The Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart founded Queen of Angels Hospital in 1926. Father Wilhelm Berger, founder of the Franciscan Sisters, defined their ministries as ‘works of neighborly love.’ With the establishment of the hospital, the sisters accepted the challenge to serve the poor, the sick and the aging of Los Angeles for more than a half-century. Despite enduring The Great Depression and World War II, the healing center fell victim to financial troubles in the early 1980′s, forcing a merger with neighboring Hollywood Clara Barton Memorial Hospital. The newer medical facility, located just three miles away, was renamed Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in 1989, at which time Queen of Angels Hospital closed its doors. The site was mostly vacant but for a handful of loyal Franciscan Sisters that undertook caretaking duties. The property was also a popular location for commercial, film, music video and television productions. The owner of the facility rejected lucrative offers from major entertainment companies in favor of Pastors Tommy and Matthew Barnett’s vision to convert the facility into The Dream Center. The Barnetts decided to offer $3.9 million dollars, and ‘The Church That Never Sleeps’ ended up establishing its new home in 1996, touching 80,000 lives every month.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 11:27:31 +0000