Providence Home Celebrates 80th Anniversary
Last Sunday afternoon, the chapel at Providence Home in Jasper began filling up slowly. About 30 minutes before the Mass began, Rosemarie Gramelspacher began to lead the glorious mysteries of the rosary. St. Joseph, Jasper, parishioners Dolores Kuper and Charlene Bachman joined her.
Soon the sun-filled chapel was filled with residents, family members, friends and board members. They were all there to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the home, which is located near St. Joseph parish.
Sons of Divine Providence Father Angelo Quadrini, the superior, said that the home was established in 1933 as a place for "needy people," including the “homeless, those with an addiction of drinking, and for those newly out of prison, giving them an opportunity to have a roof overhead and a meal on the table for two or three months before they would go back to the community."
The focus of the home changed a bit in the 1940s and 1950s, as more and more residents had mental and physical handicaps. Things changed again when the state of Indiana demanded that those residents not be in institutions but instead be placed in group homes in their communities. "We lost a lot of residents," Father Angelo said of that era.
In 1978, the facility became a nursing home – and the doors were opened to both men and women, Catholics and non-Catholics.
Today the 60-bed facility is open to the mentally and physically handicapped and to the elderly. It accepts Medicare and Medicaid patients as well as private-pay patients.
Bishop Charles C. Thompson was the main celebrant at the Mass last Sunday. He was joined by Father Ray Brenner, pastor at St. Joseph Parish; Deacon John Huether from Precious Blood Parish in Jasper and St. Mary Parish in Ireland; and Father Angelo.
The bishop began his homily by focusing on the first reading, noting it "speaks to us of something we as human beings need and desire -- mercy." Mercy is "given to us as a gift, and is not an entitlement."
The Gospel on Sunday presented the story of a tax collector named Zacchaeus, a man short in stature who climbed a tree in order to see Jesus as he passed through Jericho. When Jesus spotted Zacchaeus, he said, "Come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house."
Zacchaeus heard the grumbling in the crowd as people complained about Jesus eating with a sinner. He pressed on, telling Jesus that half of his possessions he will give to the poor, and if he has extorted anything from anyone, he shall repay it four times over.
The bishop asked those attending the anniversary Mass, "If we met Jesus, would we be that transformed?"
He added, "Each time we are at Mass, we are like Zacchaeus coming to get a glimpse of the One who makes a difference."
We are "never too young or too old to hear that message," the bishop said. He thanked Father Angelo and all of the Sons of Divine Providence who had served at Providence Home over the last 80 years, noting that Father Angelo had a "Christ-like way of reaching out to so many people."
