Christus St. Joseph Serving the Monroe Area for Seventy Years
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BY C. BRANDON BRANTLEY | PHOTOS BY JULIE MCKASILL ARMAND
ECEMBER 17, 2014 MARKED THE BEGINNING OF THE Seventieth Anniversary year for CHRISTUS St. Joseph’s Nursing Home. Anyone who has traveled Highway 165 in Monroe has taken note of the large, stately, red brick building with the imposing bell tower. What many do not realize is the significant history of the structure or the amount of love and care that flows through its hallways and rooms. “There is something truly special here. This facility has cared for multiple generations of the same families. To me, there is no higher compliment than a family returning here as each aging generation needs our services. “ This story of love started in 1940 when Father Henry Frieburg, OFM, wrote to Mother Magdalene Wiedlocher, OSF, Provincial Superior of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, regarding sponsorship of a charity hospital in West Monroe. Although, declined due to WWII and a shortage of Sisters, the seed for a mission in the South had been sown. On December 17, 1944 the first, St. Joseph’s Home for the Aged and Infirmed was opened on Hart and Calypso Street in Monroe, Louisiana. The new, temporary, home was a modest, white wood framed, four –room structure, able to accommodate eight to ten guests. The home’s purpose was “to provide shelter and skilled care in a homelike atmosphere for residents in the twilight years of life.” Even as the temporary home was just opening, the Sisters were making plans for a larger, permanent facility. The beginning, of the fulfillment of this “Dream,” of the Franciscan Sisters, came when Mrs. William J. Rimes, donated a twenty acre site for the new facility, just North of the Monroe City Limits. The new $500,000 facility was designed by architect, Henry H. Slaby, of Milwaukee, WI. Eight months after the ground breaking ceremony, His Excellency Bishop Charles P. Greco, D.D., of the Alexandria diocese officially laid and blessed the cornerstone, on November 21, 1947. On November 10, 1948, the long awaited moving day arrived, and the eleven guests moved into the new facility. On November 14, 1948, St. Joseph’s Home for the Aged and Infirmed was formally blessed and dedicated to the service of humanity by Bishop Greco. The new facility featured many innovative architectural elements, as well as elements indicative of its Catholic heritage and sponsorship. 34 APRIL 2015 | W WW. BAYO UL IFEM AG. C OM
The Hospital Sisters of St. Francis of The Third Order, maintained ownership and religious sponsorship of the facility until October 15, 1974. Following the withdrawal of The Hospital Sisters of The Third Order of St. Francis, the facility was purchased by the Catholic Diocese of Alexandria-Shreveport. St. Joseph’s Home was operated and owned by the Diocese until 1986. In 1986, St. Joseph's Home for the Aged in Monroe, Louisiana, was purchased by Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word Health Care System (SCH). In 1990, the Ecumenical Chapel was built. On November 4, 1991, the first two Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word were assigned to St. Joseph’s Home. Sr. Canice Murphy and Sr. M. Lambert O’Mara. In 1995, St. Joseph’s Home Celebrated its Fiftieth Anniversary.
“A Haven of Love, Peace and Caring.” On November 12, 1998, St. Joseph’s Assisted Living Center, was officially dedicated and opened. It offers 60 Assisted Living apartments and an array of services. In 1999, with the formation of CHRISTUS Healthcare, St. Joseph’s Home officially became CHRISTUS St. Joseph’s Home. In the late summer of 2011, an extensive renovation of the Chapel was begun which would last nearly two years. This renovation transformed the once Ecumenical Chapel, into a true Catholic place of worship. The current facility Religious Coordinator is Sister Elizabeth Cahill. Mass is offered each day with the exception of Thursdays and Saturdays. All Sacraments are offered on an as needed basis. The public is always welcome to attend and experience the presence of Christ, surrounded by our loving residents and staff. From its inception through today, CHRISTUS St. Joseph’s Home has been the only religiously sponsored, not for profit, senior care facility in North Louisiana. We are a 130 bed licensed long term care facility, offering Medicare skilled and Medicaid services. Our facility also features a 60 apartment Assisted Living facility, which makes us the only facility in Monroe to offer both services in one location. We invite members of all faiths to; stop by for a tour or information, when the need for our services, arises in your life or the life of a loved one. “To Extend The Healing Ministry Of Jesus Christ”