St. Agnes Hospital lit the state's largest illuminated cross Wednesday — a seven-story structure with 792 LED lights — as it prepares to open its expanded patient facility.
The 5,440-pound aluminum cross is one of the most visible parts of the Southwest Baltimore hospital's seven-year, $220 million expansion project, which includes a 190,000-square-foot patient tower, where the cross is attached. The tower expected to open in May.
"This cross is symbolic of where we have been and where we want to go," said Barbara Bozzuto, the hospital's board chairwoman, who led the countdown to the lighting of the cross at the fields of former Cardinal Gibbons School across the street.
"We're going to light this thing. This is an act of faith," she told the crowd, before leading the countdown, which successfully ended in the blazing white light. The small crowd of hospital staff and others cheered at the white glow emanated from the building, which hospital officials say is now visible from Interstate 95.
Sister Ellen LaCapria, vice president for mission integration at St. Agnes and a Daughter of Charity said the cross symbolizes "a place that will give compassionate care," with a more modern touch.
The Daughters of Charity founded St. Agnes — the first Roman Catholic hospital in Baltimore to care for the poor — in 1862. The hospital later joined the Sisters of St. Joseph Health System to create Ascension Health, which still continues that mission as the largest nonprofit health organization in the country.
"We will celebrate 150 years in 2012," Sister LaCapria said of the Daughters of Charity, and the cross is "a gift to our community to symbolize that we plan to be here another 150 years."
All of the lights are set up to automatically go on at nightfall. It took two weeks for the D.C.-based Art Display Company install the cross with a105-by-38-foot frame. A steel layer behind the cross will prevent light from shining into patient windows in the new facility.
Bonnie Phipps, president and CEO of the hospital, said, "It is demonstrative of our mission," which is to serve everyone in need of care."
"We hope it will be a destination for all people," she said.
