Statement by Bishop Stephen Blaire on the Occasion of Breaking Ground - Saint Joseph Medical Center, Stockton March 19, 2007

Breaking ground for Saint Joseph’s expansion continues the great tradition of Catholic Health Care in our community. I wish to acknowledge, with gratitude to God, the medical care from Saint Joseph’s that continues the healing ministry of Christ in the Church for the wider populace, and the enormously generous amount of community services and charity provided by Saint Joseph’s. This tradition of service, given without discrimination, has been offered with particular care and generosity to the neediest among us.

The Catholic Church in the United States, through her institutions, is the largest private provider of education and health care. The legacy of our outstanding Catholic hospitals was created through the vision of religious congregations of women who led and staffed these facilities. Careful administration of Dominican Sisters like Sister Gabriel and the tender care given by many like Sister Pia, created the vision that sustains Saint Joseph’s. But it would not be thriving today without the partnership and generosity of our Catholic people and our many friends in the community who support its mission. St. Joseph's certainly could not continue to exist without the dedication of so many wonderful doctors and nurses who treat us and our families.

As we dream and plan and build a future for the mission and vision of Saint Joseph’s we do so to be a sign and symbol of Jesus’ healing presence. Of great concern to all of us are forces acting to secularize our vision or compromise our Catholic identity by neutralizing the religious and ethical principles we treasure. We must preserve the values that ensure the dignity of the human person, the sacredness of life and the loving and palliative care provided for the dying. St. Joseph's has always stood proudly as a clear symbol of these Catholic values.

We stand ready to expand a facility known for its compassionate care. However, under the guise of "compassion and freedom" some in this state would have us legalize "physician assisted suicide." As we break this ground let us re-commit ourselves to genuine compassion. Let us reject any measures that, in the name of a false autonomy, would place any of the elderly and most vulnerable members of our community at risk. This will continue to be a place of curing, caring and human compassion in the best of our Catholic tradition.

The Church considers it essential in her mission to serve the broader public in the name of the Lord because God draws us together in communities like this to nurture each other. St. Joseph's breaks ground today for this expansion because we are committed to provide the best in health care for everyone in our community, whether they are rich or poor, immigrant or native.

I extend my gratitude to the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, Catholic HealthCare West, community leaders and neighbors. May God continue to bless this community with this new facility.

Last Update December 6, 2007