Sister Michele O’Brien, CCVI, is a Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word of San Antonio & Development Specialist at the Friends of CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Foundation. She has spent over 50 years in healthcare in many and various positions including nurse, x-ray, community health director, advocate/lobbyist, foundation development officer, and administrator. Sister Michele has answered the call to serve – wherever and however the need arose.
Fresh from the novitiate as a newly professed Sister, my longtime childhood and college dream of a career in healthcare began. “A life for God and a heart for Service,” first penned by our Co-Foundress, Mother St. Pierre, our CCVI Motto for our 150th celebration had begun!
The theme was constant: Excitement and energy for each new assignment/adventure, whether of a new career, X-Ray, Nursing, Advocate/Lobbyist, Director of Community Outreach, etc. A new ministry location: San Antonio, Amarillo, Paris (TX), St. Louis, or just a day of serving as the day before. I looked forward to each with excitement. Patients, families, staff, physicians and life always present an opportunity and sometimes a challenge to bring God’s love and presence alive and tangible to all, despite obstacles like long days or when staff was short, challenging personalities, a lack of supplies, or fatigue. Ministry is an opportunity to bring the Mission alive today, 150 years strong at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa!
Recalling moments of joy in the delivery room when a newborn is placed on their mother’s chest. Sharing for the first time those moments of holding the hand of a family member who is holding their mother’s hand as she lay dying. All such sacred moments continue to bless me. Then, there are proud but humbling and scary moments, when during my 10 years as an Advocate at the State and Federal Capitols, I would be ask by a Legislator’s staff to step into the office. Their boss wanted to see the “nun in the hall” for an opinion and explanation on a health care proposal before the vote later in the day.
Today, there is great joy and satisfaction as a Development Specialist in sharing our legacy story of the Sisters and CHRISTUS Santa Rosa. We remain rooted in our humble, faith-based beginnings and share CHRISTUS Santa Rosa’s continuing response to the needs of our community. In so doing, we invite each of you to share your own story and be a part of the 150-year legacy of CHRISTUS Santa Rosa.
Today, I invite you to intensify your commitment and bring your legacy of gifts as a person with talents and presence to this 150th celebration of the heritage of CHRISTUS Santa Rosa. I challenge you to bring yourself to this ministry with love, happiness and joy each day. It will bless you, as you bless it.
Praised be the Incarnate Word! Forever, Amen!
– Sister Michele O’Brien
CHRISTUS Children's Foundation 
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