About Ascension St. Vincent's Southside Hospital · Jacksonville, Florida
Ascension St. Vincent's Southside Hospital is a 309-bed Catholic acute-care hospital at 4201 Belfort Road in Jacksonville, Florida, operated by Ascension (one of the largest non-profit Catholic health systems in the United States) as part of Ascension Florida's Jacksonville cluster. The hospital was originally founded in 1873 as St. Luke's Hospital — Florida's oldest private hospital — by three Jacksonville women and today functions as a full-service hospital with 24/7 emergency care and a wide range of specialty services. Catholic pastoral care is provided on campus by a team of chaplains, and a daily noon Mass is offered in the hospital chapel for patients, families, and staff.
- Established
- 1873
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Augustine
Why belong here
The chapel at Ascension St. Vincent's Southside exists to bring the spiritual ministry of a Catholic hospital to patients, families, visitors, and staff at one of Jacksonville's oldest continuously-operating private hospitals (founded 1873). Daily noon Mass is celebrated in the chapel for anyone on campus, and the hospital's chaplains welcome prayer requests and provide spiritual care throughout the week. For Catholics in the Southside of Jacksonville — and especially those facing illness, hospitalization, or a loved one's medical crisis — the chapel and pastoral-care team offer the sacraments, prayer, and presence that are central to Ascension's Catholic identity.
Mass times at Ascension St. Vincent's Southside Hospital
Weekly Mass schedule
About Ascension St. Vincent's Southside Hospital
Ascension St. Vincent's Southside Hospital is a 309-bed Catholic acute-care hospital located at 4201 Belfort Road in Jacksonville, Florida, in the Southside / Belfort Road area of Duval County. It is one of nine hospitals operated by Ascension Florida and is part of Ascension, one of the largest non-profit and Catholic health systems in the United States, with approximately 99,000 associates across 16 states and the District of Columbia. The campus offers 24/7 emergency care and advanced specialty services including stroke care, lung health, brain and spine care, cancer services, weight-loss surgery, orthopedic and spine surgery, heart and vascular care, maternity care at its Family Birth Place, imaging, lab, rehabilitation, and a Mobile Health Outreach Ministry.
History of the Southside Campus
The hospital is the direct institutional descendant of St. Luke's Hospital, which opened in Jacksonville in 1873 and is recognized as the oldest private hospital in Florida. St. Luke's was created by three local women — Mrs. Theodore (Susan) Hartridge, Mrs. Aristides (Anna) Doggett, and Mrs. J.D. (Myra) Mitchell — who founded the Relief Association of Jacksonville after two winter tourists died in 1872 unable to find care. The association opened in a rented two-room farmhouse and broke ground on a new brick hospital in 1875; that building was destroyed by arson in 1876 and was replaced in 1878 by the still-standing Old St. Luke's building on Palmetto Street, the first structure in Florida designed as a modern hospital. St. Luke's moved to a new Eighth Street building in Springfield in 1914, relocated to the Belfort Road site in 1984, and was operated by Mayo Clinic from 1987 to 2008 before joining the St. Vincent's HealthCare family in 2008 and being renamed St. Vincent's Medical Center Southside in 2012. It became part of Ascension Health nationally and was rebranded Ascension St. Vincent's Southside in 2019.
- 1873 — St. Luke's Hospital Association founded by Hartridge, Doggett, and Mitchell
- 1875 — groundbreaking for first purpose-built hospital
- 1876 — first new hospital destroyed by arson
- 1878 — Old St. Luke's Hospital opens on Palmetto Street (still standing)
- 1885 — St. Luke's Nursing Program established (first modern nursing school in Florida)
- 1888 — Jacksonville Board of Health assumes operations
- 1914 — St. Luke's moves to Springfield
- 1984 — St. Luke's relocates to the current Belfort Road site
- 1987–2008 — operated by Mayo Clinic
- April 2008 — acquired by St. Vincent's HealthCare
- January 2012 — renamed St. Vincent's Medical Center Southside
- 2019 — renamed Ascension St. Vincent's Southside under the Ascension rebrand
Catholic Identity and Pastoral Care
As a Ministry of the Catholic Church, Ascension St. Vincent's Southside is a non-profit hospital governed by a local board of trustees and is represented through Ascension's religious-sponsorship structure. Its Mission statement — "Rooted in the loving ministry of Jesus as healer, we commit ourselves to serving all persons with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable" — frames the campus's spiritually-centered, holistic care. A team of chaplains provides pastoral care to patients, families, and staff; prayer requests can be emailed to [email protected] and are prayed for weekly by the chaplaincy team. The hospital chapel, located on the main campus, hosts daily Mass and serves as a quiet space for prayer and reflection.
- Catholic health ministry under Ascension
- Chaplaincy team available for patients, families, and staff
- Weekly prayer requests via [email protected]
- Hospital chapel for Mass and quiet prayer
Mass and Chapel Schedule
Daily Mass is celebrated in the hospital chapel Monday through Friday at 12:00 PM (noon) for patients, visitors, families, and staff. Weekend Masses are not regularly scheduled at the hospital chapel; weekend Masses in the area are hosted at nearby Catholic parishes such as Prince of Peace (Bennett Road, 32216) and Blessed Trinity (Beach Blvd, 32246). For confession, adoration, and other devotions at the hospital chapel, arrangements can typically be made through the pastoral-care team.
- Monday 12:00 PM Mass
- Tuesday 12:00 PM Mass
- Wednesday 12:00 PM Mass
- Thursday 12:00 PM Mass
- Friday 12:00 PM Mass
Ministries and Outreach
In addition to inpatient pastoral care, Ascension St. Vincent's Southside supports community-focused ministries that extend the Catholic health mission beyond the hospital walls. The campus partners in Faith Community Nursing, Mobile Health Outreach Ministry, and periodic Medical Mission at Home community events that bring screenings and services to underserved neighborhoods in Duval County.
- Faith Community Nursing
- Mobile Health Outreach Ministry
- Medical Mission at Home events
- Community-based clinics and health screenings
Services and Specialties
As a full-service 309-bed hospital, Ascension St. Vincent's Southside provides 24/7 emergency care and advanced specialty care for serious and life-threatening conditions. The hospital is a destination for stroke care, lung health, brain and spine care, cancer services, weight-loss (bariatric) surgery, orthopedic and spine surgery, heart and vascular care, and women's health, including the Family Birth Place maternity unit. A range of minimally invasive procedures, imaging and laboratory tests, and rehabilitation services are also available on site.
- 24/7 emergency department
- Stroke, lung, brain, and spine care
- Cancer services
- Weight-loss / bariatric surgery
- Orthopedic and spine surgery
- Heart and vascular care
- Family Birth Place maternity
- Imaging, lab, and rehabilitation
Ascension Florida — Broader Network
Ascension St. Vincent's Southside is part of Ascension Florida, which includes Ascension St. Vincent's Riverside, Ascension St. Vincent's Clay County, and Ascension St. Vincent's St. Johns County in Northeast Florida, plus Sacred Heart Pensacola, The Studer Family Children's Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart, Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast, Ascension Sacred Heart Bay, and Ascension Sacred Heart Gulf in Northwest Florida. Ascension Florida operates more than 190 other sites of care and employs more than 12,000 associates across the state. In FY2024, Ascension provided $2.1 billion nationally in care of persons living in poverty and other community-benefit programs.
- Ascension St. Vincent's Riverside
- Ascension St. Vincent's Clay County
- Ascension St. Vincent's St. Johns County
- Sacred Heart Pensacola and Studer Family Children's Hospital
- Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast, Bay, and Gulf