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Community honors Sister Concetta
As Sister Mary Concetta Cardinale prepares for her future, Mercy Health Center and the community celebrate the end of an era.
Beginning with a recognition by the Fort Scott City Commission during Tuesday night's meeting to a farewell reception Thursday afternoon at Mercy Health Center, friends, coworkers, and former students have been honoring Sister Concetta as she prepared to move to Catherine's Residence in St. Louis, Mo. next week.
"In one sense it is the end of an era," Fort Scott Mayor Dick Hedges said.
Sister Concetta has been serving others for most of her life. She grew up with a mother who made sure there was always enough food to help out their neighbors.
"Exposure to the concept of caring and concern for others, especially older adults came early for me," Concetta said. "As a preschooler, my mother regularly sent me to various neighborhood homes with a hot meal. She always told us that as long as she was fixing a meal for the family she might as well add a little more and share with the neighbors who were not well enough to fix a meal for themselves."
Sister Concetta received her Diploma in Nursing from the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Fort Scott in 1945 and entered the Sisters of Mercy in Webster Groves, Mo. where she performed her Novitiate duties. On March 12, 1946, she received the white veil of a novice and professed her first vows two years later.
Sister Concetta's ministry began locally when she returned to Fort Scott in March of 1948 and worked as a Nursing Supervisor and worked in Obstetrics and the Operating Room at the Burke Street hospital. In August 1951, she professed perpetual vows in St. Louis, Mo.
Sister Concetta left Fort Scott but stayed in Kansas from 1952 to 1959, when she practiced in Independence and Hutchinson. Also, she received her Bachelor's degree in Nursing in 1956 from St. Mary College in Xavier.
A return to Fort Scott was made by Sister Concetta in 1959 when she served as an Operating Room Supervisor and Clinical Instructor and eventually serving as Head Nurse from 1963 to 1967.
While serving patients at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Hutchinson from 1970 to 1971, Sister Concetta resided in St. Louis at the Our Lady of Mercy Convent and completed a Master of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Maryland with an emphasis in Public Health Nursing Administration. During the 1980s she worked as a Nursing Instructor at Wichita State University for the College of Health Related Professions.
Sister Concetta made one final return to Fort Scott in 1987, when she served as Outreach Coordinator and Hospice Director. She started a volunteer Hospice Program that operated through Mercy Health Center. Soon after, outreach programs such as the Grief Support Group, Alzheimer's Support Group and Daybreak became commonplace in Fort Scott.
"We have been blessed to have Sr. Concetta serve Mercy in Fort Scott for many, many years," Mercy Health Center President/CEO Reta Baker said. "She has more energy on any given day than most of us have. It is difficult to comprehend the impact that Sr. Concetta has had in our service area. When she saw a need, she challenged herself to fulfill it."
Throughout her years of service, Sister Concetta said that the person's needs are what matter the most.
"For years, I've just provided the necessary interventions to keep our friends safe in their home," Sister Concetta said. "Sometimes home and physical assessments were needed, but 99 percent of the time I just listen."
During the reception held Thursday afternoon in Sister Concetta's honor, the staff of Mercy Health Center presented her with a prayer shawl to remember all her friends in Fort Scott. She said she will wear it often. Also during the reception those in attendance shared memories of Sister Concetta. Those who shared talked about her attention to detail and quest for perfection. Sister Concetta followed the comments by thanking everyone for attending and for showing up on time.
Before leaving, Sister Concetta teamed up with the Lowell Milken Center to create a new exhibit titled Sisters of Mercy: Unsung Heroes. Lowell Milken Center Director Norm Conard said the exhibit which brings to life the history of the Sisters of Mercy -- particularly Sister Catherine McAuley -- would not have been possible without the help of Sister Concetta.
"It's really her exhibit," Conard said.
In addition to the exhibit, which opens at the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Coffee on May 27, a 15-minute interview with Sister Concetta will be available on a DVD. Conard said the DVD will be available later this summer and will be free of charge.
"It has been wonderful working with Sister Concetta," Conard said. "She is an extraordinary woman who has given so much of her life to this community."
The Sisters of Mercy have been in the Fort Scott community for 124 year. Sister Concetta is the last of the Sisters of Mercy to remain in Fort Scott.
"That's the challenge ... to carry on Mercy without the sisters ... they will always be with us, just not physically," Mercy Health Center Director of Pastoral Services William James said.