Sister Patricia Ann Hauser, CSJ

A humble woman who lived simply, cared deeply

Frank and Agnes (Hatfield) Hauser of Schell City, Missouri, welcomed their second daughter, Patricia Ann, on August 4, 1939. Two years later, another daughter arrived. The family lived on various farms, moving frequently while the girls were young. Patricia attended most of her grade school years in Walker, Missouri. The girls had not been baptized, so, after receiving two weeks of religious education, they received all the sacraments of initiation on a single Sunday. Eventually, the family moved to Nevada, Missouri, where the girls attended the public high school. The oldest sister, born with a heart defect, passed away during high school.

Patricia had an opportunity to participate in an educational program in high school, receiving credit for working in a field of interest. She worked as a nurse’s assistant. Though the doctor was “basically a grouch,” this opportunity may have been the seed for her future as she “learned lots of things [as] she assisted him.” Deciding to attend nursing school, the doctor encouraged her to choose a school that offered a degree. Her studies began at the College of Saint Teresa in Kansas City, Missouri, where she met the Sisters of St. Joseph.

On September 15, 1959, Patricia entered the Sisters of St. Joseph along with 74 others, including Kate Regan who was a year behind her in school. She received the habit and the name Sister Cecilia Francis on March 19, 1960. In 1962, she was sent to Mount Saint Mary College in Los Angeles to finish her nursing degree. She continued training at St. Joseph Hospital in Kansas City (1964) for a year and then worked on a medical surgical unit there, supervised by Sister Barbara Moore. She also gained experience in the nursery, as well as labor and delivery rooms. In 1966, Sister Patricia was assigned to teach nursing at St. Joseph Hospital in Hancock, Michigan, where she worked with Sister John Kenneth Scott, “who was absolutely brilliant.”

After some intensive training in coronary care, S. Patricia returned to Saint Joseph Hospital to open a coronary unit. In 1972, she was a coronary care nurse at St. Joseph Hospital in Augusta, Georgia. Between 1974 and 1977, she had further schooling at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and also took time off for back surgery.

Returning to St. Joseph Hospital in Kansas City for a short time in 1978, she then moved to Ozark Mission in Mansfield, Missouri. There, she was involved in pastoral ministry, visiting families and dealing with whatever nursing issues she encountered. From 1981 to 1983, she studied at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Then, from 1984 to 1989, she taught nursing at Avila College in Kansas City. In 1990, S. Patricia spent a few months in transition followed by a month-long sabbatical at Springbank Dominican Retreat in Kingstree, South Carolina.

In January of 1991, after receiving her national certification as a nurse practitioner, she began a new career at Vredenburgh Health Center in Vredenburgh, Alabama.

“I feel that all the experiences of my life in terms of my professional experiences have prepared me for this position as a nurse practitioner,” said S. Patricia.

Sister Jane Kelly describes her dear friend as ...

A very private person ... She was an excellent nurse practitioner and cared deeply for her patients, especially the very poor. ... Pat was well informed and concerned about the lack of social justice she saw in our country regarding lack of medical access for our minority population.

Sister Jeanne Urshel recalls ...

She absolutely loved providing health care for people who otherwise would have almost nothing. And she so loved the people for whom she provided care ... especially the children.

Sister Rose McLarney shares ...

Pat lived very simply and humbly. She sought no glory or attention for herself and was one with those she served, those most marginalized.

By Sister Helen Oates