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October
3, 2005 
VOL.
43, NO. 17Oakland,
CA
Pat Conroy named Catholic Woman of the Year
Pat Conroy is “a tiny lady with a soft, joyful
voice, who has emerged as one of the true giants of our diocese.”
This vivid word portrait comes from Gwen Watson, a Christ the King Parishioner
who nominated Conroy as 2005 Bay Area Catholic Woman of the Year. Conroy
will receive the award from Catholic Charities of the East Bay on Oct.
11.
Conroy, a member of St. Bonaventure Parish in Concord, is well-known for
her involvement in prison ministry, religious education, homeless shelter
advocacy and other social justice work. She began training for these roles
as a teenager with her mother, Florence Finnerty, as her coach. Mrs. Finnerty
was a Red Cross-volunteer and advocate of social justice who took Pat
along on her many missions of mercy.
During World War II they visited German prisoners of war housed at Ft.
Meade, Maryland. “They weren’t Nazis or SSIs. They were just
young guys who had been conscripted and didn’t want to be a part
of the war,” Conroy recalls with compassion.
She also helped her mom collect up-to-date textbooks for black children
attending the local segregated school in nearby Elk Ridge. “We weren’t
used to segregation,” said Conroy. “We came from Nebraska.”
Formal religious education reinforced what her mom was living out on a
day-to-day basis. Conroy said she couldn’t get Jesus’ words
about feeding the hungry, visiting the imprisoned, and housing the homeless,
out of her head or heart.
In 1952, she married Eugene Conroy, who was in the military. Wherever
they were stationed, she taught CCD at the local parish. She would have
liked to do more, but raising a family of 10 kids didn’t provide
much free time for outside volunteerism.
However, after they moved to Clayton in the early 70s and joined St. Bonaventure
Parish, she became more involved, starting with teaching CCD.
Then a local sheriff invited parishes to provide a religious presence
to the incarcerated. She and two colleagues responded by establishing
a prison ministry. It is still active.
She is also a founder of her parish’s social justice ministry and
a few years ago she brought JustFaith to the parish. JustFaith is a 30-week
formation course on the social teachings of the Catholic Church.
Conroy serves on the Board of Directors of Contra Costa Interfaith Housing,
which funds and supervises the operation of a 27-unit apartment complex
in Pleasant Hill for low-income disabled adults. She is also an active
member of the Homeless Summit, which oversees the Winter Nights Rotating
Shelter.
Gwen Watson credits Conroy with being one the prime movers of rotating
shelters for homeless families. “She does not shrink from difficult
assignments – when the rotating shelter needed congregations to
host families a second week, she would ask parishioners to go the extra
mile,” said Watson.
Conroy is a visible presence at the annual Interfaith Lobby Day and Catholic
Lobby Day in Sacramento, speaking to state legislators about issues of
poverty and the struggles of the poor. She also attends local board of
supervisors’ budget hearings, lobbying for homeless families and
children.
Conroy will received her Catholic Woman of the Year award from Catholic
Charities at a lunch, Oct. 11, at the Orinda Country Club. For reservation
information contact Ernie Forbes at (925) 943-1202. The Alameda County
Auxiliary of Catholic Charities established the award more than a decade
ago, naming it for Msgr. John McCracken, founding director of the diocesan
Catholic Charities and pastor of St. Anne Parish in Walnut Creek.
