Dominican Sister Mary Regis Nuva died Sept. 22. An obituary will be posted later today. The story below is about Sister Regis’ retirement last week from nursing.
After more than 60 years of providing nursing care to the poor, sick elderly of the Denver metropolitan area, Dominican Sister Mary Regis Nuva, 86, a registered nurse, is retiring from nursing. Those who were fortunate to work alongside her or to be a patient under her loving care witnessed the true meaning of Jesus’ new commandment outlined in John 13:34—“to love one another as I have loved you.”
“To be a nurse is a gift,” said Sister Regis who “wouldn’t change a thing” about having the opportunity to serve the community’s most marginalized. The 92-year-old charity agency, now called Dominican Home Health Agency, has always provided free, quality nursing care and health-related services to the poor, sick elderly in their homes. 
“We were guests in their homes and treated each patient with respect, honor and dignity. That was the essence of it. It’s really so simple, actually,” said Sister Regis, a past recipient of the Hiawatha Davis Jr. Humanitarian Award.
In 1923, four Dominican Sisters of the Sick Poor, all nurses, arrived in Denver. These dedicated missionaries would leave their Gaylord Street convent each morning equipped with their nursing bag full of supplies, and walk or take public “street cars” into the poorest quarters of Denver to provide in-depth nursing care as well as empathy and encouragement. In 1989, the sisters turned management and governance over to a local board of directors. This important work continues today with a paid, professional, lay nursing staff.
“Our Denver community is so fortunate to have benefited from the fruits of the sisters’ good works for so many years,” said Mary Morroni, board chair, “and Dominican Home Health Agency is the continuation of their legacy, providing Catholic health care to ‘the least of these.’”
The Dominican Home Health Agency has established the “Sister Regis Nursing Care Fund” for patient care. Donations can be made online at www.dominicansisters.org or checks payable to “Dominican Home Health Agency” can be sent directly to the agency at 2501 Gaylord St., Denver, CO 80205. For more information, call 303-322-1413 or visit the website above.
