Blessing of the New Development at
Saint Vincent’s & Mercy Private Hospital

Address given by Archbishop Denis Hart
at Saint Vincent’s & Mercy Private Hospital
on Tuesday, 27th September, 2005.

...

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

With the generous collaboration of the Sisters of Charity and the Sisters of Mercy and their collaborators I am delighted to be at Saint Vincent’s & Mercy Private Hospital to recognise and to bless the new developments at the hospital, which now operates on two campuses.

This is the first occasion when I have had the opportunity to pay tribute to the collaboration, which has originated between our two great nursing Orders and two great hospitals.

The upgrading of holistic care which we provide is most important because the virtues of compassion, of reaching out to people in time of suffering and in providing spiritual care are at the heart of the commitment that we make.

I rejoice that Mercy Private have completed development of the new surgical admission unit, the enlarged operating theatres, the plastic unit, the high dependency unit and the urology and gynaecology service, as well as new patient rooms. Likewise, St Vincent’s – the additional consultant course, consulting suites, pharmacy, day oncology unit, pathology collection centre, the cardiac catheter laboratory, the day surgery unit, intensive care unit, recovery room and additional maternity beds, delivery suite and cardiac beds.

Jesus’ own words, “As often as you did this to these, the least of my brethren, you did it to me”, shows the hallmark of service and the seeing of Christ, particularly in the person who suffers, which is the very basis of our care.

In medicine, nursing and service we do not become mere functionaries. The contribution we make is in a complete commitment to the Catholic view of health care, to the ethics of the Catholic Church, which value life from first conception until final natural death, and treat each individual as precious, God-given and unique.

My own experience of the interaction between people motivated by respect and love is that an environment of love and care, while totally professional and facing the cutting edge issues needed to address medical illness and aid recovery after surgery, are tackled in their very best context if they are inspired by Christian love, a responsible, professional approach and the teamwork and collaboration which is motivated by dignity and respect.

To Board members, Martin Day – Chief Executive, Gerard Smith – Director of Mission, and to all who work in these great hospitals, I urge the importance of being people of vision, of care and of respect, as we move forward to use these new facilities with skill for the wellbeing of all who come to us.

+ Denis J. Hart,
Archbishop of Melbourne.