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Sister of Mercy, continued

Sr. De Lellis helping visitors at Mercy Casita According to Sister De Lellis and her small staff of volunteers, an average of 250 to 300 people gather at Mercy’s La Casita every Friday morning for the free food. They arrive at 601 Gustavus as early as the neighborhood roosters crow at the first sight of dawn. And every Friday, Sister De Lellis begins the disbursement with a group prayer offering thanks to our Lord, Jesus Christ, for providing yet another bounty for the needy.

The nonperishable food items range from canned goods to cereal boxes to cases of fruit juice. The dispersed items always include an allotment of the cultural staples of rice and pinto beans.

The rice and bean combination carries such a strong sentiment with Sister De Lellis that she requested it as the main entrée following an award ceremony in her honor. In 1998, Laredo Mayor Elizabeth G. “Betty” Flores and the Laredo Regional Food Bank presented Sister De Lellis with the Dr. Sandra Clayton Richard Memorial Anti-hunger Awareness Award.

“We ate frijoles (beans) with rice because that is the food of poor people, said Sister De Lellis. “That was a very special day for me. The mayor presented me with the award and that meant a lot to me.”

The honors continued in 1999 as the Sister of Mercy was inducted into the Laredo Women’s Hall of Fame. And a timeless recognition, according to Guevara, centers upon the development of the Clinical Laboratory Assistant Program in Laredo. That curriculum eventually transferred to Laredo Community College and still exists today as the Medical Laboratory Technician Program.

“She had always been very supportive of education and helping people advance,” added Guevara. “She has been a role model for me and for many young men and women.”

Despite the numerous accolades she has received for her outstanding work, Sister De Lellis considers the Mercy Novitiate to be among the greatest things she has witnessed during her long lifetime.

“Secretly, I had a strong desire for Laredo to host the novitiate for the Sisters of Mercy. I prayed many times for this to happen,” explained Sister De Lellis. “The Sisters from Sacred Heart Children’s Home had already hosted a novitiate. So had the Salesian Sisters of Mary Help and the Brothers of St. John had also done it. And I thought, we’ve been here for so long now how come we haven’t done it?”

Throughout the wars, the changing times, and the political and social upheavals she has experienced, Sister De Lellis has maintained one focus – the people of the time. It is her conviction to help others that has kept her adaptable, but more important, it’s mercy that has made these ambitions a reality throughout tumultuous times.

Guevara, who now serves as the chief executive officer of the newly formed Mercy Ministries of Laredo, emphasized once again the importance his aunt played in establishing the novitiate in Laredo.

“This idea for the Novitiate for the Sisters of Mercy, it was her idea because I remember being in on some of the discussions of what as going to happen to that old convent,“ said Guevara. “It was her idea to transfer it to the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas and make it into a novitiate. That’s where the idea was born.”

As great as it was the see this dream materialize, it was equally as devastating to witness the sale of an institution. Sister De Lellis never foresaw the pending transfer of ownership for the hospital. “This was a very terrible blow for me. I never thought we would get past it,” lamented Sister De Lellis. “But these things happen for a reason and we must trust in the Lord.”

With the pending transition at Mercy Health Center, once again Sister De Lellis witnesses another chapter in the history annals and continues to place her faith and trust in God for a positive outcome.

Throughout the wars, the changing times, and the political and social upheavals she has experienced, Sister De Lellis has maintained one focus – the people of the time. It is her
	conviction to help others that has kept her adaptable, but more important, it’s mercy that has made these ambitions a reality throughout tumultuous times. She has endured 91 years of intense transformation. She has helped to feed and care for thousands during this time. She continues today as a Sister of Mercy!

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