The week after the 2021 Providence Event, Sister Jeannette interviewed several participants and correlated their responses.

First time participants who were interviewed included Bridget Doherty and Jeremy Milloy from our JPIC Office and Beverly Koski, Providence Associate. Other participants interviewed were Regina Lannon, Providence Associate and Sister Gayle Desarmia from the Leadership Team.

A good thing – no, a very good thing - happened 40 years ago and we Sisters of Providence and Associates from two nations and thirteen different Providence congregations honoured “that very good thing” on the 3rd Saturday of February, 2021. The beginning of the Women of Providence in Collaboration. And the pandemic didn’t stop us. Thanks to amazing technology and its technicians we did it virtually.

In January of 2020 an Infection, Prevention and Control Team (IPCT) was established to plan for the case of outbreaks, especially of the seasonal flu, at Providence Motherhouse. The role of the IPCT is to identify and reduce the risks of infections and restrict the exposure to the Sisters and staff.

The School of Nursing at Providence Hospital in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan was founded in 1917 by Sister Mary Raphael McCann. There were 14 students in the first class. Conditions were crowded and instruction was carried on by the doctors as they went about visiting their patients.

In December 2020 the Sisters of Providence transferred the former St. Vincent de Paul Hospital site in Brockville to the Marguerita Residence Corporation to be repurposed as affordable housing for seniors. St. Vincent de Paul Hospital was the first hospital founded by the Sisters of Providence and marks their entry into institutional health care.

Mother Mary Clement was General Superior from July 1927 to July 1930. She wrote a letter to all the Sisters for Lent in 1930 that was sent to all the convents and missions.

The St. Vincent de Paul Hospital, which had in the past been leased to Brockville General Hospital, found new purpose in a plan to fill an unmet need in the Brockville area. Once Brockville General Hospital had vacated the building, the land and building were transferred to the Marguerita Residence Corporation for use as affordable housing for seniors.

On October 31st of last year, Peter Pula from Axiom News, facilitated a Summit that brought together 32 Providence Associates, 3 Sisters, Frances O’Brien, Gayle Desarmia and Pauline Lally and one guest, Bridget Doherty Director of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation office.