In 1899, Sister Mary Francis and Sister Mary Rose from the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota, came to Breckenridge, Minnesota, and met with Ezra Valentine. At this meeting, the sisters said they wanted to build a hospital in Breckenridge. Mr. Valentine asked the sisters if they had resources for the hospital, to which they replied, “We don’t have much money, but lots of faith.”
“That’s enough, sisters. Go ahead and we will back you.”
With that, the community pledged to support their efforts, and they began the work of building St. Francis Hospital.
Like many hospitals and homes founded by religious organizations, CHI St. Francis Medical Center has a deep history of tending to a person’s whole self, including spiritual and emotional well-being, not just physical or medical needs. Chaplain Paul Peterson serves the patients and residents of the hospital and nursing home Monday through Friday. In the morning, he is in the nursing home, and in the afternoon, he rounds at the hospital.
On Monday and Friday mornings, there is a rosary prayer group that meets. Fr. Leo from St. Mary’s Catholic Church says Mass each Tuesday, and local Protestant clergy lead worship on Wednesday. On Friday, individual Catholic Communion is offered, and Protestant communion is available upon request. Worship services are held in the Chapel of St. Francis, giving residents and patients alike an opportunity to worship together.
But sometimes a person’s spiritual need is not to “go to church” or to “receive communion,” but rather to have someone sit and listen to what is going on in their life. Maybe a person does not even have a church or a faith tradition, but being in the hospital and life circumstances have them rattled, and they want someone to talk to.
Chaplain Paul visits with patients in the hospital to hear their hopes and concerns, fears and joys, and to be an empathetic and compassionate ear when people are struggling with life and issues of the dark night of the soul. For some people, just being heard is enough. For others, they want their concerns brought before God’s throne of grace by prayer, and still others want words of hope proclaimed to them and for them.
All of this is what the spiritual services department does in an attempt to serve the needs of the whole person: to meet people where they are physically, emotionally and spiritually while at CHI St. Francis.
