Queen of the Holy Rosary C at h o l i c C h u r c h
Parishioner
Pa
Reflects on the Gifts of F I
f parishioner Pat Brown had to choose one Scripture verse to guide her life, it would be this exhortation from Paul’s letter to the Philippians — “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Throughout the trials and tribulations of life, Pat strives to keep her focus on the Lord. Her Catholic faith and sense of gratitude are the two constants that have guided her life, in good times and bad, for over 80 years. Pat was born and raised in St. Joseph, where she attended grade school, high school, and a couple of years of college. While working a summer job, she met Bishop John Cody — who later became a Cardinal — and was soon hired as his secretary. Later, an administrative position with the Air Force took her to Washington, D.C., followed by a job with NASA that had her packing her bags once more — this time, for Santa Monica, Calif. After returning home from these adventures, Pat reconnected with an old high school sweetheart, Mike Brown. When the two were
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(From left) Pat Brown with her daughters, Gretchen and Jennifer
married in 1967, Pat became a member of Queen of the Holy Rosary. In all of her adventures from coast to coast, Pat’s Catholic faith had remained a central part of her life. Settled in at Queen, she quickly got involved in life at the parish and school, joining the Altar and Rosary Society and serving as a room mother and on the school board. More recently, she has enjoyed helping bring day-old bread
to the St. Mary’s Food Kitchen, participating in the senior group, and serving as a Eucharistic Minister. In recent years, the strong faith Pat cultivated over her lifetime has proven more essential than ever. “Here is how the last five years have unfolded,” Pat says. “My husband, who had been sick for a couple of years, passed away on March 28, 2015. One day to the month after he died, I learned that continued on page 5
