04/02/2026
to April 2018, when during a building project at Pana Community Hospital, a special piece of our history was uncovered — a stone engraved with “Sisters of Misericorde.” As with any building project, unexpected expenses can come up, and the question was asked: how much is this going to cost us to extract the stone? It was decided that a case of Stag beer would be sufficient! Thanks to the care and craftsmanship of O'Shea Builders, the stone was carefully removed, restored, and has now returned home and been placed in our landscaping as a tribute to the women who played such an important role in our hospital’s history.
This portion of the Sisters’ story was written by Tom Phillips, past Pana News Palladium Editor:
Casting about with his usual critical eye, observing mind, good judgement, and inmost desire for best results, the ever zealous Father Moroney was attracted to the restful work of the Sisters of Misericorde of the Oak Park, Illinois hospital, a Catholic institution. Upon invitation of Father Breen, C.S.V., he visited that institution and so pleased was he with his investigations of the work that he instituted an earnest and successful labor to induce the Nuns of this same Sisterhood to come to Pana and take up the humanitarian and Godly work of their order. The wiseness of choice of these good Sisters to take charge of the soon to be erected Huber Memorial Hospital is evidenced by the results of the past thirteen years of these Good Sisters' labors aided by the counsel of Father Moroney and the devoted and unsurpassed services of a continuous and successive staff of competent and skillful physicians, surgeons, and nurses. Events for the er****on, dedication and placing up on a basis of successful supervision and maintenance of the Huber Memorial Hospital followed in rapid succession.
We are proud to preserve this piece of our history and honor the legacy of the Sisters of Misericorde, whose compassion and commitment helped lay the foundation for the care we continue to provide our community today. 💙