Sister Mary Felice, a Daughter of Charity for ten years and a board-certified physician specializing in internal medicine, has long held a dream to volunteer for the foreign missions.  With her gifts and skills as a doctor, Sister Mary asked for the support of her Provincial, Sister  Mary Fran Martin, and together, they wrote to Sister Evelyne, the Superioress General for the Daughters of Charity, based at the Motherhouse in Paris, France for permission to begin the process.  (And the General Council said YES!)

Sister Mary went to the Motherhouse in early spring of 2005, and began studying French immediately.  She was living there with other Sisters who are also preparing to go to the foreign missions, Ad Gentes (The Vatican II document on the Church's Missionary Activity begins with these words), meaning that they can be sent anywhere in the world where Daughters of Charity are present to the world's poor.  Sister Mary writes, "I have found it very moving to witness the faith of so many as they come to the Motherhouse chapel to pray.."  (The Motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity is where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Catherine Laboure in 1830 and a place of pilgrimage).

Sister Mary is delighted to be back in the field of medicine and while the course work is very intense, she knows that all she is learning now will serve her well when she actually goes to Africa.  Upon completion of this course, Mary will return to the Motherhouse in Paris to continue her studies in French, and will now tackle learning Lingala, the native language in the Congo, in order to better serve those in need of medical care. 

We continue our prayer for Sister Mary as she continues each day to realize her dream of serving the poor in a foreign land.  It will be a wonderful day when knows when she will actually go to Africa upon completion of her preparatory studies.  God be with you on your journey!