She is a combination of the fountain of youth and a fountain of knowledge. She's endured the Mexican Revolution, both world wars, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam, Grenada, the Persian Gulf War, the Afghanistan War and Iraq. She's been alive for practically every papacy of the 20th century. She's lived through 17 U.S. presidents. She was around for the invention of the modern radio, and television, as well as many modern conveniences. Her keen mind offers a glimpse into the lives of early-20th-century south Texans via the traditional art form of oral history. And she is the only Sister of Mercy to have walked the halls, prayed in the chapels and comforted those in need at three of the four Mercy Hospitals in Laredo's history. Although she physically measures about 4'10", Sister Mary De Lellis Treviño, RSM maintains a Texas-sized presence in our community, driven by her passion for helping others and an impeccable reputation to match.

Born Amalia Treviño in December of 1912 at (of all places) Mercy Hospital in Laredo, Sister De Lellis has lived through one of the most exciting eras in modern history.

From humble beginnings, Sister De Lellis graduated in the top 25 percent of her class from Laredo High School in 1933 when it was housed at what is today the La Posada Hotel.

In the midst of the Great Depression, the former high school cheerleader hoped to find a job that would allow her to contribute at home and save enough money to enroll in an institution of higher education.

“My goal was to attend college and get a degree,” said Sister De Lellis. “But I couldn’t attend because my family didn’t have enough money. I come from a very humble family.”

The daughter of Jose Maria and Maria de Jesus Treviño readily admits she was a little naïve about her economic situation. “I thought I would get a job, save money and then go to college,” said Sister De Lellis. “Like all the other girls who had recently graduated from high school, I went and applied at the department stores like Kress, Woolworth and El Precio Fijo (Richter’s), which were all in downtown Laredo. But no one would hire me.” However, good fortune soon crossed paths with the young coed.

"I was introduced to the hospital by the hospital administrator. In those times there were no CEO's, COO's and all that. But they had an administrator,” explained Sister De Lellis. “Sister Mary Camillus gave me my first job at Mercy Hospital. I began by taking trays to the patients.”

The new post provided a peek into the unselfish and compassionate lives of those who attend the infirm. After a short while at Mercy Hospital, she was introduced to lab director Sister Mary Christina, who would have an immeasurable impact on the young Laredoan.

“Sister Mary Christina was a beautiful sister in both her religious life and her work life. She taught me everything. How to do it and why to do it,” exclaimed Sister De Lellis. “She became my mentor, providing me with books and giving me formal classes with assignments and tests.” Sister De Lellis soon became immersed in and enamored with the hospital work life. Her dedication and passion became a concern for her mother, Maria de Jesus.

“I fell in love with my work and my mother began to worry that I was spending too much time at the hospital,” said Sister De Lellis. “I still remember my mother telling me, ‘you already spend all the day and all the week there and now you want to also spend the nights.’ I worked for about four or five years with the hospital and fell in love with what the Sisters were doing and I began liking the religious life that the Sisters lived.” After moving to St. Louis, studying in the convent and becoming professed in 1942, Sister De Lellis proceeded to acquire her initial goal of a collegiate degree.