Dear OSIA Brothers and Sisters: Some updated information on Mercy House, a home for the terminally ill to be located in St. Casimirs Church in Endicott, NY . The New York State Grand Lodge Foundation, Inc. generously donated $5,000 to this most worthy endeavor. Holy Family church plans to open 10-bed residential home in Endicott Organizers stand in front of the former St. Casimirs Church in Endicott. They are working to open the church as Mercy House, a home for the terminally ill. The organizers are clockwise Sister Joanna Monticello, executive director; Dave DeAngelo, business manager; Anthony Paniccia, board president; and the Rev. Clarence Rumble, pastor of Church of the Holy Family. (Photo: Connie McKinney / Correspondent Photo ) Story Highlights Mercy House is modeled after Francis House in Syracuse It will be located in the former St. Casimirs Church in Endicott Work is expected to begin in the next couple of weeks CONNECTTWEETLINKEDINCOMMENTEMAILMORE A giant leap of faith is how organizers describe a plan hatched two years ago at the Church of the Holy Family in Endwell. Now that faith, along with planning and hard work, is paying off with the planned opening next April of Mercy House, the first residential home for the terminally ill in Broome and Tioga counties. Modeled after Francis House in Syracuse and located in the former St. Casimirs Church in Endicott, the 10-bed facility will serve patients who can no longer stay at home. Its designed to be an alternative to hospital and nursing home care, said Sister Joanna Monticello, a member of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart and executive director of the new facility. It will provide compassionate end of life care. It will be their home until the Lord calls them home, she said. The idea for Mercy House came from the Rev. Clarence Rumble, pastor at the Church of the Holy Family, formed in 2008 with the merger of Our Lady of Angels and Christ the King churches. This rendering shows what Mercy House is expected to look like when it is finished. (Photo: Photo provided ) When he began as pastor, Rumble said, he was impressed by the churchs active human development committee. Over the years, parishioners have gone to Haiti to work on a water filtration system and contributed funds to a school in Africa. At a church board meeting Rumble asked, we do things for other people, what can we do for our own community? What followed was the formation of a steering committee that visited Francis House and researched the need for a similar facility locally. They told us there was a definite need, Rumble said, pointing to Broome and Tiogas elderly population and the fact that children have often moved away. Since then the planning effort has grown to encompass some 50 participants. They include parishioners from the Church of the Holy Family as well as members from other churches and community residents. The Endwell church recently closed on the purchase of the St. Casimir building at 212 North McKinley Ave. and received zoning board approval. Organizers have also raised some $400,000 in donations, including a $250,000 donation from the Lourdes Hospital Foundation, arranged by Anthony Paniccia, president of the Mercy House board. The next step is to convert the former St. Casimirs to a residential facility. That work is expected to begin in the next couple of weeks and will be overseen by Delta Engineers, Architects and Land Surveyors. P.C. Chianis Anderson Architects is also assisting in the design work. Its a big concept thats becoming a reality. Its humbling, said Monticello who has worked with Lourdes Hospice for the past 10 years. Mercy House will open with 10 patients beds and two suites for visiting family members. The facility will provide 24-hour, holistic care to meet the social and spiritual needs of patients and their families, organizers said. This will include private bedrooms, meals and laundry Organizers emphasize one point: The facility will not be an institutional setting. Its not going to be linoleum and green walls, said Business Manager Dave DeAngelo. It will be designed around a main meeting room, a dining room, library and chapel. Lourdes Hospice, which already provides out-patient care to the terminally ill, will oversee medical care at Mercy House and receive Medicare reimbursement. Lourdes Hospice staff will also evaluate patients for admission. To be admitted, a person must have a life expectancy of three months, or less, and an illness that is progressing at a steady rate. Otherwise, Mercy House will be open to all regardless of religion, race or financial resources. Those who can pay will be asked to donate toward the cost of their care. But no one will be turned away because of the lack of money, DeAngelo said. Mother Theresa of Calcutta has said working with the dying is as close to heaven as well get on earth. Thats what Mercy House is all about, Monticello said. The facility will not receive county, state or federal funding, organizers said. Costs will be covered by patient contributions and donations from individuals, corporations and foundations. Rumble estimated it will cost $650,000 to cover annual expenses. But organizers believe they have a good business model, pointing to the fact that Syracuses Francis House has been open for 23 years with the same model. Its definitely a leap of faith. But Broome and Tioga absolutely has the number to maintain it, DeAngelo said. Aiding the project Mercy House will host a fund raiser from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Church of the Holy Family, 3600 Phyliss St., Endwell. It will feature a wine sampling and silent auction. The cost is $50 a ticket. Call Mercy House at 321-1857 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays for information and reservations. Donations can be made to Church of the Holy Family c/o Mercy House, 3600 Phyllis St., Endicott, NY 13760.
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 16:22:37 +0000