Sr. M. Henry, Sr. M. Juliana, and Sr. Mary Seven Dolors McMahon.
BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST
Numerous siblings have entered the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul over the years. Religious life was not the right fit for some of these women, but many sets of siblings did live out their lives together as Sisters of Providence, including 7 sets of three siblings: the Byrne sisters, the Mangan sisters, the Corrigan sisters, the Traynor sisters, the McMahon sisters, the Kearney sisters, and the Killeen sisters. Let’s take a look at two of these families.
The McMahon sisters grew up in Chesterville, Ontario, the children of Thomas McMahon and Mary Anne Kearney. Sr. Mary of the Seven Dolors entered the Sisters of Providence in 1903, served as a nurse and was on the staff of St. Vincent de Paul Hospital in Brockville for many years. Sr. Mary Juliana and Sr. Mary Henry were both teachers before they entered the novitiate in 1905 and 1917 respectively and they went on to serve as teachers for many years as Sisters of Providence.
The Traynor sisters from Carleton Place were the daughters of James Traynor and Ellen McCann. Sr. Mary Beatrice Traynor entered in 1897, to be followed on January 6, 1904 by her two younger sisters Sr. Mary Liguori, and Sr. Mary Gerard who entered together. Sr. Mary Beatrice served as a nurse, Sr. Mary Liguori as a primary teacher, and Sr. Mary Gerard as a music teacher. The two teachers taught together for 6 years in Trenton.
