‘Subject closed, matter fixed’

A tribute from C. “Teddy” James

As I sit grasping for words that would give this great teacher and servant the tribute she deserves, I can recall numerous eternal occurrences that epitomizes how I perceived Sister Pat in life, and how I will always remember her in passing. {{more}}

Sister Pat broke down barriers and shattered prejudices in her quest to change the statusquo in education across St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

She was anything but a coward. She was an asset to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with a special affinity for the youths, a demagogue of equality and fairness.

In November of 1999, Sister Pat galvanized and mobilized teachers, students, parents and sympathizers, of the three Catholic-run secondary schools in a silent protest march through the streets of Kingstown in protest of ill treatment by the then NDP government.

Sister Pat was brave and courageous as a school principal, she challenged the educational system and society, determined to give teenaged mothers who had been dealt a bad hand of misfortune a second chance at their secondary school education. It mattered not from which school they came or religion, ‘Sister School’ had a place for them, and none was turned away. This must go down as an EDUCATION REVOLUTION.

I wish not only to mourn her passing, which was all too painful, but also to celebrate her life as a teacher, a gift to mankind. Sister Pat made good of some of the most mischievous boys and girls to have set foot on the grounds of Marriaqua Secondary School, now St. Josephs Convent Marriaqua. I will be vindicated on this one by the likes of Kenneth Bibby, Ricardo Drayton, Alfred Mc Kenzie and Gweneth Martin – too many names to mention.

The institution of St. Josephs Convent Marriaqua, I trust will guard the legacy of Sister Pat and bear living testimony of her ingenuity. I conclude very much the way Sister would have brought many discussions in the classroom to an end in my time: ‘Subject closed matter fixed’.