St. Barnabas Brothers "Return" for 90th Anniversary Celebration
Gibsonia, Pa. - June 4, 2009 - Ninety years ago, a small group of religious brothers embarked on an ambitious endeavor to carry out their mission of caring for convalescent and incurably ill men and boys in a little known part of Allegheny County called Gibsonia. Raising funds from hundreds of donors, they built a red brick, three-story Spanish colonial-style structure topped by a belltower and a cross. From the vast farmland surrounding the building, the brothers would grow vegetables and raise livestock to feed the men and boys occupying St. Barnabas Free Home's 63 beds.
Today, St. Barnabas Free Home is the 172-bed St. Barnabas Nursing Home. The building is now a state-of-the-art skilled nursing facility serving men and women. The brothers' mission of caring for those in need regardless of their ability to pay remains intact. And what was once farmland is now part of the 303-acre Gibsonia campus of St. Barnabas Health System, which includes St. Barnabas Medical Center, a collection of doctors' and dentists' offices open to the public; The Village at St. Barnabas, Western Pennsylvania's first retirement community, consisting of 252 apartments; and The Washington Place at St. Barnabas, 23 apartments for retirees and home of the 350-seat Kean Theatre, open to the public. St. Barnabas operates a second campus in Valencia, Butler County, which is home to The Woodlands at St. Barnabas carriage homes, The Arbors at St. Barnabas assisted living; and Valencia Woods at St. Barnabas nursing home.
To celebrate St. Barnabas' 90 years in Gibsonia, a free picnic and program will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, June 11 in the pavilion at St. Barnabas Nursing Home, 5827 Meridian Road. (In the event of rain, the celebration will move indoors to the nursing home's chapel.) The event is open to the public.
The program will include:
- A visit by the founder of St. Barnabas, Brother Gouverneur P. Hance. Jim Roddey, former Allegheny County chief executive and St. Barnabas spokesman, will portray Brother Hance. Brooks Bartlett, a St. Barnabas trustee, will portray Brother Paul Hopkinson, the second leader of St. Barnabas. Both men will be costumed in a monk's robe and work boots, in the style of what members of the St. Barnabas Brotherhood wore.
- Prayer by the Rev. Dr. Richard A. Morledge, pastor emeritus of the First Presbyterian Church of Bakerstown;
- Citations of Merit presented by state Sen. Jane Clare Orie (R, 40th) and state Rep. Mike Turzai (R, 28th);
- Comments from William V. Day, president of St. Barnabas Health System; John Curran, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of St. Barnabas Health System; and Brian O'Malley, Richland Township Supervisor;
- A testimonial by Tammy Zelenko, daughter of St. Barnabas Nursing Home patient Rose Diehm;
- Entertainment by the Steven Vance Café Duo and horse and carriage rides around St. Barnabas Nursing Home
- Complimentary picnic food
About St. Barnabas, St. Barnabas Health System is the largest health care concern of its kind in Pennsylvania and offers service apart from the ordinary in a faith-based, non-denominational setting. Tracing its heritage back to 1900, the system serves approximately 900 inpatients and residents, plus 35,000 outpatients and home care clients. The health system is composed of the
St. Barnabas Communities, including The Village at St. Barnabas, The Washington Place at St. Barnabas and The Woodlands at St. Barnabas; St. Barnabas Clinical Services, including St. Barnabas Nursing Home, St. Barnabas Medical Center, Valencia Woods at St. Barnabas and The Arbors at St. Barnabas; the Kean Theatre; and St. Barnabas Charities, the fund-raising arm.
Contact:
Kathleen Brenneman
(724) 444-5530
kbrenneman@stbarnabashealthsystem.com
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