grace, dignity and peace.” And now, Sister Patrice, you have done so and stand before our loving God to be welcomed Home. Rest in eternal peace.

Date of Death
April 18, 2019

Age
86

Wake
Mount Saint Vincent Convent
Assembly Room
6301 Riverdale Avenue
Bronx, NY 10471
718.601.5370
Thursday, April 25, 2019
9:00 – 10:30 am
10:30 am – Memory Sharing

Mass of Christian Burial
Mount Saint Vincent Convent
Assembly Room
11:00 am

Burial
Saint Joseph Cemetery
Yonkers, NY

Missions

Archdiocese of New York

  • Saint Vincent Hospital, Manhattan
    1953 – 1960, Nursing
  • Saint Vincent Hospital, Richmond
    1960 – 1970, Nursing / Instructor
  • Saint Vincent Hospital, Manhattan
    1970 – 1975, Nursing / Instructor
  • Mary the Queen, Yonkers
    1975 – 1977, Nursing
  • Saint Vincent Hospital, Manhattan
    1977 – 1989, Nursing
  • Sisters of Charity Center, Bronx
    1989 – 1996, Director of Development
  • Mary the Queen, Yonkers
    1996 – 2000, Nursing