Dear Friends, Benefactors and Volunteers,
I wish you many graces in the holy Lenten season when the Church draws our attention to prayer, fasting and works of Mercy or almsgiving so that we might prepare our hearts to celebrate the Paschal Mystery of our Redemption through a God who made Himself man for our sakes. These Lenten practices serve to expand our desire for God, to heighten our awareness that we will be satisfied and find happiness only in Him. They also allow us to participate in solidarity with those who are poor and hungry—to hear the cry of the poor and suffering in our midst!
Saint Peter Chrysologus writes: “Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. So, if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. If you do not close your ear to others, you open God’s ear to yourself.”
As you serve on our Clinics and support them with your prayers and financial gifts, remember that you are finding Jesus present in each soul you meet. You are ministering to His needs and touching His own deep longing to fill you with His abundant grace.
Gratefully Yours in Christ Jesus,
Sister Mary Rachel Nerbun, RSM, MD, President and Medical Director, RPC
One way to measure the success of the Rural Parish Dental Clinic is to examine its impact on patients' lives. Last year Lisa, a young woman in her 30s, came to the Bonne Terre clinic requesting full dentures since she had no teeth. We began the process of fitting her for her prosthetic, which can take a number of steps and visits on clinic. Several weeks later Lisa drove over two hours to our next site in Troy, where we were able to fit her with the new dentures. Her appearance dramatically changed, and she was so happy. During treatment we learned that Lisa works at a Missouri winery, and Connie, a volunteer dental assistant, told her she would like to visit her at the winery. Lisa told Connie that this was impossible because she works only in the back where guests are not allowed. The disfigurement she suffered from having no teeth at all was why this otherwise beautiful woman was confined to the “back areas” of life. I told Lisa that with her new teeth and smile she could start working in the “front areas” or instead, choose new employment with good dental insurance. These possibilities can exist for Lisa and so many others served by the RPC dental clinic only because of the generosity and dedication of staff, volunteers, and donors. Thank you for your prayers and support and for being part of the mission and success of the Rural Parish Clinic.
John R. Landgraf, DMD, Co-Director, RPC Dental
Jesus said to them in reply, “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have come not to call the righteous but sinners.” Luke 5:32
The Lord calls ordinary people like you and me to be “saints” for our own time and place. St Camillus de Lellis (remembered by the Church on July 18th) is one such saint that can inspire us. Born in 1550, his mother died when he was 13, and Camillus decided to follow his father into the army and take up a military career. He sustained a leg wound in battle and was admitted to San Giacomo degli Incurabili hospital in Rome for treatment but dismissed because of his quarrelsome temper. He had become ensnared in a gambling addiction as a soldier and lost everything. Reduced to begging, he found work with the Capuchin friars who cared for his spiritual needs, and he experienced a conversion in 1575.
Because of his “incurable” leg wound, he was refused entrance into the Capuchins, but he desired to still serve the Lord in the sick. He returned to San Giacomo as a patient while working as a caregiver there to pay for his treatment. Rising through the ranks to director of the hospital, he saw and experienced firsthand the corruption and poor management and the unkind and rough treatment of patients and desired to change the face of nursing care.
Under the guidance of St. Phillip Neri as spiritual director, he gathered together laymen dedicated to the work of mercy of caring for the sick and founded the Order of Clerks Regular, Ministers of the Infirm, to provide compassionate care for the sick in hospitals and on the battlefield. He consecrated himself to the gentle service of the sick, finding Jesus Himself in the person of the sick poor. The inspiring story of St Camillus de Lellis can spur us on in our work to transform in our own age the care of the sick.
Annette Portell is the Clinical Coordinator for the Rural Parish Clinic mobile medical clinic, and the mobile clinic's primary driver, obtaining her CDL just for this mission. She joined the clinic in April 2019 as the clinic began offering medical services and is present at every clinic. Annette’s duties include many tasks, such as patient scheduling, intake and assessment, volunteer scheduling, communications with site teams at every clinic location, helping to ensure the peaceful and productive dynamic for interactions between providers and patients, keeping meticulous records of RPC medical data and statistics, clinic set up and clean up, and much more.
While her responsibilities are many and her skillset diverse, Annette often speaks of the sense of family that is a beautiful blessing of the RPC, and that aside from working with the dedicated staff and volunteers, she feels blessed to be called to the mission. “We are making such an impact on the patients served. The clinic has improved the health of many, but their overall lives have been improved by the care they have received beyond what a medical office normally offers. The Lord assembled a special blend of staff and volunteers to aid those who need healing in their lives.” Annette is an essential part of this blend; her compassion, work ethic, and genuine friendliness and heart of service are an extension of RPC healthcare.
A cake replica of the RPC medical van and crew.
This showcases one of Annette’s many talents!
Dr. Tom is our longest standing volunteer! He joined Sister Marie Paul before the medical clinic arrived from Texas. Since Sister Marie Paul had no idea how she could utilize the skills of a retired anesthesiologist/pain management specialist, she attempted to dissuade him. How wrong she was!
Dr. Tom has organized every process on the medical clinic. He set up and maintains the inventory system in the garage, orders supplies, runs our lab and draws blood, performs PFTs and EKGs and POCUS (bedside ultrasound) on board (for which he takes on-going courses to learn and hone his skills).
He also single-handedly started and operates the dispensary for both medical and dental clinics. He provides some pain management with acupuncture, joint injections, and trigger point injections, but he always gives loving care and lends a listening ear to every patient who comes to clinic. He has even provided transportation at times to patients! He drives the team of doctors (and often nurses) to every medical clinic, twice a week, accumulating over 70,000 miles in the almost four years the medical clinic has been on the road. Most importantly, he serves coffee to volunteers, staff and patients alike.
Behind every good man is a wonderful woman, and Jane also supports the clinic efforts by helping Tom in the dispensary, ordering and sewing RPC patches on our blue gowns, washing our gowns routinely, and giving up her entire basement to house the dispensary. Tom and Jane give of their time, talents, and financial resources. Tom is essentially a fulltime volunteer, working on clinic needs every day. I could never include here or begin to tell you all that Tom and Jane do for the clinics, but their loving friendship and great support through times of success and through difficulties has been invaluable. The clinics would NOT be operational without their aid and support and prayers!
Chris Carron is the president and CEO of Avid Dental Products and founder and CEO of Angstrom Manufacturing Inc., in Ste. Genevieve County. These companies manufacture and distribute dental products, such as masks and prophy angles. The work of the Holy Spirit connected Chris to the Rural Parish Clinic through Dr. Landgraf and Ron Huelsman, who inspired Chris to become involved. Right away Chris was eager to learn how he could assist the mission.
In October, RPC dental staff and volunteers were invited to tour the Avid Dental Products facility and left with a carload of provisions, such as masks, saliva ejectors, and gloves. Gloves continue to be a great expense for the clinic, due to materials and supply-chain issues, so the donation of proper, sterile gloves alone is a valuable contribution. Chris continues to supply the clinic with necessary items and has connected the RPC to other vendors willing to do so as well. Additionally, Chris is working with RPC to expand dental services to Ste. Genevieve County in 2023. Chris is a lifelong Catholic, a member of the Knights of Columbus, and an active parishioner and volunteer at St. Agnes Parish in Bloomsdale. The Rural Parish Clinic is truly blessed by its relationship with Chris Carron.
Volunteer - Click HERE
Donate - Give online or by mail to RPC:
20 Archbishop May Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63119
20 Archbishop May Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63119
Pray - Join the RPC Spiritual Apostolate
Learn - Visit archstl.org/rpc