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Sister Celine Bernier Sister Celine is one of 650 Medical Mission Sisters in 19 nations trying to be present to others in the spirit of Jesus the Healer. Sister Celine was born and raised in Warwick, Rhode Island. She joined the Medical Mission Sisters after graduating from St. Xavier's Academy in Providence. She earned her R.N. at St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing in Trenton, NJ, which she attended with Sister Elona Stanchak. "One day, we got our assignment to go to Rawalpindi, Pakistan, together - we couldn't believe it!" she recalls. 46 years later, they remain in mission in Pakistan. Sister Celine learned midwifery at our hospital in Rawalpindi, and was then missioned to Holy Family Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan - a 225-bed hospital. "The midwifery section is very big - the stress was on that from the beginning," she recalls. 99% of the patients are Muslim. She worked as a staff nurse, and found bedside nursing very fulfilling. Sister Celine became Directress of Nursing Services. "Each of the wards has a nurse in charge," she explains. "They come to me or my assistant with problems, staffing needs, etc." The hospital also has a large school of nursing, and Sister Celine sees the students when they are doing their clinical work. Asked about how she is viewed in Pakistan, Sister Celine shares, "I don't think the people see us as 'foreign' or 'American' - partly because we have been there so long and never left them, even during wartime … I feel protected by the people." A member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Sister Celine is also on the board for the St. Vincent's Home for the elderly and destitute. She sings in the choir in her parish. In February, 2005, she and Sister Elona celebrated their Golden Jubilees in a simple Mass and ceremony at the hospital. "We have received much more than we have given," she said to 200 friends who gathered for the occasion. "Nursing is a profession that gives you an immense joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment at being at the bedside of someone who is sick," she shares. "I am particularly drawn to those who are critically ill and dying. You can't get closer to someone than at that time of their greatest need. This is where your true vocation becomes obvious." She adds, "Healing presence means being present to the people, sharing their joys and sorrows, and being there when they need you."
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