BULAWAYO MEMORIES

Hospitals - Mater Dei History

A private hospital in Bulawayo was seen as a necessity by the then Mayor of Bulawayo, Sandy Holmes, who had seen the excellent work of the Blue Nuns at St Anne's Hospital, Harare. Mr Holmes in touch with the then Bishop of Bulawayo, Bishop Arnoz, contacted Mother Francis who visited Bulawayo when visiting Kasaba, Zambia in 1950.

Mater Dei Hospital was established on 11 November 1950 by the Fransciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood.

Unfortunately Bishop Ignatius Arnoz died from cerebral malaria in 1950 before the hospital got underway, and it was his successor, Bishop Adolph Schmitt CMM who welcomed sisters George, Laetita, Brendan and John Forest to Bulawayo on 2 February 1952.

On 3 February 1952 Bishop Schmitt took the four sisters to the hospital site. The 26 acre area had been fenced and digging had commenced on the foundation trenches. A herd of duiker had been enclosed in the area, and a pride of lion still roamed in Burnside, about 3 miles up the road. The site was outside the town but the town was spreading rapidly and soon went beyond the hospital.

The Foundation stone was laid on 12 October 1952 by Governor H.A. Holmes MP after Bishop A Schmidt had blessed the new hospital. A bottle containing the names of the sisters present was put inside the foundation stone.

The sisters at this time lived with the Dominican Sisters in Lobengula Street for over a year, the sisters steadily increasing in number in readiness for the hospital.

Equipment and furnishings arrived weekly from England and South Africa being unpacked into a store room after being unpacked and checked.

An unexpected upset happened when the stockbroker went bankrupt and a considerable amount of money was lost, which had been lodged for the building payments. A High Court case ensued though the building went on.

The first patients were admitted at the end of July 1953. The first baby born was baptised Francis.

Mater Dei Hospital was officially opened on 15 August 1953.
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Sisters George, Laetita, Brendan and John Forest were to be the first of the pioneers, and set sail on the Capetown Castle on 19 January 1952, arriving in Bulawayo late at night on Saturday 2 February after a journey fraught with storms and strikes. (Sister Angela Clare, Teresa McGarry, Moira Davitt and John Forest). Three nursing Sisters Teresa Leahy, Attracta Kearins, and Phyllis Hoey together with Sister Maureen Banyard, a teacher, left Southhampton on SS Capetown Castle on 24 November 1955 being seen off by Mother Francis and Mother Andrew. They were met by Fr. Firwan on 8 December in Capetown before arrival in Bulawayo on 10 December. In 1955 there were 22 sisters running the whole hospital including kitchen, laundry, physiotherapy, radiography and pharmacy.

The Hospital started with a bed capacity of 50, in a bulding of 6 floors, with four floors operating for hospitalisation while the 4th and 5th floors were used as a Convent for the Sisters. In the 1970's the need for spacious accomodation became necessary and a beautiful convent was built alongside the hospital in 1971 and the old convent was refurbished into wards.

The first Board of Management was set up in 1970's thanks to the late Brian Calderwood in consultation with Mr John Lancaster, Sr Joachim Atkins and Dr Eric Cohen.

In the 1980's new extensions to the existing structure took place to accomodate extra beds. A new physiotherapy department was set up and refurbishments took place that included the first Intensive Care Unit with state of the art modern equipment with 6 beds. Sr Mary Elizabeth Share led this development.

The Foundation stone for the new Chapel and complex was laid on 14 May 1999 courtesy of the German Catholic Bishops. During this period a number of Senior FMDM Sisters retired. The Sisters numbers were diminishing and sadly no replacements were coming.

50 Year Celebrations in 2003
Sister Ann Kiely Superior General FMDM wrote in 2003: "As we look back at the last 50 years of Mater Dei Hospital, the two words which are an intergral part of the jubilee, ring out in our ears - Thanksgiving and Joy. Thanksgiving first of all to God, for all that He has done in and through all who have contributed to the growth and development of Mater Dei. Sincere thanks to our FMDM sisters who pioneered the building and set up the hospital, to the many sisters who continue to minister through the years, and to the somewhat smaller (but no less dedicated) number of sisters who are presently involved in the hospital today."

"The sisters came to Bulawayo at the request of Bishop Arnoz, and were warmly welcomed by his successor Bishop Schmidt. In 1974 it was the sisters turn to welcome Archbishop Karlen as the new Bishop of Bulawayo, and what a friend and shepherd you were to us for 24 years. When times were difficult you were always there to help us through. We continue to benefit from that same sense of appreciation from Archbishop Pius today whose constant support is outstanding. "Thank you" seems to be such an inadequate expression of how we feel. Your commitment to the sisters, the hospital staff and patients, has been aninvaluable strength, Archbishop, you are both friend and faithful pastor at all times."

"A sincere debt of gratitude is owed to the many members of staff, the doctors, the Executive Team, the Finance Committee, the Board of Management, and the Board of Trustees, for your commitment and dedicated service throughout the many changes of the past 50 years."

"Finally this celebration of Jubilee is addresses in a special way to you, the African people, to whom Mater Dei owes so much. When chatting with some of the sisters who have been part of the Mater Dei scene over the years I found over and over again that one of thegreatest lessons they learnt from you was a sense of joy in life. Pope John Paul said that, "the term Jubilee speaks of joy not just as an inner joy but a jubilation which is manifested outwardly". This is the sense of joy which you teach and continue to manifest today. No matter what the circumstances, your faces seem to express that deeper joy which is the ineffable sign of the presence of God within."
"May each one be blest with true joy and thanksgiving in the Lord."

Doctors serving the Mater Dei Hospital
Dr F.M. Chiwora, Dr E. Cohen, Dr J.C. Dlamini, Dr M.S. Fallala, Dr G. Ferguson,
Miss R. Hepworth, Dr N.T. Munyoro, Dr J. Olonga, Dr G.A. Stratfold, Dr B. Tatz, ,Dr S. Zwana,


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