Southern Nebraska Register
Sister Deirdre “Dede” Byrne will lead a retreat at the John XXIII Diocesan Center in Lincoln Thursday, Jan. 19.
Sister Dede is a member of the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a traditional religious order founded in 19th century Italy. She was previously an Army surgeon in Afghanistan, and later addressed the 2020 Republican National Convention, where she encouraged Americans to use the rosary as a “spiritual weapon” to defeat the “Culture of Death.”
Her order’s charism centers on prayer and Eucharistic Adoration. They serve the poor through an apostolate involving free healthcare for needy people in the Washington D.C. Sister Dede also serves as superior of the Little Workers’ convent.
The Jan. 19 retreat, “Witnessing to Life No Matter the Cost,” begins with Mass at 8:30 a.m. It includes lunch, as well as two talks by Sister Dede, who will also lead a “Patriotic Rosary” before the retreat concludes at 2 p.m. The cost for the retreat is $25 and includes the lunch.
The retreat is sponsored by a not-for-profit corporation, OneHeartOneMind. It is a lay-founded initiative that meets twice monthly at Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House in Waverly. Each bi-weekly meeting of OneHeartOneMind begins at 7 p.m. with a holy hour and Benediction, offered in reparation for the production and use of abortion-tainted vaccines and medicines.
Sister Dede, whose brother is the Bishop of Springfield in Massachusetts, was born into a devout Catholic family of Georgetown-trained doctors. After attending Virginia Tech for undergraduate study, Sister Dede graduated from Georgetown University Medical School. After residencies in family medicine and and in surgery (where she was the Chief Surgical Resident at Georgetown), she provided medical care to Cardinal Hickey of Washington, D.C., and to Mother Teresa of Calcutta during a visit to the nation’s capital.
Following an active duty and reserve career as a medical doctor in the U.S. Army, Sister Dede retired as a colonel and professed her final vows as a member of the Little Workers order in 2011.
To reserve a seat, prospective attendees should email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or they can “Venmo” $25 to @goodcounselretreat.
