Obituaries

From the first member of the congregation to pass away in 1870 to recent deaths, all the obituaries of deceased Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul are accessible and searchable. You can search by name, or use the birth date, death date and location filters.

These are not typical obituaries, in fact in the world of consecrated life we refer to them as necrologies. These biographical sketches are written by the General Secretary of the congregation shortly after the death of each individual sister. The necrologies are historical documents and may contain errors, including variations in spellings and incorrect dates. The necrologies are presented here as they were written.

If you would like more information about a deceased sister please contact the archivist.

Sister Ann Sullivan

Sister Ann Sullivan

Mary Anne Sullivan was born in Arnprior on February 3, 1922, one of 5 children of John Sullivan and Mabel Dorion. By the time she was six years old Anne had lost both parents. Her maternal grandmother and her uncle devoted themselves to bringing up the five Sullivan...

Sister Mary Moderwell

Sister Mary Moderwell

Mary Catherine was the second of five children born to William Moderwell and Catherine Casey on January 14, 1919 in Edmonton, Alberta. Four girls and one boy were a happy family in spite of the hardships of the “dirty thirties”. Her brother, Ken, was a pilot in World...

Sister Isobel Oatway

Sister Isobel Oatway

Isobel Mary Oatway was born on May 6, 1913 to William Oatway and Mary Ellen Corkery in Stanleyville, Ontario. She was the eldest of 7 children. Her family lived in Stanleyville during the war and later moved to Toronto where they remained for a number of years. The...

Sister Margaret Rose Fardella

Sister Margaret Rose Fardella

Margaret Rose was born in Alliston, Ontario on August 26, 1931, the eleventh of twelve children. She received her early education at St. Vincent’s Academy and Notre Dame High School in Kingston. She entered the novitiate of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de...

Sister Mary Catherine Doherty

Sister Mary Catherine Doherty

Catherine Doherty was born on October 22, 1914 in Buncrana County, Donegal, Ireland, the fourth child of eight children born to Patrick and Margaret (Porter) Doherty. The family left Ireland in 1925 and settled near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on a 640 acre wheat and...

Sister Marguerite O’Neill

Sister Marguerite O’Neill

Sister Marguerite was born in Belleville on March 19, 1928, the eldest of six children, growing up with five brothers. She attended the local public elementary school and St. Michael’s High School in Belleville. She entered the Novitiate of the Sisters of Providence...

Sister Mary Ryan

Sister Mary Ryan

Sister Mary Ryan (Sister Mary Polycarp) was called home to her loving God on July 1, 2005. Mary Winnifred Ryan was born on March 8, 1923 in Cochrane, Ontario to Michael Joseph Ryan and Maude Joyce. Her twin sister died at a young age leaving Mary to grow up with her...

Sister Mary Adele Dorian

Sister Mary Adele Dorian

Mary Agnes Dorian was born in Belleville, the second of three children born to Edward and Annie (McCormick). She received her early education at Avondale Public School and St. Michael’s Academy and her high school at Belleville Collegiate and Vocational School. As far...

Sister Gertrude McGinn

Sister Gertrude McGinn

Sister Gertrude went home to her loving God peacefully on February 8, 2005. Sarah Gertrude McGinn was born at Fairview Farm on the 4th Concession of Matilda Township, Dixon’s Corners, Dundas County on Oct. 7, 1913, the eighth child of James McGinn and Alice (Gibbons)....

Sister Mary Alma Murphy

Sister Mary Alma Murphy

Sister Mary Alma was called home to her loving God on January 14, 2005 at Providence Motherhouse. Mary Helen Murphy, the second eldest of six siblings, was born in Melrose, Ontario where she grew up on the family farm and attended the local elementary school and later...

Sister Dorothy MacDonell

Sister Dorothy MacDonell

Sister Dorothy MacDonell was called home to her loving God on Wednesday, November 10, 2004. Sister Dorothy was born in Greenfield, Ontario, a small town close to Alexandria, Ontario. She was the eldest of ten children, five girls and five boys, born to Mary Catherine...

Sister Bernice Boyle

Sister Bernice Boyle

Mary Bernice Boyle was born on September 12, 1923 in Belleville, Ontario, the second youngest of ten children – 5 boys and 5 girls. She received her early education at Michael’s Academy and St. Michael’s High School in Belleville. She entered the Novitiate of the...

Sister Mary Publow

Sister Mary Publow

Sister Mary Publow went home to her loving God at Providence Motherhouse, Kingston, Ontario on August 20, 2004. Mary was born in Perth Ontario, to Francis and Mary Eva (Young), the third oldest in a family of six boys. She grew up in a loving family on a small from on...

Sister Mary Felicitas Wekel

Sister Mary Felicitas Wekel

Sister M. Felicitas Wekel died of cancer on Thursday, June 24, 2004 at Providence Motherhouse, Kingston, Ontario. She was born January 18, 1916 in Fife Lake, Saskatchewan of immigrant parents from Austro-Hungary. She received her early education in the rural school...

Sister Winnifred Whalen

Sister Winnifred Whalen

Mary Winnifred Whalen was born November 2, 1913, to Alice Doran and Thomas Whalen in her grandparent’s home in the town of Bogart, Hungerford Township, County of Hastings. She was the fifth child in a family of six children – four girls and two boys.  When she was a...

Sister Catherine Power

Sister Catherine Power

Catherine Mary Power was born on May 15, 1911 in Wine River, New Brunswick to Thomas A. Power and Marcella Flanagan. She was one of thirteen children. Her father was a farmer and worked in the lumber business during the winter months. Catherine attended the Wine river...

Sister Winnifred Callary

Sister Winnifred Callary

Sister Winnifred Callary died of cancer on Tuesday, December 16, 2003, at Providence Motherhouse in Kingston, Ontario. Born in the family home in Outremont, Quebec on November 11, 1917, she was the fifth child of seven children born to Helen (Mullen) and Owen Joseph...

Sister Stella McRae

Sister Stella McRae

After a very long and fruitful life, Sister Stella McRae died on August 3, 2003, at Providence Motherhouse, Kingston Ontario. Born on July 9, 1902 in Bainsville near Glen Nevis, Ontario, Stella and her nine siblings were brought up on a farm in Curry Hill. The eldest...

Sister Delphine Kennelly

Sister Delphine Kennelly

Mary Ann Kennelly was born on December 5, 1915 in Stratton, Ontario to Annie Frances (Daley) and Vincent Kennelly, the first of nine children. She spent her first eight years growing up on a farm in the Rainy River District. Her father worked in the lumber camps...

Sister Mary David Moran

Sister Mary David Moran

Clara Moran was born on a farm in an area called Wellfield about six miles from Chatham NB on June 11, 1914 to Mary (Dignam) and William Moran, the second eldest of six children. Her parents were both of Irish descent. Her father was very keen on educating the...