Click here to view the video of Sister Pat's Final Profession.

Sister Patricia Magee Makes Perpetual Vows with Adrian Dominican Sisters

July 25, 2011, Brighton, Michigan – Sister Patricia M. Magee, OP, celebrated her Profession of Perpetual Vows as an Adrian Dominican Sister and a member of the Order of Preachers during a special liturgy marking the Feast Day of St. Mary Magdalene, who preached the resurrection of Christ to the apostles. The Rite of Profession was celebrated during the 11:00 a.m. Mass July 24, at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Brighton.

“It is my intent for the remaining years of my life to give of myself, walking the path of this journey in God’s light and God’s will,” Sister Patricia proclaimed in requesting Final Profession of Vows. “I know that the mission of Jesus is the Dominican way. With the loving support that our Sisters give, I will continue in study, prayer and community life that will support my role in this mission.”

Celebrating with Sister Patricia were her sisters and brother-in-law, Sandra and Lewis Scheffer, and Barbara Beamish; various friends; her witnesses, Sister Lucy Ann Quinn, OP, and Sister Maryetta Churches, OP; about 60 Adrian Dominican Sisters and Associates; and parishioners of St. Mary Magdalen Parish. Father David Howell, pastor and personal friend of Sister Patricia’s, presided.

In his homily, Father Howell noted the rarity of final professions taking place in parish settings, explaining that Sister Attracta Kelly, OP, Prioress of the Congregation, has been encouraging the practice. It is especially fitting for Sister Patricia to profess her final vows at St. Mary Magdalen Parish, her parish at the time of her re-entry into the Congregation, he said.

Father Howell noted that Sister Patricia is part of a long line of women – dating all the way back to St. Mary Magdalen – who have been moved by their love of Christ to follow him as his disciples. All the women sitting in church this morning, he pointed out, are part of that long line, whether they’re married or single, young or old, committed by religious profession or serving as parish volunteers.

The Rite of Profession began after the homily, when Sister Attracta called Sister Patricia forward and examined her as to her willingness to live as a perpetually professed Adrian Dominican Sister. Sister Mary Ellen Youngblood, OP, also formally testified as to Sister Patricia’s readiness.

Sister Attracta received Sister Patricia’s vow of obedience to God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Dominic, and Sister Attracta and all of her lawful successors, “according to the rule of St. Augustine and the Constitution of the Sisters of St. Dominic of the Congregation of the Most Holy Rosary, until death.” The rite continued with the signing of the Profession document; the blessing and presentation of Sister Patricia’s ring, symbolic of her lifelong commitment and fidelity to Jesus Christ; the solemn blessing of Sister Patricia; and Sister Attracta’s affirmation.

The daughter of Floyd and Josephine Pettis, and hailing from Detroit and Whitmore Lake, Michigan, Sister Patricia entered the Adrian Dominican Congregation early in life, but left the community to marry. She re-entered the Congregation on August 7, 2007.

Sister Patricia earned her bachelor’s degree in history from Siena Heights College in Adrian in 1968; a master’s in education from Marygrove College, Detroit, in 1981; a bachelor’s in theology from Siena Heights University in 1997; and took numerous classes and workshops, both during her years in Oregon from 1982 to 1993 and in formation at the Adrian Dominican Motherhouse from 2007 to 2008.

Much of Sister Patricia’s ministerial experience has been in education, either in the classroom or in a parish setting. From 1966 to 1982, she taught in lower grades in Catholic elementary schools in Michigan. Those years also included ministry as director of religious education at St. Peter Parish in Harper Woods, Michigan. In 1982, she moved to Tillamook, Oregon, where served as a special education teacher for the Tillamook County Education School District until 1994.

Sister Patricia was a team leader for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for the Diocese of Gaylord in East Tawas, Michigan, from 1995 to 1997. Simultaneously, until 1998, she served as a special education teacher in Tawas Area Schools. She returned to Whitmore Lake, Michigan and, from 2000 to 2003, was the RCIA team leader and adult formation director at Old St. Patrick’s Parish. 

After having been an Associate with the Adrian Dominican Sisters for 12 years, Sister Patricia was named director of the Associates Program in 2006, a position she held until 2009 after re-entering the Congregation. During her years of formation, Sister Patricia also taught religion in grades 1 to 4 at St. Joseph Academy in Adrian from 2007 to 2010. Most recently she served as Associate Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Anchorage, Alaska.