Memorial Hospital to identify a new Catholic sponsor
With the diminishing number of Sisters in The Little Company of Mary (LCM), Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center has been asked to identify a new Catholic sponsor within the next three years.
There are 10 Sisters left in the U.S., according to MHHCC CEO E. Kyle Bennett. Three are still active as stewards for their missions and the remaining seven no longer have the capacity to be involved in missions.
“The Little Company of Mary Sisters are not experiencing anything that is uncommon among many other religious communities; they are not growing,” Bennett explained. “The members we work with right now have all been in that religious community for more than 50 years.”
With the number of LCM Sisters decreasing, the Sisters have spent less time on a full-time basis at
Memorial Hospital. Through recent discussions with LCM leadership, the Sisters will eventually
not have the capacity to provide ongoing sponsorship for Memorial Hospital and its healthcare
ministry.
As a result, the hospital leadership will begin the process of identifying another Catholic sponsor that can serve MHHCC in the future. This will be a very deliberate process, the organization stated in an email.
The LCM Sisters and the Board of Directors will work together in order to create a solution with a Catholic sponsor that will support the mission and culture as MHHCC continues to provide excellent compassionate healthcare to the patients and communities served.
Sponsorship of a health care ministry is a structured relationship through which the sponsor, in the name of the Church, directs and influences a ministry that meets an apostolic need and furthers the mission of Jesus. Sponsorship of Catholic health care involves promoting and assuring Jesus’ healing mission. Those who sponsor are responsible for the continued viability of the health care ministry, promoting its ongoing mission, and animating its life. Sponsors act publicly on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church and have been entrusted to serve the Church by guiding and overseeing a specific institutional ministry in a formal and public way. (From the Catholic Health Association of the United States)
Catholic Health Association of the United States
The Sisters have sponsored Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center (MHHCC) since its beginning more than 70 years ago when they responded to a need for healthcare in Dubois County and the surrounding area. That mission has since grown to the current award-winning organization with more than 250 physicians and providers on medical staff as well as 1,800 caregivers all providing healthcare in 33 different settings throughout the region.
The physical presence of the Sisters has changed over time. Over the years, LCM Sisters have chaired the Board of Directors, served in various capacities throughout the Hospital, and have
been a sustaining presence for caregivers and patients. Their involvement and the sponsorship by
the LCM Sisters have ensured that the Memorial Hospital healthcare ministry has remained
consistent with the principles and charism of the Sisters and has played a key role in maintaining
Memorial Hospital’s Catholic identity.
For Memorial, the Sisters have overseen the religious and ethical directives of the hospital. “They are accountable to the church, and we are accountable to them,” Bennett said adding there is no financial connection between the hospital and LCM other than the support the hospital gives the local LCM representative.
Essentially, the goal is to remain a Catholic ministry due to the large Catholic identity and ideals present in the community the hospital serves.
“To be recognized as a Catholic ministry, we need a formal sponsor,” he explained. “And that’s why we’re looking for a sponsor. We don’t have financial needs. We don’t have operational challenges. that aren’t unique to other healthcare organizations. It is just that the Sisters are nearing the end of their capacity.”
The hospital will continue to adhere to and identify with those core Catholic principles.
“Whether they are here or not, they and their principles — what they stand for — are such a part of our fabric,” Bennett said. “They may not physically be present, but our goal is to continue their legacy by carrying on the type of faith-based healthcare that we have provided for 70 years.”
Memorial Hospital made the announcement to ensure the region understands the process they are undertaking.
“We remain committed to our mission, our caregivers, and the communities we serve as we begin this process,” Sister Renee Cunningham LCM, Secretary of the Board of Directors said.
MHHCC and its caregivers have been and will continue to be faithful to the mission, which has been blessed by the heritage and guidance of the LCM Sisters all along the way.
“Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center has always stood apart from other healthcare institutions based on our teams of skilled, dedicated, compassionate caregivers and our strong faith-based culture,” Bennett said. “We are financially healthy, and we have time to make the best decision for our organization, our patients, and the communities we serve. We will work to keep you informed as we move forward through this process.”
