Sister Clarette Healing Garden dedicated at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital

The Sister Clarette Healing Garden in the southeast corner of SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Centralia was dedicated during ceremonies Tuesday afternoon.

St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation President Kim McMillan thanked all the donors who made the garden possible and to honor Sister Clarette. McMillan thanked Sister Clarette for everything she has done to make the hospital better, especially for the patients.

“The vision of Santa Maria is this … peace, hope and health for every person, family and community, especially those who need it most. Your leadership has made this a reality. So thank you Sister from all of us. For the work of God and share your love of the Lord with us.”

McMillan also asked for the foundation’s continued support to pave the way for healthcare.

The president of SSM Health St. Mary’s and Good Samaritan Hospital Damon Harbison thanked everyone who made the vision a reality. He noted that the healing garden was many years in the making and he is proud of how the Madonna that was in front of the hospital for many years was restored as an architectural piece for the center of the garden with the help of Kaskaskia College and Centralia. High school students.

“Our goal in planning this garden was to identify a beautiful and peaceful place of life that would become a place not only of remembrance for all those, but also a place of reflection and renewal. A place where memories can be kept alive and a place where people can come to be at peace.”

Harbison noted that every element of the garden was carefully chosen to reflect Sister Clarette’s character and the values ​​she embodied. He thanked Scott McCoullough of Pro Lawn Landscaping and his skilled staff for the guidance and expertise to help the garden come to life.

Harbison asked as the garden is dedicated, for those attending to take just a moment to remember the impact that Sister Clarette had on our lives and the lives of countless others.

After a blessing by Reverend Monsignor David Darin, Sister Clarette shared her thoughts on the Felician Sisters mission and gave credit to the entire hospital staff for the achievements.

“Our gratitude that we received to the people around us for our opportunities to be able to share is what we are all. In this world today it is so important that we do our part to make a better place. This is our challenge. To work on the right relationships and be grateful for all the opportunities we have to gather.”

Among the highlights of Sister Clarette’s tenure as president of St. Mary’s Hospital from 1983 to 1995 was the initiation of a mammography program, which brought the first state-of-the-art linear accelerator, and groundbreaking in a new behavioral health unit. He also negotiated the Joint Venture agreement between Servizi Feliciani and SSM Health in 1996, joining Good Samaritan Hospital and Santa Maria Hospital in the SSM Health family. He continued to serve on the Board of Directors until last December.