Staff and patients are upset at the removal of all Catholic imagery from St Vincent’s University Hospital, after the hospital’s controversial transfer from the Religious Sisters of Charity (RSC).

All crucifixes and holy images – including of the hospital’s founder Mother Mary Aikenhead – were removed from public display this year in the hospital, while the Blessed Sacrament will no longer be housed in one of the two chapels in the South Dublin hospital.

In a statement to the Irish Catholic, St Vincent’s Holding Group (SVHG) said all religious artefacts had been removed and an inventory taken following the transfer from the Sisters to the SVHG. A new National Maternity Hospital will be built on the same campus as St Vincent’s public and private hospital. The land on which the maternity hospital will be built has been leased long-term to the State.

It is unclear why the religious artefacts have been removed. Other publicly-funded hospitals such as the Mater in Dublin still have such artefacts.

The hospital had already removed a large statue of Our Lady from the Merrion Road end of the campus following upgrades to the car park.

The main chapel will continue to facilitate daily Mass and a chaplaincy service is available to patients.