• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Michiana Business News

Michiana's Leading Regional Business News Site

  • Home
  • Industries
    • Agribusiness
    • Banking
    • Entertainment
    • Health & Wellness
    • Hospitality
    • Manufacturing & Technology
    • Media
    • Real Estate & Building
    • Professional Services
    • Small Business
    • Tourism & Recreation
    • Transportation & Logistics
    • Utilities
  • Community
    • Around Michiana
    • Best of Michiana Business Awards
    • Business News
    • Diversity
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Environment
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Environmental Responsibility
    • Exporting
    • Gaming/Gambling
    • Government
    • Infrastructure
    • Leader & CEO Profiles
    • Leadership
    • Made in Michiana
    • Making a Difference
    • Philanthropy
    • Place making
    • Workforce
  • Lifestyle
    • Arts & Entertainment
  • About
    • Privacy
    • Terms
    • Contact us
  • Register
  • Login
You are here: Home / Community / Business News / Franciscan Health time capsule reveals items from Michigan City hospital’s past

Franciscan Health time capsule reveals items from Michigan City hospital’s past

January 5, 2021 – By Larry Avila

Franciscan Health Michigan City
Assorted items, including some dating to the mid-19th century, were found in a time capsule removed recently removed from the chapel of the 1926 building at Franciscan Health’s former Homer Street campus in Michigan City. (Photo provided by Franciscan Health)

Renovation work at Franciscan Health’s former Michigan City hospital provided look at the facility’s history as well as a chance to examine artifacts from a century ago.

Crews from Tonn and Blank Construction removed a time capsule placed into the stones of the former St. Anthony Hospital more than a century ago. Franciscan staff revealed the contents of the time capsule to Michigan City staff Dec. 1.

Sister Petra Nielsen, vice president of mission integration, carefully opened the containers in a conference room at the current hospital site facing I-94. Tonn and Blank Construction has been working on the $20 million renovation of Franciscan’s former Michigan City hospital site since November.

The time capsule held a glass container, which had been placed in the original hospital building when the cornerstone was laid in 1903. When that building came down, the cornerstone was relocated to the sign at the main entrance on Wabash Street.

Franciscan representatives said the glass container was broken but the time capsule included a button recognizing the hospital’s 75th anniversary, indicating it likely was opened at one point. Along with a glass-encased cross, the container held several religious medals, a piece of blessed palm and two scapulars were inside.

A metal container was found better preserved in the chapel of the 1926 building, Franciscan said. It was labeled 1903 to 1924 and contained a multitude of mementos, including an Apostolic Blessing from Pope Pius XI; two rosaries, one of which had been worn by sisters at the hospital; several blessed medals, and tiny religious statues.

There also was a copy of the Nov. 5, 1924 edition of the Michigan City Evening Dispatch among the items announcing President Calvin Coolidge’s election victory.

Author

  • Larry Avila Larry Avila

    Larry is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years of experience working with daily newspapers and business-to-business publications around the Midwest. Avila is a Michigan native and a graduate of Central Michigan University.

    Follow Larry Avila on:

Filed Under: Business News, Health Care Tagged With: Franciscan Health Michigan City, Homer Street campus, Tonn and Blank Construction, time capsule, Around Michiana

Primary Sidebar

Post Author

Larry Avila Larry Avila

Categories

Archives

Footer

  • Home
  • Register
  • Advertising
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Contact us
  • About

Copyright © 2023 · Linker Media Group, Inc · All rights reserved