A Unique Calling

Originally published in the Winter 2017 Issue of Villanova Business magazine.

Inside the doors of Holy Family Home in Southwest Philadelphia stands a statue of St. Jeanne Jugan- a constant reminder of the home’s extraordinary mission. St. Jeanne founded the Little Sisters of the Poor more than 175 years ago in France to serve the neediest elderly of every faith and background with dignity and grace as one human family.

Today, the Little Sisters of the Poor continue St. Jeanne’s legacy at Holy Family Home- compassionately caring for residents’ physical needs while ministering to their faith. Supporting thar spiritual core with business sensibility is Patricia Lo ‘82 VSB.

Lo joined Holy Family Home 24 years ago, after a series of positions that she describes as preparing her for this work. Upon completing her MBA in Health Administration at Temple University, she started her career in an administrative role with the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova, which supports Augustinian communities on the East Coast and missions in Japan and Peru. She then held a similar role in the former Medical College of Pennsylvania in pediatrics and finally a job with an insurance agent. Ultimately though, she wanted to return to a nonprofit, Catholic organization.

“I enjoy working in an environment where I don’t need to compromise my ethics or morals,” Lo explains. At Holy Family Home, she oversees financial matters including budgeting, general ledger, operations, and even some aspects of fundraising, and yet spirituality is never far from her work. In many ways, Villanova prepared her well. “The environment [at Villanova] allowed me to continue to grow in [my] faith,” she describes. “I received such a well rounded education… with many opportunities to serve, although definitely not as many as there are [for students] now.”

Today, Villanova students visit the Holy Family Home regularly- a source of great pride for Lo. Every week, they come prepared to tackle a major service project, such as cleaning the on-site chapel or painting an office, and then stay to serve the midday meal and spend time talking with the residents. “We get a tremendous amount done with the support of dedicated people,” Mother Catherine, Superior of Holy Family Home says gratefully. That’s important, as the need is never in short supply.

Each year, Holy Family Home must fundraise approximately 40 percent of its $7 million budget plus any capital expense- no small task in a city with intense competition for charitable donations.

Lo recognizes those who give of themselves- both as volunteers and staff. “Everyone here believes in what they do,” Lo explains. “They could be making more money elsewhere, but they chose to work here,”

To learn more about the Little Sisters of the Poor, visit littlesistersofthepoorphiladelphia.org.