Remembering Sr. Margaret Patrice Slattery, CCVI | A Message from President Evans

Dear UIW community,

It is with deep sadness that I share with you the news of the passing of Sr. Margaret Patrice Slattery, CCVI, on Saturday, July 27. Sr. Margaret Patrice was a member of our founding congregation, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, and led our university with compassion, vision, innovation and a commitment to creating a vibrant, inclusive community.  

Sr. Margaret Patrice served UIW (then-called Incarnate Word College) in many capacities, including as an English professor, as academic dean, as president from 1972 to 1985, and finally as chancellor until her retirement. Her tenure spanned a time of great change for Incarnate Word, the country and the Church. Through it all, she lived and led by a directive from one of the congregation’s founders, Rev. Mother Pierre Cinquin: “The glory should be for God, the service for others, and the trouble for ourselves.”

As a result, she gave us many gifts. Among them was the two-volume tome “Promises to Keep,” the congregational history of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. She expanded our Board of Trustees to include lay people, elevated our work in university advancement, launching our first capital campaign and our annual Swing-In event, and grew our campus through the opening of the Nursing building and Coates Theatre. She championed new faculty and student recruitment, ushering in new, more diverse generations and inviting them to be formed in Mission. In fact, she interviewed the very first man to be admitted as a full-time student when Incarnate Word College was predominantly an institution for women. These are just a few examples, as it would be nearly impossible to sum up her service to our institution or quantify her many contributions.

Since I joined this community, I have looked to Sr. Margaret Patrice as a model of servant leadership, uncompromising dedication to Mission and daily embodiment of our values. I know that many alumni and long-time friends of our university share this sentiment and will wish to celebrate her life. We will update you with service information as it becomes available. If you have a special memory of Sr. Margaret Patrice or wish to share a thought, please share it with us at pr@uiwtx.edu.

Please join me in praying for the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, Sr. Margaret Patrice’s family and everyone in our wider Incarnate Word family who are affected by this profound loss.

In the words of our faith: “Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”

Sincerely,
 
Thomas M. Evans, PhD
President