St. Aloisius celebrates 80 years

Over the years the St. Aloisius Medical Center, located in Harvey, N.D., has been renovated, expanded and replaced as the population in the area grew and its needs for healthcare increased.

St. Aloisius opened in 1938, after being purchased by the Sisters of Mary of the Presentation, a Roman Catholic religious women's community, from the Lutheran Good Samaritan Hospital. It has since been operated as a ministry of the sisters and was officially dedicated as St. Aloisius Hospital in 1941.

In the 1970s a clinic, intermediate care and a skilled nursing facility were added to meet additional needs of the community due to increasing longevity of the area residents.

On Tuesday, Oct. 23, a celebration was held to commemorate the 80 years of service, the Sisters and St. Aloisius Medical Center have provided to residents of Harvey, New Rockford and beyond.

The event began in the afternoon with Bishop Folda and Fr. Miller blessing areas of St. Aloisius. The celebration continued with Mass at the St. Cecilia Catholic Church and concluded with cake being served in the lobby of the hospital where scrapbooks created by the Sisters were on display.

Among those attending the ceremonies was Sister Elizabeth Rose Muscha. A high schooler at the time, she worked in the hospital in 1938, answering telephones and delivering doctors' messages to the nurses.

The celebration concluded with Colette Hertz presenting a plaque, from the City of Harvey, commemorating the hospital's 80th anniversary.