Heirloom Seed Sanctuary
BY MIKE HAMMOND The Heirloom Seed Sanctuary is participating in a unique Kingston project that encourages farmers and gardeners to grow an extra row of food to donate to emergency meal programs. It’s called Grow a Row, organized by Kingston community food group Loving Spoonful. The extra food will be collected from June to October for delivery to 18 local agencies that feed clients. This is just one of many projects carried out by the...
Tuck Shop news
left to right: Sisters Stella Szybisty, Mary Labouré, Anne Hudec, Mary BenildaBY SISTER ANNE HUDEC It is with great pleasure that we welcome Marie McCartney and Sheila LaRush — our own Providence Associates — who began volunteering in the Tuck Shop on January 24th. We are happy and Marie and Sheila are excited. You will likely see some changes! Please support them as you have supported us and the needy. Changes bring more changes. Sister Mary...
Energy & Poverty
Energy the root cause for inequality and environmental destructionBridget Doherty was invited to speak at the Queen’s Ban Righ Centre.BY MIKE HAMMOND Energy Poverty was the topic of a noon hour talk by Bridget Doherty of the JPIC office of the Sisters of Providence. She was invited to appear as part of the Special Speakers Series at Queen’s Ban Righ Centre February 15. Community groups like LIEN (Low Income Energy Network) and LEAF (Local...
Remember Peace?
left to right: Sister of Providence Una Byrne, Kingston writer and event moderator Steve Heighton, event organizer Jamie Swift of the JPIC office of the Sisters of Providence and Ottawa writer Heather Menzies.BY JAMIE SWIFT This past November the JPIC office initiated a public gathering that we called Remember Peace? Why the question mark? Because the idea of peace has largely disappeared from official Remembrance Day events, replaced by an...
Associate Digest March 12, 2012
There is a new team in the office! Carol Groten, the Associate Administrative Assistant for twelve years, is the anchor.Associate team left to right: Co-director Sr. Irene Wilson, Co-director Barbara Baker and Administrative Assistant Carol Groten.BY BARBARA BAKER She knows what needs to be done and when, and she quietly goes about taking care of business. I don’t know how many others she has trained to coordinate efforts in the office but she...
Project Hospitality
Project Hospitality Transition GroupLeft to right: Sisters Yvette Girard, Nancy Wilson, Anne Coffey, Pat Cuddihy, Judith Ann Murphy, Pat Arsenault, Barbara Thiffault, Margaret Walsh, Evelyn Emery, Una ByrneBY CHRISTINE ROSS The Sisters of Providence have a long history of opening their home to others and this year is no exception. Major renovations are underway at Providence Motherhouse before the congregation welcomes some new Sisters to live...
Anniversary year concludes
photo: David MuiseBack row: Sister Avita, Jan Kehoe, Sister Diane, Connie Prost, Sister Bernadine, Sister Jeannette Front row: Sister Pat, Debbie Muise, Sister RitaBY CHRISTINE ROSS A year of events marking the 150th anniversary of the only congregation founded in Kingston concluded with a meal shared by Sisters of Providence, Associates and staff on December 13th, exactly one year after the anniversary year began with evening prayer in the...
Providence in El Progreso
During a recent trip to Peru, Sisters Gayle Desarmia and Frances O’Brien met with students who are being supported in their education by the Marillac Mission Fund.BY SISTER GAYLE DESARMIA AND SISTER FRANCES O'BRIEN From December 28 until January 12: Sisters Frances O’Brien and Gayle Desarmia had the privilege of visiting our mission in El Progreso, Peru. From the outset we were deeply moved by the warm welcome given us by the Sisters, the...
Change Makers
BY CHRISTINE ROSS The Sisters of Providence are being celebrated as 'Change Makers' - females who have made a difference. 'Change Makers' is a one day photo exhibition that kicks off International Women's Week and will feature Kingstonians making real progress in the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. As part of the one day exposition, the Communciations office of the Sisters of Providence created and...
Vocation Formation News – November 2011
There is surely a future hope for you,and your hope will not be cut off.— Proverbs 23:18 BY SISTERS BARBARA THIFFAULT AND LUCY KEARNEY During the last several months we have been in contact with a mature young woman from Kitchener, Ontario who, after doing a search on the internet, has expressed an interest in our Congregation. At her request, she spent two days, June 11 and 12, at the Motherhouse meeting with Sisters Nancy Wilson, Lucy Kearney...
Say No to Tar Sands
BY BRIDGET DOHERTY A Canadian company plans to build a pipeline from Alberta’s Tar Sands to Texas. If approved by both the Canadian and American governments, the pipeline would transport diluted bitumen, a mixture of oil and sand. Environmentalists, farmers, and affected communities are all concerned that this mixture, which includes cancer causing benzene and toxic heavy metals may end up spilling into ground water thereby polluting precious...
Associate Digest November 2011
BY MARIE MCCARTNEY AND DIANNE DUTCHER Our Providence Associates Annual General Meeting was held at Providence Spirituality Centre on September 30, 2011. Prior to the 6:30 p.m. Call to Order and Welcome, our Associates and Sisters posed for a group photo taken on the PSC staircase.Our evening began with a beautiful prayer, “A Time of Happy Transition” (adapted from a Joyce Rupp poem) and prepared by the Catalpa Group. What a wonderful way to...
Fr. John Hibbard reviews the upcoming revisions to the Roman Missal
BY ALBERT DUNN More than 80 Sisters, Associates, Motherhouse liturgical ministers and staff gathered on Tuesday, October 4 for an information session regarding the coming revision of the Roman Missal (the book of rites used for Mass and other liturgies such as Good Friday) and its accompanying General Instruction, the document explaining the Missal’s practical implementation. The presentation was given by Fr. John Hibbard and sponsored by the...
Fall Gathering
BY SISTER DIANE BRENNEN WestSisters gather at the Western Fall Gathering in late September.From the opening words of General Superior Sister Sandra Shannon to the final group hug, the Western Fall Gathering was a time for all of the Sisters to unpack the new directional statements of the Chapter held last April. Reminiscing of the prechapter, the chapter itself and now the movement forward with our two statements showed us how much we...
16th anniversary of the vigil / 150th anniversary of the Sisters of Providence
The Rt. Rev. Michael Oulton had to raise his voice above the hum of traffic in front of City Hall. But most of the 150 supporters gathered to mark the sixteenth anniversary of our Silent Vigil could hear Kingston’s new Anglican Bishop as he led us in prayer.150 people gathered with Sisters of Providence at the weekly silent vigil at Kingston City Hall on September 16 to raise awareness about social justice. It marked the 16th anniversary of the...
New Hospital
left to right: Glen Wood (Chair Providence Care Board of Directors), Sister of Providence Sheila Langton (Board member Providence Care Board of Directors), Shelagh Nowlan, (VP, Long-Term Care at Providence Care) and Dale Kenney (Providence Care CEO). All were special guests at the 150th anniversary weekend events May 7th and 8th.BY SISTER SHEILA LANGTON Every year for the past 12 years, Providence Care has benefited from a significant...
Jubilee
back row standing left to right: Sisters Una Byrne, Jean Higgins, Susan Pye, Judith Lee, Mary Bernadette Reichert, Jeannette Filthautfront row left to right: Sisters Anne Louise Haughian, Mary MurphyBY CHRISTINE ROSS Sister Pauline Lally described this year’s eight Jubilarians as unique and unrepeatable seeds of God’s creative love. Using seeds as a metaphor throughout her congratulation speech to Jubilarians on Friday, June 17th, Sr. Pauline...
Do the Math Challenge
left to right: Participants Susan Belyea and Kingston Mayor Mark GerretsenBY TARA KAINER “I have a fire in my belly,” Elaine Power, Queen’s Professor of Health & Kinesiology, explained during a wrap-up panel of Do the Math Challenge participants on May 26th at St. Vincent de Paul Society in front of an audience of about 30 people. The event was co-sponsored by the Food Providers’ Networking Group and the Kingston Community Roundtable for...
Associates Digest June 22 2011
As the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul celebrate their 150th Anniversary 1861-2011, Providence Associates celebrate their journey too, 1985-2011.Associate Carol Groten enjoys quiet reflection at the 150th Anniversary stained glass windowBY SISTER CATHERINE CANNON In 1983, Sister Muriel Gallagher went to Guatemala. During her Visitation there, she suggested the formation of a group of Associates to pray with and support the Sisters...
Canadian Seed Conversation
Cate Henderson, far left, shares a meal with other participants. It was served in the greenhouse of Ottawa seed grower Greta Kryger of Greta’s Organic GardensBY CATE HENDERSON On May 6th and 7th, 2011, an event of historic importance occurred in Ottawa, when 23 participants from Canada joined together to try to make this great country of ours seed and food secure again. As a representative of the Heirloom Seed Sanctuary of the Sisters of...