Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital

More than half a century ago, three Catholic sisters from the Congregation of Bon Secours moved to Richmond to establish a hospital. For five years, they labored over every detailformulating plans, raising money, supervising construction, purchasing equipment, hiring staffwhile continuing to nurse the sick and dying in their own homes. When St. Marys Hospital opened its doors in the early days of 1966, Richmond learned the true meaning of the French words, bon secours. Good help. St. Marys was Richmonds first Catholic hospital, its first hospital run by women, and its first racially integrated hospital. In 2016, it marks the fiftieth anniversary of its founding by looking back with pride on five decades of service to the community and looking ahead to a promising future.