In Memory of Patricia Detlefsen

Seonghwa

Jun 15

Written By Youth and Young Adult Ministry

Patricia Louise Detlefsen

Spouse: George Detlefsen
Children: Nathanael, Shinghi
Birthdate: May 16, 1951
Blessing: July 1, 1982
Ascension: June 10, 2023
Seonghwa Ceremony: June 17, 2023

Patricia Detlefsen was born on May 16, 1951 in Tourcoing, France. She was the youngest in her small family, with one older brother, Serge, and her parents, Serge and Françoise. The death of Pat’s beloved mother when she was 13 had a profoundly saddening impact on her life and sent her on a lifelong quest of healing.

Pat began this quest with psychology, and she went on to receive her Masters and D.E.S.S. of clinical psychology and psychopathology in 1976 at the University of Lille in France. She interned in psychiatric hospitals and worked for three years as a psychologist. Though she found some solace in psychology, her heart still felt numb and blocked.

On January 1, 1978, guided by Colette Takigawa, Pat joined the Unification Church. It was from the teachings of the Reverend and Mrs. Moon that she found deep meaning, grace, truth, and community through the original blueprint that they taught and substantiated.

As a counselor, Pat was a pioneer for psychology within the Unification Church. Her methods brought together the practical aspects of modern psychology, the deeply spiritual teachings of Rev. and Mrs. Moon, Qigong, Jin Shin Jyutsu, sound healing, and more. Through this, Pat guided many to understand that every one of our lives is divine and has infinite potential. She saw the challenges we each face as representing the culmination of generational patterns and baggage. Pat was adamant that the process of one’s healing journey could not be disconnected from restoring the past. What was clear for Pat was that her quest would not only serve herself but others as well, opening the way for healing for those who needed help finding their way home. Her methods weren’t just theoretical. She put them into practice in her own life and watched them bear fruits in the lives of many others—fruit which will continue on for generations.

Pat was matched and blessed by Rev. Moon to Dr. George Detlefsen in 1982. They settled in the Bay Area, California and had two children, Nathanael and Shinghi. Pat also welcomed her stepson, August as a part of her family. In 2001, Dr. George was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and passed on at the age of 61 in 2005. Pat was then tasked with raising two teenage sons as a single mother—and it wasn’t easy. But she grew her heart, and so did they. Pat was able to witness the beautiful marriages of all her boys: August and Catherine, Nathanael and Sandra, and Shinghi and Junghwa.

Pat was a woman of deep substance. There was no small talk with her, only deep talk. If you sat next to her on the plane, lived next to her, drove her in an Uber, nursed her in the hospital, or even was the janitor for her hospital room, she wanted to know you—and know you deeply. She unabashedly shared the teachings of Rev. and Mrs. Moon to everyone that she would connect with, not to proselytize, but because she knew it represented a real path to healing—something we could all use a little more of.

Pat’s ability to make deep connections brought her around the world. She worked with the Women's Federation for World Peace and traveled to Niger, Africa with her dear friend Haoua Diatta, the wife of the Ambassador to the U.S. for Niger. Here they developed the Ox Cart Project, bringing microloans to women in villages to buy ox carts and build small businesses.

In 2020, Pat moved to Seattle to be closer to her grandchildren. It was here that she completed and concluded her quest of healing. She wrote: "Finally I realized that my grandchildren are allowing a tremendous healing to take place for me with their total and unconditional acceptance of who I am—loving it, giving me the freedom to be me…"

Pat is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Nathanael Detlefsen and Sandra Detlefsen; son and daughter-in-law, Shinghi Detlefsen and Junghwa Detlefsen, and their sons Leon, Alden, and Wynn.