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Celebrating 65 years since Felician Sisters Opened St. Mary Hospital

Thanking Maureen Miller Brosnan for 25 years serving on the governing board

Significant transformations of the Livonia landscape, encompassing all 36 square miles, advanced with the opening of St. Mary Mercy Hospital. This event marked Livonia as a community dedicated to the health of its residents.

With the assistance and support of the Felician Sisters, Livonia progressed towards becoming a full-service community.

When the Felician Sisters established the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary convent in 1936, Livonia was merely a small town characterized by farm fields on the outskirts of Detroit.

The Felician Sisters, known for their religious faith and resilience, established Madonna University the following year. Subsequently founded a Montessori preschool, multiple elementary schools, Ladywood High School, St. Mary Livonia Hospital, Angela Hospice, Marywood Nursing Care Center, and Senior Clergy Village, located within approximately one square mile.

In the 1950s, the Livonia City Council acknowledged that in order to create a hometown appealing to families, particularly young families, there was a necessity for medical care. Several meetings were conducted with the Felician Sisters, resulting in the opening of St. Mary Hospital in 1959.

This week, Dr. Matt Griffin hosted a reception for friends and staff of Trinity Hospital, during which three significant presentations were made. The Felician Sisters represented by Sister Felicity who expressed her gratitude to Livonia for the partnership in establishing St. Mary Hospital 65 years ago in 1959. Livonia Mayor Maureen Miller Brosnan, who was recognized for 25 years of service on the Hospital Board, was thanked and honored for her work in collaboration to build a healthy Livonia, as was Dave Spivey, the first lay leader, for his more than 20 years of leadership in guiding the hospital as CEO.

Mayor Maureen Miller Brosnan, as she looks back on the transformation the hospital had on this growing community looking for an identity, understands full well the impact The Felician Sisters have had on the city of Livonia as well as on her growth as a person today.

“The Felician Sisters are not only integral to the foundation of healthcare and education in the City of Livonia, they are integral to my foundation. I was taught by the Felicians at St. Michael Catholic Schools, and my children have been taught by Felician Sisters at St. Michael’s and the Montessori Center of Our Lady.

"They are part of who I am today.” She continues, “The Felician legacy of unconditional compassion for people, coupled with their inherent desire to meet the community’s most basic needs in healthcare and education make them inspiring, strong women." 

Livonia has come a long way since the founding of St. Mary Hospital in 1959 and now plays a significant role as a part of Trinity Health, a mission-driven innovative health organization, working on becoming the national leader in improving the health of communities and each person they serve.

Today was a thoughtful acknowledgment of the significant role our faith community has played in fostering a strong and healthy community. Faith organizations, such as the Felician Sisters, were essential partners, particularly in the 1950s. With Livonia leaders identifying the need to advocate for and develop healthcare services the Felician Sisters made it possible.

Celebrating 5 Years of Being Good & Strong!

Anastasia and Katie's making a difference in our hometown

Musings joins Anastasia and Katie's in saying thank you to everyone who has supported Anastasia and Katie’s Coffee Shop over the past five years! They say that "Together, we’ve achieved an incredible milestone: 8,400 paid work hours for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities."

"As we look to the future, we invite you to help us double our workforce and create even more opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities."

Your support makes all the difference: $55 funds in donations provides 2 hours of training and paid work!

Livonia's generosity fuels their mission and ensures they can keep going strong. Join them in making a brighter future possible by donating today here.

Schoolcraft College making an impact on our hometown.

$101,765 donated toward goal of $125,000 matching funds

FridayMusings joins with the Schoolcraft College Foundation in supporting the Wilkie Family and their Challenge Match. The family will match every donation made between now and the end of the year up to $125,000. Imagine donating $10 and it becomes $20. Donate $25 and suddenly it is $50.

For information and to make a gift at https://scf.schoolcraft.edu/ OR mail a check payable to the Schoolcraft College Foundation to 18600 Haggerty Road, Livonia, MI 48152, or use the QR code above.  Need more information? Call 724.462.4455 or email foundation@schoolcraft.edu

Mail Address

19514 Bainbridge 48152

E-mail address

rwilliamjoyner@gmail.com

Cell address

734-674-5871

Archive--Bill Joyner's FridayMusings

The typewriter is not available for phone calls or emails Saturday and Sunday. Mental health and rehabilitation time. Out and about enjoying life.

What motivates FridayMusings:

We can't only define Livonia as taking small steps toward maintaining the way things were. That will give us mediocre outcomes. Our goal needs to be innovative and transformative.