Refugee advocate walked humbly with her God
Obituaries
Sister Pat Sealey RSJ - Born June 7 1931; Died February 17 2025
Sr Pat Sealey used her extraordinary gifts in the many ministries and places she served as a Josephite Sister for 70 years but her contribution was never more valuable than when she was supporting and advocating for refugees.
As part of the pastoral team that ministered at the Baxter Immigration Centre during the worst of times in Australia’s immigration policy, she was a trusted supporter and also worked at a system level maintaining a database of Baxter detainees and lobbying politicians for change.
The result was two-fold: changes to the Migration Act so that babies and toddlers could live in the community with their families while their claims were assessed; and a Government review of all cases of people who had been in Baxter for two years or more. About 90 per cent were deemed genuine refugees and this led to them being granted a permanent visa.
Sr Pat Sealey giving advice to refugees in 2013.
After Baxter closed, Pat continued to help refugees obtain visas to remain in Australia and assisted family members in migrating to Australia. From her home in northern Adelaide she investigated and documented cases, arranged translators and submitted applications for visas, reviews and ministerial interventions.
Her tireless efforts were recognised by a variety of awards, including the South Australian Senior Volunteer of the Year in 2013.
When presenting the award, the then SA Premier Jay Weatherill said: ‘Because of Pat’s work SA now has dentists, artist, engineers, nurses, carers, and a range of other people contributing to our society and embracing a chance for a life in safety.’ Pat’s simple response to the award was ‘I must speak out for refugees’.
The eldest daughter of Eileen and Ernie Sealey and sister of Margaret, Barbara and Marie (all deceased), Pat entered the Sisters of St Joseph in 1950 and made her first profession in Sydney in 1953.
She was a woman with a heart attuned to God, with a mighty intellect and phenomenal mind. She was a talented artist and her creativity was expressed and shared generously with her fellow Sisters and in the communities she served.
A gifted educator, she taught in Josephite schools across South Australia including Alberton, Ottoway, Spalding, Norwood, Kurralta Park, Bridge St Kensington, Mary MacKillop College and Caritas College at Port Augusta. Whilst teaching she completed her Bachelor of Arts at Adelaide University in 1971 and from 1972-1975 she was principal of Caritas, extending the college to Year 12 during that period.
Pat readily identified the gifts and talents of students, encouraging them and creating new opportunities and pathways.
She was committed to excellence in her own life and encouraged and nurtured that in others.
A lifelong learner, she relished the opportunity to undertake studies at St Louis in the USA and returned to Australia to work in formation and spirituality, shaping the lives of individuals within and beyond the congregation. A further course at the Centre of Concern in Washington awakened Pat to the ‘social justice analysis process’ that underpinned her approach to ministry just as Mary MacKillop had urged her sisters in 1990 in ‘seeking first the poorest and most neglected in God’s vineyard’ (Mary MacKillop 1900).
Pat’s ingenuity, sheer hard work and commitment enabled her to make everything happen in the most difficult of circumstances. She enabled a broad curriculum for the first class of Year 12s at Caritas College, raised funds to build a gathering space at Mirrilinkgi Spirituality Centre in the East Kimberley, encouraged the men at Bidyadanga Aboriginal Community (180km from Broome) to focus on creating beautiful art and found pathways to freedom for asylum seekers and refugees.
Pat treasured the experience of living amongst Aboriginal people in the East Kimberley.
Her approach to life was contagious and before you knew it you were involved with Pat’s action.
She was proud of the Circle of Friends who were so supportive in her untiring work for justice. She endeared herself to those in government departments and to lawyers who undertook pro-bono work, respecting her capacity to authentically tell the story of asylum seekers. It was hard to refuse Pat’s insistent, determined and joyful being, and that included security officers at Baxter Immigration Centre. Who could say ‘no’ to Pat?!
She encouraged others to share their gifts as she called forth their skills and influence to change situations to enable justice to reign. Everyone’s life was enriched by Pat’s prophetic witness.
Pat knew God’s compassionate love for herself and for others, her depth of spirituality and her prayerfulness enabled her to live in the unconditional love of God, seamlessly integrating the one movement of prayer and service in her life. She knew the depth of God’s joy, she loved beauty and drew on it in people, culture, literature, art, music, food (especially seafood) and nature.
In Pat’s life we gain a clear vision of what it is to respond to Micah’s call to ‘love tenderly, act justly and walk humbly’ (Micah 6:8) as it was a mantra in Pat’s whole way of being that enabled her to bring the Good News to all.
Pat walked humbly with her God in her constant willingness to embrace her giftedness and to generously share her gifts so that others could experience the fullness of life.
Pat lived a genuine humility that was loving rather than fearful. It was an authentic humility that led Pat to speak and act with boldness.
On Pat’s death at Calvary Flora McDonald she was honoured by the women and men caring for her from many cultures. One young woman expressed through tears ‘Everybody here loves Sr Pat; she has done so much for refugees’ as another silently placed a red hibiscus flower with Pat.
– Sr Catherine Mead rsj
