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Seton Hall University eRepository @ Seton Hall New Jersey Catholic Historical Commission Archives and Special Collections newsletters Winter 1992 New Jersey Catholic Records Newsletter, Vol. 11, No.2 New Jersey Catholic Historical Commission Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.shu.edu/njchc Part of the History Commons, and the Religion Commons Recommended Citation New Jersey Catholic Historical Commission, "New Jersey Catholic Records Newsletter, Vol. 11, No.2" (1992). New Jersey Catholic Historical Commission newsletters. 32. https://scholarship.shu.edu/njchc/32 NEW JERSEY faJJwIi.c Jiii}uriaJ RECORDS COMMISSION S l TUN ~i A LL U l'\j IV t: R S I TY VOLUME XI NO.2 WINTER 1992 Thus it was that Newark's frrst Saint Michael's Medical Center, Newark: hospitals opened in the aftermath of the war. St Barnabas, affiliated with the 125 Episcopal Church, began receiving patients in a private house in 1865. Some years ofNewark's residents ofGerman descent began work toward a facility for their of service fellow-Germans, which opened in 1870 as German Hospital. Between these two, to the Newark's Catholics started what became community Saint Michael's Hospital. Catholic interest in serving the sick poor manifested itself earliest, perhaps, in the wishes ofNicholas Moore, who left money in his will to found a hospital and Saint Michael's as the building appeared in 1871 asylum. Father John M. Gervais, pastor of S1. James Church and executor of the "The Sisters of the Poor are fully south. The swelling population over­ will, provided some service for the sick established and have a gem of a hospital, whelmed the primitive social welfare poor through the S1. Vincent de Paul its only fault being its small size." These institutions of the village era and de­ Society and the ladies of the parish, but it words ofFather George Hobart Doane, mands for reform soon began to be heard. would be some years before S1. James written on June 12, 1867, to Bishop Hospital opened its doors. In 1862 the James Roosevelt Bayley, then in Rome, One of the earliest demands was for Sisters of Charity began to care for a few marked the successful completion ofa a hospital to serve the sick poor. Medi­ sick people in their building at Washing­ project initiated some four years earlier. cine in the mid-19th century still lacked ton and Bleecker Streets, but the building And yet, "completion" is a misleading understanding of the germ theory of also housed an otphan asylum, an word, for the task undertaken and the disease, had few speCific remedies for a continued on page 2 institution established then are still with given illness, and still awaited the us, transformed in some ways over the development ofaseptic procedures, past 125 years, but still vibrantly alive in anesthesia and all the panoply of modem pursuit of the original goal. medicine. Those who could afford to pay the doctor expected to be treated in their As Newark grew during the 19th own homes; only the poor resorted to century from a modest village into a hospitals. Newark, like other growing thriving industrial city, its population American cities, counted many sick poor expanded and diversified rapidly. The among its residents; what it lacked was a 8,000 residents of 1826, when the town hospital for treating them. observed the 50th anniversary ofthe Declaration of Independence, grew to In the 1850s a group ofpublic­ about 90,000 in 1866, on Newark's 200th spirited citizens formed the Newark anniversary. Much of the increase was Hospital Association to remedy the lack, due to the heavy immigration ofGermans but the Panic of 1857 disrupted their and Irish, who in the later 19th century plans. Then the Civil War ensued. The were joined by waves ofPoles, Italians, city did have a hospital then to care for Romanians, Serbs and most other the wounded, but it closed at the end of Europeans as well as by blacks from the hostilities. The first St. Michael's on Bleecker Street Saint Michaels Massea Keenan and a postulant, Bridget door-to-door begging which supported continuedfrom page 1 McDonald, who would soon be Sister them and the hospital. One contretemps Regina. All five were immigrants, the did occur: a donor brought the sisters a academy for young ladies and, for a time, fast three from Germany, the latter two container of ice cream for dessert but the the motherhouse and novitiate of the from Ireland. Except for the 39-year-old cook, mistaking it for a pudding, set it community~ The facility was clearly not superior, all were in their twenties. aside where it would keep warm! There adequate to meet the needs of the area. Father Doane showed them through the must have been some rueful laughter in house at 69 Bleecker Street which Bayley the recreation room that night In 1863 Bishop Bayley had and the Newark pastors had obtained as approved Father Anthony Cauvin's the site of the hospital. Over the next few days the sisters invitation to the Sisters of the Poor of St established the hospital routine. Nine Francis to establish St. Mary's Hospital The frrst floor contained the patients were transferred from the Sisters in Hoboken. This community - now reception room, pharmacy and an ofCharity to the new building. On the known as the Franciscan Sisters of the oratory; wards accommodating 13 third day an accident victim was brought Poor - was founded in 1851 by Frances patients occupied the second floor. The in, and on the next a fever patient. Soon Schervier and began working in the third floor contained two small sleeping the beds were full, and usually remained United States in 1858. Four sisters and a rooms for the sisters, who used the so. In addition to receiving patients at the postulant arrived in Hoboken to begin the basement as kitchen, dining room, hospital, Sister Monica began to nurse the hospital there and Bayley was impressed recreation room and laundry. Bandages, sick poor in their homes'and to discover --bytheir work. He wrote several times to- bedding afidother necessities were -- ~tfieir needs. Sheoecame so a ept at the the provincial superior in Cincinnati for provided through the Sisters of Charity, St. Vincent de Paul Society began sisters to serve in Newark, but the the S1. Vincent de Paul Society and the supplying her with funds. Over the frrst demands on the community were such ladies of several parishes, who had winter in Newark she distributed more that not until 1867 could the Provincial worked through the winter preparing for than $3,000 in emergency aid. satisfy his request. the arrival of the hospital staff. Medical service at the hospital was On May 6, 1867, a cart bumped Doane's parishioners at S1. supplied initially by two doctors, William across the meadows from Jersey City Patrick's supplied fruit, vegetables, O'Gorman and James Elliott, both bearing the staff for the new hospital­ potatoes and. a side ofbeef. The food immigrants from Ireland. They were Sister Monica Voss, the superior, Sisters saw the sisters through the first few days, soon joined by other physicians, whose Hortulana Menzen, Ewalda Mittler, until they began the regular round of continued on page 3 RULES AND REGULATIONS OF ST. MICHAEL'S HOSPITAL. :H:OSFIT.AL OF Under the charge of tlte Sistt'rs of tlte P{Jor of St. Frallcis. OUR LADY & ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL. NEWARK. ADMISSIOX. The charities of the Hospital are conferred on all, irrespective of The Sisterfi of the Poor of St.. Francis have been estab­ religious creed, social condition, color or nationality. liAhe.l in Newark 0 vel' a year, at No. 69 Bleecker Street. I. ~n elnergency cases, accidents, etc., patients will be adlnitted During that time they have rtmle a great amount of good im~g-ia.tely into-the Hospital. with the. limited menn8 nt t.heh· command. The house 2. In all other cases, application must be made to the Sisters, and, heing Hmall t.hey could only tnke care of thirteen patients generally, a note from their physician, stating nature of disease, will be at a time, and yet, during t.he cour~e of th~ year over required. 8eventy patientA have been treated in the hospital; besides 3. Patients will be admitted between the hours of 8 A. M. and 5 thi~ a great amonnt ~)f good has been dqpe in relieving P. M. the want.s of the out-door poor. The entire expenses, with 4. The poor are received free, but those who are able will be re­ the exception of the interest on the debt, has been paid by quired to pay a moderate charge. the alm~ they have collected from door to door. The hOl1se where they are now is entirely too small for the wOI;k.to be INTERXAL RULES. done, and the time has come to provide a larger place to I. All clothing and valuables belonging to the person admitted will be taken in charge by the Sisters, and returned to the owner on leaving meet the wants of the City. AlmoRt daily the sick have the Institution. In case of death, if the patient has paid board, they can to he refllsed admis.sion into the hou~e be(~:m~e there is no be claimed by relatives; otherwise they will be given to the poor. room. This being the ca~e, the property at the corner of Wa~hington and Warren streetR has been pnrchaf'led of Mr. 2. Patients will not leave their respective wards and corridors with­ out permission; they must always be in their wards during the visit of Jnnl('~ l\fullin, for $16,000, the owner giving $1,000, which the Physicians.

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