Sister, Soldier, Surgeon: Sister Deirdre Byrne comes to St. Catherine of Siena

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Ft. Thomas, will be welcoming Sister Deirdre Byrne, M.D., as a speaker, Nov. 1, at 6:30 p.m.

Sister Deirdre is a professed member of the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a retired U.S. Army colonel and a surgeon — who paid for her medical training through service in the armed forces. Her talk at the parish will focus on her life through the lens of her biography, written by Leisa Marie Carzon, Ph.D and titled “Sister, Soldier, Surgeon.”

Terri Babey, a parishioner of St. Catherine of Siena and organizer of the event, described Sister Deirdre as a “total package” — humble, faithful and with a “sense of humor.”

“For me,” Ms. Babey said, “to see his real person living this unreal, incredible life is inspiring. She’s very understated when she talks, but very thoughtful. I thought that was interesting.”

Exemplified by her “care for the poor,” Sister Deirdre offers free and low-cost medical care for poor and uninsured communities. “She has so much virtue,” Ms. Babey said, “but it is virtue in action.” This devotion has also taken Sister Deirdre on missions abroad to countries such as Sudan, where her mission still runs, but her dedication persists in her local community as a woman religious as well.

While the talk at St. Catherine of Siena Parish is free, Terri Babey hopes people coming to see the sister speak will “give generously” in free will offerings — all of which will be returned to Sister Deirdre in support of her free clinic operated near her convent’s home in Washington D.C.

“She has done so many things,” Ms. Babey said, “It’s really a wild, beautiful lifestyle that she leads,” encouraging all to join for not just the talk — but to read the biography as well.