Chicago – July 25, 2025
A Chicago-area nun known as an advocate for immigrants has died.
Sister Patricia Murphy passed away this week, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas confirmed. She was 96.
For nearly two decades, Sister Pat and Sister JoAnn Persch organized Friday morning prayer vigils outside the immigration processing center in Broadview.
In 2022, she helped start an organization that assists refugee families in finding shelter.
Together, Sisters Pat and JoAnn had a motto.
“We had a model that we did it peacefully and respectfully, but we never take no for an answer,” said Persch, a Sister of Mercy and president of Catherine’s Caring Cause.
Never accepting less than what was just. It was what formed their unique bond when the two met more than 65 years ago.
“We realized we shared the same passion for justice, and really, I hadn’t found anybody like that before,” Persch said.
It was the motto that carried them through their decades-long crusades advocating for immigrants and those most in need.
“We really strongly felt calls, and we knew when we were being called to do something, and even if we didn’t know at the time,” Persch said.
Sister Murphy was a small woman in statue, but she was anything but small when she felt a calling.
