Parishioner Pat Brown Reflects on the Gifts of Faith, Hope and Gratitude

If 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 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 my daughter, Jennifer, had Stage 4 inoperable lung cancer. She had never smoked and her children were still young — it was hard to take. Then, my daughter, Gretchen, had to have brain surgery. And on Oct. 1, 2017, my granddaughter, Leah, was murdered in Lawrence, Kan., when a gunfight broke out a short distance from her car.”

Even in the face of such tragedies, Pat continues to choose hope and gratitude over despair.

“After Jennifer’s diagnosis, her volleyball team name was ‘Team Gratitude,’” Pat says. “And I just asked her, ‘Jennifer, how?’ She said, ‘This is the only way you can be with Stage 4 cancer. If there are such things as miracles, why can’t I have one?’ And here is what I say — prayers, prayers, prayers, and a great attitude And now, her cancer is contained.”

Pat’s tremendous sense of gratitude extends to the many opportunities she has found at Queen to stay close to Christ, even during the pandemic. She is thankful for the livestream of Sunday Mass and continues to participate in the Divine Mercy Circle on Wednesday evenings and the streaming Holy Hour. By attending Mass on a weekday when there are fewer people in the church, she has been able to continue receiving the Eucharist and even continues to help out as a purificator.

Inspired by Fr. Bill Bruning, Pat has found even more reason to live with a spirit of thanksgiving.

“Father has promoted that gratitude, and I have lots of gratitude in my life for him as a pastor and a shepherd,” she says. “He takes good care of his flock.”

Pat seeks daily to follow her favorite verse from Philippians by casting aside anxiety, bringing her troubles to the Lord, and continuously giving thanks for blessings received. What an inspiration her unwavering faith and gratitude are to all her fellow parishioners here at Queen!

“You have to have your faith and your beliefs to survive life and to prepare for what follows,” Pat says. “Just pray and say, ‘Jesus I trust in You.’ It’s really hard to do sometimes, but you just have to take it one day at a time. Have faith that it is God’s will and have hope. Just watch, and you will see God in your life. Pray, talk to Him, and you will become friends.”

(From left) Pat Brown with her daughters, Gretchen and Jennifer