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Adams County Bicentennial Commission unveils marker honoring Saint Mary Hospital’s 19th‑century founding
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Summary
A Bicentennial Commission ceremony on Oct. 25, 2025, marked the former site of Saint Mary Hospital with a permanent plaque and readings that traced the hospital’s founding by the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor in 1866–1867 and its 1993 merger with Blessing Hospital.
Adams County’s Bicentennial Commission on Oct. 25, 2025, dedicated a permanent marker at the corner of Broadway and 14th commemorating Saint Mary Hospital, which the commission said was dedicated there on Oct. 25, 1867.
The ceremony opened with an invocation from Father John Doctor of Quincy University and remarks from Bicentennial Commission leaders, former nurses and Blessing Health System officials. "May this marker stand as a testament to the enduring spirit of mercy and compassion that shaped this community," Father John Doctor said during the invocation.
The ceremony’s organizers said the hospital’s history began when three sisters of the Poor of Saint Francis arrived in Quincy, Illinois, on May 19, 1866. Pam Schafer, cochair of the Bicentennial Commission and a former Saint Mary nurse, recounted that a cornerstone was placed May 5, 1867, and that a four‑story, 50‑bed Saint Mary Hospital was dedicated Oct. 25, 1867. "Our theme has been educate, celebrate, commemorate," Chuck Schultz, chair of the commission, said as he thanked volunteers and described the effort to preserve the site’s history.
Speakers noted that Saint Mary Hospital operated under the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor until it merged with neighboring Blessing Hospital on April 1, 1993. Matt Gerwar, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Blessing Health System, called the marker "a testament to what has happened on this land since 1867" and thanked staff, trustees, volunteers and donors who helped create the memorial.
A former emergency department worker, identified in the program as Sheila, read a first‑person tribute that began, "I stood stately, tall, and proud for all to see," describing the building’s service to rich and poor alike and closing with a note that the hospital’s memory now rests with the marker. Organizers invited attendees to view a scale model of the old brick building produced by a local modeler and distributed a printed county history timeline covering 1825–2025.
The event included a short moment of silence for those who served and have passed away and recognized centenarian Anne Ward, who attended the ceremony. Organizers said the marker and related displays are intended for educational use to ensure future generations learn about the hospital’s role in local health care history.
The dedication did not include any formal votes or policy actions; it was a commemorative event organized by the Adams County Bicentennial Commission and Blessing Health System.
