Sister of Mercy Patricia Forret leaves legacy of love

Sister of Mercy Patricia L. Forret chose LOVE as a motto.

She wore the word on her ring and lived it through more than 65 years of religious life, modeling love in healthcare ministry, community leadership, volunteering with mothers in crisis, and with her family, coworkers and fellow religious sisters, the Sisters of Mercy said.

Sister Patricia, also known as Sister Pat or Sister Patti, died Aug. 30. She was 86.

A vigil service will be 6 p.m. Sept. 13 at the 72nd Street Chapel of John A. Gentleman Mortuaries & Crematory in Omaha. A funeral Mass will be 10:30 a.m. at Christ the King Church in Omaha.

Sister Patricia was born in Waukee, Iowa, to Louis and Sara E. (Dillon) Forret and was the youngest of nine children.

She entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1958 and was given the religious name Sister Mary Kurt. Before professing her perpetual vows in 1965, she had completed a bachelor’s degree in nursing, a start to a longtime healthcare ministry.

In 1980 Sister Patricia earned a master of healthcare administration degree from Notre Dame University and in 1986 earned a fellowship in healthcare ethics from Yale University.

She served in many administrative and leadership roles in hospitals in Council Bluffs and Des Moines, Iowa; Omaha; North Bend, Oregon; Pocatello, Idaho; and Denver.

From 1998 to 2008, Sister Patricia was president of the Omaha community of the Sisters of  Mercy and was instrumental in forming the Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Community, which united six former regions of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.

After serving in leadership, Sister Patricia volunteered at Bethlehem House in Omaha, helping mothers in crisis. She created a cuddling program that paired volunteers with babies to help provide support and respite for new mothers.

In 2019 Bethlehem House honored her with its Service Award. She maintained a strong relationship with one of the first babies she had the privilege of rocking, the Sisters of Mercy said.

She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings Harold (Lorraine), Madeline (Jim) Eugene (Helen), Geraldine (Ralph), Chuck (Ann), Mary Evelyn (Ralph), Joe (Darlene) and Joanne (Ferdinand).

Survivors include more than 70 nieces and nephews, their families, and her Sisters of Mercy.