In a cosmic moment in early October, 30 Providence Associates and 3 Sisters of Providence gathered via Zoom from our own homes to spend Friday evening and Saturday with Sr. Brenda Peddigrew, RSM, as retreat director once again.

It was standard practice to lay a cornerstone with the date of construction engraved on it when building a new wing or building. When the cornerstones were laid at St. Vincent de Paul Hospital in the 1958 and 1968 additions, a time capsule was placed in the cavity in each cornerstone, another common practice at the time.

It was with both gratitude and excitement, shared by everyone present, that Community Foundation for Kingston & Area board members Rob Wood (Chair) and Gayle Barr (Past Chair) met with several Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul at Providence Motherhouse to receive their change-making $5 million gift to the community.

On September 30, the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we chose to bring into our liturgical celebration elements of the culture and ritual of our indigenous brothers and sisters as a way of honouring their traditions. It was also a way of showing our sorrow and acknowledgment of the denigration of these traditions by our ancestors and members of our church.

In light of the recent federal election, let’s take a look at the Sisters of Providence’s history of voting in federal elections. After obtaining suffrage in 1919, the first Canadian federal election in which women could exercise their right to vote was 1921. The congregation was unsure at first whether to let the Sisters exercise their right, and in the early years the Council considered the issue every election.

In 1967 when the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul were opening missions in Guatemala and Peru, Sister Rose-Marie Bokenfohr, a registered nurse, was among the first group of Sisters to volunteer for mission work.

Sister Mary Raphael is noteworthy on several fronts. She was especially well known for her 42 years of service at Providence Hospital in Moose Jaw and was much beloved by the people of Moose Jaw. She is the only Sister of Providence who almost had a lake named after her!