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Mercy Health Bethlehem Home for the Aged celebrated its Diamond Jubilee in style recently with a community high tea and a big media splash, a fitting tribute to six decades of Catholic care in Golden Square. Mayor of Bendigo Andrea Metcalf, Sisters of Mercy Sr Marie Bourke and Sr Theresa Monigatti, senior leaders from Mercy Health and, most importantly, Bethlehem residents, families, staff and volunteers were on hand to enjoy the festivities.
Mercy Health Bethlehem enjoys a storied history in Bendigo. Arriving in the early 1960s, the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary began by caring for just five patients from a private home. In 1965 they moved into the purpose-built Bethlehem Home (complete with chapel and convent) planting a distinctive ministry of hospitality on “the home on the hill.” In 2006 the home was entrusted to the Sisters of Mercy, forging the Mercy Health chapter of its mission.
In recent years, the home has been defined by renewal and stronger connections with the wider community. A major refurbishment in 2012 transformed shared wards into private rooms with ensuites, while the home’s involvement in the iGEN program—run by the Mercy Health Foundation in partnership with Catherine McAuley College and Australian Catholic University—has brought high school students into Bethlehem as volunteers. This initiative bridges the intergenerational gap, enriching the lives of both residents and young people alike.
Media coverage of the milestone included the Bendigo Times, which showcased the celebration on its front page, while the Bendigo Advertiser profiled Bethlehem’s longest-serving staff member, Pauline Mierzejewski. Pauline, who has dedicated nearly half a century to caring for residents, was honoured during the celebration, her story embodying the fidelity, compassion and faith that have sustained Bethlehem across six decades.
As the day’s formalities closed with a blessing, the audience was reminded that Bethlehem’s Diamond Jubilee was not just about marking time passed but renewing a focus on mission into the future. The “home on the hill” continues to shine as a beacon of Catholic care in Bendigo, where residents, families, staff and volunteers walk together in Mercy’s tradition.
