ST. ANTHONY’S HOSPITAL BROKE GROUND FOR NEW ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA CONVENT
07/12/2010
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Jan. 22, 2010) – St. Anthony’s Hospital held a groundbreaking and blessing ceremony Jan. 21 at the site of the new St. Anthony of Padua Convent. The site, located on the corner of Seventh Ave. North and 14th St. North, is the future home of our Franciscan Sisters of Allegany.
The Franciscan Sisters of Allegany have lived on the hospital property since 1931 when nine pioneering Sisters founded St. Anthony’s Hospital with a spirit of dedication, charity and faith, establishing the first Catholic hospital on Florida’s west coast.
“This year marks the 79th anniversary of our hospital serving the Pinellas County community,” said Bill Ulbricht, president of St. Anthony’s Hospital. “Guided by the mission and values of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, we continue our heritage of providing high-quality, compassionate care. With support from our community, we intend to continue building that legacy far into the future.”
The new St. Anthony of Padua Convent, named for the hospital’s patron saint, will be a single-story, 6,500 square foot home with a chapel and meditation garden.
“The common areas of the convent comfortably accommodate the Sisters shared times of prayer, dining and recreation which are such an important part of our lives,” said Sister Mary McNally, vice president of Mission Integration at St. Anthony’s Hospital. “But, more importantly, the Sisters have always been a vital part of the history of St. Anthony’s Hospital. The new St. Anthony of Padua Convent provides the Sisters an opportunity to remain on the hospital campus to continue their healing ministry.”
A new home for our Sisters is part of St. Anthony’s continuing legacy that will create the opportunity for a new medical complex to house a state-of-the-art emergency center and new floors of private patient rooms.
About St. Anthony’s Hospital
St. Anthony’s Hospital is a 395-bed hospital founded in 1931 as a ministry of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany and is the first and only faith-based hospital in Pinellas County. In 1997, St. Anthony’s became part of BayCare Health System, a joint operating agreement between the Tampa Bay area’s leading not-for-profit hospitals. St. Anthony’s has a rich history dedicated to improving the health of the community by providing high-quality, innovative and compassionate care.
About BayCare Health System
BayCare Health System is the largest community-based health system in the region, providing expert medical care for a patient’s lifetime. Composed of hospitals and numerous affiliated services, the system connects patients to a complete range of services throughout the Tampa Bay area. Together, BayCare organizations seek to advance the health of their patients and their communities. Member hospitals are Mease Countryside, Mease Dunedin, Morton Plant, Morton Plant North Bay, St. Anthony’s, St. Joseph’s, St. Joseph’s Children’s, St. Joseph’s Women’s, St. Joseph’s Hospital North (opening 2010) and South Florida Baptist. On the Web: www.BayCare.org.
