MCAULEY HALL HEALTH CARE CENTER CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY

Few things in our lives bring more joy than the realization of a good dream. Celebrating a dream and the anniversary of its realization is happening this year at McAuley Hall Health Care Center in Watchung, NJ. For the past 50 years this facility and a long procession of residents and staff have witnessed the evolution of history from their perch on the side of the Watchung mountains overlooking Route 22. Built to provide a home and loving care to aging members of the Sisters of Mercy of New Jersey, it has, over time, expanded its mission to welcome many in need of quality care in the Mercy tradition.
The story of McAuley Hall Health Care Center is deeply rooted in the legacy of Catherine McAuley, the Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy. Committed to caring for the poor women and children in 19th century Dublin, Ireland, Catherine McAuley opened the first House of Mercy in 1827. A few years later, Catherine founded the Sisters of Mercy, a religious community of women passionate about the care of the poor, sick and uneducated.
The dream that became McAuley Hall was born in the early 1960s when Mother Mary Patrick McCallion and Mother Mary Bertrand Miller were the elected leaders of the community. Several senior members of the community had emigrated from Ireland as Sisters of Mercy and came to the United States in their early twenties. Other sisters had come from New Hampshire and then from Bordentown, NJ and were, by mid- 20th century, senior citizens. Initially, the older sisters were cared for at the Mount Saint Mary Motherhouse in Watchung, NJ. However, as numbers grew, the space offered atop the hill was no longer large enough to accommodate a growing need for a facility.
The vision of Mothers Patrick, Bertrand and others was a welcoming home for sisters in need of care, seeking wellness or preparing to meet their God. The mission was and continues to be providing life-giving care in an atmosphere of peace and joy and reflecting the spirit of Catherine McAuley.
McAuley Hall, as it was known until 1994, opened on August 28, 1966, with an initial population of 23 sisters and nine staff members. Three floors included a large chapel, dining room, 74 individual bedrooms and a wing that would later be used to house a small school for exceptional children. Sisters requiring skilled care and those needing what today we call assisted living were accommodated on different levels while sisters recuperating from illness, injury or surgery were assured of care appropriate to their needs.
Sister Margaret Mary San Antonio, a nurse at McAuley from its first day, reflected on what the years have brought: “The vision we had was much smaller than what it has become. We thought it would always be a home for our New Jersey sisters but we began to realize that Mercy is so much wider than “just us.” Sisters of Mercy beyond New Jersey, sisters of other communities, family members, priests and associates had medical needs as well and McAuley was able to serve them too. They became part of our family at McAuley and they continue to come and we welcome them as part of us.”
On August 28, 1991, McAuley Hall celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary and remembered the many sisters, staff, friends and benefactors who had contributed to the history and success of a facility with a heartbeat that radiates happiness. Residents include sisters and priests from other communities and dioceses. Relatives of sisters in need of care were welcomed as beds were available and the staff grew to include many lay employees. Students from Mount Saint Mary Academy volunteered their services and Mercy Associates visited and provided special treats and events for the residents.
Sister Mary Roberts, who taxied the first groups of sisters from the third floor of the Mount to McAuley on the opening day, recalls, “The central focus then and now was providing the best holistic care, i.e. medical, psychological, spiritual and social services, to women who had given the best of their lifetimes to the works of mercy.”
But much changed over 25 years and it was clear that it would soon be necessary to renovate the building and apply for a New Jersey State license as a Skilled Nursing Facility. Sister Irene Gormley, a Registered Nurse, Licensed Nursing Home Administrator and Director of Health Care for the Sisters of Mercy of New Jersey, explored the necessary requirements for licensing. She met with the NJ Department of Health and brought recommendations back to the then Community President, Sister Theresina Flannery. Once the affirmation of the community was provided, the facility was given a year to meet the state regulations. The months that followed were filled with hiring key personnel, composing policy manuals, providing staff education and overseeing renovations. Instrumental to the process was Jacqueline Ragin, RN the first Director of Nursing for McAuley Hall who, along with Sr. Irene Gormley, brought their skill and dedication to actualizing the vision. Each step of this new endeavor was infused with excitement and supported by the Sisters’ prayer and enthusiasm.
On December 31, 1992, the application for licensing was submitted to the State of New Jersey and, on September 1, 1993, the successful licensing and Medicare/Medicaid Certification documents were received and posted at the entrance to the facility. The Department of Health, upon completing their first intense twoday inspection, named McAuley Hall “a model facility” with no recommendations and no deficiencies. With immense gratitude and a sigh of relief, the tower bell rang, the sisters and staff gathered and the celebration began at McAuley Hall.
Sister Irene Gormley, the first Administrator for the licensed facility and now Health Care Coordinator for the Sisters of Mercy, Mid- Atlantic Community, reflects on her forty years of service, “my life has been forever changed by the residents and staff who have walked with me and supported the mission and values of McAuley Hall”.
Life was exciting at McAuley Hall with celebrations of holidays, jubilees, anniversaries and special events such as concerts performed by the residents and staff at Christmas and tree plantings on Earth Day and an annual virtual cruise week. Social awareness programs and benefits for HIV/AIDS and other causes, observances of Nurses’ Day and National Nursing Home Week offered opportunities for honoring staff, volunteers and benefactors.
As the median age and diminishment in the capacity for activities at McAuley Health Care Center evolved for many residents, the buildings continued to require extra care and more renovations. When McAuley School moved to new locations, expanded facilities for physical and occupational therapy were designed. In 1999 a revision to the admissions policy approved the inclusion of Mercy associates and their family members in need of skilled medical care.
McAuley Hall Health Care Center remains a licensed 74-bed Skilled Nursing Facility sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. The Mercy spirit of hospitality and outreach is as vibrant today as it was fifty years ago when the first Sisters of Mercy traveled down the hill to their new home. From skilled nursing care to rehabilitation programs the staff at McAuley is committed to providing services to men and women that are centered in promoting the sacredness of each person.
Today, Sisters of Mercy and all those whose lives and efforts have played a part in its fiftyyear history rejoice that the dream and original goals have been fulfilled, expanded, evolved and continue to benefit God’s people in innumerable ways.
If you would like to learn more about McAuley Hall Health Care Center or wish to contribute to its mission, please visit mcauleyhall.weebly.com or call 908-754-3663.