Sister Kristin Rever, OP

A native of Taylorville, Ill., Sister Kristin spent decades in health care ministry as a respiratory therapist at St. Mary-Rogers Memorial Hospital, Rogers, Ark., St. Dominic Hospital, Jackson, Miss., and as a pastoral visitor at St. Catherine’s Village, Madison, Miss.

Her early years of ministry were spent in primary grade classrooms. She taught grades 1-2 at St. Walter School, Chicago, 1962-1969, then, after a year at St. Thomas School Newton in grade 1, she went to St. Michael School, Duluth, 1970-1974. She then taught grade 2 at St. Edward School, Chicago, before moving on to her last teaching appointment, grades 1-3 at St. Lawrence O’Toole School, Matteson, Ill.

In 1981 Sister Kristin began training as a respiratory therapist and in 1983 began that ministry, alternating between St. Dominic’s, 1983-1989 and 1991-1999, and St. Mary-Rogers Memorial, 1989-1991. In 1991 when she returned to St. Dominic’s she served as development coordinator for St. Catherine Village in addition to her work as a respiratory therapist at the hospital. For five years she gave full time attention to development at St. Catherine’s 1999-2004, after which time she returned to Springfield to become parish nurse at St. Agnes Parish, 2004-2006. In 2006 she returned to Mississippi where, until moving to Sacred Heart Convent in 2019, she was pastoral visitor at St. Catherine’s.

“I’ve loved all of my ministry, including teaching school,” she said. “When a door opened for me to go into healthcare I realized it was God’s gift. Working as a respiratory therapist was a beautiful experience. My years of service as a pastoral visitor at a retirement home nourished my faith through the witness of residents’ and coworkers’ faith and love for God.”