The Daughters of Charity, Province of St. Louis, announced a gradual transition from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana.
By the fall of 2014, the six Daughters of Charity who currently serve at St. Vincent Health will be leaving to serve other areas where the needs are greatest.
This decision came after much discernment and is due, in large part, to the decreasing number of sisters who have chosen this vocation. The shift in service of the nuns is being echoed in many other parts of the country, including at other hospitals and health systems.
The Daughters of Charity have been working since the late 1970s to prepare ministries for the day that they would no longer be able to be physically present in hospitals and patient care settings.
“Being able to entrust the ministries of St. Vincent Health to well-prepared lay and community leadership affirms the Daughters’ confidence in the direction and sustainability of the work in Indiana,” said Sister Mary Kay Tyrell, St. Vincent Health Sister Servant. “The work will continue to grow and strengthen, as St. Vincent Health carries out the unwavering mission of serving the sick and poor.”
As part of this evolution, Ascension Health and its health ministries have developed extensive formation programs and processes to ensure the ongoing integration of the mission, core values and Catholic identity throughout the organization.
Sister Mary Kay will continue to serve on the St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital and Foundation boards. Sister Renee Rose will serve as a member of the St. Vincent Health Board.
“Since the first four Daughters of Charity arrived in Indianapolis in 1881 to open the St. Vincent’s Infirmary, they have selflessly served the people of Indiana,” said Ian Worden, interim CEO of St. Vincent Health. “Today, the six Daughters: Sister Mary Kay, Sister Louise Busby, Sister Rita Joyce DiNardo, Sister Mary Satala, Sister Mary Powers, and Sister Cecilia Ann West continue that service in a variety of ways, and we celebrate their presence and contributions until the time they receive new mission assignments.”
St. Vincent Health is a nonprofit, spiritually-centered health system, sponsored by Ascension Health of St. Louis, the nation’s largest Catholic health system. St. Vincent Health is one of Indiana’s largest employers with 22 health ministries serving Central and Southern Indiana. The 132-year-old health system delivers high quality, compassionate care in service areas such as cardiovascular, womens, childrens, neurosciences, cancer care, orthopedics, bariatrics, primary care, emergency medicine, imaging, general surgery and long-term acute care.
For more information, visit www.stvincent.org.
