The Franciscan Sisters of Allegany
Father Pamfilo, one of the friars of St.
Bonaventure College established the Franciscan Sisters as a teaching community
in 1859 and the Sisters opened St. Elizabeth Academy the following year to
educate young women of that area. It was Sister Mary Teresa O'Neil, the first
Superior General of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, who guided its growth as
new schools were opened in Connecticut, New York and other eastern states. The
original education mission expanded in 1883 to include hospital administration
and health care; homes for young and elderly; pastoral and social work; and many
more ministries. All of these were firmly rooted in the Franciscan philosophy of
respect, hospitality and compassion to all regardless of faith.
The Franciscan Sisters' healing ministry was brought to Tampa in
1934 with the founding of St. Joseph's Hospital near downtown Tampa.
The country was struggling in the depths of the Great Depression and operating
these medical institutions was economically challenging. But from the Sisters' point of
view there was no time of greater need.
St. Joseph's Hospital
The
40-bed hospital established near downtown Tampa in 1934 by the Sisters has grown
today to 527 beds. Some of the most complex medical and surgical conditions are
treated at the hospital today and through the years its dedicated centers of
excellence have become noted for outstanding care. Countless lives have been
touched and healed by St. Joseph's Hospital's staff who continue to carry on the
Franciscan tradition of offering hope and compassion, ensuring each individual's
medical, spiritual and emotional needs are met regardless of faith.
St. Joseph's Children's Hospital of
Tampa
From their origins as a teaching order, the Franciscan
Sisters infused their compassionate understanding of children's needs when
opening St. Joseph's Children's Hospital of Tampa in 1988. Today's 164-bed
hospital is a holistic, child-focused facility noted for its technologically
advanced medical care and family-centered environment. Its reputation for
excellence includes newborn and pediatric intensive care units; children's
cardiovascular and cancer centers; pediatric rehabilitation services; and a
dedicated emergency center.
St. Joseph's Women's
Hospital
The Franciscan Sisters of Allegany returned to their
roots in service to women through St. Joseph's Women's Hospital in 1993. It
provides the women of the Tampa Bay area with a centralized source of medical
care for all their needs. The Sisters' philosophical presence can still be felt
today at this 192-bed facility through its many educational programs as well as
its gynecological, obstetrical, surgical, perinatal and oncological services.
The initiation of the Women's Healthy Heart Center is another good example of
the Franciscan tradition being brought to life.
