Ribbon Cutting ceremony for Houston Methodist St. Catherine Hospital with the train at the corner of S. Fry Road and Brittania Drive, December 12, 2017
KATY, Dec. 13, 2017 – Houston Methodist St. Catherine Hospital now proudly displays a nine-foot-long locomotive at the corner of South Fry Road and Brittania Drive. On Tuesday, Dec. 12, the ribbon cutting ceremony unveiled the newly painted train and strengthened the ties between Houston Methodist St. Catherine and Katy Heritage Society’s “All Aboard Katy!” art project.
“This train is much more than just a symbol of Katy, it is a shared identity of Katy’s residents, businesses, artists and philanthropists,” said Houston Methodist St. Catherine Administrator Gary Kempf. “Not only does this train represent an important part of Katy’s history, but it also allows us at Houston Methodist St. Catherine to show our dedication as active members of the Katy community today and for years to come.”
“All Aboard Katy!” is Katy’s first, large scale community public art initiative. After the project launched, CHRISTUS St. Catherine sponsored and commissioned the painting of the train. In February 2014, CHRISTUS St. Catherine joined the Houston Methodist system to become Houston Methodist St. Catherine Hospital and the train was temporarily removed from the lawn.
Eager to show its Katy pride once more, the Houston Methodist St. Catherine team set out to revamp the old train to tout the Houston Methodist voice and vision. After six months of hard work by the Supply Chain Department at Houston Methodist Hospital, the newly remodeled train is now complete and can be seen on the lawn of Houston Methodist St. Catherine.
“I am grateful to everybody who made this beautiful project come to life,” said Kempf. “This has been an incredible year filled with highs and lows for Katy and the Greater Houston area, but I couldn’t be more proud of how strong our community has proven to be.”
Several other Katy businesses also proudly display their uniquely painted “All Aboard Katy!” train in front of their building. For seven years, this project has worked to promote community, identity and tourism for Katy.
About Houston Methodist St. Catherine Hospital
Houston Methodist St. Catherine Hospital is a long-term acute care hospital that proudly serves the Greater Houston area, focused on the needs of patients requiring extended hospitalization. Located in Katy, west of the Texas Medical Center, Houston Methodist St. Catherine is committed to providing patients with the Houston Methodist standard of unparalleled quality and safety, focusing on the patient and family. The facility offers both inpatient and outpatient services including hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, infectious disease management, trauma and neurological injury management, outpatient cardiac rehabilitation therapies, and complex wound care.