Dinner with the Sisters of Charity

Bishop Dubuis of San Antonio wrote, “The sick and afflicted seek relief at your hands.” Referring to a cholera epidemic in the city, he sent this plea for help to the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word in France, who left their homes to help the ill. While a UIW student, I had the opportunity to attend monthly dinners with the Sisters, generations after this initial call. These were moments to share a meal while conversing with the Sisters about their lives and vocations.

Frequent visits speaking with the Sisters at dinners or meeting those living in the next-door retirement home called to mind my visits with others. In my everyday life, I don’t often encounter sick and afflicted persons. Yet I will soon meet and care for sick and afflicted patients as a dentist. I’ll be building connections with them as I am now: through getting to know them. I’ve come to understand through my shadowing experiences how my dentist's approach and engage among a wide age range of patients. With older patients, they show the utmost respect and kindness. They actively listen, getting to know and understand them to serve them best. As a dentist, my goal is to maintain the well-being of each patient I treat. Both the work of the Sisters and my dentists have taught me a true definition of how to recognize and uphold the dignity of all human persons. They’ve modeled how to be open and receptive to others, especially to better understand the other. The selflessness of the Sisters through their vocation in religious life and their work as true “missionaries” has inspired me to accept challenges as they will come in dental school, and to recognize each trial and experience in my life as an opportunity to grow. I’ve practiced what it means to pursue a life of readiness and receptivity to challenges, especially in my future career where I’ll seek to do what is necessary to alleviate the dental pain of patients and educate them about oral health.

I’ve developed an appreciation for the selfless service of the Sisters. Bishop Dubuis’ letter for help with the sick in San Antonio was met with love, courage, humility and faith by the first three Sisters. It’s a reminder to me as I am pursuing dentistry to strive to exemplify those same virtues in practice while recognizing the dignity of all human persons, especially those in most need. I will continue to follow this path as I pursue my goal of becoming a dentist, with a heart and mission of service to others.