MONTAGUE — The town celebrated the legacy of the Farren Memorial Hospital, as well as the Farren Care Center that came after it, on Sunday as part of the newly proclaimed Farren Memorial Appreciation Day.
The ceremony, which drew roughly 100 attendees to Our Lady of Peace Church, featured several speakers with ties to the former acute care hospital turned long-term care facility.
William Byrne, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, and Stan Aksamit, pastor of Our Lady of Peace Church, spoke about the Farren’s impact.
“We gather today to express our gratitude for the Farren Memorial Hospital and the Farren Care Center,” Byrne said. “We give thanks for Bernard N. Farren, who created a compassionate place of healing, both for those who needed acute care and who could not afford the cost of health care elsewhere.”
The Farren Care Center opened in November 1900. The Montague City Road facility was originally called the Farren Memorial Hospital until it closed in 1988, and was later renamed the Farren Care Center once it started operating as a general care facility. The long-term care facility closed in 2021, patients were transferred elsewhere and the structure was demolished.
In October 2024, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ statue that once stood at the former Farren lot was moved to the front of Our Lady of Peace Church. An inscription was added to the granite stone where the statue stands, and a granite bench was placed in front of the statue. A new garden and stone pathway called “Pathway of Bricks” was added, featuring the names of those who donated money to help fund the memorial for the Farren.
Aksamit offered his appreciation for the donors who helped see this project come to fruition, sharing how the project raised $30,000 for the creation of the memorial, with $22,000 used thus far and $7,500 remaining for maintenance.
Aksamit shared that Montague Selectboard Vice Chair Richard Kuklewicz and staff at Montague Town Hall worked with him to help see this project through. Kuklewicz read the Farren Memorial Appreciation Day proclamation that the Selectboard signed on Sept. 15.
David Ault, the great-grandson of Bernard Farren, recalled the success of the 20th-century industrialist as well as his strong faith, love for family and desire to help others.
“The Farren Hospital was built by Mr. Farren for the benefit of the local community, to provide care for all in need, regardless of one’s creed or religion, and to provide free services to deserving families,” Ault said. “The extended Farren family is honored to be part of this dedication for the benefit of the community and the church, and the legacy of all the caring people of the Farren Memorial Hospital.”
Sisters of Providence President Kathleen Popko spoke of the history of the Sisters and their legacy as caregivers at the Farren. She spoke about the 120-year history of their involvement, noting their courage in helping the community through the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and being a part of the transformation of the Farren Memorial Hospital into the Farren Care Center.
“Sister Joan Mullen, who spent many years at Farren, said, ‘The archives kept referring to Farren as this small rural hospital,'” Popko shared, quoting Mullen. “But, she said, ‘We never knew we were small. We believed we did great things in big ways.'”
Marie Putala spoke of the “candy striper” volunteers, while Amelie Johnson shared her family history with the Farren. Speaking on behalf of the nurses was Joan May, who talked about her experiences at the care center.
To conclude the ceremony, Byrne, joined by the clergy of Our Lady of Peace and members of the Sisters of Providence, gathered for a blessing of the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue, followed by a group blessing with holy water.
After the ceremony, Byrne said it was a “privilege” to be part of the celebration.
“It’s also a reminder of just what crisis we have, especially in the space of medical care, in particular in western Massachusetts,” he shared. “We’re reminded of the void that we are
experiencing.”
Moving forward, Byrne said he hopes the memorial serves as an inspiration for those in health care and those who want to become health care workers.
“I hope it’s a moment of inspiration for men and women,” he said, “maybe to go into health care, be nurses, nurse aides, and serve people in this beautiful way.”
