Mansfield Chaplain Finds Purpose Amidst Loss

MANSFIELD, TEX. – Born to Italian immigrants and raised in New York, Sonia Vergel married and had two boys before moving to Texas when Vergel’s husband received a job offer from Southwestern Adventist University.

Then, around eight years ago, the Vergel family’s lives drastically changed. Their oldest son, age 9, was diagnosed with leukemia. He was hospitalized for five months and never came home, passing away in Jan. 2016. Nine months into their healing journey, Sonia’s husband received a cancer diagnosis of his own. He battled cancer for nearly two years before passing away in March 2018, leaving Vergel and her youngest son behind. 

“I remember praying, ‘Lord, I don’t know what You are going to do with all of this, but all I know is that I want to serve and be a source of comfort to someone,” said Vergel.

As she reflected and wrestled with the pain, she found herself thinking about her son’s chaplain. She was moved by the chaplain’s ministry and remembers thinking, “That’s what I want to be.” It was then that she decided to enroll in chaplaincy studies. After completing part of her chaplaincy internship with Texas Health Hospital Mansfield, Vergel was invited to become a permanent team member.

Vergel’s story influences the way she serves and provides care for her patients and colleagues.

When the person she is serving demonstrates vulnerability, Vergel feels like she is making a difference. 

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By Lizbeth Rodriguez-Diep

Administrative Intern

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