We would like to introduce you to Sr. Stella Louise Slomka, CSFN, whose story, while not fraught with the sort of danger or hardship some of our earlier Sisters battled, is no less important. The story of Sr. Stella Louise is one of perseverance and leadership, and is intertwined with that of a hospital very important to the city of Chicago.
Since the early days of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, the care of families has been chief among our Sisters’ concerns. It has often been said that family is the heart of our mission, so it should come as no surprise that many of our Sisters have taken on roles vital to not only the welfare of the families in their care, but also of their physical health. From the moment our Mother Foundress first set foot on this continent, tending to the health of poor immigrant families had been paramount. And yet, it soon became clear that the families closest to our Sisters, the many Polish immigrants who had arrived in America during that period, really had nowhere to go for their healthcare needs. Something had to be done.
1890s America was not the most accepting place. Though some hospitals stood in the Chicago area, many were understaffed and unhygienic and, perhaps worse still, operated with an undercurrent of prejudice. People considered to be of the “wrong” ilk, be it based on the color of their skin or the country from which they hailed, could be turned away at the door when seeking aid. With a large population of Polish-Catholic immigrants that was getting bigger everyday and in need of a healthcare institution that understood their needs, culture, and language, the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth founded St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital. It wasn’t easy, but with strong determination and the support of the community, the hospital was dedicated into service on May 6, 1894.
Despite early financial difficulties, the hospital managed to thrive, helmed by dedicated physicians and staffed by many of our own Sisters, standing as a proud institution dedicated to service for decades. It was more than fifty years after its founding that St. Stella Louise came to St. Mary’s in 1959 and began making her own mark on history. Serving as administrator, St. Stella Louise had a keen eye on the future and knew one thing for certain: if St. Mary’s was to continue serving the health needs of the community, it would need a significant renovation and update.
It wasn’t easy – truly, it was like starting all over again. What may have seemed perfectly suitable and modern in 1894 had become overcrowded and fully outmoded, and there was no money to make the costly changes necessary to bring the hospital fully up to date. But Sr. Stella Louise was undeterred; she knew the important role St. Mary’s served in its community. If people needed help, the Sisters would find a way to provide!
It was this kind of determination that saw the hospital receive the necessary funding through a loan from the State of Illinois and helped cut through miles and miles of bureaucratic red tape. It even seemed at one point that the new hospital would be doomed when city inspector declared stairwell clearances too short… by barely one-quarter of an inch! If a lack of funding didn’t deter Sr. Stella Louise, a quarter of an inch surely would not; she made her way to that inspector’s downtown offices and stayed put, refusing to budge an inch until the hospital was declared free to open. It worked; the City of Chicago allowed for that quarter inch variance, and the new state-of-the-art St. Mary’s hospital was dedicated on January 5, 1975.
Sr. Stella Louise had insisted on a practical but modern facility, with care units for surgery, obstetrics, mental health, emergency medicine and more, all built with the unique ability to be easily changed on a daily basis as the needs of the patients dictated. The building was also designed to cater to patients’ needs outside of immediate health concerns, including privacy concerns – allayed by nearly 500 private rooms, each with a window and adjustable lighting and temperature – and spiritual concerns, with a beautiful chapel dedicated for the use of patients and staff alike. It was in this very chapel that the visiting Karol Cardinal Wotjyla knelt and prayed during a visit in August of 1976 – a man best known today first as Pope John Paul II, and now as a Saint!
St. Stella Louise served as the hospital administrator from 1959 to 1989, improving patient outcomes and staff comfort with her vision of a new, modern hospital to serve the community, and then as the president and CEO from 1989 to 1999. Though the Sisters no longer own St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital, it still stands and operates today, a testament to determination and the devotion our Sisters have for the families in their communities.
Mark your calendars for this year’s Giving Tuesday: December 2!
Source: Sanford Jr., Charles W. A History of Healing, a Future of Care; Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital Center: Celebrating a Century of Catholic Hospitality. 1994. Heritage Publishers, Inc.
