Dear Volunteers, Friends and Benefactors,
As we enter this Advent season and prepare our hearts once again for the celebration of the coming of our King as a human person, my heart is full of gratitude for each of you. Through your service to His least ones, you give so generously to our King, born poor and lowly into the world. Through the works of mercy practiced on our clinics, we bring Christ the great Physician to those most in need, and He meets us through our encounters with these brothers and sisters who find themselves sick and without resources to obtain basic medical and dental care. By practicing our medical and dental arts, we participate in a reciprocal exchange—we bring the healing of Christ to each person we serve, and we meet Christ the Healer in the very person of the sick poor. He heals us in our woundedness through the encounter.
Through the Incarnation which we celebrate at Christmas, God became man. He takes on our human nature and all of its sufferings. He chose to be born into a human family living in poverty and on the fringes of society. He was born in a stable and wrapped in swaddling garments; the embrace of His holy Mother and the breath of the beasts kept Him warm. Saint Joseph provided safety, protection, and the basic needs of life for our Savior and His Blessed Mother through his work as a simple carpenter. “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of my brethren, you did it to me.” Whatever we do to our disadvantaged neighbors, we do to Christ Himself who identifies Himself still with the sick and humble. We give ourselves to Christ by giving ourselves to those we serve in this mission of mercy and healing.
We hope to show you in this edition of the newsletter the fruits of this year’s labors spent in bringing the Lord’s mercy to our neighbors through our excellent medical and dental care into the rural recesses of the Archdiocese. Thank you for your faithful and generous service and support of this great mission! May you be richly blessed for your participation in His mercy!
In Christ Jesus,
Sister Mary Rachel, RSM, MD
As we enter this Advent season and prepare our hearts once again for the celebration of the coming of our King as a human person, my heart is full of gratitude for each of you. Through your service to His least ones, you give so generously to our King, born poor and lowly into the world. Through the works of mercy practiced on our clinics, we bring Christ the great Physician to those most in need, and He meets us through our encounters with these brothers and sisters who find themselves sick and without resources to obtain basic medical and dental care. By practicing our medical and dental arts, we participate in a reciprocal exchange—we bring the healing of Christ to each person we serve, and we meet Christ the Healer in the very person of the sick poor. He heals us in our woundedness through the encounter.
Through the Incarnation which we celebrate at Christmas, God became man. He takes on our human nature and all of its sufferings. He chose to be born into a human family living in poverty and on the fringes of society. He was born in a stable and wrapped in swaddling garments; the embrace of His holy Mother and the breath of the beasts kept Him warm. Saint Joseph provided safety, protection, and the basic needs of life for our Savior and His Blessed Mother through his work as a simple carpenter. “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of my brethren, you did it to me.” Whatever we do to our disadvantaged neighbors, we do to Christ Himself who identifies Himself still with the sick and humble. We give ourselves to Christ by giving ourselves to those we serve in this mission of mercy and healing.
We hope to show you in this edition of the newsletter the fruits of this year’s labors spent in bringing the Lord’s mercy to our neighbors through our excellent medical and dental care into the rural recesses of the Archdiocese. Thank you for your faithful and generous service and support of this great mission! May you be richly blessed for your participation in His mercy!
In Christ Jesus,
Sister Mary Rachel, RSM, MD
Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming, so that, gathered at his right hand, they may be worthy to possess the heavenly Kingdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
2022 has been a successful year for the Rural Parish Dental Clinic. We added a fifth treatment site in Bonne Terre and additional days of service to the previous sites, allowing us to increase dental services in rural parts of the archdiocese. In addition, we acquired a heated garage in Washington, Missouri to safely store the van and sensitive dental materials and protect it from the elements. None of this would be possible without the increased number of loyal volunteers and dedicated staff. As the good news of our mission spreads, more volunteers and donors make it possible to serve the most underserved rural poor with dental care.
John R. Landgraf
Co-Director for the Rural Parish Clinic Dental
John R. Landgraf
Co-Director for the Rural Parish Clinic Dental
The Patron Saint of the Rural Parish Clinic is St. Luke. Luke, believed to be a Gentile and Greek, authored the third gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. He was a faithful companion of Paul who called him “our beloved physician.” (Col. 4:14) In his writings Luke shares unique stories and parables such as the story of the Good Samaritan. His gospel is often referred to as the “Gospel of the poor and of social justice.” Source: Catholic.org
Thank you for the warm welcome to the Rural Parish Clinic and this amazing mission. The support from donors, volunteers, fellow staff and the St. Louis Archdiocese community has touched my heart. The dental clinic has been in operation for 21 months and the mission is growing. It is an incredible gift to provide free dental care, to patients who have been suffering. Restoring patients’ oral health and smiles is possible only because of the generosity, support and prayers of this community. I am inspired by everyone around me and recognize that I was led here by the Holy Spirit. I have big dreams for the future of this mission and thank you all sincerely for your contributions.
Katie Leverich, RDH, BS
Dental Clinic Administrator
Katie Leverich, RDH, BS
Dental Clinic Administrator
After suffering several years with pain, infection, and severe decay, this patient came to the Rural Parish Clinic without the confidence to smile or the resources to receive proper treatment to relieve her of dental dysfunction. The RPC team and its lab partners worked together to provide free dentures. She endured multiple appointments over several months including treatment for ongoing infections and several extractions and restorations. Now our patient radiates her full beauty with a confident and happy smile. Her future is brighter for good health, more satisfactory employment, and greater self-esteem.
Dr. Mary Hastings, veteran volunteer with the Rural Parish Clinic, and her husband, Dr. Tom Hastings, jointly received The Magis Award from Rockhurst University in October. The Magis Award is given to members of the Rockhurst community in St. Louis who epitomize the Jesuit core value of “magis,” or “more”. The Doctors Hastings dedicate themselves to reaching out with the healing touch of Christ to those who are most underserved. We are honored to count Dr. Mary Hastings as our colleague and a tireless friend of those in need. To read more about the award click HERE.
We are in need of additional clinical and non-clinical volunteers to further the work of both clinics. Click HERE to sign up. We also need your continued financial support to provide medical and dental care free of charge to the uninsured, income-qualifying rural community. Give online HERE or through the mail: Rural Parish Clinic, 20 Archbishop May Dr., St. Louis, MO 63119. To participate in our Spiritual Apostolate, please send an email to jeanmariedecoster@archstl.org to request more information. For more information on the Rural Parish Clinic, visit our website by clicking HERE.
