On May 21, 1922 a twenty- three bed hospital was opened in what had formerly been a residence for working girls on the corner of Lemarchant Road and St. Clare Avenue.
The hospital was part of the vision of the Archbishop of St. John’s, E.P. Roche, who invited the Sisters of Mercy to take leadership in the administration of the hospital and in the nursing care of the people who came to them for medical attention.
History
May 21, 2012 is the anniversary of the opening of St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Over those ninety years the hospital has grown from a twenty-three bed building where men, women and children were cared for to a sprawling seven-storey complex that provides the best of modern medicine, total care of body, mind and spirit, and the highest calibre of care and compassion for 207 adults.
Celebrations
In order to celebrate its ninetieth year a number of events had been planned. A celebration of the Eucharist on May 14 by Archbishop Martin Currie was the opening event. In her reflection during the liturgy Sister Elizabeth Davis, Congregational Leader of the Sisters of Mercy spoke of St. Clare’s being a ‘place of healing’, a ‘holy place’ and a ‘place where God’s mercy endures forever’. She reminded us of the words of Archbishop Roche at the opening of the new hospital in 1939 when he said “Verily, my dear Sisters, the acorn has developed into a mighty oak; the tiny grain of mustard seed has grown, as we hoped it would, into a mighty tree.” Cake and refreshments were provided to all staff and visitors on May 22 in the hospital cafeteria with entertainment by the Celtic Fiddlers.
Staff were treated to a visit from "The Spirit of St. Clare’s" on May 28. Sister Dolorosa Brennan dressed in the traditional habit (white for hospital) of the Sisters of Mercy. She greeted staff, patients and family members and gave them a pin that was struck to commemorate the anniversary. Later in the Fall there will be a special public lecture to commemorate St. Clare’s 90 years.
Vision and Mission
The Sisters of Mercy have been dedicated to the care of persons who are sick, with a special care for those who are dying. Many Sisters and those who collaborated with them over the years have provided thousands of years of care and compassion. Many men and woman are graduates of the St. Clare’s School of Nursing. They along with the current staff and volunteers have imbibed the spirit of the founders of St. Clare’s down through the years and continue to heal those who seek care. They continue to live out the values of care, compassion, excellence, integrity, and mercy.
Messages to: Diane Smyth rsm – Manager Pastoral Care and Ethics, Eastern Health
The official blessing of the Mercy Centre for Ecology and Justice located in the lovely Pippy Park area of St. John’s took place today. 
In her book Sister Kathrine set the story of St. Clare’s within the larger story of the Sisters of Mercy, the founding of the Congregation in Ireland in 1831, the foundation of the Newfoundland mission in 1842, the founding moment of the hospital in 1922 and the service and commitment of so many sisters and staff over the past 88 years. 
of the Sisters of Mercy, brought greetings on behalf of the Sisters, noting that it was an evening to celebrate an author, a book, a ministry and a place of healing. In her remarks, Sister Elizabeth paid tribute to Sister Kathrine as a woman of Mercy, noting that her legacy to our province and to our Church is a rich and deep one, citing especially her giftedness as a musician, her leadership within the community at large and within our Congregation. as a social activist, and as a historian. Referring to The Mustard Seed, Sister Elizabeth noted that it is a rich history of St. Clare’s and our city’s health care system. She described it is a significant accounting of a ministry which we have held precious from the first years of our coming to Newfoundland to this day – the healing ministry. Sister Elizabeth concluded by saying that we celebrate a place of healing, St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital, and the women and men who have carried out their work over the past eighty-eight years, the many professions and disciplines and support positions which have been and remain the heart and spirit of this place of healing.
One of the pieces that they sang, Salve Regina, was composed by Sister Kathrine. They were thrilled to have been invited to honor Sister Kathrine and the publication of her book.
Bob the Builder may have competition! During July, 2010 four homes(duplex) are being built in St. John’s, Newfoundland by Cabot Habitat for Humanity. Sister Betty Morrissey is a member of the volunteer team and goes to the construction site each morning at 7:30 (weather permitting) to give of her time and talent. After a couple of hours she then takes up her ministry in pastoral care at St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital.
Hennebury, administrator of St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital, ‘was concerned that dying patients would receive the care, comfort and compassion that they needed.’ Her response to this need was to open a ten-bed palliative care unit at St. Clare’s. Sister Elizabeth Davis, congregational leader of the Sisters of Mercy, also spoke of Sister Mary Fabian “who held the vision of bringing a palliative care unit to Newfoundland, of St. Clare’s Board and staff who had the wisdom to endorse that vision, and of Laurie Anne O’Brien and her team who had the courage to implement the vision against many obstacles.” She continued to say that the Sisters of Mercy at St. Clare’s were the holders of the vision in many ways over the past thirty years. Others who brought greetings included Louise Jones on behalf of Eastern Health, Dr. John Lewis, and Dodie Glynn, Director of the Palliative Care Unit at the Miller Centre.
refreshment, renewal and companionship; the rosemary herb as a token of healing power, hope and remembrance; and a quilt, symbolizing the love, care, and comfort given and received by all who are touched by palliative care. 
The values represented through the posters – Healing, Caring, Respect, Compassion, Excellence, Collaboration, Integrity – flow from the mission of St. Clare’s in its care for sick and suffering people. The posters are testimony to the commitment and service of so many dedicated staff, physicians and volunteers in carrying out the mission of St. Clare’s. The setting for the photography was St. Clare’s; the people in the posters are staff/volunteers/patients of the hospital. Seven of the posters will be displayed in various areas of the hospital; an eighth poster, a composite of these seven, will be placed in the main entrance area. 
