The work of nuns in opening and operating medical facilities is often underappreciated, especially today when we expect hospitals to be government-run.
From AleteiaBy Philip Kosloski
Mother Alfred Moes was instrumental to the founding of Mayo Clinic, one of the largest medical systems in the United States.
Many in the United States are familiar with Mayo Clinic, a medical system of hospitals and clinics known for world-class care.
Whenever it comes to needing complex medical care, Mayo Clinic is always mentioned as an option.
What many do not know is that Mayo Clinic would not exist if it weren't for the determination of a Catholic nun in Rochester, Minnesota.
Mother Alfred Moes
Born in Luxembourg, Mother Alfred Moes left the comforts of her life after hearing of the need for religious teachers in the United States.
Initially she immigrated to Wisconsin, and while there she visited a variety of religious orders. Eventually she was accepted as a Franciscan Third Order Regular on June 1, 1863.
Her first assignment was in Illinois, where she taught at schools and even took care of orphans. Then in 1865 she was chosen the General Superior of a new congregation, the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate.
The new congregation was a success and by the 1880s, she founded a new branch in Rochester, Minnesota. Everything was running smoothly when a disastrous tornado ripped through the city in 1883.
Bishop Robert Barron explains what happened next:
A local doctor, William Worrall Mayo, undertook the task of caring for the victims of the disaster. Overwhelmed by the number of injured, he called upon Mother Alfred’s sisters to help him. Though they were teachers rather than nurses and had no formal training in medicine, they accepted the mission. In the wake of the debacle, Mother calmly informed Doctor Mayo that she had a vision that a hospital should be built in Rochester, not simply to serve that local community, but rather the whole world.
She then proposed to Dr. Mayo that if she raised the funds, he and his sons would be the primary physicians at the new hospital. They agreed, and after raising $40,000 in a short amount of time, St. Mary's Hospital was born, which would eventually become the Mayo Clinic.
It all started with a Catholic nun who had complete trust in Divine Providence.
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