With the opening of Franciscan Health System’s new Enumclaw hospital less than one year away, members of the clergy from Enumclaw and surrounding communities will gather June 3 to write prayers, Bible verses, blessings and words of inspiration on the unfinished interior walls of the hospital’s chapel.

This special event is called “Within These Walls: A Celebration of Prayer and Hope.” It will take place between 4 and 6 p.m.

As a permanent part of the new hospital’s chapel, the inscriptions by clergy representing various churches and religious denominations will surround patients, families and others who seek solace there in the years ahead.

The hospital will replace the existing Enumclaw Regional Hospital that has served the community since 1949. The replacement hospital opens for patient care in February 2011. Its chapel will be available for prayer and meditation by everyone regardless of their faith preference.

The 90,000-square-foot hospital will offer all the inpatient and outpatient services that the community hospital now provides and feature state-of-the-art medical technology. The new hospital will also be characterized by: private rooms designed for the comfort of patients and their visitors; inspiring views of the nearby foothills and the hospital’s healing garden; and a rooftop helipad for emergency transports.

Enumclaw Regional Hospital joined the Franciscan Health System in May 2007. Franciscan is affiliated with Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the largest Catholic health systems in the nation.