Sister Patricia Hasson, MM

Born: December 7, 1929
Entered: September 4, 1948
Died: November 14, 1976

Six weeks ago before leaving for the Central Pacific Region I went to visit Pat Hasson and asked her if I would see her when I returned. She replied, “I hope not, I’m ready to go.” On Sunday morning, November 14 at 1:20 a.m. Pat’s hope was realized when she died at Bethany. Last spring Pat was forced to give up her work among the Hispanics in New Haven, Connecticut where she had been for less than a year. She spent several months at Bethany and then with a determination unique to Pat, she returned to New Haven for a short visit. After this she went on to Baltimore to be near her mother and two brothers. She remained there with our Sisters, seeing her family frequently until September when she returned to Bethany. Her suffering since then has been increasingly intense.

Patricia Louise Hasson was born December 7, 1929, in Baltimore, Maryland. She entered Maryknoll September, 1948, and was professed March 7, 1951, taking her mother’s name — Sister Edith Mary. Following teacher’s training at Mary Rogers College, she was assigned to Chile where she worked in the educational apostolate until 1970. She then returned to the States for medical care and received her diagnosis. Treatment followed but Pat was not to be deterred. After a short recuperation period she returned to Chile where she continued to share the good news, especially among the youth until 1973 when once again she returned to the Center to work on the Pre-Assembly Task Force. During the Assembly she explored with Sister Stephanie Kazmierczyk apostolates among the Spanish speaking in the United States. She joined the Eastern Region in July of 1975 where she once again began a very active apostolate with mother catechists, adult education groups and youth groups in New Haven, Connecticut. Her relentless dedication to mission, combined with her refined, gentle, womanly manner quickly endeared her to all with whom she came in contact. Although it became necessary for her to leave New Haven in the spring, her missionary life by no means ended. During her last months in Baltimore and even more so, during her last weeks at Bethany, she called forth a uniquely generous response from all especially the Sisters of the Eastern Region, those at Bethany and the Center. The Fathers and Brothers at the Seminary from Chile were almost daily visitors. Her group in Hawaii sent an orchid lei which was there until the day she died.

Hanging in Pat’s room at Bethany was a poster reading “Maryknoll Sisters in Mission”. The Tuesday before her death, she asked that it be taken down, and remarked that at last, as a completely dependent suffering servant, she was totally identified with the Third World.

The Mass of the Resurrection was concelebrated for Pat in the Chapel at the Center on Monday, November 15, by the two diocesan priests from New Haven, the Maryknoll Fathers from Chile and the Seminary.

We extend deep sympathy and prayers to Pat’s family and friends. At the same time we praise and thank God for relieving her suffering and wiping away her every tear. Now that she is born again in Him, and united with her own father and all those Maryknollers who preceded her, we pray to her to intensify our own zeal for His mission which she loved so ardently.