About OSF Saint Joseph Medical Center Chapel · Bloomington, Illinois
The OSF Saint Joseph Medical Center Chapel is a Catholic chapel located inside OSF HealthCare Saint Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington, Illinois. Part of a hospital system owned and operated by the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, the chapel was rebuilt in 2025–2026 as a prominent, 24/7 sacred space near the hospital's main entrance off St. Joseph Drive. Although rooted in Catholic tradition and home to daily Roman Catholic Mass, the chapel welcomes people of all faith traditions who need a quiet place for prayer, reflection, or grief. Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria blessed and dedicated the new altar in April 2026.
- Established
- 1880
- Patron
- Saint Joseph
- Rector
- Father Rogers Byambaasa
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Peoria
Why belong here
The chapel exists to bring spiritual comfort to patients, families, and staff during some of the most vulnerable moments of life — illness, surgery, the birth of a child, or the loss of a loved one. Patients and families may request the Anointing of the Sick, daily Roman Catholic Mass is celebrated Wednesday through Sunday, and the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis together with the Chaplaincy team intercede daily in prayer for every pastoral need submitted. Anyone — Catholic or of another faith tradition — is welcome to step inside for quiet, prayer, or simply a moment of peace.
Mass times at OSF Saint Joseph Medical Center Chapel
Weekly Mass schedule
About the OSF Saint Joseph Medical Center Chapel
The chapel is a Catholic chapel located inside OSF HealthCare Saint Joseph Medical Center, 2200 East Washington Street in Bloomington, Illinois. It is the spiritual heart of a hospital founded in 1880 by the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis and now part of OSF HealthCare. While firmly Catholic in tradition — daily Roman Catholic Mass is celebrated there — the chapel is described by hospital leadership as a chapel 'for everybody and everything,' welcoming patients, families, staff, and people of any faith tradition who need a quiet place to reflect, pray, or grieve.
History of the Hospital and Chapel
OSF Saint Joseph Medical Center traces its roots to 1880, when Bishop John Lancaster Spalding asked the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis to establish their first Mission hospital. It opened that year in the former Waddle Mansion at Morris Avenue and South Water Street, with Sister M. Augustine Krasse, O.S.F., as first superior. A cornerstone was laid for the first expansion in 1883, and by 1968 a new $7.5 million facility on East Washington Street was blessed and dedicated — the site of today's hospital. The name changed to St. Joseph Medical Center in 1988 and added the OSF prefix in 1995. For years the hospital's original chapel was tucked away near surgery and hard to find. A new patient- and family-centered chapel was built prominently between the Emergency Department and a main entrance off St. Joseph Drive, and was blessed and unveiled in April 2026 by Bishop Louis Tylka during a Mass that included the blessing of the altar. The nearly $2.4 million project was funded largely through private donations.
- 1880 — St. Joseph's Hospital opens in the Waddle Mansion as the Sisters' first Mission hospital
- 1883 — First expansion cornerstone laid
- 1968 — New $7.5 million hospital blessed and dedicated on East Washington Street
- 1988 — Renamed St. Joseph Medical Center
- 1995 — 'OSF' added to facility name to create system identity
- 2023 — Three Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George welcomed as Mission Partners
- April 2026 — New chapel blessed and dedicated by Bishop Louis Tylka
Chaplaincy Services & Clergy
The Chaplaincy Services team is available 24 hours a day, offering holistic spiritual care, pastoral support, and encouragement to patients, families, and staff. The chaplaincy priest is Father Rogers Byambaasa, originally from Uganda, East Africa. Father Rogers holds a master's degree in human development counseling from Bradley University, has taught English and Christian religious education in high schools, and served as a pastor in Kenya. Before joining OSF St. Joseph in 2013, he spent 12 years at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria.
- Father Rogers Byambaasa — Chaplain / Priest
- Chaplaincy Services staff available 24/7
- Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis pray daily with the Chaplaincy team
Mass and Liturgical Schedule
Roman Catholic Mass is celebrated in the chapel Wednesday through Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Additional Masses are scheduled at 11:00 a.m. on Christmas Day and at 4:00 p.m. on Holy Saturday. Patients and family members may request the Anointing of the Sick by a priest, and the chapel contains a private confessional for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
- Wednesday–Sunday — 11:00 AM Roman Catholic Mass
- Holy Saturday — 4:00 PM Mass
- Christmas Day — 11:00 AM Mass
- Anointing of the Sick available on request
- Private confessional in the chapel
Pastoral Care & Prayer Support
Chaplaincy staff visit patients to introduce them to the pastoral services available and offer support and comfort. Patients or family members may request the Anointing of the Sick, and the team will also contact a patient's own faith community or pastor when asked. The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis together with Chaplaincy Services pray daily for each pastoral prayer request submitted. OSF HealthCare also maintains a Prayer Portal for employees to express their own pastoral prayer needs. The team additionally assists with Advance Care Planning and Power of Attorney for Health Care.
- Anointing of the Sick by priest on request
- Notification of a patient's home parish / faith community
- Daily intercessory prayer by Sisters and Chaplaincy team
- Prayer Portal for OSF Mission Partners (employees)
- Advance Care Planning and Power of Attorney for Health Care assistance
Chapel Building & Sacred Art
The new chapel seats 35 with overflow space for about 50. Warm wood tones on the altar and liturgical furnishings, natural light, and softly illuminated electric-powered votive candles create a calming, sacred atmosphere. Visitors are greeted by a statue of Saint Francis of Assisi relocated from the Mother House in Peoria. The Stations of the Cross, brought over from the original chapel, line the walls, and a private confessional is available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
- Seating for 35, overflow to ~50
- Statue of Saint Francis of Assisi (from Mother House, Peoria)
- Stations of the Cross (from the original hospital chapel)
- Electric votive candle stand for prayer intentions
- Private confessional
Auxiliary Meditation Garden
Visitors, family members, and employees can also enjoy the beauty and serenity of the Auxiliary's Meditation Garden. The garden is located at the south end of the walking trail along Veterans Parkway, just east of Eastland Medical Plaza II (Entrance B).
- Located south end of walking trail along Veterans Parkway
- Just east of Eastland Medical Plaza II (Entrance B)
- Open to visitors, family members, and employees
Visiting the Chapel
The chapel is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As of the most recent guidance on the OSF HealthCare site, access during the COVID-19 public-health period has been limited to OSF Mission Partners, current patients, and patient support persons; these guidelines may change as public-health guidance evolves. For more information about Chaplaincy Services at OSF St. Joseph, callers may reach the department at (309) 661-5026.
- Chapel open 24/7
- Currently limited to Mission Partners, patients, and patient support persons (per pandemic-era guidance)
- Chapel entrance off St. Joseph Drive, between the Emergency Department and the main hospital entrance
- Chaplaincy Services: (309) 661-5026