Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-25
THROW OPEN THE NEW HOME
Fitting Celebration Of Fifteenth Anniver-
sary of Work Of Sisters in the City.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR OVER THIRTY
Opening of New Mercy Hospital Under
Charge of sisters of Mercy Is
Delayed Until May of
Next Year.

The Sisters Of Mercy in charge OF st.
Bernard's hospital celebrated yesterday the
fifteenth anniversary Of the founding OF
their work in Council Bluffs by formally
opening the large addition to the st. Marys
home for Young women, with a general
reception for the public at the home, which
is located on Harmony street. The recep-
tion was largely attended, and from 2 10 .
o'clock yesterday afternoon the handsome
building. which furnishes a home in every
sense Of the word for over thirty young
women, was visited and Inspected by hum
dreds Of people, among the number being
many friends Of the management from
Omaha.
Rev. Mother Vincent and Rev. Mother
Magdalen were assisted in receiving the
visitors by Mrs. ]. J. Brown and other mem
bers OF the st. Mary's Mercy circles of st.
Francis Xavier's and St. Peters churches.
The young student nurses from st. Ber-
nard's hospital also assisted in showing the
visitors over the home.
Following the invocation Of the Blessing
Of Heaven on the home by Rev. Father
Smyth, assisted by Rev. Fathers Burke, Eel
ley and Mcdonald, a musical program was
given from 3 to 4 o'clock under the direc-
ton Of Mrs. Margaret Dillon. assisted by
Miss Hammer, Mr.. Clark and Roy Peter
son.
Change Original Intention.
It had been the original intention Of the
sisters in charge of st. Demands hospital
to have celebrated their fifteenth anniver-
sary by the opening of the new Mercy hos
pital, which is to be devoted entirely to
sick and surgical cases, while st. Bernard's
will be retained for the care of nervous dis
eases and insane patients. While the new
hospital is practically completed, the equip
ment and interior finishing is not, and the
sisters decided to postpone the formal
opening of 1t to May "a Of next year, which
will be the fifteenth anniversary of the oc-
c~upation of the st. Demands property by
the sisters.
The St. Mary's home for Young women
was established one year ago in a large and
well-equipped residence which the sisters
purchased from George r. Wheeler. At that
tim Il wac thought the home would be OF
sufficient size for several years to come,
but the success of the Institution from the
start was so remarkable that early in the
summer 1t was evident that a large addition
would have to be built to accommodate the
young women anxious to make their home
there.
The new addition increases the number
of bedrooms to twenty-five on the first
floor and fifteen on the second. In the bed
rooms are thirty-fve single beds, many OF
the young women rooming together, while
those so desiring can have individual rooms.
According to present plans, the nurses at
the Mercy hospital will also have their
quarters at the home, and the addition
makes it possible to provide accommoda-
tion for transient guests.
The building is now complete in every
detail. The front OF the first floor is occu-
pied by the entrance hallway and three
handsome parlors provided for the young
women. In one Is a handsome piano do
mated by the sisters, and the nucleus Of a
house library has been well started. The
dining room is located in the semi base
ment Of the addition, and is reached by an
ornate stairway of two flights. 1t is we'll
lighted, as in fact all the rooms are, and
Is convenient to the thoroughly equipped
kitchen.
In the rear wing of the building on the
first floor is a large room which will be
occupied by the industrial and sewing school
Of the institution, which will be developed
now that the building is completed. The
home has been almost self-supporting from
the start, owing TO the excellent and care
full management Of Sister Mary Elizabeth
who is in charge.