Our History Shapes Our Future
Back in 1856, Reverend Father Bernard McGauran founded Saint Brigid's Home as a shelter for Irish immigrants, widows and orphans. A few years later, in 1865, Jeffery Hale left money in his will to establish a hospital to care for sick and disabled protestants.
While they were of different faiths, these two men had some very important traits in common; remarkable foresight and a shared vision of compassion and caring.
Our founders' legacy of forward thinking and compassion continued in April 2007 when these esteemed institutions joined forces to become Saint Brigid's - Jeffery Hale Hospital. By uniting, we have created a solid organization that is a positive force in the local health system, especially when it comes to meeting the needs of the English-speaking population.
History of Jeffery Hale
For more about this philanthropist who founded the hospital, please visit the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online webpage about Jeffery Hale.
You may also visit the page dApril 2007, Saint Brigid's Home and Jeffery Hale Hospital joined forces evoted to the Jeffery Hale Hospital on the website of the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Guide des archives hospitalières de la région de Québec 1639-1970 section about the Jeffery Hale (information in French only).
If you would like to read more about our history, we invite you to read a book we published in 1990 (now out of print) called Centre Hospitalier Jeffery Hale's Hospital Centre 1865-1990 by Alain Gelly (written in both French and English).
Check out our volunteer Auxiliary Cuisine cookbook, printed in 1986 in both French and English, for some tasty recipes or to see if there are any names you know among those volunteers who put in a recipe.
History of Saint Brigid’s Home
To learn more about the history of Saint Brigid's Home and Father Bernard McGauran, we invite you to read a book written by Marianna O'Gallagher called Saint Brigid's Quebec (now out of print) published by Carraig Books in 1981.
You can explore the history of St. Patrick's Parish in Quebec City at the following sites.
- A back issue of the Canadian Catholic Historical Association's Report, # 15 (1947-1948), pages 71-80
- Saint Patrick's Parish website's history section
History of Jeffery Hale Community Services
Jeffery Hale Community Services in English, as it is called today, was actually founded in 1991 as Holland Centre. Today, this Jeffery Hale program provides CLSC-type services to Quebec City's English-speaking community.
To learn more about the history of Jeffery Hale Community Services, please open a PDF version of a booklet entitled "I Dream - The Holland Centre Experience."
We're ready for the future
Always guided by our founders' values, the united Saint Brigid's - Jeffery Hale Hospital is well positioned to move into the future. We will continue to strive to meet the ever-changing needs of those we serve, and the English-speaking community in particular.
