Sister Pat's Kids Camp

Sister Patricia Daly, SHCJ (1935-1988)

On December 25, 1935, Frank and Sally Daly were blessed with twins, Patricia and James.  The twins were inseparable for the rest of their lives, joining two older siblings Frank and Joyce.  They lived in a Washington Heights apartment and were educated in the thriving St. Elizabeth Elementary School just around the corner from their residence.  They thoroughly enjoyed the beauty and endless opportunities for fun in this enticing part of Manhattan.  Pat spent her high school years in Sacred Heart of Mary Academy where she made many lifetime friends, but she was also very involved in the programs at St. Elizabeth Parish.  After graduation Pat entered the Society of the Holy Child Jesus in 1954 but due to health problems had to return home to recuperate, re-entering the Society in 1957.

For the next fifteen years she taught primary students in St. Patrick’s, Waukegan; St. Mary’s, Melrose; St. Elizabeth’s, NYC and St. Ignatius, Chicago.  Pat was a consummate primary teacher and had a natural gift to motivate young children.  During these years she became a Reading Specialist receiving her degree from Manhattan College.  In 1975 she made a career change to become Elementary Religious Education Coordinator at St. Helen’s Church in Westfield, NJ.  Ever-enlarging numbers of children in this parish CCD program necessitated recruiting additional experienced staff for this need and Sr. Pat was the answer for this for the next twelve years. 

Pat’s association with the Marist Brothers Camp for Special Education children and young people led her to volunteer her services for several weeks in the summer in Esopus, NY while maintaining her ministry at St. Helen’s.  Unfortunately, during this time period, Pat developed cancer and endured several operations and post-operative recoveries, each one leaving her more and more debilitated.  Her family and friends were highly supportive and amazed at her capacity to return to some abbreviated form of ministry after each episode.  She was inspired to initiate a new parish ministry “Helping Hands and Hearts”.  Pat became the coordinator to help get it off the ground and it is to this day very effective in supporting people in all kinds of needs under the guidance of Marilyn Ryan.

Finally in 1987, after her third brain operation, Pat was moved to the infirmary of her congregation in Rye NY.  On Christmas Eve 1987 Pat was hospitalized for a hip replacement and from thereon in she continued to lose ground.  Even when she couldn’t talk, her eyes smiled a loving welcome and thank you for coming. The nurses and sisters never tired in their efforts to make her comfortable.  Finally, after months of suffering on August 18, Pat went quietly to the Lord in the 53rd year of her life and 28th year of her Religious Life.  Sr. Pat’s wake and funeral liturgy took place at St. Helen’s. 

In her honor and memory, that special summer week in Esopus for children with cancer continues and was re-named “Sister Pat’s Kids Camp”.  It is funded by St. Helens’ with adult and youth volunteers as staff to enable the children to enjoy a vacation.  The camp day’s activities start with a gather of all the participants with a special theme for the day which Sr. Pat always made very interesting, interactive and enjoyable.  There came a time when her health restricted just how much she could be involved with the children but she would ask the young adult counselors to lift her into the pool with a chair so she could be with the children.  A recent pool renovation now has a ramp for the handicapped.

St. Helen’s was indeed blessed with Sr. Pat’s twelve years of dedicated ministry and her example of selfless service, courage and faith in dealing with health challenges.  One of her good friends from the parish sums up her personality as…”Faith, Fun, Frivolous”.  Can you see this in her face above?