CD’s/DVD’s

Being a practical woman, it didn’t take her long to realize that she, alone, couldn’t possibly serve the needs of all of these people. Through a great deal of prayer, Anna decided to establish a religious community of women who would serve the needy who had no access to health care. She felt that this could best be accomplished in the United States of America. So off she went. And for a full year, she did little more than write letters and accept speaking engagements which paid off in an enormous way: the Medical Mission Sisters were officially established in Washington, D.C. on September 30, 1925.

Mother Anna Dengel saw her young congregation flourish, and she was proud that her followers were the first Roman Catholic Sisters to work as physicians, surgeons and obstetricians. Mother instilled in her young nuns the importance of serving their patients with compassion. They built, staffed, and administered well-equipped facilities wherever needed. As time went on, the sisters taught local people how to help themselves by initiating health education programs of every kind. The heritage which Mother Anna Dengel left her 700 Sisters is simple — it focuses on the inherent right of all people to live fully as human beings.

As the congregation grew and journeyed toward the 1960s, Mother Dengel and other Medical Mission Sister superiors realized that the upcoming Vatican Council would bring many liturgical changes. They asked one of their young members, Sister Miriam Therese, to give up her dream of becoming a doctor, in order to study liturgy and music. She became one of the first Catholic musicians to compose contemporary sacred folk songs for liturgical celebrations. Soon, her songs were being sung by her choir of fellow nuns for their own liturgies.

Not long after this, eleven Medical Mission Sisters left their Philadelphia Motherhouse for a New York City recording studio where they recorded 24 of their songs in seven hours — a remarkable feat.

Their first album, JOY IS LIKE THE RAIN, turned heads and hearts so much so that the recording went gold. Soon the songs were being sung in churches, schools, and homes around the world in many languages.

During the next four decades, Sister Miriam Therese and her sisters continued to record fifteen albums in total. Later, St. Bernadette Institute of Sacred Art approached her to re-record eighty songs with various artists. After prayerful consideration, she agreed.

Musicians from across the country participated, recording in studios in New Mexico and their own locations. The collaboration brought together artists from many traditions, united by a shared purpose of service and music.

Though Dan Paulos had experience in sacred art, he was new to recording production. Still, he embraced the challenge. The project took longer than expected, but it remained a deeply meaningful experience for everyone involved.

Every participant focused on one goal: sharing the music and supporting the mission of serving those in need. All proceeds from the albums go directly to the Medical Mission Sisters.

The album LOVING YOU features 21 songs, including recordings by original sisters and renowned artists such as John McDermott, Melba Moore, Patti Cohenour, Cynthia Clawson, Stephen Hill, Annie Karto, Janis Ian, and Elisabeth von Trapp.