Sister, Soldier, Surgeon: The Life and Courage of Sister Deirdre Byrne, M.D.

by Leisa Marie Carzon, Ph.D.

Meet a modern-day Joan of Arc. Whether in scrubs, camouflage, or a religious habit, Sr. Dede Byrne, in her threefold calling as a professed religious sister, renowned surgeon, and U.S. Army colonel, inspire us to both virtue and action.

If the apostles had remained hidden in the Upper Room, we would never have a Church today. Similarly, Sister’s inspirational life serves as a call to emerge from the safety of the Upper Room and enter the public square to courageously infuse culture with an unapologetic defense of Christ’s beauty, truth, and goodness.

Whether saving lives on battlefields or outside the doors of abortion clinics, this exciting narrative offers a rare glimpse into the life of a contemporary heroine who dedicates herself to care of the poor, love of God and country, and an unwavering defense of the unborn. These exhilarating pages detail:

• Sister’s journey in discerning and living her vocational calling and her personal vow of
  providing free and loving medical care to the poor
• Her heroic national keynote address that took the nation by storm and embodied the
  essence of courageously living one’s faith in the public square
• The moral prescriptions required for remaining in the state of grace and attaining eternal
  life
• The impactful way Sister proposes Christ to everyone she meets with fearless abandon and
  determined love

Sr. Dede ministered at Ground Zero on September 11, served as St. Mother Teresa’s personal physician, was deployed as a surgeon to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom, facilitated the rescue of citizens hiding from the Taliban, and travels regularly to the war-torn Nuba Mountains in Sudan to provide life-saving medical care to inhabitants under siege.

Dubbed “the Mother Teresa of D.C.,” Sr. Dede continues to provide medical care to the marginalized from her convent basement clinic and administer the abortion pill reversal procedure that has resulted in the delivery of more than a dozen healthy babies. At home and abroad, she spreads her message of love and her exhortations for remaining in the state of grace so that we might all attain our eternal end — eternity with God in Heaven.

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