Mercy’s Sister Mary Caritas, SP, Recognized as Citizen of the Year

Congratulations to Sister Mary Caritas, SP, for her selection as the 2024 Springfield Regional Chamber Richard J. Moriarty Citizen of the Year. A full complement of leaders and colleagues from Mercy Medical Center and Trinity Health Of New England were in attendance to cheer on Sister Caritas as she received the award at the Chamber’s annual meeting on June 12.

Sister Caritas has a lengthy and impressive list of professional accomplishments. While serving as President of the former Mercy Hospital from 1977 to 1993, she was instrumental in the creation of programs such as the Mercy Internal Medicine Service and Health Care for the Homeless, and served as a longtime advocate for the development of a comprehensive cancer center. The Sister Caritas Cancer Center was later named in her honor. She also championed the creation of the Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital. Sister Caritas served earlier as President of the Sisters of Providence congregation. She has also served on the Boards and as Chair of the Catholic Health Association and Massachusetts Hospital Association, and as a Board Member of the American Hospital Association. In 2002, the Catholic Health Association of the United States presented Sister Caritas with the group’s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her lifelong service to Catholic health ministry.

Established in 2007, the Springfield Regional Chamber’s Citizen of the Year award honors the memory of Richard J. Moriarty who was a highly respected, altruistic local business leader and an active member of the Chamber's Board. The award is presented each year to honor his commitment of “selflessly giving of his time, talents and personal and professional resources to the community and to encourage those who work with him and for him to do the same.”