Blessing of the Modular Theatres
Calvary St Vincent’s Hospital, Launceston
It is a joy to be with you for the blessing of these new modular theatres at Calvary St Vincent’s Hospital here in Launceston.
Whenever a new building is blessed, there is always a temptation to admire the technology, the design, the planning, and the achievement of the project itself. And rightly so. Much work, sacrifice and skill have brought these new theatres into being.
But buildings such as these do not exist for themselves. They exist for people.
As I said yesterday, when I bless a new school building, I often remind the students that the building is for them. The classrooms, libraries and learning spaces are there so that young people may flourish and grow.
In much the same way, these theatres exist not in the first place for those who work in them, important though your work is. They exist for those who will come here seeking healing, treatment, reassurance and hope.
These theatres are places of service. Here surgeons, nurses, anaesthetists, technicians, cleaners, caterers, administrators and allied health staff will work together in a remarkable collaboration of care. Before you in every procedure is not simply a clinical task but a human person—often anxious, vulnerable and placing their trust in others, in you.
The reading chosen today is particularly pertinent because it speaks with realism and gratitude about the healing professions. “Honour the physicians for their services,” the writer says, “for the Lord created them.” The text recognises that intelligence, skill, knowledge and healing are gifts that ultimately come from God.
That ancient reading is refreshingly balanced. It praises learning and medicine, but it also reminds us that human beings are not masters of life itself. There remains mystery, fragility and dependence upon the mercy of God. Even in the most advanced medical setting, humility remains an essential quality.
Places such as these theatres teach us that lesson every day.
Here the highly trained care for those who are weak. The strong bend down to assist the fragile. Decisions are made with precision and urgency, yet also with compassion and humanity. There will be moments here of relief and gratitude, moments of exhaustion and pressure, moments of uncertainty and grief, and moments too of extraordinary joy when healing comes and suffering is eased.
The opening hymn today places on our lips the prayer of Mary who proclaimed the greatness of the Lord because God had done great things for her. Those words are never merely sentimental. They are spoken by someone who knew both uncertainty and trust.
In a place such as this hospital, we too can recognise that the Lord has done great things. He has inspired women and men to dedicate their lives to the service of others and to continue the legacy of the Venerable Mary Potter. This work continues quietly through hands that heal, words that reassure, and care that restores dignity.
Yet Mary’s ‘Magnificat’ also reminds us that all gifts are to be received humbly. No matter how advanced our science or sophisticated our equipment, healthcare remains above all a profoundly human and moral work. Patients are never numbers or procedures. Each person who enters these theatres is someone loved by God, someone whose life possesses dignity and worth.
These new theatres will undoubtedly bring greater efficiency and improved care. But the true measure of this place will always be the spirit in which people are received and treated within it.
So, may the Lord bless all who enter here, sustaining them in moments of anxiety, strengthening them in times of trial, and granting wisdom, gentleness and peace to all who serve in this place.
Archbishop Anthony J Ireland
Archbishop of Hobart
3 June 2026