CROWN POINT – Representatives from Franciscan Health, The Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation and Tonn and Blank Construction joined community leaders and coworkers Tuesday morning for a topping off ceremony at the future Dean and Barbara White Cancer Center.
The Cancer Center was made possible in part by a $30 million donation from The Dean and Barbara White Foundation in Nov. 2023, the largest gift ever received by the Franciscan Health Foundation.
Franciscan Health Crown Point staff, Franciscan Alliance leaders and board members along with construction crews from Tonn and Blank and community partners added their signatures and well wishes to the final beam before it was blessed with holy water then raised and secured into place atop the Cancer Center building Tuesday morning.
The Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation Executive Director Bill Hanna added the names of the White family children to the beam beneath four medals representing the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph (the patron saint of construction workers and builders), Blessed Maria Theresia Bonzel (the foundress of the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, Franciscan Alliance’s founding congregation) and St. Benedict (patron saint of protection).
Hanna touted the benefits of partnership between the foundation, Franciscan and Tonn and Blank during the topping off ceremony.
“The money is one thing when it comes to this,” Hanna said. “The life is breathed into the building by those who provide the service and that’s all of you and the wonderful team and ministry of the Sisters and the medical staff at Franciscan. Those are our heroes, so we’re always grateful to support what they’re doing.”
The 71,000-square-foot, three-story Cancer Center is being constructed at the southeast corner of Interstate 65 and U.S. 231 on the campus of Franciscan Health Crown Point hospital, which opened in January 2024. This state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment center will consolidate existing Franciscan Health Crown Point cancer care services into one convenient location.
Franciscan Alliance Board of Trustees Chairwoman Sr. M. Aline Shultz, OSF, thanked The Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation for their generous support of the project.
Shultz reflected on the arrival of the first Sisters in Lafayette 150 years ago this year and how far the ministry has come with the state-of-the-art Cancer Center.
“Since the beginning, we’ve been invited to communities to build hospitals and minister to the health needs of the citizens,” Shultz said. “That’s what we do every day, by continuing Christ’s healing ministry in our Franciscan tradition … While technology evolves, the compassion and spiritual support that our team will provide remains the hallmark of our healthcare ministry.”
The new Cancer Center is scheduled to open in 2027 and will provide the latest state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and treatment services to care for the whole person, body, mind and spirit.
Caption: Franciscan Alliance Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees Sister M. Aline Shultz, OSF and Franciscan Health Crown Point Director of Spiritual Care The Rev. Tony Janik listen as The Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation Executive Director Bill Hanna speaks during the topping off ceremony Tuesday for The Dean and Barbara White Cancer Center. (Provided photo)
