Sr. Mary Agnes Retires as Development Director

For the Mount’s donors and benefactors, Sister Mary Agnes Patterson is a familiar voice on the phone that regularly thanks them for their donations. Now, after 20 and a half years of “friend raising,” coordinating the Night of Dreams, and grant writing, she is putting down the phone and retiring as the Mount’s development director. 

Since she entered the Mount in 1969 after graduating from Bishop LeBlond High School in St. Joseph, Missouri, Sister Mary Agnes has ably filled a variety of roles at the Mount and its ministries. She began in the field of education as a teacher and, later, administrator at Lillis High School, Mount St. Scholastica Academy, Bishop Ward High School, and Donnelly College. Along the way she earned master’s degrees in educational administration and counseling at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. 

In 1987, Sister Mary Agnes was elected prioress and served in that role through 1999. She then returned to Donnelly College for five and a half years before being asked to become the Mount’s development director in 2005. 

During her tenure in the development office, Sr. Mary Agnes expanded the Night of Dreams from a small event to support the Mount Community Center to a vibrant gathering of hundreds of donors for a dinner and auction that supports Dooley Center, Keeler Women’s Center, and Sophia Spirituality Center. She also established the Mount Legacy Society in 2007 to recognize benefactors who support the Mount through planned gifts. 

“What I’ve enjoyed most about my time in development,” Sister Mary Agnes reflected, “is getting to know our friends and relatives and strengthening connections with our former students. I’ve also received a lot of prayer requests over the years, and helping facilitate our prayer ministry has been very important to me.” 

She went on to say, “I want to thank all the sisters who have worked with me in the development office, especially Sister Mary Margaret Kean, who has been with me all 20+ years, and Sister Barbara Smith, who joined us full time in 2017. I’m also very grateful to our Development Board members for their generosity and enthusiasm — we couldn’t have the Night of Dreams without them!” 

Sr. Mary Agnes will continue to put her hospitality skills to work in the Monastery Goods gift shop and in guest services. Although her time on the phone will decrease significantly now that she is no longer development director, she will continue to be a welcoming and prayerful presence for our donors, friends, and family members at the Mount.