Sisters Who Help Others Need our Help

St. Joseph’s parishioners, Sister Demetria and Sister Mary, members of the Sisters of St. Joseph from Mombasa, Kenya, traveled half-way across the world to do a job few Americans are willing to do: minister to the destitute and dying. The sisters care for the sick and dying at a hospice house in Dallas. These selfless nuns work 6 pm to 6 am, tending to the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs of the residents in the hospice house. When they are not working, they are devoted to attending Mass, leading Eucharistic Adoration, and praying at the chapel in their Garland house. The sisters sleep only 3 hours a day. Unfortunately, the sisters’ challenging lives have been made more difficult by the disrepair of their Garland home.

Members of the Knights of Columbus Council 8954 uncovered the problems with the home while adding a chapel to the nuns’ residence. The Knights discovered that the sisters have suffered in silence for years. For example, their pipes burst during the freezing spell last winter. The problem has not been properly fixed. Until 2 months ago, Sister Demetia’s room did not have air conditioning. The sisters have paid people to fix problems in the house, but the work provided only a temporary fix. The St. Joseph Knights of Columbus, with experts in these trades, have evaluated the work that needs to be done. This includes a new roof, insulation in the walls and ceiling, pluming repairs, and new siding on its exterior. He estimates the costs of the repairs between $20,000-$25,000.

In talking with the nuns, one quickly learns of their humility. When the Knights proposed to lead a fundraising campaign to raise money to repair their home, the Sisters initially were reluctant, saying that they didn’t want people to think they were taking advantage of the generosity of others and proposing that others in the community were in greater need of assistance.

The St. Joseph Knights of Columbus are leading a fund-raiser to create a livable residence for these humble nuns so that they can continue ministering to the sick and dying in Dallas. Please prayerfully consider a donation to repair the sisters’ home. This fund-raiser is also part of a larger parish-wide event that will occur in Oct 2023.