tvc.dsj.org | May 7, 2019
THANK YOU BISHOP MCGRATH
15
Reflection From Pat Allen, Bishop McGrath’s Long-Time Secretary and Friend
On June 15, 2019, thirty-two years
will have passed since I began to work
for Bishop Patrick Joseph [PJ] McGrath
as his secretary. I became his secretary
in 1987 when he was Pastor of the Ca-
thedral of Saint Mary of the Assump-
tion in San Francisco and continued to
work for him as Auxiliary Bishop of
San Francisco, Coadjutor Bishop of San
Jose, Bishop of San Jose, and soon to be
Bishop Emeritus of San Jose.
A few days ago, I was hanging
some pictures at home and thinking
about the past thirty-two years. As I
hammered the nails into the wall, I
found myself smiling and thinking:
“Bishop McGrath and I are so very,
very, very different!” When I hang a
picture, I tend to “eyeball” the place-
ment of the nail. I hammer it in, hang
the picture and, more often than not,
then remove the picture, remove the
nail, and repeat the process a few more
times. In contrast, Bishop McGrath
determines the location for the nail
by measuring. He inserts one nail,
hammers it in, hangs the picture on
the wall and presto! Perfect! Done!
Another difference: Bishop McGrath
opens letters with a letter opener – I
rip the envelopes open! In using the
Chancery elevator, he presses the close
door button, holds it, then presses the
appropriate floor number button. In
contrast, I just keep pushing all the
buttons until something eventually
happens! Packing up our offices has
revealed another set of differences!!
Bishop McGrath truly enjoys people.
In many ways, I have come to regard
him as an Ambassador for Hospitality.
In the 20 years he has been the Bishop
of San Jose, he has welcomed thousands
and thousands of people to his home. In
contrast, if truth be known, an evening
home with my dogs is more my style.
And yet, thirty-two years have passed!
Those thirty-two years have includ-
ed many important events and devel-
opments that will forever be part of the
histories of the Diocese of San Jose and
the Archdiocese of San Francisco: the
Loma Prieto earthquake, the visit John
Paul II, the diocesan Pastoral Plan, the
move to the current Chancery Office,
the establishment of the Foundation
and a diocesan endowment fund, to
name but a few.
And yet, when I reflect on the past
thirty-two years, I know that it is none
Faithful Assistant; More Loyal Friend
By Liz Sullivan
It is said behind every good man
there is an even better woman.
For Bishop Patrick J. McGrath this
has certainly been the case.
As the Bishop retires so too does
his long-time assistant Pat Allen.
Allen first became McGrath’s as-
sistant when he became Rector and
Pastor of Saint Mary Cathedral in San
Francisco in 1986. After a brief break
when McGrath moved to the Tribunal
in Archdiocese, the pair joined forces
again when he was ordained Auxil-
iary Bishop in San Francisco in 1989.
From there, until now, it has been a
collaboration between the two.
“Pat has been amazi ng,” said
Bishop McGrath. “She’s not only been
my assistant, but she’s been my friend
too. She is a person I have always been
able to depend on. She knows me bet-
ter than most people.”
Bishop McGrath said he understands
the importance of the work Allen has
done for him and his ministry over
the years.
“Her job is very sensitive,” he
said. “She has always been kind and
grateful. She’s been a great co-worker
and I have been fortunate to work
with her.”
of those accomplishments that were be-
hind my choice to remain his secretary
for more than three decades. For me, it
has been the little things – the actions,
the words, the remembering, the deci-
sions that unfailingly show that people
are important and that what is impor-
tant to them, is also important to him!
I recall the time I was driving the
bishop somewhere. My dog was also
in the car. So that Bishop McGrath
could sit in the passenger seat, Grady
(the dog!) had been demoted to the
back. Grady was neither amused nor
willing to relinquish his usual seat!
As soon as the bishop was settled and
the car in motion, Grady jumped to the
front and reclaimed the passenger seat
for himself! The trip continued with
Grady perched on the Bishop’s lap! I
recall the time when I needed to visit
an ailing relative. The bishop called to
ask if my dogs would be okay and of-
fered his services as a temporary dog
sitter! He was aware of my weakness
for doughnuts and regularly brought
me a doughnut (or two) from the
monthly Council of Priests meeting. If
there were a meeting in the Chancery
at which lunch was served, Bishop
McGrath always brought back for me
half of his sandwich!
Bishop McGrath knows the impor-
tance of saying “thank you”– and writ-
ing the thank you note immediately! He
is someone who knows the importance
of presence. We frequently changed his
schedule so that he could visit a person
in the hospital, attend a funeral, or drop
in on someone’s 100 th birthday party or
50 th Wedding Anniversary celebration!
He is someone who knows the impor-
tance of remembering dates and events
in the lives of the people around him!
He continues to remember my mom
and brother on the anniversaries of
their deaths!
For me, it is has been a privilege to
be the secretary to Bishop McGrath for
the past thirty-two years. I have learned
much, but it is the “little things” I
learned from his example on a daily
basis that comprise my most valuable
lesson. What was important to others
was/is also important to him! In reality,
perhaps that is not so “little” after all!!
In concluding this article, I am again
looking at my recently hung pictures!
But again, I have to smile. Four holes
were all that were required. I have ten!!