July 16, 1929 – September 14, 2025
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Sister Patricia Pfeifer, CSJ, who died peacefully on Sunday, September 14, 2025, at Carondelet Village in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Sister Patricia was a woman of deep faith and prayerfulness; she was a lover of nature, art, and anything that is of God; she had a great sense of humor; and an undaunting courage to follow wherever the Spirit chose to lead her.
Patricia was born in North St. Paul, Minnesota, to John and Caroline (Werner) Pfeifer, on July 16, 1929. Pat was taught in grade school by the Franciscan Sisters of Rochester, whom she said “planted the seeds” for religious life. Later, she attended St. Joseph’s Academy, where she came to meet the Sisters of St. Joseph. Following the strong call she had from her youth, Pat entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet community in 1947, and she was given the name Mary Caroline.
She earned a bachelor of arts degree in English and elementary education from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota (1958), and a master of arts in theology from the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana (1970). From 1951 to 1968, Pat was missioned to serve as a teacher at many of our sponsored schools in Minnesota, including St. Columba, St. Therese, and Cathedral School in St. Paul; St. Thomas Aquinas in St. Paul Park; St. Anne in LeSueur; St. Stephen in Minneapolis; and Good Shepherd in Golden Valley. In 1969, she became principal at Cathedral School in St. Paul, where she helped to develop and implement “Project Discovery” for the ever-changing cultural dynamics of the St. Paul inner city schools.
In 1976, Pat became the first woman religious to serve as assistant director of vocations for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. In 1987, she made the move to the Superior Diocese with good friend Sister Monica Fredrick, CSJ, where she taught and served as pastoral minister for the Holy Family cluster of parishes. Reflecting on her ministry and spirituality, Pat said, “I love the people. I think of myself as a vowed woman with an ever-deepening commitment to love.”
Pat is preceded in death by her parents; her sisters Carol McHardy, Katherine VanderWyst and Mary Jane Thielen; her brothers Donald and Edward Pfeifer; and is survived by many nieces, nephews, grand and great-grandnieces and nephews; dear friends; and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and consociates.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, October 2, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. in Our Lady of the Presentation Chapel, 1884 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul, with burial following at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights.
Memorials in her honor are preferred to the Sisters of St.Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul Province Retirement Fund.
Dear Pat, rest in love and peace.
Rest in peace, sister, Patricia Pfeiffer
Dear Sister Caroline(my Aunt Pat), I will always remember your beautiful smile, and your loving kindness. I only saw you a few times in my life, but you left a lasting memory of unconditional love and caring. I know you are with Jesus , and you have a very special place in Heaven. I love you and miss you.