Assisi Hospice turns 50! Founded in 1969 by the Sisters of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (FMDM), Assisi Hospice celebrates 50 years of God’s blessings this year.
Assisi Hospice began at Khoo Block of Mount Alvernia Hospital. First known as Assisi Home, the name was derived from the birthplace of St Francis, the founder of the Franciscan Movement. The Home was for the care of aged and chronically-ill patients in financial need. In 1988, the FMDM Congregation decided to provide hospice care to meet the needs of the community and began to admit only patients requiring respite and hospice care, providing compassionate care to those in their final journey. Over the next 50 years, Assisi Hospice has grown from its humble beginnings to a six-storey purpose-built hospice, providing care for patients across the continuum of Home Care, Inpatient and Day Care.
On 14 January, we kicked off our golden jubilee celebration with a Thanksgiving Mass held in our very own Chapel in the hospice. It was attended by the FMDM Sisters, staff and supporters. We gave thanks to God for His faithfulness and prayed for His grace to be with us as we continue our journey of love in serving His people.
Our 50th anniversary badge was also launched during the Thanksgiving Mass. The design of the badge consists of a golden tree with a heart. The tree is a symbol of our care, providing shelter to our patients and their loved ones when they face the final journey together. The colour gold captures the vibrancy of our golden jubilee. The badges were blessed by celebrant Friar Michael D’Cruz, OFM and distributed to everyone at the mass.
It was a fun-filled and heart-warming evening of treasure hunt (for the young), celebration cocktail (for the young-at-heart) and heartfelt sharing, as we held an Appreciation Evening in Assisi Hospice on 11 April to thank our supporters as part of our 50th Anniversary celebrations.
We also launched our 50th Anniversary Medallion to commemorate Assisi Hospice’s 50 years of caring for life. The design is part of the Hospice’s logo, reflecting our missionary role to reach out and welcome all who need our care. The phrase at the back “We Rise By Lifting Others” captures the joyful love that is shared when one gives kindly, patiently and humbly.
We would like to say a big thank you to our supporters as we continue our journey of love in serving our community of patients and families with compassion. Stay tuned to this page as we provide updates on our celebratory activities!
