Pictured at last year's Founders' Day program are (far left) Richard D'Aquila, and (far right) Christopher O'Connor, with the Sisters of Charity.

YNHH annually celebrates Founders' Day to honor the legacy of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, founders of the former Hospital of Saint Raphael. This year's event, to which all members of the YNHH community are invited, has new and special elements.

The Most Rev. Leonard Blair, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Hartford, will participate in an interfaith service at 1:30 pm in the Saint Raphael Campus chapel. Joining him will be Sister Rosemary Moynihan, YNHH trustee and the Sisters' general superior; Marna Borgstrom, YNHHS and YNHH CEO; Richard D'Aquila, YNHHS and YNHH president; Chris O'Connor, YNHHS executive vice president; and employees from many departments.

The service will be followed by a special program to unveil three displays – a pictorial timeline of the SRC's history, Tree of Life sculpture relocated from the former Father Michael J. McGivney Center for Cancer Care, and a donor recognition wall honoring McGivney Center benefactors and incorporating its stained glass. Brief remarks will begin in the chapel at about 2:15 pm, followed by the unveilings in nearby "Memory Lane." Archbishop Blair will also bless the timeline. A reception will follow outside the chapel.

"Since Yale New Haven and the Hospital of Saint Raphael came together in 2012, we have come to appreciate even more the rich heritage of the Sisters of Charity and their work to create a very special healthcare mission in New Haven. We felt it was extremely important to permanently honor that heritage, and that's where the idea of a history wall came from," D'Aquila said. "That heritage will now be permanently displayed, and we are extremely pleased that Archbishop Blair and Sister Rosemary will be part of this year's celebration."

The service and subsequent speaking program will be broadcast on the SRC Chapel Channel, accessible to patients and staff.