Doctor Who?

Though she may not be known for the sharp wit and teasing personality of Patrick Troughton, the iconic scarf and K9 companion of Tom Baker, or the resigned determination of John Hurt, it may be argued that former Sister of Loretto Elizabeth Rush went above and beyond the usual call of service during her time in the Order.

Born to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Rush in Kansas City, MO, Elizabeth began to consider joining the Sisters of Loretto when she was a senior in high school. Her interest, she said, was attracted thanks to the Sisters’ “commitment to service, social justice, education, personal growth, and their joy in living it out.” Ultimately, it was leaders like Mary Luke Tobin—who at that time was in Rome as official auditor at Vatican II—who helped to cement her decision.

While teaching is one of the more traditional works of the Sisters, there are some for whom it is not in the cards. With a strong feeling that teaching was not her “style,” Elizabeth worked first in the Motherhouse infirmary, later enrolling in Loretto Heights College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.). Upon her 1973 graduation, she worked as a registered nurse for St. Joseph’s Hospital before eventually returning to the Motherhouse to work with geriatric Sisters. She cited her decision to take up the challenge of medical school as the desire to do more to serve those suffering with illnesses, and the community gave her its full support.

We don’t have a single work we all do, which means a certain loss of identity, I suppose, but our attitudes and traditions hold us together. There is diversity among us, but we hang together in our desire to live out the Gospel values.

Elizabeth Rush

Elizabeth graduated magna cum laude from the University of Louisville in 1980, making her the first Sister of Loretto to have earned a medical degree (M.D.). This achievement was documented in various newspapers, including The Heights, the Catholic Key, The Record – Louisville, and The Denver Catholic Register. Shortly after her graduation, she returned to St Joseph’s Hospital for her residency. Concerning her patients, she said she strives “to do good medicine” and argues that sometimes helping them to understand their illnesses and make them more comfortable involves “talking on a spiritual level.”

Many patients share their intimate fears, and they become a friend. Some you just like a whole lot because of their personality. … I don’t regret my involvement with my patients, but I keep enough distance to maintain judgments clinically.

Elizabeth Rush

Among her other honors is the Kentucky Medical Insurance Award, which is given to only one student in a graduating class on the basis of excellence in forming good doctor-patient relationships; a scholastic citation from the American Medical Women’s Association; the Merck Manual Award for scholastic achievement; and an honorable mention in Who’s Who. She was also accepted into both Alpha Omega Alpha and Phi Kappa Phi, a medical honors society and a national all-university honors society, respectively.

While Elizabeth is no longer a Sister of Loretto, the tradition of caring for others both spiritually and physically has always been an integral part of what the Sisters have done, and it continues to be carried out by a number of Sisters and co-members in various capacities: Ann Manganaro SL, who died in 1993, also had a medical degree (M.D.); Sisters Marie Lourde Steckler, Barbara Nicholas, Joan Spero, and Alicia Ramirez were all Registered Nurses (R.N.s); and Joan Van Leeuwen SL, who died in 2010, was a Certified Nurse Assistant (C.N.A.). This list is by no means exhaustive, and leaves off a number of talented individuals, including those who have since died or dispensed from vows. Former Sister Susan Scott, for example, even earned a degree in Mortuary Science! All this to say that the tradition of caring for others and the carrying out of other Gospel values is still alive and well with the Sisters of Loretto.

For photos of the aforementioned Sisters, please scroll through the photos below.