In 1216 St. Dominic was granted permission of the Holy See to establish a new Order for the single purpose of preaching and the salvation of souls, to bring healing and hope to the lost, the last and the least of his day. He formed his brothers to embrace and proclaim the message of the Gospel to be consolers to all in distress, especially by faithful preaching and the administration of the Sacraments. St. Dominic’s extraordinary vision has endured for over eight hundred years, across every part of the world.

Dominican Friars have exercised Parish ministry in this neighborhood since 1867, with the foundation of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish. The Church of St. Catherine of Siena was established in 1897, first as a mission of St. Vincent Ferrer and then as its own parish. Over more than 150 years, the Parish has grown to include two Dominican churches, two communities of Friars, two communities of Sisters, two high schools, an administrative center for the Order, and a hospital chaplaincy. Parish life throughout these generations has been shaped by the common life of the Dominican brothers and sisters. In 2015, St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Catherine of Siena were merged into one parish, sharing a common preaching of the Gospel. In 2018 we celebrated 150 years of ministry to the East Side, and in 2022 the 125^th anniversary of ministry at St. Catherine of Siena.

In 1932 Cornell University Medical College and New York Hospital moved to their current joint location on York Avenue, and Dominican priests extended their spiritual care to the sick and those who care for them. Other hospitals and medical centers moved to the neighborhood in following years (especially Memorial Hospital in 1939 and Hospital for Special Surgery in 1955, among other institutions) and they continue to expand their presence. Today there are over 2,000 hospital beds in the neighborhood. St. Catherine of Siena is the patron of those who care for the sick, and it is a remarkable sign of her patronage that so many hospitals should choose to move within her church’s care.

Over the past century, the physical and spiritual care for the sick has been marked by men and women of great holiness, often hidden. Of particular note is Servant of God Rose Hawthorne. Rose, daughter of author Nathaniel Hawthorne, gave up a life of privilege to care for destitute persons afflicted with incurable cancer. After training as a nurse at New York Cancer Hospital, which would later become Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, she founded the Dominican Sisters of the Congregation of St. Rose of Lima (Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne) for this arduous apostolate. Today the congregation continues her mission, providing unparalleled care to patients with incurable cancer without cost, and the Rose Hawthorne Guild is promoting her cause for canonization.

In 2002, the Dominican Province of Saint Joseph determined to broaden its healthcare ministry in New York. A new focus on healthcare ethics and education in spiritual care was added to the pastoral ministries at Saint Catherine’s Church and in the area hospitals. This newly envisioned ministry was first named Dominican Friars Health Care Ministry of New York, and later simplified to Dominican Healthcare Ministry.

Today, Dominican Healthcare Ministry includes the work of five full-time friars, supported by lay Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and other volunteers. In partnership with hospitals and healthcare centers on the East Side, the Archdiocese of New York, the Parish of Saint Vincent Ferrer and Saint Catherine of Siena, the Dominican Shrine of Saint Jude, and others, we continue to serve the spiritual needs of the sick, the dying, their loved ones, and the staff who care for them.