RPC Messenger — October 2026

Sent to subscribers on 18 October 2026

Blessed Feast Day of Saint Luke, patron saint of physicians and of our Rural Parish Clinic Medical mission! As I begin this beautiful service as Medical Director of the RPC, I want to thank you for your warm and gracious welcome.

I am also grateful for the dedicated service and guidance of my predecessors, Sister Mary Rachel Nerbun, RSM, MD, and Sister Marie Paul Lockerd, RSM, DO, who paved the way for the RPC to be where it is today.

I’m equally grateful for the direction of Archbishop Carlson and Archbishop Rozanski, for Terri Cammarata, and for every member, past and present, of our Board of Directors, benefactors, staff, and volunteers. The dedication of each one of you has helped the RPC bring the healing mercy of the Divine Physician, Jesus Christ, to the poor and sick in the rural areas of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis.

What is the connection between Mercy and medicine? As a Religious Sister of Mercy, we are called to stand at the convergence point between the mercy of God and the misery of mankind, which is at the foot of the Cross. Each one of us participates in that one Cross of Jesus Christ, through which alone comes our salvation: the true medicine that heals both body and soul.

The mercy poured forth upon us by God, the Father of mercies, allows us to meet others in their misery, most especially the poor and the sick, through the practice of medicine, that by God’s grace they too may experience His mercy. In this way, high-quality, compassionate medicine becomes an instrument of God’s mercy, a mission each of you involved with the RPC shares as well. And in offering His mercy, we also receive it, through our patients.

Know my prayers for each of you and for all those who come to the Rural Parish Clinic. May our practice of medicine always be a manifestation of the healing mercy of Jesus Christ.

— Sister Teresa Mary Kozlovski, RSM, MD

St. Luke the Evangelist in the Trinity Dome at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C. Mosaic design by Leandro Miguel Velasco (1933–2023).

Many of us know Saint Luke as one of the four evangelists. He was a faithful companion to Saint Paul and, in addition to his gospel, wrote the Acts of the Apostles. Saint Luke, who was a physician himself, is the patron saint of physicians and the patron of the Rural Parish Medical Clinic. In his own way, Saint Luke has a special tie to our mission as an instrument of mercy. It is only in his Gospel that we read of the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son, both of which speak to the tender mercy and compassion that Christ had for the poor and the afflicted.

Saint Luke also had a great love for the Blessed Virgin Mary and is the patron saint of artists. The infancy narratives, which speak about the Annunciation, the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, and the Birth of Christ, are only found in the Gospel of Saint Luke. He was known to be a skilled artist and is traditionally believed to have written the first icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus. Although the feast of Saint Luke (October 18) is a hidden feast this year as it falls on a Sunday, may we continue to ask Saint Luke to pray for us, that we may be instruments of God’s mercy and entrust ourselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy.

Since the very beginning of the Rural Parish Clinic’s dental program, Diann Bomkamp, RDH, has been an unwavering part of our volunteer family. Her service reaches far beyond the dental chair, and her impact can be felt throughout our entire ministry.

As a Registered Dental Hygienist, Diann provides thorough, compassionate care to our patients, always approaching each person with tenderness, patience, and dignity. But from the beginning, she has also stepped forward wherever her knowledge and leadership were needed. Diann helped establish our OSHA and infection control policies, providing an important foundation for the safe, high-quality care we strive to deliver every day.

Diann is never afraid to advocate for a mission she believes in. Whether standing at a podium sharing the story of Rural Parish Clinic, representing us at a community outreach table, or encouraging others to get involved, she is one of RPC’s most dedicated ambassadors.

Today, Diann continues to help shape the future of the dental program as a key member of our Dental Subcommittee, lending her experience and thoughtful perspective to important conversations about clinical operations and patient care.

Diann’s unwavering generosity, attention to detail, and willingness to serve wherever she is needed embody the spirit of volunteerism at Rural Parish Clinic. Her leadership continues to inspire staff and fellow volunteers, and her many contributions have helped shape the dental program into what it is today.

I wanted to take a moment to share the incredible work Rural Parish Clinic’s Community Outreach Committee has done. Over the past fiscal year, the committee has helped us reach farther into the rural communities we serve, and their work is making a meaningful difference.

Since launching their focused outreach efforts in January, the committee has identified and built a database of 532 organizations, churches, and community partners throughout our service area. These connections represent opportunities to reach potential patients, strengthen community partnerships, and connect our patients with resources that can enrich their experience with RPC.

From January through June, our volunteers completed 125 outreach touches, connecting with organizations and community members both by phone and in person. They have visited food pantries, churches, grocery stores, thrift shops, health organizations, and other community hubs, sharing the story of Rural Parish Clinic and helping more people learn that care is available to those who may otherwise go without.

This work builds on the three-pronged approach we introduced earlier this year:

• Digital & Phone Outreach: Building relationships with organizations that can help connect RPC with potential patients and community resources.
• In-Person Outreach: Meeting people where they are and sharing RPC’s mission throughout the communities we serve.
• Research & Resource Development: Identifying new opportunities, strengthening our database, and helping us understand where our outreach can have the greatest impact.

We are incredibly grateful to the dedicated volunteers who have given their time, energy, and creativity to this important work. Thank you to our Community Outreach Committee for helping Rural Parish Clinic reach farther, build meaningful connections, and grow with intention. We are excited to see these relationships, and the impact they make, continue to grow in the years ahead!

Also, on a personal note, I am excited to share that my husband and I are expecting…triplets! They will be arriving in early 2027. All prayers are appreciated for a safe and healthy pregnancy and delivery.

— Marissa McFarland, Community Outreach Coordinator

Gifts may also be mailed to Rural Parish Clinic, 20 Archbishop May Dr., St. Louis, MO 63119.

“Lord, when did we see you sick? Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of my brethren, you did to me.”

Matthew 25:39