Blessing ceremony for statue at Houston Methodist The Woodlands

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- A blessing ceremony was held on August 17 at Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital for its ‘Jesus – the Great Physician’ statue. Adorning the first floor atrium of the hospital, the sculpture, created by artist Willy Wang, was made possible by contributions from Reverend Mark Klein and his family. In 2013, Klein was a heart transplant recipient at Houston Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center.

When Klein was healing from his transplant in a hospital bed, he remembered seeing the ‘Jesus – the Great Physician’ statue in the hospital lobby and asked his nurses to bring him to see it.

“I’ve always looked toward the Lord for leadership and guidance and strength, and since I knew that statue was down there, I told the nurses ‘hey, I want to go down there and see the statue of Jesus healing the lame,’” explained Klein. “It was kind of a process because you’ve got to get your heart balloon pump and your IV pole and all that. I hobbled down there and it would just touch me. It perfectly crystalized what Jesus did when he was here, and he still is here. It really supercharged my faith and meant so much to me.”

When Klein was released from the hospital he and his family knew they wanted to do something for Houston Methodist and decided the most appropriate way to show their gratitude was to give a gift for the fabrication of a replica statue at another Houston Methodist hospital. In 2015, they gave the gift of Wang’s statue to Houston Methodist St. Catherine’s Hospital in Katy, and now, they have done the same for Houston Methodist The Woodlands.

“I just felt like if it was such a blessing to me, then it’s got to be a blessing to others. I’m so thankful to the Lord to see it here at Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital, and I give him all the credit for being able to do it! It just tickles me pink all over again to be able to see it and to know that it’s going to be a blessing to other people,” he said.

Debbie Sukin, CEO of Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital, added, “We are so thankful for the Klein family’s contribution of this inspirational statue, ‘Jesus – the Great Physician,’ created by the talented artist Willy Wang. It is most certainly a welcome addition to our hospital’s healing environment. We encourage the local community to stop by and experience its inspiration.”

During the blessing and unveiling ceremony, Bishop Bob Hayes gave the blessing for the statue and Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital.