In a deeply meaningful contribution to the future of pediatric health care in Tampa Bay, the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany have committed a generous $1 million gift to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Foundation to support the creation of a new, dedicated chapel. The Sisters’ gift will support the spiritual centerpiece of the pediatric hospital’s new, freestanding facility, which will open in 2030 as Pagidipati Children’s Hospital at St. Joseph’s.

The chapel will offer a peaceful and sacred sanctuary where patients, families, and staff can reflect, pray, and find solace during times of hardship and healing. While the current children’s hospital shares a chapel with the adult campus, this generous gift ensures that the new facility will include a spiritual haven thoughtfully designed for children and their families—one that meets the unique emotional and spiritual needs of those navigating pediatric care.

The Franciscan Sisters of Allegany are deeply woven into the fabric of St. Joseph’s Hospital’s legacy. They brought their healing ministry to Tampa in 1934, establishing the original 40-bed hospital during the depths of the Great Depression. That bold and compassionate act sparked what would become a network of five St. Joseph’s Hospitals across West Central Florida—renowned for delivering award-winning care grounded in compassion and innovation.

Their mission, however, began decades earlier. Founded in 1859, the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany began as a teaching congregation and quickly grew to include health care, pastoral work, homes for the vulnerable, and other vital services in Jamaica, West Indies, Bolivia, Brazil, Mozambique and the United States—always rooted in the Franciscan values of respect, hospitality, and compassion for all, regardless of faith.

“The new chapel in the children’s hospital will be a sacred place,” said Sister Pat Shirley of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany. “A place where parents and children can gather before their God and ask for healing. A place where they can pray in thanksgiving for the healing work that has happened. A place of quiet in times of turmoil and fear. And a place where joy and relief can be shared in the presence of their God.”

The chapel will be located at the back of the main lobby on the hospital’s main floor and, although completely indoors, will be intentionally designed as a circular space situated within the healing garden. This thoughtful placement will allow abundant natural light to pour in, creating a warm, welcoming environment that is easily visible from both the garden and the main floor. The new, dedicated spiritual environment will serve as a quiet haven for patients, families, and care teams to pause, reflect and reconnect.

Stephanie Conners, president and CEO of BayCare Health System and Kate Sawa, president of St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation spoke to the Sisters during a dinner celebrating the gift at St. Elizabeth’s Convent in Tampa.

Special guests for the evening were Meghan and Ray Miller and their sons. Meghan spoke about why the current chapel was important to their family as they went through years of health challenges.

“The Franciscan Sisters of Allegany laid the foundation for the compassionate care that defines St. Joseph’s today,” said Kate Sawa, president of St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Foundation. “Their extraordinary gift ensures that this legacy lives on in a space created for reflection, faith, and healing. This chapel will be a sanctuary for families during their most vulnerable moments—a powerful symbol of the Sisters’ enduring commitment to care for the whole person: body, mind, and spirit.”

When Pagidipati Children’s Hospital at St. Joseph’s opens in 2030, it will be a premier destination for pediatric health care throughout West Central Florida—uniting top medical specialists, cutting-edge clinical research, and compassionate, family-centered care in one state-of-the-art facility thoughtfully designed for children and their families.