Archbishop Bergan
Performs Dedication
Consecrated in 1948
at Omaha
Present on the O’Neill hospi
tal’s inaugural day will be His
Excellency, Most Rev. Gerald T.
Bergan, archbishop of Omaha, to
perform the dedication of St. An
thony’s hospital.
Gerald T. Bergan was born in
Peoria, 111., January 6, 1892. At
the very young age of 23 he was
ordained in Rome, having ex
celled in scholastic work at the
Gregorian university. His early
years as a young priest were
spent as a curate at St. Mary’s
cathedral in Peoria.
Not 20 years after his ordina
tion, the then Father Bergan
was consecrated bishop of the
diocese of Des Moines, from
where he came to Omaha to be
consecrated archbishop in 1948.
Archbishop Bergan’s few years
in Omaha have already endeared
him to the people of that city and
the entire state.
Possessed with a magnificent
sense of humor, and a real love
of people and life, he enjoys a
wide reputation as a witty and
effective speaker.
His Excellency, Most Rev. Gerald T. Bergan . . . ordained in
Rome at age of 23.
St. Anthony’s Hospital Is Beautiful
(By Ralph J. Kelly in The Atkinson Graphic)
St. Anthony’s Hospital in O’Neill is about ready for opening,
and dedication ceremonies are set for Wednesday, September 24. I
had the privilege of an unofficial conducted tour through the new
building last Friday afternoon. Workmen were busy adding the
finishing touches to many parts of the hospital, but nearly all of the
rooms and the various departments were completed, decorated, fur
nished, fully equipped and ready for occupancy.
In the large, modernly equipped kitchen, one of the Sisters was
busily putting up fruit, jams and jellies to stock away in the pantry.
Others were busy at cleaning, unpacking equipment and otherwise
looking after the many minor details that must be done before a
brand new building is ready to function.
St. Anthony’s, a 35-bed institution, is not the largest hospital in
northeast Nebraska, but I will say that none surpasses it in modern
equipment and certainly there can be none more appropriately nor
beautifully decorated and furnished. I think it’s too bad that to oc
cupy one of the rooms a person must be ill.
Congratulations to Jim Corkle, chairman of the building commit
tee, and all others who had a hand in bringing this project to its com
pletion. And after my tour of the building I can’t help but adding
special congratulations to whoever was responsible for the tasteful
beauty of the interior decorating and furnishings which in no small
measure will add much to the comfort of St. Anthony’s patients.
All Holt county can be proud of this hospital, which was pro
posed as an institution to serve the entire sandhills area, and was
built and equipped to carry out that purpose adequately.
Mother Bertram (right) and Sister M. Fara look on while
Herley Jones (left foreground) and D. F. Murphy unpack the
potato peeler in the kitchen of the new hospital. Photo was taken
recently. Doxens of volunteers turned out to help unpack the
equipment. | j
Make Offerings —
In a fine response to an ap
peal for flowers to deck the halls
and rooms of St. Anthony’s for
the dedication day ceremonies,
numerous florist shops, garden
clubs and flower groups through
out the state answered the in
augural call with a georgeous
display of flowers.
The Sisters’ quarters will be in
cloister after the opening day of
the hospital, but before then it
is possible to see their section lo
cated on the first floor at the east
end of the building. Seven,
“cells,” as they are called, a din
ing room, a sewing room and an
office house the “angels” of St.
Anthony’s.
Fine Hospital, Once a
Dream, Now a Reality
Today, on St. Mary’s academy -
grounds, St. Anthony’s hospital
stands as a proud tribute to O’
Neill and surrounding territory.
Imposing in its architectural per
fection, incomparably equipped
with the products of an age of
medical science never before
realized, it stands forth invitingly,
a fountain of the art of healing,
a giver and a server of life and
health. —
But old men dream dreams
while young men see visions.
When the present St. Mary’s
academy was erected, the lots ad
joining it on the northwest were
included in the property.
O’Neill has a hospital, a new
and magnificent hospital.
But it wasn't always so. Just
a few years after Frank Camp
bell had traded with the immor
tal Sitting Bull, and only five
short years after O’Neill had
written a chapter of western his
tory with the Barrett Scott in
cident involving the marauding
vigilantes, the present site of St.
Anthony’s was little more than a
pasture, used for grazing cattle.
O’Neill itself was but a diminu
tive countyseat whose entire life
was virtually centered in its
courthouse. If the prospect of a
fine hospital was even a thought,
it could have been no more than
a long-range dream.
For no one in this commun
ity, then counting no more than
a thousand souls, could im
agine that one day O'Neill
would have a iirslclass hospital
that would compare favorably
with large metropolitan hos
pitals.
O’Neill grew.
The year 1939 was a significant
year. The dry spell was over
and hard times were fast coming
to a close. It seemed that the
dream of a hospital might now,
at long last, become a reality.
Such was not to be the case,
however. An offer by the WPA
to the Sisters never reached the
stage of agreement. But by now
the idea had become widespread
and the need an irrefutable fact.
From the corpse of the first fail
ure was born the spirit that was
to lead ultimately to today’s suc
cess.
When the ancient philosopher,
Seneca, wished to inculcate among
his young students a respect for
the precedence of antiquity, he
used to say, “Today would never
be ours had it not been for yes
terday.”
In the same manner the O
Neill that began yesterday
has been steadily progressing
and improving. Their's was the
struggle for the courthouse, the
recognition of the railroads, the
rise (and occasional fall) of
many diverse and indispensible
business enterprises. To the
forebearers and to a select
handful of oldtimers still living
belongs the credit for ONeill's
early growth.
Responding gratefully to its
heritage, present O’Neill’s con
tribution is its new hospital. In
the immediate past, people of O’
Neill and its surrounding com
munity have had to travel to
Norfolk, Sioux City, Omaha or
Grand Island for hospitalization.
In the remote past, it was im
measurably worse. Long and
weary train rides were endured,
doctors were called from great
distances at much expense of both
time and finances. Many of O’
Neill’s oldest citizens say that for
lack of accessible hospital facili
ties, many were compelled to sim
ply accept their ailment, remain
home and suffer until death. But
now the sun has dispelled the
darkness. Not a sun like nature
provides as a gift, but a man
made light. No more the era of
inaccessible hospitalization, no
longer the necessity of long dis
tance communication for patients
and relatives. The dream has
been realized, the vision has
been attained, the work has been
productive.
O’Neill has a hospital, flawless
ly erected and fully epuipped to
serve and save.
I COYNE HARDWARE
I H. E. COYNE —MELVIN RUZICKA
| offer sincere ...
I J2^> III
11
| St. Anthony’s Hospital
I We are pleased to have played a
role in furnishing some of the
BUILDER’S HARDWARE and
H SUPPLIES in connection with
| this magnificent new hospital.
We extend heartfelt congratula
tions and sincerest best wishes to
*
| the good Sisters of St. Francis.
