July 16, 2025
In 1896, Rose Hawthorne Lathrop—later known as Mother Mary Alphonsa—began a ministry of mercy that would forever change the way the world cares for the dying. Long before the word “hospice” was known, she welcomed poor cancer patients in New York with dignity, comfort, and love. Her community, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, carried that mission to Parma in 1956 when they opened Holy Family Hospice—the first Catholic hospice of its kind in our area.
This year, Rose Hawthorne was declared Venerable by Pope Francis, recognizing her heroic virtue and bringing her one step closer to sainthood.
When the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne entrusted Holy Family Home to St. Augustine Health Ministries in 2005, they had one heartfelt request—that we continue the legacy of compassion and love they began in Parma nearly 70 years ago.
As pioneers of end-of-life care—decades before the modern hospice movement—the Sisters created a sanctuary of peace, dignity, and faith-filled care.
Recently, we received a message from Sister Mary Francis Lepore, OP, that reaffirms this shared mission:
You all have loved the Home as much as we do, and that gives me great comfort and peace. That is a gift to all the Sisters who ever served at Holy Family—to know that the spirit remains and the good work goes on. God will most certainly reward you for that!!
Today, St. Augustine Health Ministries—Holy Family Hospice is honored to carry forward this sacred work—serving patients and families with the same compassion, faith, and dignity that guided Mother Mary Alphonsa and the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne. Their legacy lives on in every act of care, every prayerful moment, and every life we are privileged to touch.
