Villa St. Joseph: 1997-2007

Celebrating 10 Years of Competent and Compassionate Care

The story of Villa St. Joseph is an evolving chapter in the Sisters of St. Joseph long history of health-care ministry.

Sister Mariana Garde cares for a young patient at St. Joseph Hospital.

More than 350 years ago, in war-weary France, our Sisters were among the first women religious to dress in common clothing and visit hospitals, prisons and orphanages. They were profoundly affected by the misery, poverty and suffering of their neighbors. Responsive to the needs of the "dear neighbor," Sisters of St. Joseph eventually carried their mission and ministry of caring for the poor and vulnerable to America.

Our pioneering Sisters have made significant and lasting contributions to health care in Western Pennsylvania and beyond.

Mother Genevieve Ryan

In 1904, Mother Genevieve Ryan founded St. Joseph Hospital and Nursing School along Carson Street in Pittsburgh. Under her supervision, the hospital responded to a critical need in this blue-collar industrial town, and the nursing school provided a steady flow of trained nurses to staff the hospital.

The 1940s brought medical milestones. St. Joseph was one of the first hospitals in the nation to administer the diphtheria vaccine, and Sister Regis Donoghue became the first lab technician at the hospital. Sister Anna Regina Luckett is credited with fashioning an infant-sized oxygen tent from a "cellophane ham cover, a dime store thermometer and a wicker basket," consequently saving a baby who was too small for the typical oxygen tent. Because World War I created a shortfall in medical supplies, other Pittsburgh hospitals adopted the use of Sister Regina’s "infant oxygen tent." 

Sister Mary Regis Donoghue was the first lab technician at St. Joseph Hospital.

The hospital remained a vibrant ministry, serving industrial workers and their families until 1977. Sister Crescentia Mulvehill, presently retired, was instrumental in the consolidation of St. Joseph Hospital and Homestead Hospital, which formed the South Hills Health System in 1977, and, later  coordinated the construction of Jefferson Hospital.

Sister Francesca Lumpp, left, and Sister Crescentia Mulvehill both have served in administrative capacities in health care ministries.

Our Sisters’ service in health care made a lasting impression, too, in Hunan Province, China, a mission that began in 1926 and ended in 1994. Sister Catherine Davenport, who was trained at St. Joseph Hospital, was among 15 Sisters who traveled to the new mission site. She was nationally recognized by Johnson & Johnson for her work in establishing a primitive operating room and hospital in China. When she returned from China, she resumed her health care ministry at St. Joseph Hospital.

In response to an increasing need for health care for elderly residents in Beaver County and surrounding communities, our Sisters opened Villa St. Joseph in 1997. Sister Michelle Prah, now a chaplain at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, was named the first administrator.

Over the past 10 years, Villa St. Joseph has cared for more than 2,100 residents.
At Villa St. Joseph, our Sisters continue a long tradition of loving service to our neighbors in need. They serve as members of the staff and board of directors, and as faithful volunteers.

©2010 Sisters of St Joseph - Baden
Villa St. Joseph
1030 State Street, Baden PA 15005
724.869.6300 | Fax: 724.869.6399
Feedback, questions and comments are welcomed at bhecht@stjoseph-baden.org