Sister Patrice Floyd, IWBS passed away

Sister Patrice Floyd, Sister of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament of Corpus Christi, was welcomed into eternal life by her loving God on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Born to Franklin Jay and Rita Gollihar Floyd on October 18, 1938, she was preceded in death by her parents and one sister, Patsy Jean Floyd. She is survived by one brother, John, and three sisters, Betty Rodgers, Barbara Ahr (Herman), and Nora Ranly.

Sister Patrice entered the Sisters of the Incarnate Word on Sept. 8, 1962, and made first profession of vows on June 5, 1965. She professed perpetual vows on August 2, 1969. Sister Patrice celebrated her Golden Jubilee of profession on April 18, 2015.
In 1965, she graduated from Our Lady of the Lake University with a bachelor’s degree in Science and in 1975, she received a Master’s Degree with a major in Education. She also completed graduate work in counseling and theology at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.

Sister Patrice served in three different dioceses over the course of her career as a teacher, principal and administrator. As a lay teacher, she taught at Ss. Cyril & Methodius Catholic School (1959) and St. Patrick School (1960-1962). As a teacher, she taught at Cathedral School (1962-1963), Sacred Heart (1964-1965), St. Pius X (1966-1968), and Incarnate Word Academy in Brownsville (1968-1969). She served as both teacher and principal at Cathedral School (1969-1970), Incarnate Word Junior High School (1970-1974), Christ the King (1974-1976) and St. Pius X (1976-1982). She was the principal at St. Patrick School (1982-1988), St. Ann School in San Antonio (1989-1992), St. Matthew School in San Antonio (1993-1994), Blessed Sacrament School in Laredo (1996-2004), and Most Precious Blood Catholic School (2007-2008). She was registrar at Incarnate Word Academy during the 1988-1989 scholastic year. Traveling to Fort Worth, Texas, she worked in the diocesan school office as Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and oversaw several programs, including the Drug Free School, Sports League, School Nurses, and Federal School programs. Sister Patrice was instrumental in opening three new schools during her years of educational service – Incarnate Word Junior High School in Corpus Christi, Saint Matthew School in San Antonio, and South Arlington Catholic School, now known as Holy Rosary School. She was the interim principal of All Saints School in Fort Worth.

In 1985, she was awarded the National Award for Excellence in education while she was principal at St. Patrick Catholic School in Corpus Christi. She received a nomination for Y Women in Careers in 1986, and in 1987 she was nominated for the top 100 USA Principals in Today’s Catholic Teacher. Sister Patrice served as accreditation chairperson and/or team member for schools in Rockport, Alice, Dallas, El Paso, and Corpus Christi. She had the opportunity to participate in a sabbatical program at Boston College in the Fall of 1992; in 1997, she spent the second half of her sabbatical at Washington Theological Union in Washington, D.C.

Sister Patrice has served as chair and member on numerous committees and commissions of the congregation and as an elected delegate to the Congregation’s General Chapter. She worked for several years as a volunteer at Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi, where she was elected to several volunteer posts. In January 2013, she was elected Parliamentarian of the Corpus Christi Driscoll Children’s Hospital Auxiliary Council and Recording Secretary of District 3 Auxiliary Hospitals Council. Sister Patrice was also part of the Theresians group, a group that meets for spiritual classes and faith sharing.

She always had a great talent for sewing and graciously offered her talents to the Sisters. Sister Patrice was genuinely grateful for the opportunity to spread the love of the Incarnate Word and to bring the people she met and worked with closer to God and His most holy Mother. She once stated, “May we all continue to spread the love of the Incarnate Word throughout the world.”

Reception of her body took place at Incarnate Word Convent on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, followed by the prayer of the Office of the Dead. Later that evening, a wake/rosary service was held. The next day, Msgr. Michael Howell was the main celebrant for the Mass of Resurrection in the convent chapel. The services were live-streamed on the Facebook page of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament of Corpus Christi. The burial rite followed at Rose Hill Cemetery, with Sister Annette Wagner, Superior General, officiating. Maxwell P. Dunne Funeral Service provided funeral arrangements.