Biography Anna Maria Dengel

1 biography

1.1 life , education
1.2 career
1.3 foundation of medical mission sisters
1.4 death , afterward

biography
early life , education

anna maria dengel born 16 march 1892, in steeg, austria, edmund wilhelm dengel , maria gertrud (scheidle) dengel. anna had 4 brothers , sisters, , 4 half-brothers , sisters. after mother died when anna nine, enrolled in boarding school of visitation monastery in hall in tirol. after completing schooling there, offered position teach german in lyons, france. dengel accepted offer , taught there 2 years before returning home austria.

career

when anna dengel in mid-20s heard scottish physician , catholic missionary, agnes mclaren, looking women doctors hospital in rawalpindi, india (now pakistan), had been established provide medical care muslim women of region barred care male physicians. overjoyed , wrote mclaren of interest, , lively correspondence between them began. mclaren in mid-70s @ time, however, , died before , dengel meet, dengel followed course of preparation mission in india , mclaren had set. dengel took mclaren’s advice attend medical school @ university college in cork, ireland. in 1919, after graduating, went england nine-month internship. following year left rawalpindi continue work mclaren had begun.

for 4 difficult years, dr. dengel struggled make impact on health care of women , children in northern india. became convinced many more professionally trained , spiritually dedicated women needed in order effect real healing among people. set out united states seek help.

foundation of medical mission sisters

dengel spent months of travel , meetings make needs of india known, including discussions reverend michael a. mathis, c.s.c., , other catholic priests, bishops , cardinals, how best meet these needs. encountered same barrier mentor, mclaren, had in own pioneering service in healthcare women , children of muslim india, namely, prohibition in church law barring members of religious institutes practicing medicine.

after experience, dengel came conclusion needed establish new religious congregation dedicated cause. drew constitution congregation had in mind , wrote members “to live god…to dedicate service of sick love of god , …to trained according knowledge , standards of time in order practice medicine in full scope, sisters dedicate lives.”

permission granted on 12 june 1925 begin new congregation, , on 30 september year “first four”—anna dengel along johanna lyons, m.d., of chicago, evelyn flieger, r.n., great britain, , marie ulbrich, r.n., of luxemburg, iowa—came in washington, d.c., found society of catholic medical missionaries.

the “first four” unable profess canonical vows because catholic church had yet approve practice of medicine religious sisters, yet lived sisters same. lifting restriction had been goal of dengel s mentor, agnes mclaren, had petitioned vatican have church authorities so. finally, in 1936, after medical mission sisters had grown, catholic church approved sisters’ working in medicine , of branches , recognized women religious congregation, known sisters of catholic medical missions. members of medical mission sisters made first public vows , sister anna dengel elected first superior general.

death , afterward

mother anna died in rome, italy, on 17 april 1980, , mass of resurrection celebrated @ campo santo in vatican on 21 april. body buried in teutonic cemetery (reserved natives of germanic nations serving catholic institutions of rome), within territory of vatican city.