Honoring St. Joseph’s Sisters of Mercy
A resounding commitment to serve
Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center was founded in 1895 by the Sisters of Mercy as a tuberculosis endemic besieged the Phoenix area.
For well over a century since its founding, St. Joseph’s has upheld its unwavering commitment to serve every member of the community seeking care with humankindness. It has grown into one of Arizona’s largest and busiest hospitals, now featuring renowned institutions like Barrow Neurological Institute, Norton Thoracic Institute, and the Creighton University School of Medicine Regional Campus.
With your continued support, St. Joseph’s Foundation carries on the Sister's cause by providing our community with the most technologically-advanced patient care, expert medical education and industry-leading research.
Humble beginnings
"When the Sisters of Mercy arrived in Phoenix, AZ, their initial plan was to build a school for children," recalled Sister Margaret McBride, Division Vice President, Mission Integration. "What they found instead was a community grappling with tuberculosis and a smallpox outbreak."
The Sisters of Mercy opened the first St. Joseph's in a six-bedroom brick house at the corner of Polk and Fourth Streets in downtown Phoenix in 1895. The hospital later relocated to its current site on Thomas Road and Third Avenue in 1953.
"Imagine the irony of grappling with diseases like TB and smallpox when the exact treatments were still unknown. Doctors then believed that a combination of sunlight, citrus, and fresh air offered the best course of treatment. There was a significant lack of supplies, linens, and staff to run the small, six-room hospital. Many in the community stepped forward, providing essential food staples and support."
"A typical day for the Sisters involved 12-hour shifts, often extending much longer, with no days off. They slept in the living room of the small cottage that served as a makeshift hospital, prayed in the early morning hours, and dedicated themselves to comforting the sick. The Sisters made a solemn promise that no one would die alone or in pain."
Throughout the state’s history, the Sisters have provided care during numerous epidemics that have afflicted various regions. This included even caring for injured soldiers in Nogales in 1910 during heated conflicts between Mexican revolutionaries and U.S. soldiers.
"Even then," McBride continued, "the Sisters were living our mission: making the healing presence of God known, by improving the health of those they were called to serve, especially the vulnerable."
“The heart and soul of this tremendous hospital originate from the extraordinary work of the Sisters,” says Patty White, former President and CEO of St. Joseph’s and St. Joseph's Foundation Board Chairman. “We have been consistently blessed by their leadership and spiritual guidance."
Mercy Memorial Wall
The Sisters of Mercy's contributions to St. Joseph's are well documented in the Mercy Memorial Wall that was commemorated in 2018 when the hospital celebrated its 123rd anniversary. The wall showcases religious artifacts and historical objects that illuminate the importance of the hospital and the Sisters’ leadership. Among other displays, the wall highlights photos of Saint John Paul II’s visit in 1987.