‘The mission has always been to serve God’s people and be the healing hands of Jesus’
By Jeff Kurowski | On Mission
MANITOWOC — Special events and guests, historical displays and the Sept. 28 Mass with Bishop David Ricken have all been part of the celebration of 125 years of health care at Froedtert Holy Family Memorial Hospital.
It all started with the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity answering a call to fill a dire need in Manitowoc.
The sisters first operated St. Mary’s Hospital, located at 1112 S. 23rd St. in Manitowoc, from 1881-1888.
In the early days of the year 1898, citizens of Manitowoc consulted with the sisters about building a new hospital. In the spring, ground was broken for the building.
On Sept. 28, 1898, Holy Family Hospital was dedicated by Bishop Frederick Katzer.
The timing of building the hospital was a challenge for the sisters financially, said Sr. Kay Klackner, vice president of mission for the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Sponsored Ministries.
“My understanding is that we were still in debt for the motherhouse as well,” she said. “(The sisters) did a lot of begging. They must have had some good influence on the people of Manitowoc. The idea was ‘God will provide.’ I think for Mother Alexia (Fullmer, superior of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity) that was part of her, “God will provide.’”
To recognize the need for the hospital, Sr. Kay said you need to understand the health care situation in Manitowoc at the time. Health care was provided in the home for those who could afford it, while many people were not getting care.
“In the beginning, it was hard at the hospital,” she said. “People were afraid to come to the hospital because that’s not what happened before. Obviously, they got over that.”
In its first year, the 45-bed hospital only had 189 patients..
“The entire hospital was staffed by sisters at that time, without pay, I’m sure,” said Sr. Kay. “They did everything from gardening — there was a huge garden on the hillside — to pharmacy. Other than the physicians, every department was run by the sisters.”
Froedtert Holy Family Memorial Hospital created a booklet titled “Highlights of Our 125 Years” for the anniversary. Information was gathered from previous texts, the “Annals of Holy Family Hospital” and “A Century of Caring,” as well as the diaries of sisters who served at the hospital, including the diary of Sr. Clarence Hennessy.
The pages of the new booklet chronicle both setbacks and accomplishments over the 125-year history.
On July 4, 1900, the hospital was struck by lightning. Fortunately, no one was hurt. In February 1920, victims of an explosion at Aluminum Goods were brought to the hospital. Several died and some needed care for many months. In 1943, a flu epidemic hit and, in August 1946, a polio isolation unit was established.
Celebratory moments in the hospital’s history include the establishment of the Holy Family School of Nursing in 1909. A new home for the sisters with a chapel was dedicated in July 1924.
Previously, “the day shift (sisters) would sleep in the beds at night and then the night shift would sleep in the same beds during the day,” said Sr. Kay.
Sr. Reinhardt, also known as “the bread sister” for her work in the kitchen, wrote about the long hours, she added.
“The hospital wasn’t just the patients. You were feeding the patients, the doctors, the staff, the nurses and the poor outside the kitchen door,” said Sr. Kay.
New additions, renovations and advancements were among the highlights over the years. On July 19, 1953, Memorial Hospital opened. Nearly 40 years later, on May 1, 1991, Holy Family Medical Center and Memorial Hospital merged to become Holy Family Memorial Medical Center.
In January 2021 Holy Family Memorial collaborated with Bellin Health of Green Bay for expanded cardiovascular services.
On March 13, 2021, Holy Family Memorial became affiliated with Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin health network to become Froedtert Holy Family Memorial Hospital.
The hospital has maintained its Catholic identity through the sponsorship of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity.
“Catholicity was a concern,” said Sr. Kay. “We started with a legal document called the ‘Catholicity Agreement.’ … Everything is very clearly laid out. There are bumps in the road, but, to my experience, Froedtert has been very cooperative.”
Mass is offered in the hospital chapel during the week.
“Priests in the area have been pretty good about doing a noon Mass and being there for the sacramental needs,” said Sr. Kay. “Mass is televised in the hospital so patients can watch it in their rooms.”
Sr. Kay added that “we’re pretty happy with the size of our system. We are not looking to expand, but if people come to us, we will look at the possibility.”
For example, in April 2024, the sisters expanded their nursing home ministry by taking over sponsorship of Clement Manor in Greenfield, Wis.
Looking forward, a stronger connection to the Hispanic community is a goal for the hospital, said Sr. Kay.
“We’re working very hard with St. Thomas (Parish) in Newton and St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Manitowoc,” she said. “We want the Hispanic community to understand the accessibility of the hospital and understand from them what their needs are. The hospital has connected with a group of people and have been meeting regularly. It’s a time to come together and to show them what’s accessible to them, and to understand how hard it is for them, the hurdles in their pathway.”
Anniversary events began in May for the staff. In June, the hospital offered $1.25 cookie and coffee specials. Trivia contests were held in July.
An August event featured music by students from Holy Family Conservatory of Music, a music education ministry established in 1925 by the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity.
September celebrations included food trucks and raffle baskets for staff. The week of Sept. 23-27, leading up to the Sept. 28 Mass with Bishop Ricken, featured historic displays.
Manitowoc Franciscan Sisters also dressed up in historical habits to portray the sisters who served at the hospital in the past. Sr. Kay portrayed Sr. Reinhardt.
Sr. Kay was born at Holy Family Memorial as were her 15 siblings, so, she said, it’s a “special place” for her family.
The volunteers deserve credit for their contributions to the 125-year history, she said.
“Every year, annually, they recognize the volunteers. The volunteers have these little pins. After 100 hours, you get this little pin. After another certain number of hours, you get a stone that goes on the pin until you’re maxed out,” she said. “It’s a strong group of volunteers who do tremendous things. The people enjoy it. They like to give and be with one another.”
The biggest change over the years has been staffing from sisters to laypeople. Several Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity now serve as “Sisters of Presence” at the hospital, including in the role of comforting family members in the surgery waiting room.
“There have been so many changes and complexities that’s brought a single hospital to now be part of a system of hospitals and nursing homes,” said Sr. Kay. “There is constant growth and changes that go on. You roll with it and do your best if it fits this community and fits with our Catholic identity. The mission has always been to serve God’s people and be the healing hands of Jesus.”
