Legacy of Generosity Lives on Through Faedo Family
Aside from the traditional materials used for constructing a building, you’ll find something very special within St. Joseph’s Hospitals: generosity. It’s in every hallway, room and patient interaction. You’ll even find generosity in the very soil the hospital stands on.
What was once a 70-acre cow pasture owned by the Faedo family was sold to the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany to build a much-needed hospital, even after a development firm made a much higher offer. Today, the Faedo family’s legacy lives on through their great granddaughter, Denise, who is a mother and baby nurse right here at St. Joseph’s Hospitals.
It began 90 years ago, when Tampa Bay was much more rural, and our hospital campus was a 70-acre dairy farm owned by Denise’s great grandmother, Josephine Faedo.
“My dad’s grandmother was an orphan who ran away from Spain with her twin, and when they arrived in Cuba, they separated and she never saw them again,” said Denise.
“She was raised by nuns in the orphanages, and so my dad believes that’s where she must have developed a special place in her heart for the Sisters. When she and my dad’s grandfather started the dairy farm, she would give orders that if someone didn’t have money for the milk, they were to still leave milk for them. If there was a baby in the home, they were to leave an extra quart, and if any milk was left, they would leave the remaining milk at the churches and schools so that they would have something to drink and not have empty bellies – so no child would wake up hungry.”
During this time, in 1934, the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany had just brought their healing ministry to Tampa with the founding of the original 40-bed St. Joseph’s Hospital near downtown Tampa. The country was struggling in the depths of the Great Depression, and from the Sisters’ point of view, there was no time of greater need.
In 1959, when it was time to open a new, larger hospital that could accommodate the growing needs of the community, Sister Loretto Mary Ballou and Sister Mary Theresa Collins spotted the Faedo family’s farm. Sister Theresa confidently said, “This is the spot for the new St. Joseph’s Hospital.” Sister Loretto Mary agreed and returned to St. Joseph’s, called Dr. Joseph Cabanzo, and asked him to contact the Faedo family, who were his patients, to arrange a purchase.
“My great grandmother was a very generous woman, and she had a close relationship with the Sisters,” said Denise. “Though she was offered much more money for her farm, she firmly turned it down. She wanted it to become a hospital to care for the community she loved.”
Strong in her Catholic faith, Josephine declared that the land should go to the Sisters for the benefit of all who needed health and healing in the Tampa Bay community. That was it, her mind was made up.
Fast forward to today, and St. Joseph’s Hospital has since expanded into four facilities that treat some of the most complex medical and surgical conditions, all noted for providing high-quality, compassionate care. And the Faedo family legacy is still going strong with Josephine’s great granddaughter, Denise, who is a dedicated mother and baby nurse on the fourth floor at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital.
“I find it truly remarkable to be part of the family history associated with the land,” said Denise. “And I feel fortunate to continue to be able to contribute to its legacy today. My favorite thing about what I do is being able to see the joy in new parents’ eyes as they welcome their new bundle of joy. We experience little miracles daily, and that’s what it’s all about – that’s what it’s been about since the beginning.”
As we celebrate 90 years of excellence at St. Joseph’s Hospitals, we also celebrate the countless people like the Faedos who have embraced our healing ministry over the years. So many lives have been touched and healed by the incredible team members throughout St. Joseph’s Hospitals, who continue to carry on the Franciscan tradition of offering hope and compassion to our community, ensuring each person’s medical, spiritual, and emotional needs are met, regardless of faith.