Sister Teresa Rigel — on her 70th Jubilee
December 17, 2014 by Sarah Jenkins
PARENTS: Emil Edward and Anna Sedivy Rigel
HOMETOWN: Blue Rapids, Kan.
RECEIVED INTO CONGREGATION: March 19, 1945
RELIGIOUS NAME: Sister Ann Teresa
EDUCATION:
Marymount College, Salina (bachelor’s degree in nursing education); Catholic University, Washington, D.C. (master’s in nursing); Rosary College, River Forest, Ill. (master’s in library science)
MISSIONS:
1946-1948 Nursing in Sabetha, Kan.
1953-1968 Nursing and nursing education at St. John’s Hospital and Marymount College, Salina
1968-1974 Librarian, Red Cloud Indian School, Pine Ridge Reservation, S.D.
1974-1980 Librarian, Salina Public Library
1980-1984 Librarian, Red Cloud Indian School
1991-1995 Various duties with OCCK Inc., Concordia
1995-2008 Volunteer work in Concordia, including hospice and visiting nursing home residents
2008-today Nazareth Motherhouse, Concordia
A profound experience for me was my years working with the Ogallala Sioux on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. The opportunity to live and serve on the reservation with such wonderful people was important in my life.
Initially I worked as a librarian at the Red Cloud Indian School so was able to serve the students and faculty there. But I also had a background in nursing so many people came to me for help, and that was a good way to get to know more people. I loved serving where I was needed.
I fit in well with the Native Americans at Red Cloud. We all had a deep understanding of our Creator and the importance of our religion. It was good!
congratulations on your 70th jubilee. i graduated from Marymount with BSN in N ursing degree in 1968.Thank you for having such a great nursing education program that has served me well through a very diversified career . From working at the KC Mo VA hospital during the Vietnam era 1969 thru 71, Being on the step down unit at St. Lukes Hospital in KCmo when the first heart transplants were being done, to serving in numerous other areas of nursing, Visiting Nurses, hospitals and agencies . My husband since sept 1972 has worked with me and been involved in adopting two special needs children, helping to establish a preschool for special needs children, develop respite care programs, as well as ministries to help ages 3 days thru 104 years stay in their homes. Our door has been open to numerous families needing to escape abusive situations on short notice and still is. Currently I do some volunteer work in dallas for a Large homeless and other ministries center that is getting ready to expand their medical clinic and meals for the homeless services. And I am involved with a charity that sends things to a Phillipines clinic and other services for orphan street children. I have not listed this nursing career sumary in other notes to jubilants so feel free to compare messages. YOUR GREAT EDUCATION BASE HAS TOUCHED MANY LIVES. AGAIN–THANK YOU TO YOU AND ALL THE OTHER SISTERS FOR THE GREAT EDUCATION AND COLLEGE YOU PROVIDED.