PAT CORMACK SCSC
PROVINCIAL, HOLY CROSS SISTERS
The Sisters arrived in Merrill on October 24, 1923 and moved into Scott Mansion after the building had been unoccupied for some time and had come to the city because of unpaid taxes. It took those first sisters time to make the building habitable, and it served as a convent until 1947 when Holy Cross Convent was opened. The Mansion served many purposes over the time from 1947 until we sold the building to Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) in 1991.
We have researched all our written records regarding the sale and have found no evidence that CHI and Good Samaritan Hospital made any agreement to preserve the mansion. We are sure that if you check the deed recorded by the county at the time of the sale, you would see that it makes no mention of any conditions of sale beyond the transfer of title.
We also have not found any references in our documents to a verbal agreement. Even if there had been, the ownership has changed two times since then and would make any verbal agreements a moot point. The sisters who served in leadership at the time of the sale have no recollection of such a commitment.
As to the question of how the sisters feel about the plans to demolish the building, we can say that this is not the first time the future of the mansion has been discussed by citizens of the city. It was discussed in 1923 when city leaders decided they valued building and staffing a hospital over owning a historic site. Now, the current owners are considering that same value.
While we are sad at such a loss the sisters’ focus has always been on providing service to others. In 1990, when we established Bell Tower Residence, it required us to let go and move out of Holy Cross Convent trading our home for services to the elderly.
Now, we are more concerned to see that access to the hospital and the healthcare services it provides is secure, given all the challenges in the present economic and healthcare environment. We would find it difficult to justify an investment of such proportions if it meant less funding for or the end of the local hospital for the citizens of Merrill and of the county. We believe that Ascension Health has also considered this as it works with Aspirus to carry on this important service to the city.