A crowd gathered outside Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital Friday morning to pray at the site where a large crucifix was removed from the outside wall of the building.
The symbol was taken down as part of the transition of services between Hotel-Dieu and Windsor Regional Hospital.
The removal sparked outrage and debate on the CTV Windsor Facebook page. “This is terrible. Disgusting,” posted David Mclean.
“I don't understand why our history has to change,” writes Carol Atherton. “We have to be so considerate of others by disregarding ours it is an outrage.”
“If HDGH is moving the items to the Tayfor site with them, I don't have a problem with that,” posts Lou Papineau. “The nuns can be honored at the new site, no problem. I have a problem with taking down crosses from patient rooms and such because of the attitude that "Jesus has no place here.”
Windsor Regional will be responsible for hospital services at the Met campus and the Ouellette campus, formerly Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital. The renamed Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare will be responsible for services at the Tayfour campus.
The realignment officially takes place Oct. 1. Hospital officials say there will be no change to where patients access services.
The statue of St. Joseph stays. Hospital officials say it can't be moved without damaging it.
