Medical Mission Sisters

Unit North America

Also known as: The Society of Catholic Medical Missionaries

Postnominal letters: MMS; SCMM

This collection contains the records of Unit North America of the Medical Mission Sisters.

This collection is unprocessed and currently closed for research.

Founding Dates

Anna Dengel (1892-1980), foundress of the Medical Mission Sisters

The Medical Mission Sisters were founded in September 1925 in Washington, D.C., by a young Austrian doctor named Anna Dengel. Working in what was then North India in the early 1920s, Anna witnessed first-hand the complications and deaths of countless Muslim women and babies during childbirth due to their customs which prohibited them from receiving certain aspects of medical care from men. Anna went to the U.S. to begin raising funds and awareness. She had a vision that a group of women health professionals who dedicated their lives to God could make a difference in helping women have access to the health care they deserved.  She saw this not only as a work of charity, but also one of justice. After about a year of “Making the Cause Known”, Anna was joined by Dr. Joanna Lyons, Mary Evelyn Flieger, RN, and Agnes Marie Ulbrich, RN, and on September 30, 1925, the Medical Mission Sisters began. The headquarters were in Washington, D.C. until the late 1930s when they were invited by Cardinal Dennis Dougherty to Philadelphia. Today the international headquarters is in London, England.

-Text courtesy of Medicalmissionsisters.org, image courtesy of Medical Mission Sisters.

Charisms of the Medical Mission Sisters

Medical Mission Sisters and Associates are committed to promote healing and wholeness through all manner of healing ministries and in a variety of ways. They are nurses, physicians, teachers, midwives, lawyers, counselors, liturgists, community organizers, herbalists and practitioners of holistic health.  Their professional and personal ministries witness to the healing presence of a compassionate God.

-Text courtesy of Medicalmissionsisters.org

Historical Sketch

For many years, the U.S. community provided leadership, funding and personnel for ministries started in other countries. Over the years the Society has evolved: MMS has grown in numbers internationally, hospitals and clinics were turned over to local people in their own countries, the Society headquarters were moved first to Rome and lastly to London. MMS also opened ministries in the United States. Many of the Sisters, although unable to continue to work directly in the field or assume internal community leadership positions, remain actively involved in prayer, in companionship with each other, and stay current with local, national and international news. They are intentionally conscious of being a healing presence with all those they encounter and have retained meaningful friendships with Sisters and Associates around the world, sharing wisdom, guidance
and support.

-Text courtesy of Medicalmissionsisters.org.

For more information:

Medical Missionary Magazine at InternetArchive

100 Years of an Evolving Mission: Celebrating the Medical Mission Sisters’ 100th Anniversary virtual exhibit

If You Love: The Story of Anna Dengel by Sr. Miriam Therese Winter, MMS

Please see the official website of the Medical Mission Sisters, Unit North America at Medicalmissionsisters.org