Carondelet Legacy Stories
Celebrating 145 Years
Carondelet has a long and rich history that spans decades. Founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, the congregation was originally established in France. The Sisters came to the United States in 1836 to serve the diocese in Carondelet, Missouri.
In 1870, seven Sisters of St. Joseph traveled from San Diego to Tucson to open a school. In 1880, the Sisters opened St. Mary’s Hospital, Arizona’s first hospital. In 1961, they opened St. Joseph’s Hospital to provide services for Tucson’s growing east side. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet began managing Holy Cross in 1981 and assumed ownership in 1987.
Ring the Bells for Mary
August 15th was recognized as the Assumption of Mary, a day of great significance for our Carondelet community.
This holy day marks when the Virgin Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven, a profound symbol of faith and devotion. We are particularly proud to share that this year’s celebration was marked by the return of our historic bells, which rang out during the Assumption Day prayer service in the chapel courtyard—an event many of us will remember for years.
Tracy Garcia (St. Mary’s Admitting) had the honor of being the first to ring the bells for the service. This moment was made possible by the incredible efforts of our Facilities team, led by Bill Jenkins. Bill and his team worked tirelessly to restore the bells, which, as best we can tell, hadn’t been used regularly in 15 to 20 years. Their dedication to this project truly brought a beautiful tradition back to life.