Brad Alles

As we continue to see what the Christian Church did in the development of healthcare, let’s focus on the opening of hospitals.

Jesus went about healing many people.  Matthew 4:23 says, “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.”  Luke 9:2 adds that Jesus “sent them (the Apostles) out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”

Following Jesus’ and the  Apostles’ examples of healing, the early Christians constructed buildings to deal with those who were ill.  The Council of Nicaea (325 AD) established a hospice in every city that had a catherdral.  This building would be for the sick, poor, and pilgrims.  Later, the first hospital designated just for the care of the sick opened in Caesarea, Cappadocia in 369.

As stated in the last blog, hospitals often have Christian names like St. Mary’s or St. Joseph’s.  These serve as reminders of the Church’s impact on medicine.