Missioners
Sister Mary Ellen Kerrigan
 |
"Each week when I sing, laugh and talk with my friends in prison who have HIV infection, together we experience God's unconditinal love for us." |
Mary Ellen Kerrigan entered the Maryknoll Sisters in 1958 from Leadville, Colorado after receiving her R.N. from St. Joseph's Hospital, Denver. Following her First Profession, she served on the nursing staff at Maryknoll for three years and was assigned to Taiwan in 1965.
After two years of Mandarin language study, she worked as a clinic nurse in Wu She until 1969 when she did nursing in Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei. Returning to the United States in 1971, she completed undergraduate studies at Mary Rogers College, NY, a B.S. in nursing at Russell Sage College, Troy, NY, and her Masters in nursing from New York University in 1976.
After these studies, Sister Mary Ellen returned to Taiwan to work as nursing supervisor in the 120-bed St. Joseph's Hospital in Kaohsiung in the south. After six years, she decided to leave this work in the capable hands of trained Taiwanese nurses.
In 1983, she studied the Taiwanese language in Taichung and then joined a team of three doing pastoral ministry in the Chunan parish. She immersed herself in the language and the many opportunities she had to learn more about the life of the people outside of the hospital situation. Sister Mary Ellen deeply appreciated the mutual evangelization in this pastoral ministry. As she grew in her appreciation of the people, she discovered that "the importance of personal relationships rather than the importance of work has affected the way I approach life."
Called by the Congregation to serve in vocation ministry on the admissions team at Maryknoll, NY in 1987, she had the opportunity to share how she saw God working in her life in mission. In 1991, after taking courses on HIV/AIDS and the care of those infected and affected by this infection, she returned to Taiwan and the National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei to try to help the nurses and doctors there.
As true then as it is now, compassion was sorely needed in the care of patients and family members who suffered greatly because of their fears and the stigma that accompanies HIV/AIDS. Sister Mary Ellen is still involved as a volunteer with the nursing department at the university hospital, striving to help nurses, doctors, patients and family members, anyone who has been infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.
Although there has been a marked improvement in the care of people with HIV/AIDS in Taiwan, there is still much to be done because stigma continues to plague people with HIV/AIDS and those who care for them. In 1994, Sister Mary Ellen was invited to go to the Taipei Prison in Taoyuan to help answer questions of prisoners living with HIV/AIDS. Before long, it became obvious that besides learning about HIV/AIDS, their coming together accomplished even more. Relationships were formed, and soon they were meeting together weekly.
This was how this particular ministry for prisoners living with HIV/AIDS began. For a number of years, Sister Mary Ellen and a taxicab driver from Tainan, who is living with AIDS, have been working "as a team" to help prisoners.
As part of its celebration of the country's 100th birthday in 2012, Taiwan's Cultural Affairs Ministry included Sister Nancy and two other Maryknoll Sisters in a book series honoring foreigners who have given many years of dedicated service to the people of Taiwan. The government said it wanted to express the gratitude of its citizens to their foreign friends, who are an example for generations to come.
 | Donate |  | Join Us |  | Pray |
 | Share |
