Monument of Charity

Thomas F. Rzeznik is Professor of History at Seton Hall University and co-editor of the quarterly journal, American Catholic Studies. He is author of Church and Estate: Religion and Wealth in Industrial Era Philadelphia and co-editor with Margaret M. McGuinness of The Cambridge Companion to American Catholicism.

"Engaging and informative, Rzeznik's lively account of this longstanding New York City institution offers a panoramic history of Catholic health care in America – and the faithful, savvy, and innovative women who served as its pillars. St. Vincent's may be no more, but his research makes clear that its legacy of care and community endures." - Kathleen Sprows Cummings, author of A Saint of Our Own: How the Quest for a Holy Hero Helped Catholics Become American "A Monument of Charity is the perfect title for this book. The book itself will be a monument to the thousands of sisters and their incredibly competent and compassionate staff who made St. Vincent's the model it was. The research is compelling and has important lessons for us today as we try to maintain Catholic hospitals that are vibrant in mission and management and what a treasure they are for our country." - Sister Carol Keehan, Former President and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the United States "At a time of turmoil in health care delivery in the United States today, this thoroughly researched and well-written book is a reminder of how hospitals historically have worked to meet the needs of the most vulnerable. The book movingly brings the hospital to life through its workers' responses to the cholera epidemic of the mid-nineteenth century, the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, the sinking of the Titanic, the AIDS crisis, and the attacks of 9/11." - Barbra Mann Wall, author of American Catholic Hospitals: A Century of Changing Markets and Missions "This deftly written and extensively researched history of St. Vincent's Hospital is essential reading for those interested in the development of the U.S. Catholic healthcare network. Rzeznik provides us with a clear picture of the highs and lows involved in administering a complex institution dedicated to providing health care to NYC residents from all socio-economic backgrounds." - Margaret M. McGuinness, author of Called to Serve: A History of Nuns in America "Rzeznik chronicles the rise and fall of the storied hospital, arguing that its legacy touches on everything from the church's ongoing healthcare ministry to the role of women in the church." - National Catholic Reporter