In 1890, at the direction of Bishop Richard O'Connor, the residents of House of Providence in Toronto who were originally from Peterborough were moved to the newly-opened St. Joseph's Hospital. These 40 people included poor elderly, physically and mentally handicapped ('afflicted'), the blind and a number of orphans. Caring for these along with the sick in the hospital was quite difficult, so in 1891 a former coach house and stable on the property was renovated to house the men and children. The women were accommodated on the third floor of the hospital, near the Sister' quarters. Conditions were very primitive, with basins and sooty lanterns used since there was no electricity or running water available. Those residents who were able to assisted with the work, and contributed to the entertainment. Over the next decade the numbers in care continued to rise and the demand for hospital services grew, so that the Bishop and the Congregation worked together to build a proper home for these people in need.
On July 27,1900 the House of Providence opened on the grounds of St. Joseph's Hospital. The first Sisters to serve in the new home were Mother St. Edward (Gormley) - Superior, Sister Aurelia (Cokely), Sister Hilary (Irwin), Sister Teresa (O'Callaghan), Sister Mary Rose (Moher) and Sister Blandina (McGuire). The second floor hallway served as the chapel. Residents, both elderly and older orphans, continued to assist with the work that needed to be done. By 1906, through the generosity of many in the diocese and the hard work of the Sisters, the debt was paid off.
In 1909, because of provincial government requirements, separate accommodation for the orphans was needed. St. Vincent's Orphanage became the new home for the orphans Its opening provided much needed room for the sixty adults living at House of Providence. In 1911, St. Joseph's Hospital opened a steam laundry, which was made available to House of Providence one day a week. In 1913 a major addition, including a chapel, store rooms, a new dining room, was completed, allowing more needy elderly to be accommodated.
In 1930 when Old Age Pension was paid to all persons over the age of 70, many residents were able to contribute something for their care and the financial worries were reduced. In 1947 the House of Providence was connected to the new Steam Heating Plant of St. Joseph's Hospital. In 1949 Bishop Gerald Berry provided funds to install metal fire escapes, for the safety of all. During these years, most of the residents simply required residential care, while enjoying the spiritual and social benefits of living in a Catholic setting.
During the 1950's it became apparent that the building was no longer meeting the needs of its residents, since it had no elevators and was described as a 'fire trap'. Plans were begun, and in 1959 the new Marycrest Home For The Aged was opened beside the old building. It was a modern 4 floor building, with elevators and sunporches for the residents' convenience. The new building accommodated 144 residents, along with a residence on the fourth floor for the Sisters. In 1966, the old building was demolished for hospital parking when St. Joseph's Hospital was in the midst of building a major addition. In 1969 the roles of Superior and Administrator were divided because of the large amount of work required of the administrator in complying with and corresponding with various government departments.
In 1977, because there were fewer Sisters living at Marycrest, thirteen of the rooms on the fourth floor were made available to additional residents. The home now had room for 155 residents. In 1978 a new driveway was completed, including a ramp to the front door replacing steps. In 1979 a tunnel was completed joining Marycrest with St. Joseph's Hospital, giving residents and staff easy access to the hospital when needed.
In 1984 a celebration was held to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the opening of Marycrest. In 1986, renovations were completed to 'Westhaven', an eighteen bed secure unit for cognitively impaired residents.
In 1990 a celebration was held at Marycrest to honour the Sisters one hundred years of service to the elderly. In 1992, under the sponsorship of Marycrest, a seniors apartment complex (Marycrest at Inglewood) was opened on a corner of Mount St. Joseph property. Twenty of its sixty apartments were designed to meet the needs of the physically handicapped.
In 1989 Sister Catherine McDonough of the Toronto Sisters of St. Joseph became the administrator of Marycrest. A small group of Peterborough Sisters continued to live at Marycrest, ministering as volunteers to the residents. 1999 was the final year a Sister was in residence at Marycrest.
During the 1990's the level of care required by residents increased, and the building no longer met the standards for Long Term Care facilities. Another smaller seniors residence in Peterborough (Anson House) faced the same challenge, and a partnership was formed in 1999 between the two and Sir Sanford Fleming College to build a new facility adjacent to the College, which would also be the focus of Fleming's Centre For Health Aging. In 2004 the residents moved to the new 'St. Joseph's at Fleming', and a new era in the care for the elderly began as the Sisters passed the torch to the innovative partnership. While the Congregation no longer operated the facility, they took an active role in directing it. The old Marycrest building was sold to be put to other uses.
In 2011 sponsorship of Marycrest at Inglewood and St. Joseph's at Fleming was transferred to the Catholic Health Corporation of Ontario.
Marie Loma Laprise was born in Pain Court, Ontario on February 14 , 1915, received habit August 16, 1933, made profession: first vows on August 16, 1935 and final vows on August 25, 1938, died March 20, 2013 in London, Ontario and is buried in St. Peter's Cemetery, London, Ontario.
Marie Loma was the daughter of Josephat Laprise (born in Pain Court, ON, died 1978) and Delia Charon (born in Big Point, ON, died 1959). Her siblings were Treffle [Caroline], Sister Cecile RHSJ, Anna [Trahan], Jean [Haslip] and Wilfrid. After leaving school, she entered Sacred Heart Convent, the motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, and took the religious name of Sister Mary Rufina.
Sister Marie served as a cook and housekeeper for fifty-eight years, beginning at St. Joseph's Convent in Maidstone, ON in 1935. She served in Leamington, London, Goderich, Sarnia, Woodstock, Oxley, Chatham and Haney, BC with this ministry until 1980. In Sister Marie's own words, "there were a few years of hardship to endure but on the whole I enjoyed my work and was blessed to serve in many ways." She served as Superior at Holy Family Retreat House while in Oxley from 1950 to 1959. While Sister Marie was at St. Joseph's Convent in Goderich from 1969 to 1971 she also served as Superior. Her final term as a Superior was at St. Joseph's Convent in Haney from 1973 to 1979.
Following her homemaker ministry, Sister Marie went to Mission, BC and worked in the parish from 1980 to 1985. She recalled this time as her happiest, serving as cook and housekeeper to three priests: Rev. John Tritscheler, Rev. Angelo Pinto, and Rev. Paul Thompson who were "good and kind friends and also a wonderful example of fidelity to their calling." Many would echo her words when recalling Sister Marie's fidelity to her ministry that a nurturing environment to so many. Following her time in BC, Sister Marie returned to London, where she spent a year from 1985 to 1986 as an assistant to guest wing residents at Mount St. Joseph. She then served the poor working from Boullee Street in London during the following year, and ministered to refugees at Josephs' House in London from 1987 to 1988.
Sister Marie was the assistant novice mistress at Sacred Heart Convent in 1950, working with Sister deChantal. According to a Sister Kateri, Sister Marie provided a calm yet strict environment for those beginning religious life. Sister Kateri also recalled that when she worked at Oxley with Sister Marie, she learnt how to minister with co-workers in a spirit of joy. As well as serving as assistant novice mistress, Sister Marie was also part of the aspirant formation team.
Elizabeth "Betty" Berrigan was the daughter of M. J. Berrigan and Viola Sullivan, both of Chichester, Quebec. Her siblings were Eleta Crook, Joanne O'Gorman, Brian, and Michael. She was born in Timmins, Ontario on December 14, 1934. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Pembroke in 1953, had her reception in 1954, and professed first vows in 1956 and final vows in 1959. She received the religious name of Sister Mary of Lourdes.
Sister Mary of Lourdes attended Teachers' College in Ottawa, Ontario from 1958-1959. She achieved her Royal Conservatory of Music Grade 9 piano certificate in 1963 and completed two courses in classroom singing between 1960-1961. In 1969, she earned her BA from the University of Ottawa, and in 1976, her MA from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA in 1977.
From 1957-1958, Sister Mary of Lourdes taught in Pembroke, Ontario, and then from 1957-1958, in Sheenboro, Quebec. Returning to Pembroke, she taught there from 1959-1960, and then moved to Barry's Bay, Ontario to teach from 1960-1961. She relocated to Mount St. Patrick, where she taught from 1961-1963. Following this, she taught in Renfrew, Ontario from 1963-1965. She served as superior in Ottawa from 1966-1969, while a student. She then served as mistress of novices and formation director with the community in Pembroke from 1969-1970, and as formation director in Ottawa from 1971-1973, returning to Pembroke where she resumed her work as formation director from 1976-1979. Moving to Deep River, Ontario, she carried on this work from 1979-1981, and then served as formation director in El Carmen, Peru from 1981-1984. Returning to Pembroke, she was the assistant general superior in 1985, and then was elected general superior, a position she held from 1985-1997. She served as vice president of the Canadian Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada from 1987-1989, and then as president from 1989-1991. Beginning in 1998, she became the director of the Stillpoint House of Prayer in Springtown, Ontario, a position she held until 2019.
Sister Elizabeth was proud of her work as a member of the Canadian Medaille Team from 1976-1979. In 2020, Sister Elizabeth retired to Supples Landing Retirement Home in Pembroke after the Motherhouse was sold.
Sister Elizabeth was a great supporter of the fiddle contest in Pembroke. Anyone who met her was captivated by her soft, compassionate voice and her concern for the environment. She lived her life being faithful and open to meeting Christ in all those she encountered.
She passed away suddenly as a result of an accident on March 5th, 2020.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of the Diocese of London, Ontario was first incorporated on February 15, 1891 under chapter 92 of the Statutes of Ontario, 1870-1. London, Ontario is on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Attawandaron Peoples.
On December 11, 1868, at the request of Bishop John Walsh, five Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto arrived in London, Ontario. Mother Teresa Brennan, Sister Ignatia Campbell, Sister Ursula McGuire, Sister Francis O’Malley and Sister Appolonia Nolan were accompanied by Reverend Mother Antoinette McDonald and were welcomed by Bishop Walsh, Rev. J.M. Bruyere, V.G., and Rev. P. Egan, pastor of St. Peter’s Church. Awaiting the Sisters were sleighs that transported them from the train station to a temporary home at 170 Kent Street.
In accordance with their mission in London, three Sisters began teaching at St. Peter’s School in January, 1869. After classes, they visited the sick, the poor and the imprisoned. They were also mandated to open an orphanage in the future. In order to accomplish these tasks, more Sisters and larger facilities were necessary.
On October 2, 1869, the Barker House at the corner of Richmond and College Street in North London was purchased and the Sisters moved there from Kent Street. The building was named Mount Hope, and it became the first Motherhouse of the Sisters, eventually housing the elderly, orphans, Sisters and novices.
On December 18, 1870, the Sisters of St. Joseph became an autonomous congregation in the London diocese, independent of the Toronto congregation. Sister Ignatia Campbell was appointed Superior General, an office she held until 1902. On February 15, 1871, the congregation became legally incorporated.
On October 7, 1877, an addition was made to Mount Hope. This building stood until it was demolished on August 3, 1980, surrounded by the growing healthcare institutions founded by the Sisters, beginning with St. Joseph’s Hospital which opened at 268 Grosvenor Street on October 15, 1888, and followed by the opening of St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing in 1895, and the construction of a new nursing school building in 1927, which saw its last graduation in 1977. On May 1, 1951, St. Mary’s Hospital was opened, followed by Marian Villa on January 12, 1966. In 1985, the hospital complex was renamed St. Joseph’s Health Centre, and ownership was transferred in 1993 to St. Joseph’s Health Care Society.
But it was not only in London that Sisters saw the need for healthcare and nursing education. On October 15, 1890, they opened St. Joseph’s Hospital on Centre Street in Chatham, Ontario, which remained under their control until 1993. In 1895, they opened St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing, which saw its last graduation in 1970. On October 18, 1946, they opened St. Jospeh’s Hospital at 290 North Russell Street in Sarnia which remained under their control until 1993. In Alberta, they administered St. Joseph’s Hospital in Stettler (1926), St. Joseph’s Hospital in Galahad (1927), the General Hospital in Killam (1930), and St. Paul’s Hospital in Rimbey (1932).
On April 10, 1899, the Sisters opened Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse, Novitiate and Orphanage at the former Hellmuth College at 1486 Richmond Street North in London. The orphans were moved to this new location from Mount Hope, which remained a home for the elderly and was renamed House of Providence on June 3, 1899. The orphanage remained at Mount St. Joseph until it was moved to Fontbonne Hall in 1953 (to 1967). The original Hellmuth College building was demolished in 1976.
Later, on September 14, 1914, the Motherhouse and Novitiate moved to Sacred Heart Convent at Colborne and Dundas Streets in London, with the orphans remaining at Mount St. Joseph. The Sisters lived at Sacred Heart Convent until 1953, when they moved back to the newly built Mount St. Joseph, on the original location of the former Hellmuth College. The new Motherhouse and Novitiate was officially opened on June 29, 1954. It was here that they continued a private girls’ school which had begun in 1950 at Sacred Heart Convent, and was now known as Mount St. Joseph Academy (to 1985). It was here too that they continued a music school which had also begun at Sacred Heart Convent and was now called St. Joseph’s School of Music (to 1982). The Médaille Retreat Centre began here in 1992, and the Sisters also administered a Guest Wing for relatives of hospitalized patients (to 2005). The Sisters departed Mount St. Joseph for their new residence, a green building at 485 Windermere Road in London, in 2007.
On September 4, 1873, St. Joseph’s Convent opened at 131 North Street in Goderich, Ontario, followed by other convents in Ontario, including Ingersoll (1879), St. Thomas (1879), Belle River (1889), Windsor (1894), Sarnia (1906), Kingsbridge (1911), Seaforth (1913), St. Mary’s (1913), Woodstock (1913), Kinkora (1916), Paincourt (1923), Maidstone (1930), Leamington (1932), Delhi (1938), Tillsonburg (1938), Simcoe (1938), Langton (1939), West Lorne (1957), and Zurich (1963)
The Sisters also opened missions in other parts of Canada, including in Alberta: Edmonton (1922), Wetaskiwin (1929), St. Bride’s (1934); and in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories Yellowknife (1953), and in British Columbia in Haney, now Maple Ridge (1956), and Rutland (1970). Branching even further afield, Convento San Jose was opened in Chiclayo, Peru in 1962.
Over the years, as well as their service as teachers in the separate school system, as music teachers, as healthcare workers, as nursing educators, in providing care to orphans, and in providing parish ministry, pastoral care, and administering spiritual retreats, the Sisters were also involved in social service ministry. In Windsor, they opened the Roy J. Bondy Centre on September 13, 1970 which was a receiving home for the Children’s Aid Society, withdrawing in 1982 but continuing to provide residential care for disabled children afterward. In London, they opened Internos, a residence for teenage girls attending school and later for troubled teens (to 1979). This was followed by the opening of St. Joseph’s Detoxification Centre on September 13, 1973 (to 2005) and St. Stephen’s House, an alcoholic recovery centre on February 1, 1982 (to 2000). Loughlin House in London opened as a residence for ex-psychiatric female patients in 1986 (to 1989), followed by the Home for Women in Need at 534 Queens Avenue in 1979 (to 2004). Later, St. Josephs’ House for Refugees was opened in 1987 (to 2005), followed by St. Joseph’s Hospitality Centre, a food security program, on February 2, 1983.
On November 22, 2012, the congregation amalgamated with those in Hamilton, Peterborough, and Pembroke into one charitable corporation under the name Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada Act, a Private Act of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario which received Royal Assent on June 13, 2013.
The St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing in Chatham dates back to 1901 when it was discovered that secular nurses would be needed to help out the Sisters of the Congregation in the hospitals. Doctors gave the lectures at the school. From 1903 onward, graduates could be given diplomas. Sister Monica Coyle became Directress of the School. The Alumnae Association of St. Joseph’s Hospital, which started in 1915, raised funds for the school. The last graduating class from the school was in 1970. After the closure of the nursing school, training was delivered by St. Clair College, and nurses did their practical training at both Chatham hospitals (St. Joseph's Hospital and Public General Hospital).
The property which became Mount Hope originally belonged to William Barker, formerly the mayor of London. It was bounded by Grosvenor, Burlington (now Richmond), George and Thomas (now College). It was originally a school for the Religious of the Sacred Heart from 1857 to 1867, but found to be unsuitable for education due to its size and location. It was bought by John Cooke Meredith from the congregation in 1867. It was then sold to Francis Smith on May 1, 1869 for the sum of $9,250. The property was then purchased by Bishop John Walsh on May 10, 1869 for the same price. It officially opened as the new Mother House and orphanage for the Sisters of St. Joseph on October 2, 1869.
Seventeen orphans – fifteen from Toronto, and two from London – arrived at the opening of Mount Hope. By June 1870, elderly men and women from Victoria Hospital and the Municipal Home for the Aged also came to live at Mount Hope. The number of orphans living at Mount Hope grew to fifty. The women residents assisted with domestic duties and the men did gardening and other tasks.
The former Barker residence had beautiful grounds with broad shaded walks hedged with privet or bordered with flowers, as well as rose bushes, shrubs on the lawn, and many trees including pine, catalpa, birch and maple. The rear grounds were filled with apple, pear, plum and black English cherry trees. The orchards made way for the new brick building added to the Barker house. Inside the building, there was a chapel, a parlour, various workspaces, kitchen and bake room, refectories, and accommodation for the Sisters as well as dormitories for orphaned girls. The floors were bare wood kept scrubbed white and clean. The house was heated by wood stoves and lit by coal oil lamps, with a good oven in the basement where the Sisters made their own bread. Water came from a single well and was hauled from the river in barrels. A frame building at the rear of the house held a school room, sleeping quarters for resident men, a laundry, and dormitory for boys. In the laundry, wooden tubs and washboards were set around the walls, and an iron boiler rested on a big heater in the middle of the room. The stable housed a horse and cow at the rear of this building. Not far from the frame building was a two-storey brick building used by the Religious of the Sacred Heart as their poor school.
On December 18, 1870, a mass was celebrated at Mount Hope Chapel, at which time Sister Ignatia Campbell was installed as the General Superior. Through the efforts of Justice McMahon K.C., the Congregation was incorporated through an Act of the Legislature on February 15, 1871. The first reception for novices took place at Mount Hope Chapel on March 25, 1871.
Mount Hope was expanded to provide more room for the Sisters and for the poor, elderly and orphans. The sod turning took place on June 20, 1876. Bishop Walsh provided the security for any debts, and Mother Ignatia Campbell borrowed from the banks and private individuals. The building took two years to complete and was opened on October 7, 1877. The citizens of London helped to liquidate the debt incurred in construction by donating to collections and working at picnics and bazaars for many years. The newly extended building was christened the Mount Hope Mother House, Orphanage and Home for the Aged.
The new building was a Gothic design, four storeys high, built of white brick trimmed with red around the windows and porches. A large, airy bright basement contained the kitchen, store rooms, refectories and school rooms. The first floor had parlours, a community room and the novitiate, while the second floor held rooms for the Sisters. The chapel was on the north wing opposite the Bishop’s parlour and contained statues of St. Joseph and of the Sacred Heart, which were purchased in France and given to the Sisters by Bishop Walsh. This floor also had rooms for elderly women who preferred to live with the Sisters although they had independent means. The cupola on the third floor was surrounded by rooms for orphan girls, and a lamp that always stayed lit hung in the hallway. The fourth floor held the children’s dormitories. There were also dormitories for elderly women, and elderly men were housed in the remodeled former boys’ dormitory, by then a two-storey brick building.
Improvements were made with the installation of gas in 1878, and in 1887 when machinery was brought in for the laundry. In 1880, Mount Hope provided shelter to over 200 people, its only source of revenue being the salaries of Sister teachers and donations.
By the late 1890s, there was overcrowding of elderly and orphan residents. Many elderly residents required medical care. It was decided for health reasons that the elderly and orphans be separated. In 1899, the orphans – first the school-age children, beginning with the girls and then the boys and the infants – moved with the Sisters to set up their new Mother House at the former Hellmuth College for Young Ladies, which was renamed Mount St. Joseph Orphanage. The elderly residents stayed at Mount Hope, which was renamed House of Providence in 1899.
The House of Providence was a charitable institution which operated under the Charitable Institutions Act.
By the 1940s, the Sisters decided that a new facility was needed since the House of Providence was not able to properly accommodate the growing number of residents and chronic care patients. Additionally, area treatment hospitals were also encountering an increased number of chronically ill patients occupying beds, which were needed for active treatment patients and emergency care. A new addition would allow the Sisters to care for chronically ill patients from London and its surrounding areas, freeing up space in the area’s treatment hospitals. Approval for the new chronic care hospital was given by the Government of Ontario in 1948, and after grants were given by both the Federal and Provincial governments, the construction of St. Mary’s Hospital commenced. On May 1, 1951, St. Mary’s Hospital opened, located on the corner of Grosvenor Street and Richmond Street and one side of the House of Providence. Subsequently, chronic care patients were moved to St. Mary’s.
Following the construction of St. Mary's Hospital and despite financial difficulties, the staff of Sisters, under the leadership of Sister Patrick Joseph Gleeson, decided to renovate each floor of the House of Providence to make it comfortable for elderly patients. The renovation included the expansion and brightening of the small, dark rooms as well as the creation of sitting rooms. The Chapel was also renovated and expanded to make it wheelchair accessible. These renovations were completed in 1952.
Various changes occurred in the administrative structure during this time when the government was taking a more active role in social welfare, and the House of Providence made an effort to become more involved in the local community. During these changes, Sister Consolata became General Superior of the House of Providence and St. Mary's Hospital in 1956. Her interest in aiding the sick made her well liked among the patients. Father McCabe, Director of Catholic Charities, formed an Advisory Board to examine any financial or social issues pertaining to the House. Other committees were created to aid the Advisory Board, including the Recreation Program Committee, which was involved in the day-to-day activities of the patients, and the Budget Committee which was responsible for the annual operating budget.
Other individuals also became involved in the operation of the House. The residents themselves were responsible for entertainment at every social evening. A group of community members formed the House of Providence Guild, which was concerned with residents maintaining hobbies and life interests. The Catholic Family Centre helped the House of Providence conduct interviews for the admission process in order to ensure that adequate care could be provided for each resident. Some doctors, nurses, and other members of staff volunteered their time and services. The Sisters continued to care for the poor. Even when residents did not qualify for pension or welfare, the Sisters would admit them. Indeed, the Sisters themselves would take on financial responsibility for room and board as well as any other service residents were provided.
In May, 1962 a plan for a new facility to accommodate the need for more hospital beds was approved, and in January of 1966, Marian Villa was built on the other side of the House of Providence, supplying an additional 214 beds. The House of Providence still housed 58 beds, but residents from the House of Providence building were gradually relocated to Marian Villa. At Marian Villa, the Sisters were dedicated to providing both residential and extended health care to elderly residents. Additionally, the Sisters placed great emphasis on high quality long term care and viewed residents in a familial manner.
The Barker House was torn down in 1963 when Marian Villa was built, and the 1877 extension was demolished in 1980 when the addition to St. Mary's Hospital was built. By 1969, the House of Providence was deteriorating, and it was decided that is was necessary to build an additional fifth floor to Marian Villa in 1976. The House of Providence was demolished in August 1980. In 1981 a new chapel was opened, and kitchen and laundry departments opened for use by both Marian Villa and St Mary’s Hospital in October, 1982. In 1987, a secured special care unit, containing 14 beds, opened in Marian Villa to provide care for the elderly residents with mental illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
On June 24, 1985, Marian Villa, St. Mary’s Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital were amalgamated and named St. Joseph’s Health Centre. Today, Marian Villa and St. Mary’s Hospital form the Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care.