Medical Mission Sisters
Encyclopedia
The Medical Mission Sisters are a religious congregation of women in the Roman Catholic Church
founded in 1925 and dedicated to providing the poor of the world better access to health care. They were formerly officially known as the "Society of the Catholic Medical Missions".
. Dr. Dengel had served for several years as a medical missionary
to the poor of what was then Northern India
and today is the nation of Pakistan
. She had experienced firsthand the unnecessary sickness and death of countless Muslim women and children, whose customs kept them cut off from medical care administered by male physicians.
After months of traveling to give talks about the conditions in India, and speaking with many members of the clergy
, Dr. Dengel became convinced that only a group of Religious Sisters who had been professionally trained as physicians could reach these women, who were cut off from adequate medical care by cultural and religious traditions. Such a project, however, was contrary to canon law
of the time, which prohibited members of religious orders from practicing medicine.
Nevertheless, she drew up a Constitution for the Community she had in mind and wrote that the members were “to live for God…to dedicate themselves to the service of the sick for the love of God and …to be properly trained according to the knowledge and standards of the time in order to practice medicine in its full scope, to which the Sisters were to dedicate their lives.”
Permission was granted on June 12, 1925, to begin the new Congregation and, on September 30, 1925, the “First Four”--Dr. Anna Dengel of Austria, Dr. Johanna Lyons of Chicago, Evelyn Flieger, R.N., originally from Britain, and Marie Ulbrich, R.N., of Luxemburg, Iowa—came together in Washington, D.C., to begin the Medical Mission Sisters.
The “First Four” were unable to profess religious vows
officially because the Catholic Church had yet to approve Sisters working in the medical field, yet they lived as professed Sisters just the same. Finally, in 1935, after the Medical Mission Sisters had grown, the Catholic Church changed its regulations and approved Sisters’ working in medicine and all of its branches. The Medical Mission Sisters then made their public, canonical
vows, and they began to establish communities around the world.
The North American headquarters for the Congregation came to be established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
.
In 1965, at the request of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia
, Mother Anna made a visit to that nation to investigate the possibilities of starting a hospital for the people of that nation. Two Medical Mission Sisters arrived in Ethiopia in 1967 to start the groundwork for this mission. A few more Sisters came in 1969, and their work was able to begin. As of 2008, there were a dozen Sisters serving there, both foreigners and native Ethiopians.
The Sisters serve in a wide variety of ways. Among them, through: health care and education; wholeness and wellness programs; the development of women; work for justice; worship and spirituality; and music and song. They also have 80 Associates, women and men of many nations who share their values and have committed themselves to live the mission of the Society, which is "to be a healing presence at the heart of a wounded world."
As examples of the range of services the Sisters do in different countries:
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
founded in 1925 and dedicated to providing the poor of the world better access to health care. They were formerly officially known as the "Society of the Catholic Medical Missions".
History
The congregation grew out of the experiences of Dr. Anna Dengel, a native of AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. Dr. Dengel had served for several years as a medical missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
to the poor of what was then Northern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and today is the nation of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. She had experienced firsthand the unnecessary sickness and death of countless Muslim women and children, whose customs kept them cut off from medical care administered by male physicians.
After months of traveling to give talks about the conditions in India, and speaking with many members of the clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
, Dr. Dengel became convinced that only a group of Religious Sisters who had been professionally trained as physicians could reach these women, who were cut off from adequate medical care by cultural and religious traditions. Such a project, however, was contrary to canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
of the time, which prohibited members of religious orders from practicing medicine.
Nevertheless, she drew up a Constitution for the Community she had in mind and wrote that the members were “to live for God…to dedicate themselves to the service of the sick for the love of God and …to be properly trained according to the knowledge and standards of the time in order to practice medicine in its full scope, to which the Sisters were to dedicate their lives.”
Permission was granted on June 12, 1925, to begin the new Congregation and, on September 30, 1925, the “First Four”--Dr. Anna Dengel of Austria, Dr. Johanna Lyons of Chicago, Evelyn Flieger, R.N., originally from Britain, and Marie Ulbrich, R.N., of Luxemburg, Iowa—came together in Washington, D.C., to begin the Medical Mission Sisters.
The “First Four” were unable to profess religious vows
Religious vows
Religious vows are the public vows made by the members of religious communities pertaining to their conduct, practices and views.In the Buddhist tradition, in particular within the Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition, many different kinds of religious vows are taken by the lay community as well as by...
officially because the Catholic Church had yet to approve Sisters working in the medical field, yet they lived as professed Sisters just the same. Finally, in 1935, after the Medical Mission Sisters had grown, the Catholic Church changed its regulations and approved Sisters’ working in medicine and all of its branches. The Medical Mission Sisters then made their public, canonical
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
vows, and they began to establish communities around the world.
The North American headquarters for the Congregation came to be established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
In 1965, at the request of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Mother Anna made a visit to that nation to investigate the possibilities of starting a hospital for the people of that nation. Two Medical Mission Sisters arrived in Ethiopia in 1967 to start the groundwork for this mission. A few more Sisters came in 1969, and their work was able to begin. As of 2008, there were a dozen Sisters serving there, both foreigners and native Ethiopians.
Current status
As of 2010, there are about 600 Sisters in the congregation, serving in 17 nations around the globe. The four first Sisters of the Congregation were from three different nations. In keeping with this heritage of internationality among the "First Four", the Sisters in the Congregation today come from 23 nations.The Sisters serve in a wide variety of ways. Among them, through: health care and education; wholeness and wellness programs; the development of women; work for justice; worship and spirituality; and music and song. They also have 80 Associates, women and men of many nations who share their values and have committed themselves to live the mission of the Society, which is "to be a healing presence at the heart of a wounded world."
As examples of the range of services the Sisters do in different countries:
- In India, the Sisters run the Center for Healing and Integration, to train the people low to get low-cost health care through natural resources.
- In Pasco County, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, they run a community-based program to connect the unemployed with potential employers. - A Learning Center for Ecological Spirituality was established in UdenhoutUdenhoutUdenhout is a village in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of Tilburg, about 7 km northeast of the city....
, the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.