ATHENS--St. Mary’s Hospital celebrated 60 years of service by members of the Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus this summer with a Mass offered by Archbishop John F. Donoghue.

In his homily at the Mass held July 17 at St. Joseph’s Church in Athens, the archbishop said it was intended to celebrate God’s love expressed in the service of the hospital and its staff.

“When we gather...to celebrate not only the Lord’s love for us, but how that love shows itself in our institutions, in our traditions and in our commitment to the future, then our worship takes on a grander aspect that the normal everyday Mass,” he said.

The hospital was originally founded in 1906 by two Athens physicians, but was closed in 1937 shortly after their deaths. Shortly after it closed, a group of Athens residents asked the bishop of the Atlanta-Savannah diocese to reopen it as a Catholic hospital.

On July 11, 1938, less than two months after the arrival of the Missionary Sisters, Bishop Gerald O’Hara dedicated the hospital.

The 60th anniversary Mass was a celebration of the service and growth that has taken place since its dedication. In addition to the sisters who currently serve at St. Mary’s, 10 sisters from the order’s motherhouse in Hyde Park, Pa., were in attendance, along with priests who have served at St. Joseph’s Church, St. Mary’s board of directors, members of the medical staff, employees, auxiliary members, business leaders, elected representatives and other community sponsors.

The hospital, located at 1230 Baxter St., Athens, is owned and operated by St. Mary’s Health Care System, Inc.

In his homily Archbishop Donoghue also recognized “those who preside over the dramatic and sometimes perilous birth of life, those who stand by the side of the dying, hold a hand, to cool a fevered brow, to listen as last words are spoken.”

“From all who work--especially at these extreme moments of life--to all who come in between--the doctors, nurses, technicians, therapists, counselors and the entire rich panoply of health care professionals and volunteers, their work can all be called rightfully the work of the physician,” he said.

“What word can be better chosen, on behalf of the countless numbers who have benefited from this great institution of care giving, than to say thank you to those who have worked here these many years, and to the God who gave them their vocation and sustained it without fail.”