Medical Mission Sisters Dorothy Canary, Jane Gates, Mary Louise Lynch, and Carmel Petonyak are each celebrating 60 years of service on August 15, the Feast of the Assumption. Please join us in congratulations, prayers, and thanks for these four Sisters, who all now live in the Philadelphia area.

Sister Dorothy Canary, a native of Roanoke, Virginia, worked for 20 years as an x-ray technologist in hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan; Dacca, Bangladesh; and Fort Portal, Uganda. After her return to the U.S., she became certified as a chaplain, and did pastoral work in Virginia, South Carolina, and Philadelphia.

Sister-Doctor Jane Gates, from Hamburg, New York, was Medical Director of Holy Family Hospital in Berekum, Ghana. In Uganda, she helped to establish approved nursing education programs in Fort Portal, and was named Virika Hospital’s first Administrator and Director. She also started a medical clinic in Lumpkin, Georgia, where she was the town’s only doctor. Sister Jane served as our Superior General in Rome, and as Eastern District Coordinator in North America.

Sister Mary Louise Lynch, who grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, was involved with communications for our Community for many years. She also helped to open our first novitiate in Pune, India, and did fundraising and publicity work for Holy Family Hospital in New Delhi. She served as our Sector Superior in North America, and helped to establish our Alliance for Justice Office. She was very active in social justice issues in Baltimore for many years.

Sister Carmel Petonyak, a nurse from Renovo, Pennsylvania, was in mission in India for over 30 years. She was a Floor Supervisor at Holy Family Hospital in Bombay, a Staff Nurse and Instructor at the School of Nursing at Holy Family Hospital in Patna, and an English Instructor and Assistant to the Novice Mistress in Pune. She continues to serve in our Archives Department, and on a number of committees.