History

1844

The devotion of five Sisters in Germany inspires the founding of Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis.

1875

Twenty-one Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis set sail for New York from Muenster, Germany. Sponsored by Bishop Baltes of Alton, Illinois, the Sisters arrived in November. They divided into groups and went to Springfield, Effingham, Litchfield, Belleville and East St. Louis to care for the sick.

1878-1879

On November 17, 1878, the Sisters arrived in Decatur, and two days later, St. Mary’s Hospital opened its doors in a small home on the corner of Wood and Webster Streets. Staffed by three Hospital Sisters, the first St. Mary’s Hospital contained just six beds. During its first year, the hospital admitted 25 patients and provided home nursing care for more than 600 Decatur residents.

1900s

Despite six additions to the hospital structure between 1881 and 1926, St. Mary’s had outgrown its original building by 1944. With a remarkable vision for the future, the Sisters bought 14 acres on East Lake Shore Drive near Lake Decatur. In 1953, the Sisters purchased another seven acres, bringing the Hospital’s campus to 21 acres.

Today

More than 130 years after its founding, St. Mary’s Hospital is a fully accredited, modern health care facility ministering to the Decatur community. Combining exceptional technology, people and facilities with a compassionate spirit of caring, St. Mary’s Hospital provides an unmatched health care experience.