JACKSON –  St. Dominic Hospital celebrated its 70th anniversary on Friday, April 15. This marks the day when a group of Dominican Sisters from Springfield, Ill., came to Jackson  to assume responsibility for what was then known as the Jackson Infirmary. This original hospital was located on Amite Street in downtown Jackson.
Although St. Dominic’s, and the healthcare industry as a whole, has endured growth and change over the years, St. Dominic’s has remained true to the pioneer sisters’ vision of providing a Christian healing ministry to the people of Mississippi. Currently, seven Dominican Sisters serve locally in the St. Dominic’s ministry.
St. Dominic Hospital is a 535-bed tertiary care hospital located in Jackson,  serving all of central Mississippi and employs approximately 3,000 people, inclusive of nurses, physicians, and skilled caregivers. The medical staff, of nearly 500 leading physicians and specialists, makes St. Dominic’s one of the most comprehensive hospitals in Mississippi.
To commemorate the occasion, sculptor Tracy Sugg created a life-size bronze statue of a pioneer Dominican Sister titled, ‘Dominican Sister, A Life Given in Service,’ to honor the many donors who have supported the St. Dominic’s ministry over the years. In the past, grateful patients, families and friends helped to support St. Dominic’s by purchasing commemorative plaques placed on doors throughout the hospital. As the hospital changed to meet patient needs, many plaques were left with no place to be displayed. Sculptor Tracy Sugg used the bronze from these plaques to create the statue.
The sister in the sculpture is actually stepping off the plinth with one hand outstretched. This was done to help convey the essence of the Sisters’ desire to not be on a pedestal, but rather to serve in Christ’s love.
“This sculpture honors our many friends and represents the donor recognition plaques placed throughout the hospital in prior years,” said Lester Diamond, president of St. Dominic Hospital. “I cannot think of a better way to commemorate St. Dominic’s 70th anniversary than this distinctive representation of what we hope to embody as an organization.”
(Story and photo courtesy of St. Dominic)