St. Vincent Charity Hospital to Celebrate Secondary Naming of East 22nd Street as Sr. Ignatia Way

Naming Commemorates Sr. Ignatia Gavin, CSA, for Pioneering Efforts in Treatment of Alcoholism

Cleveland (March 15, 2006) – St. Vincent Charity Hospital (SVCH) will hold an open house, Mass and dedication ceremony on Saturday, April 1, 2006, beginning at 2 p.m. to celebrate the city’s designation of “Sr. Ignatia Way” as the secondary name for East 22nd Street.

St. Vincent Charity Hospital and members of Alcoholics Anonymous invite all to attend the April 1st celebration, which includes:

• Open House at Rosary Hall, SVCH, 2W 2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Recitation of the Rosary, SVCH, Holy Trinity Chapel 3 p.m.
• Street Dedication, SVCH, Front Lawn 4:45 p.m.
• Mass, St. Patrick Church, 3610 Bridge Ave. 6 p.m.
• Dinner Reception, St. Patrick Church 7 p.m.

The new sub-name pays tribute to Sr. Ignatia Gavin, CSA – a pioneer in the development of hospital-based treatment programs for alcoholism and founder of Rosary Hall at St. Vincent Charity Hospital. Since its inception in 1952, Rosary Hall has helped more than 53,000 men and women recover from alcoholism and other drug dependencies. April 1, 2006, marks the 40th anniversary of Sr. Ignatia’s death.

"Through her dedication to caring for the needs of individuals suffering from alcoholism, Sr. Ignatia lived out the faith-based healing mission of St. Vincent Charity Hospital that continues today," said Jeffrey S. Jeney, president and CEO, St. Vincent Charity Hospital.

Sr. Ignatia also became known as the “Angel of Mercy” for her role in assisting Alcoholics Anonymous co-founders Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith develop the program. Today, AA chapters are active in every country, with more than 2 million members and 100,000 daily meetings worldwide.

"Sr. Ignatia demonstrated the humility that alcoholics and addicts need if they are to obtain recovery,” said Don Davies, Executive Director of Rosary Hall. “We are proud to recognize her for the impact that she had on so many lives."