PeaceQuest at Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony
From left: Beth Pater, Sister Pauline Lally and Murray Thompson. Photo courtesy of Joe Gunn, Citizens for Public JusticeBY SISTER PAULINE LALLY “It is rare for a Canadian to be presented with the Nobel Peace Prize,” said Joe Gunn, Executive Director of Citizens for Public Justice and friend of the Sisters of Providence. “It is also rare for women to be the recipient of such an honour.” Along with my fellow PeaceQuester Beth Pater, I joined Joe...
Sacred, Secular, Indigenous Women Gather to Steward Seed Inheritance
An historic moment is marked by deep connection “It was truly a wonderful experience to hear the energy and heart in each of the people present who have the life of the seed and its future held gently in their heart and hands.” These are the words of Sister Jeannette Filthaut to describe her experience of a gathering to mark the passing along of a valuable and rare inheritance. For 19 growing seasons the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de...
Sister Muriel teaching at St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing
Sr. Muriel Gallagher teaching anatomy at St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing, Montreal.BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST Sr. Muriel taught at Sr. Mary’s School of Nursing from 1955 to 1965. The School was opened in 1925, and the Sisters of Providence ran it from 1943 until it closed in 1972. Stop by the Archives to see our display on the five Nursing Schools run by the Sisters of Providence!
Community Harvest Kingston celebrates farmers markets 150+ years in Ontario
From left: MPP Sophie Kiwala, Sister Gayle Desarmia and Sister Diane Brennen.Sister Diane Brennen spoke at the Community Harvest Kingston’s second Canada 150+ event on August 30, 2017. Sister Gayle and I are pleased to be part of this celebration commemorating Canada’s 150th anniversary, sponsored by Community Harvest Kingston. The Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul were founded in 1861, six years before confederation. Right from...
Catherine McKinley’s Letters and Archival Online Outreach
BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST In the Archives of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul the majority of our early records are handwritten and are not always easy to read. Since the 1980s numerous Sisters and archives staff have transcribed many of these records by deciphering the handwriting and typing out copies of these documents. These transcriptions are an invaluable research tool and an amazing resource. The “Our Story”...
Daylight Savings!
BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST Daylight Savings Time (DST) was first instituted in Canada on April 14th 1918, but was canceled at the end of WWI by the federal government. Certain municipalities, including Kingston, continued with DST. The Congregation was unsure about changing the clocks and in certain years it seems as if they only followed the new time during the school year. From the Congregational Annals of the Sisters of Providence of...
A September for Remembering
September 24 in Peru: Feast of St. Vincent de Paul in El ProgresoBY SISTER GAYLE DESARMIA 2017 is a special year in the history of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul. Fifty years ago they opened their mission in Peru – in El Progreso, Carabayllo. While the official celebration takes place December 10 in Peru, Sisters and Associates began to commemorate the event in September. The Peruvian Associates have dedicated their whole year...
Transformative liturgy
Sister Miriam Martin, PBVMBY ALBERT DUNN, COORDINATOR OF PASTORAL LITURGY & MARIOLA GOZDEK, LITURGY COORDINATOR ARCHDIOCESE OF KINGSTON Fellow beggars and pilgrims on the journey… This was one of many provocative descriptions of the liturgical experience used by Sister Miriam Martin, during an afternoon of reflection and renewal hosted by the Congregational Liturgy Committee. Approximately 60 Sisters and members of our Sunday assembly...
Fall Gathering: letting go through contemplation
Marie Larkin (right) talking with Sister Gayle Desarmia.BY SISTER SHEILA LANGTON Thirty-nine Sisters of Providence assembled at Providence Spirituality Centre for their annual Fall Gathering from 9:00 a.m., September 21 until 5:00 p.m. on September 23. This was an intense but significant experience in the Sisters’ journey as they continue future planning for the community and coming to completion. As the planning processes have unfolded, there...
Providence Associates AGEM
The major event in October was the AGM and the AGEM with Sister Frances O’Brien leading us through a process off Evolving Governance. The sisters are very supportive and encouraging as we begin to look at how we will manage an autonomous life bringing the Charism, Mission and Spirituality into our church and world. This is a topic we will continue to address with Sister Frances over the next year. She will present in April and again at our 2018...
Clementina Torres Rodriguez, Providence Associate
On Wednesday, September 27th, the feast of St. Vincent de Paul, our dearest Associate Clementina Torres Rodriguez left to go to Our Father in heaven. The Sisters that got to know Clementina, have fond memories of her and the many ways she lived the Associate Mission statement as one of the first Associates in Peru. She helped welcome many of the Sisters that visited or missioned in El Progreso, Peru. “Clemi” as Sister Josephine Doiron called...
Teaching in Batawa
Farewell for Sisters in Batawa in June 1975.BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST Batawa was established as a factory town by the Bata Shoe Company in 1939. Initially the children of Batawa attended public school in nearby Frankford. Father Dostol, s.j., the parish priest, wanted to set up a Catholic school in Batawa and in 1946 he asked for two Sisters of Providence to staff the school. Sister Mary Dorothea, Superior and Sister Mary Constance were...
Betty Haymans, Providence Associate
Elizabeth Ann “Betty” Haymans became an Associate in May 2002 and was a member of the Catalpa Group for many years. Betty was very shy when she joined but over time her voice became stronger as members encouraged and loved her. In 2016, she was transferred to the Covenant group, along with her close friend Cathy Bryan. Having come out of herself, Betty offered much to the Covenant Group. Before Betty’s health began to erode, Betty and Cathy...
Sister Monica Whalen’s career in helping vulnerable and at-risk students
Sister Monica helping one of her studentsBY KRISTA JOHNSTON Building student confidence and preserving Catholic education are top priorities for Sister Monica Whalen Sister Monica Whalen has spent her career as an educator helping vulnerable and at-risk youth to reach their highest academic potential. Since joining the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario 22 years ago, she has spent the majority of her time working directly with...
Marillac Mission helping those in need with support from Associates in Peru
Classes in Fray MartinBY SISTER GAYLE DESARMIA I feel privileged and blessed each time I have an opportunity to visit Peru. November 23, 2016 Sister Diane Brennen and I left Kingston for a two-week visit with the Sisters and Associates in Peru. Besides spending time with both the Sisters and Associates, we had the opportunity to see the Marillac Mission Fund at work. The Sisters live in one of the barrios or young towns called El Progreso which...
Worship spaces at Providence Care Hospital
BY NEIL ELFORD The wide-open glass doors of the Worship Centre in the new Providence Care Hospital beckon all to come in. As people enter the space for the first time and take in the view of Lake Ontario, the outdoor labyrinth and the gardens, many are heard saying, “Oh wow, this is so peaceful!” At the heart of the hospital is a sanctuary where any person can feel welcomed to pray, meditate or just simply “be”. Water, reminding us of the...
Legacy gift honours Sisters in education
From left to right: Manal Guirguis-Younger (Dean Faculties of Human Sciences and Philosophy), Sister Fatima r.s.m., Sister Miriam K. Martin r.s.m. (Associate Professor, Director of the School of Transformative Leadership), Sister Sandra Shannon, SP (General Superior, Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul), Chantal Beauvais (Rector), The Honourable Catherine McKenna MP and Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Soeur Rachelle...
Positive interfaith dialogue important
BY KRISTA JOHNSTON Annual conference emphasizes importance of positive interfaith dialogue in spiritual practice One common trait among spiritual directors is their ability to listen deeply – one might say, beyond words. This special gift allows them to have truly authentic conversations with those they are supporting because they know inherently that we are all connected and that spirit is moving in all of our lives. Whether we are rooted in...
Congratulations Jubilarians for over 370 years of combined religious life!
Congratulations Jubilarians for over 370 years of combined religious life!Left to right: Sister Kay Morrell (60 years), Sister Karen Bennett (50 years), Sister Elaine Jacob (70 years), Sister Catherine Cannon (60 years), Sister Anne Hudec (70 years), and Sister Lucy Kearney (60 years).Religious life is a pilgrimage not just a journey Celebration of this year’s Jubilarians started by acknowledging a contribution in their honour to a northern...
‘To build a home’: The Sisters of Providence at the time of Canada’s confederation
Mother Mary Edward, Sister Mary Jane de Chantal, and Sister Mary of the Sacred HeartBY VERONICA STIENBURG The Archives is celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday by reflecting on what life was like for the Sisters of Providence in 1867. Mother Mary Edward, Catherine McKinley, was appointed General Superior, less than a year before, in September 1866 after the Sisters of Providence of Montreal returned home. While leading the fledgling community she...