About St. Mary Medical Center Chapel · Langhorne, Pennsylvania
St. Mary Medical Center Chapel is the Catholic hospital chapel located inside St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It is operated by the Spiritual Care Department of Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, a Catholic health system descended from the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, and serves patients, families, staff, and visitors of the 371-bed Level II Trauma Center. Daily noon Mass, a monthly Memorial Mass, bi-monthly Interfaith Memorial Services, 24-hour chaplain coverage, the Anointing of the Sick, and Reconciliation on request are provided within and through the chapel, alongside the medical center's No One Dies Alone and Bereavement programs.
- Established
- 1973
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (hospital is named St. Mary; original Philadelphia hospital founded under the patronage of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Why belong here
St. Mary Medical Center Chapel exists primarily to bring Catholic spiritual care to patients, families, and staff inside a Catholic hospital — anyone hospitalized, visiting a loved one, or working at the medical center can step into the chapel for daily noon Mass, quiet prayer, or simply a place of refuge in the midst of illness. Its ministries extend well beyond the chapel walls: 24-hour chaplain coverage, the Anointing of the Sick and Reconciliation on request, daily Holy Communion brought to patient rooms by more than 100 trained Extraordinary Minister volunteers, the No One Dies Alone companion program, and a six-week Bereavement Program open to the wider community all reflect the hospital's mission to care for the whole person — body and soul — in the Franciscan tradition begun by Mother Francis Bachmann and the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia in 1855.
Mass times at St. Mary Medical Center Chapel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sacrament of Reconciliation available to inpatients upon request — contact a chaplain at 215-710-5902
History of St. Mary Medical Center
St. Mary Medical Center traces its origin to 1855, when Maria Anna Boll Bachmann — Mother Francis — founded the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia with the blessing of Bishop (later Saint) John Neumann. The Sisters opened the first St. Mary Hospital in Philadelphia in 1860 after a smallpox epidemic revealed their gift for nursing. With population booming in lower Bucks County, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia purchased a 73-acre horse farm known as Buena Vista ('good view'). Members of the Sisters surveyed the Langhorne land in the 1960s, ground was broken in 1970, and the new hospital opened in February 1973 as a 128-bed, one-building facility staffed by nearly 200 physicians. In the 1990s it was renamed St. Mary Medical Center; in 1996 it became an Eastern Region member of Catholic Health Initiatives. It merged with Catholic Health East in 2013 and is now part of Trinity Health.
- 1855 — Mother Francis Bachmann founds the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia
- 1860 — First St. Mary Hospital opens in Philadelphia
- 1970 — Ground broken on Buena Vista horse farm in Langhorne
- 1973 — St. Mary Hospital opens with 128 beds and ~200 physicians
- 1976 — First exercise stress testing in Bucks County
- 1991 — First cardiac catheterization lab in the county
- 1992 — St. Mary CPE Program established and ACPE-accredited
- 1996 — Renamed St. Mary Medical Center; joins Catholic Health Initiatives Eastern Region
- 2012 — Helicopter landing pad added
- 2013 — Merges with Catholic Health East; becomes part of Trinity Health
The Chapel & Daily Mass
The St. Mary Chapel is located inside St. Mary Medical Center and serves as the spiritual heart of the hospital. Mass is celebrated daily at noon in the chapel, and morning prayers are recited over the hospital's public-address system. A Memorial Mass is offered on the third Wednesday of every month at 11:30 a.m. for patients who have died at the medical center and the loved ones of colleagues, and a bi-monthly Interfaith Memorial Service is held on the third Saturday of the month at 11 a.m.
- Daily noon Mass
- Memorial Mass — 3rd Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.
- Interfaith Memorial Service — 3rd Saturday (bi-monthly), 11:00 a.m.
- Morning prayers over PA system
Sacraments for Patients & Families
Through the Spiritual Care Department, Catholic patients and their families have ready access to the Church's pastoral sacraments. The Anointing of the Sick and the Sacrament of Reconciliation are available to inpatients upon request, Baptisms are performed when requested, and more than 100 trained Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion bring the Eucharist to patient rooms each day. Holy Communion is distributed daily.
- Anointing of the Sick — on request
- Reconciliation (Confession) — on request
- Holy Communion brought to patient rooms daily
- Baptism — for hospitalized patients on request
Spiritual Care & 24-Hour Chaplaincy
St. Mary's Spiritual Care Department is staffed by professional chaplains — laypersons, clergy, and religious who hold Master's degrees in Divinity or Theology and are certified by the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) or the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC). A chaplain is present in the hospital 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can be reached at 215-710-5902 or by asking any nurse. Chaplains support patients, families, and staff through critical moments, provide Advance Directives guidance, and conduct rituals such as Memorial Services and Baptisms.
- 24/7 chaplain coverage — 215-710-5902
- Chaplains certified by APC and NACC
- Advance Directives guidance
- Pastoral counseling for patients, families, and staff
No One Dies Alone (NODA)
St. Mary Medical Center's No One Dies Alone (NODA) program provides specially trained volunteer Comfort Companions who sit with terminal patients who have no visitors or whose family needs respite. Companions may stay for several hours or around the clock. The program is arranged through the Volunteer Office at 215-710-2097.
- Trained Comfort Companion volunteers
- Coverage from a few hours to 24/7
- Available to any hospitalized patient with a terminal illness
Bereavement Program
Trained and certified chaplains and bereavement counselors conduct a six-week Bereavement Program three times a year (fall, winter, and spring) for community members grieving a recent loss. Groups meet simultaneously on Monday evenings and Wednesday afternoons in the Spiritual Care Department Conference Room. No registration is required, and all are welcome.
- Six-week sessions in fall, winter, and spring
- Monday evening and Wednesday afternoon groups
- Open to the wider community — no registration required
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)
Established in 1992 and accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), the St. Mary CPE Program trains chaplains within a Catholic institution that is a member of Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic. Successful completion can prepare students to seek board certification with the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), the Association for Professional Chaplains (APC), or Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC). Classes are primarily held at St. Mary Medical Center with virtual options, and clinical placements are available across the Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic region.
- ACPE-accredited since 1992
- Manager: Imam Dr. Jawad Bayat, ACPE Certified Educator
- Pathway to board certification (NACC, APC, NAJC)
- Placements at St. Mary, Nazareth, Mercy Fitzgerald, and Saint Francis hospitals
Community Outreach & Spiritual Health
The Spiritual Care Department offers community education in the form of seminars on Advance Directives, ethical issues in healthcare, supportive care of the dying, faith development, and bereavement. It also hosts retreats and days of recollection for St. Mary staff, volunteers, and caregivers from neighboring institutions. For more information, call 215-710-5902.
- Seminars on Advance Directives and end-of-life ethics
- Retreats and days of recollection for staff and volunteers
- Bereavement and faith-development programming
Visiting the Medical Center
St. Mary Medical Center sits on a 53-acre campus at 1201 Langhorne-Newtown Road in the Langhorne section of Middletown Township, Bucks County. The chapel is inside the main hospital building. Patients and visitors should check in at the main entrance; a chaplain is on site 24/7 at 215-710-5902 or via any nurse.
- Address: 1201 Langhorne-Newtown Road, Langhorne, PA 19047
- Main hospital: 215-710-2000
- Spiritual Care: 215-710-5902
- On-site parking; SEPTA bus/rail service nearby