Athens--The first administrator of St. Mary’s Hospital, here, celebrated the Golden Jubilee of Religious Profession in the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on May 15.

Sister Mary Columbia is a graduate of the School of Nursing at the Sacred Heart Hospital, Allentown, Pennsylvania and a member of the American College of Hospital Administrators. More than thirty years of her religious life were spent as hospital administrator in the service of the sick members of the Mystical Body of Christ.

In 1930 Sister was appointed administrator of Good Samaritan Hospital of Pottsville, Penn. In 1938, Sister, accompanied by three others of the order, came to Athens, Ga. to do the difficult pioneer work as first administrator of the present St. Mary’s Hospital.

After serving her terms in this position at the Sacred Heart Hospital, Allentown and then at Pottsville, Sister M. Columbia returned to the South in 1955 to serve for another three years as administrator of St. Mary’s. Now Sister is still active in the pharmacy of the hospital.

Sister M. Columbia’s prayerful wishes turn to see the new St. Mary’s Hospital, the construction of which is to begin in the near future.