Sister Trudy (left) and Sister Ann, Hospital Sisters of St. Francis who volunteer at Mission Outreach.
Catholic Sisters Week 2026
March 06, 2026
Honoring Catholic Sisters serving in health care – here and across the globe
As we celebrate Catholic Sisters Week (March 6-14), Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach is blessed to work with Sisters around the world. Our own organization was started by the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis to prevent waste here in the United States and to meet critical health care needs of people in some of the world’s most resource-poor places. Twenty-five years later, Mission Outreach completes 120 shipments annually of requested, high-quality medical supplies and equipment to global hospitals and clinics – many of them operated by communities of Catholic Sisters. Worldwide, Catholic Sisters operate 20,000 healthcare facilities in 100 countries, and Catholic health entities are responsible for providing 40%-70% of services throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.
The tradition of offering exceptional health care, with a focus on those who have the fewest resources, is one Catholic Sisters have maintained for hundreds of years. Mission Outreach is proud to be an organization founded by Sisters that supports health care delivered by Sisters. To honor Catholic Sisters Week 2026, we thought we would share some of our favorite photos of Sisters who inspire us.
And to all Catholic Sisters everywhere -- we honor you and thank you for your gift of service to people around the world!
Sister Trudy and Sister Ann
Sister Nichola and Sister Ritamary
Sister Nichola (left) is a member of the Japan province of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis. While she was in Springfield, she volunteered at Mission Outreach. She is here with Sister Ritamary, a regular volunteer.
Dr. Sister Benjamine
Dr. Sister Benjamine, a member of the Sisters of Our Lady of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, is director of the dental program at St. Joseph Hospital in Tanzania. Mission Outreach has provided dental equipment and supplies to make Sister Benjamin's vision a reality -- to have a complete dental department on the campus of St. Joseph Hospital. The new dental department opens to serve patients in June 2026.
Sister Inviolatha and Dr. Sister Hellen
Sister Inviolatha (left) and Dr. Sister Hellen (center) with Ratish and Erica from Mission Outreach and an employee of St. Joseph Hospital. Sister Inviolatha is a nurse and the matron of St. Joseph Hospital. Sister Hellen is the CEO and a practicing physician. These Sisters -- and many others in their congregation -- serve thousands of patients a year in their hospitals throughout Tanzania regardless of the patient's ability to pay. This is distinctive because in Tanzania hospitals and clinics are not required to provide stabilizing emergency care to all patients as they are in the United States. The Sisters, because of their commitment to the example of Jesus Christ, accept many patients in need that other health facilities in their area turn away.
Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus, Sierra Leone
In Sierra Leone, a Sister who is a member of the Handmaids of the Child Jesus is eager to open a container of medical supplies and equipment from Mission Outreach. The container was loaded, blessed, and shipped from Mission Outreach on October 7, 2025, and arrived at Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus Clinic (Pendembu, Sierra Leone) in January 2026.
Sister Marie
The process of shipping and receiving a 40-foot container of medical supplies and equipment requires teamwork and persistence. Sister Marie in Cameroon stayed vigilant in front of their local DHL office until the papers she needed arrived to get her container from Mission Outreach cleared through the port and to their clinic. Her determination was well worth it -- she sent us this message:
"The beds are fantastic, in short, all the equipment is great and nice. We are very pleased, everyone is impressed. The bed has speakers where you can listen to the radio, and you can get the patient's weight directly; it's wonderful. Thank you so much! We are enjoying."
Sister Rosalinda
Sister Rosalinda, a member of the Bon Secours Sisters in Peru, holds a child as her mother gives her a drink of water. After devastating floods struck the Trujillo area in 2023, the Bon Secours Sisters helped to rebuild houses for families. Working with Bon Secours Mercy Health and Mission Outreach, the Sisters also procured water filters and medicines for an outbreak of dengue fever in the region.