St. Francis Hospital

St. Francis Hospital. . , The community in Buffalo had been a congregation independent from Philadelphia, under the leadership of Mother Margaret Boll for only two years when two sisters, Sister Elizabeth Kaufmann and Sister Magdalen Hess went to Pittsburgh in November of 1865 to solicit funds for the operation of their home for the aged, St. Francis Asylum on Pine Street, in the city of Buffalo., While in Pittsburgh some interested parties, including Father Francis Tschenhens, CSSR, and Dr. Philip Weisenberger, proposed to them the establishment of a hospital in Pittsburgh. On their return to Buffalo, the sisters approached Mother Margaret with this proposal. She, however, determined that such a work could not be undertaken without due consideration and the consent of the proper authorities. Shortly thereafter Dr. Weisenberger traveled to Buffalo to present this proposal to Bishop John Timon, CM. The bishop reacted positively to this, and he requested Mother Margaret to send the sisters back to Pittsburgh to open a hospital. Three weeks later the same two sisters returned with a third companion, Sister Stephen Winkelman, to begin this new mission. In December 1865, St. Francis Hospital began operation in the Lawrenceville section of the city of Pittsburgh., The Sisters embraced this new venture with dedication, joy and love. They treated all who came to them not only with medical illnesses, but with mental and addiction illnesses, contagious diseases and casualties from industrial accidents. The medical staff grew; specialists were added and soon the hospital was a major center for the Tri-state area and beyond.