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Sister Mary Leo Kirwin was born Mary Margaret Kirwin in Ingersoll, Ontario on January 7, 1922 to Leo Joseph Kirwin and Mae Henesey. Mary attended Sacred Heart School from 1936-1940 and Ingersoll Collegiate Institute from 1940-1942. She then completed her teacher training at London Normal School from 1941-1942. After earning her teaching certificate, she spent the summer of 1942 working in a munitions factory, but began teaching in September of that year. Her teaching career began at RCSS #2 in Clinton, Ontario. She then taught at Sacred Heart School in Ingersoll from 1944-1946, and later moved to St. Mary’s School from 1946-1947. On July 2, 1947, Mary Kirwin entered the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph and received the habit on January 3, 1948. She took the name Sister Mary Leo. She took her final vows on January 3, 1953.

Sr. Mary Leo Kirwin worked as a teacher from 1950-1953 at the Holy Rosary School in London, Ontario. From 1953-1957, she served at this school as the principal. She moved to Simcoe to be a teacher and principal at St. Mary’s Catholic School from 1957-1961. During this time, Sr. Mary Leo also attended the University of Western Ontario and obtained her B.A. in 1958. From 1961-1965, she taught at St. Louis School, Riverside in Windsor. She remained in Windsor from 1965 to 1967, where she taught at F.J. Brennan Catholic High School. She then returned to London and became a teacher and head of the home economics department at Mount St. Joseph Academy from 1969-1983. While she was teaching in London, she graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Specialist in Home Economics in 1980.

In 1983, Sr. Mary Leo was called to move to Edmonton to serve as the General Superior of St. Joseph’s Convent and act as coordinator of Western Houses, a role in which she served until 1989. While living at the Edmonton Regional House in 1987, Sister Mary Leo became involved with the People In Need Shelter Society during a housing crisis. Along with Sister Alice Caswell and Sister Olga Barilko, she worked with disabled people. She also worked with the poor alongside Sister Esther Lucier. Her involvement grew and eventually the Society named a house for homeless men and women after her (the Kirwin Lucier House). From 1989-1991, she took up a new role at Elizabeth Place, a home for needy women in Edmonton. She was also involved with the Elizabeth Fry Society where she worked with prison women doing handiwork and visiting. In 1991, she returned to London, where she served as the general treasurer at Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse until 1998. In addition, she was on the local leadership council. Although she retired in 1998, Sr. Mary Leo Kirwin still provided relief for Sr. Veronica Cooke at Elaine Lucas Place from 1999-2001. The Elaine Lucas Place in London is a 45 bed residence for the homeless on Little Simcoe Street with which Sr. Mary Leo Kirwin was affiliated.

Sr. Mary Leo was involved in many committees throughout her life, including the Elizabeth Fry Society in Edmonton, L.I.F.T. Housing in London, and the Congregational bursary, donations, and strategic planning committees. She was also a community representative on the Red Cross Board.

One of her lasting contributions was her work with a low-income housing organization in Edmonton, the Edmonton Inner City Housing Society. The society opened its first project, a five-bedroom house in the McCauley neighbourhood and 30 years later, the year Sr. Mary Leo died, the same Edmonton Inner City Housing Society had grown to the point where it owned and managed more than 20 housing developments. These houses provided shelter for individuals and families, and supported 500 people in 300 housing units in inner city neighbourhoods.

Sr. Mary Leo also, as a result of visiting at Edmonton Women’s Prison, saw the need for post-incarceration housing for women. The Congregation bought a house, known as Elizabeth House, with a Sister serving as housemother. Later, they purchased another house called Tess’s House, with Sister Theresa Carmel Slavik serving as housemother for at risk young adults.

The Kirwin-Lucier House, which opened in 1993 in Edmonton, is a housing project of the Edmonton People in Need Shelter Society and provides a home for people with chronic mental disorders or substance abuse. It was named after Sisters Mary Leo Kirwin and Esther Lucier for their contributions to the society and its clients.

Sister Mary Leo was an expert at needlework, sewing of all kinds, quilting, upholstery, caning, and gardening. In 1976, her students at Mount St. Joseph Academy made an Olympic quilt which was presented to Prime Minister Trudeau. She continued making at least two quilts each year with a friend from the low cost housing development in London, until her death.

Sr. Mary Leo died November 26, 2015 in London, Ontario and is buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery in London, Ontario.

In 1930, the Sisters of St. Joseph opened Killam General Hospital, which remained open the longest of the four hospitals which they started in Alberta. Two years later, St. Paul's Hospital began in Rimbey. The hospital in Stettler had opened in 1926 and closed a year later, while the hospital in Galahad had opened in 1926.

In 1930, the F. E. Nichol home was purchased by the Sisters for the construction of the hospital in Killam. At this time, there were no grants from the provincial government for the construction or operation of the hospital. Killam General Hospital was given this name to demonstrate that all patients would be treated, no matter with which religion they were affiliated. Sister Jane Frances O'Rourke took charge of the hospital soon after opening. Sister Loyola Donovan followed as Superior and Administrator. In 1945, the hospital had 15 beds.

By 1946, the people in the community had observed for some time that a larger hospital was needed, and thus a wing was added to the hospital. In 1958, the Alberta Hospitalization Plan was put in place, and the Killam General Hospital was one of the first of Alberta's voluntary hospitals to adopt the idea of inviting lay persons of the community to help with hospital management.

In 1959, Sister Mary Lourdes Therens became the new administrator for the hospital. In 1963, during her time as administrator, a new hospital, chapel and residence for the Sisters was opened.

The Flagstaff Beaver Auxiliary Hospital was built and originally owned by the county, which had wanted a long-term care hospital. It was a separate corporation with its own board of directors.The county asked Sister Lourdes and Sister St. Bride if they would operate the hospital for the county. They agreed to do so, and it was administered along with Killam General Hospital as one facility but two separate corporations. There was an Administrator who was a Sister who oversaw a Director of Nurses position in each hospital. These positions were also filled by Sisters. The Auxiliary Hospital and General Hospital were connected by a corridor with double doors that were always left open. The Convent was also attached to the building. The Auxiliary Hospital shared the kitchen and boiler system with the General Hospital and the county paid a certain amount for this shared usage. The lab and x-ray departments were shared between the hospitals, and patients from the General Hospital went to the physiotherapy and occupational therapy departments which were at the Auxiliary Hospital. The Auxiliary Hospital provided long-term care and was known as the geriatric wing. The Auxiliary Hospital had 50 beds, and the Killam General Hospital had a small nursery.

In 1970, Sister Mary Kevin Moran became the new administrator for the complex. There was some lobbying for the Killam General Hospital to be turned over to the county, but the Sisters resisted this for twelve years. In the end, the county turned the Auxiliary Hospital over to the Killam General hospital.

The Killam General Hospital was in operation from 1930-1990 under the direction of the Sisters of St. Joseph. In 1990, the Sisters withdrew from operation of the Killam General and Flagstaff Beaver Auxiliary Hospitals. In 1990, the hospitals were renamed the Killam Hospital Complex. At this point, the hospitals had 30 active beds and 150 chronic beds. In 2002, ownership was transferred to Alberta Catholic Health Corporation. The Convent was rented to home care for five years and is now also owned by the Alberta Catholic Hospital Corporation. The former Convent houses doctors' offices today. The hospital complex was later named Killam Health Care Centre.

Monica Mary was born in Chatham, Kent County, Ontario on March 4, 1922. Monica was the daughter of Patrick W. Joyce (born Merlin, Ontario, died 1958) and Johanna Fitzgibbon (born Ridgetown, Ontario, died 1972). She had two brothers: John (Jack, 1916-1972) and Reginald (1918-2003), both of Chatham, Ontario.
She attended high school at Ursuline College, Chatham from 1936 to 1940. Monica had a great interest in tennis and was known as a Michigan-Ontario tennis champion. However, she chose to become a nurse and in 1944, graduated from St. Joseph’s School of Nursing in Chatham.
She then decided to enter the Sisters of St. Joseph of London at Sacred Heart Convent where she received the habit on August 25, 1945. She was given the religious name, Sister St. Patrick. Sister professed first vows on August 25, 1947, and final vows on August 25, 1950, at Sacred Heart Convent.
Sister St. Patrick began a career in nursing at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Sarnia as medical and night supervisor from 1947 until 1952, then moved to St. Joseph’s Hospital in London for two years. She enrolled at the University of Western Ontario in London and in 1952 received a diploma in psychiatric nursing. After graduation Sister St. Patrick was appointed psychiatric and night supervisor in London from 1955 until 1957. She then returned to Sarnia to the emergency department at St. Joseph’s Hospital where she remained until 1967. During this period, she gained valuable experience in dealing with alcoholics. Sister’s deep concern for alcoholics stemmed from 1942 when she was a student nurse who was appalled at the lack of dignity and respect with which alcoholics were treated. It was Sister St. Stephen at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Sarnia who recognized the extraordinary ability that Sister St. Patrick had to work with alcoholics as she had a natural, innate compassion and understanding of them.
After obtaining a diploma in nursing service administration from the University of Windsor, Sister earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1969. From 1969 until 1972 Sister St. Patrick served as liaison officer between the Addiction Research Foundation and St. Joseph’s Hospital, a work in which she was deeply interested, but also qualified professionally. She began courses in alcoholism and addictions and received a Specialist Certificate from Rutgers University in the USA in 1969.
Aware of her professional qualifications, as well as her years of practical experience with alcoholics, the Board of St. Joseph’s Hospital, London appointed Sister St. Patrick as director of a Detoxification Center which opened on September 13, 1973, on Dufferin Avenue. She worked hard to provide a home-like environment, conducive to the patient’s well-being, an open ear, and help for those who wished it. In September 1979, the Detox Center for men was moved to the historic gabled mansion built in 1856 by William Spencer, at the corner of Queens Avenue and William Street. Eventually this site would provide a haven for women as well as men and this new location provided the expanded accommodations and services for rehabilitation and counseling.
Sister St. Patrick’s extensive service in improving treatment and awareness of alcohol and drug addiction recovery won her many awards and recognition. On March 5, 1987, she was the first recipient of the Addiction Research Foundation’s award. Sister also received an award from the London Police Force for her work in London. In 1989 she received another award from the Alcohol and Drug Recovery Association of Ontario. In 1989 Sister St. Patrick was a founding member and on the Board of Westover Treatment Centre located in Thamesville, Ontario and was instrumental in obtaining funding from the Ministry of Health of Ontario for developing the program at Westover, and for overseeing the implementation of the program. In 1991 a new building was added to Westover and was named in her honour, “the St. Patrick’s Building.” In 1995, Turning Point Inc., a recovery home for men and women, gave Sister an award for her years of dedicated work on their Board. However, the awards which were most meaningful to her were the medallions for honorary membership in Alcoholics Anonymous which was given to her by the group in Sarnia in 1951 and the London group in 1968.
In 1982 Sister St. Patrick opened a Community sponsored half-way long term stay residential home, St. Stephen’s House on English Street in London, which she named after Sister St. Stephen who was instrumental in encouraging Sister St. Patrick to work with those who were addicted to alcohol while both were in Sarnia many years before. St. Stephen’s House was set up as a supportive home for recovering addicts where they could live while starting new jobs and saving money to eventually go out on their own. While in residence they were obliged to share household duties, participate in house meetings, and attend AA meetings. Soon a second house was established on Gower Street in 1987 for eight men.
Sister St. Patrick’s educational background and experiences served her well when she began her work with persons with alcohol and drug addictions. She never wavered or gave up on “the boys.” She knew how to respond to them in their darkest moments, how to challenge, encourage and support them in their struggles. She touched hundreds of lives with her forthright manner, her compassion, and her unstinting gift of self. However, she was known to be a straight shooter. She demonstrated unconditional love, but she was tough!
Sister St. Patrick retired in 1988 from the Detox Center of St. Joseph’s Hospital, London. However, she remained as manager of the two recovery homes and on the Board of many facilities offering guidance to many recovering alcoholics.
Due to her poor health and the deteriorating neighborhood conditions on English Street, she closed that recovery home. Sister continued as administrator of St. Stephen’s House on Gower Street until handing it over in June 2001 to Bev Thomson, her friend, who agreed to act as administrator to keep the home open and to carry on Sister St. Patrick’s legacy.
Sister St. Patrick died in Ignatia Hall Infirmary on July 4, 2001. Her Funeral Mass of Resurrection was celebrated in Immaculate Conception Chapel at Mount St. Joseph, London, Ontario. Many of those whom she helped during her life, attended the Visitation and Funeral. She is buried in St. Peter's Cemetery, London.

Sister Marie Celine Janisse was born in Windsor, Ontario on February 13, 1928. She was one of the seven children of Norman Janisse and Eva Tino, both of Windsor. She had her reception at Sacred Heart Convent in London, Ontario on August 25, 1946. Her first profession was August 25, 1948, and her final profession was August 25, 1951.

Sister Marie Celine received a Fine Art diploma from the Institute of Pedagogy, Montreal in 1952-53. She was awarded her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana in 1969.

Sister Marie Celine served as a parish worker in Peru from August 2, 1983 to December 1, 1994. Upon her return to Canada, she was involved in Heart-Links, an organization started by the Sisters of St. Joseph to support community development in Peru. She returned to Peru from 1998 to 2000 to work for Heart-Links. After this, she served on pastoral and art projects with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Pembroke mission to Chincha, Peru from 2001 to 2003, and then again with Heart-Links in London from 2003 to 2007. Sister Marie Celine also served in Nicaragua as part of the Hurricane Mitch Response, for three months from 1998-1999.

Mary Hussey was born February 16, 1872 in Ashton Township, Huron County, Ontario to Thomas Hussey (1841-1902) and Mary Dalton (1840-1926). One of her sisters, Elizabeth Hussey (1870-1959), also joined the Sisters of St. Joseph community in London and took on the name Sister Euphemia. Mary entered the congregation at Mount Hope, received the habit on August 15, 1895, and took her final vows on August 18, 1897 at Mount Hope in London, receiving her religious name Sister Philomena. She was placed in charge of St. Joseph’s School of Nursing in Chatham, Ontario. She was elected General Superior of the Sisters of St. Joseph in London, Ontario in 1923 and held the position until 1935.

In 1925, Mother Philomena and Sister St. Philip Traynor made a pilgrimage to Rome. While she was General Superior, she and her Council revised the Rule according to Canon Law and established a Book of Customs for the community. She also oversaw the opening of the nurses’ residence at St. Joseph’s Hospital, London in 1927 and a convent in Maidstone in 1930. During her tenure, new missions opened in Paincourt, Maidstone, Leamington, and Windsor. She also arranged for Sisters to teach at St. Patrick’s School in London. In 1935 she ended her term as General Superior, was elected General Councilor, and became the assistant to the Superior at the House of Providence in London. After she retired from office, she was appointed Local Superior at St. Joseph’s Hospital in London. She died at St. Joseph’s Hospital on December 5, 1950. Her funeral Mass was held in the Chapel at Sacred Heart Convent, London and student nurses from St. Joseph’s Hospital formed a guard of honour.

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.

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.

Heart-Links began in Sept. 1994, as a community-sponsored ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph. The ministry grew out of the Sisters’ work in Zana Valley, Peru (1962 to 1994, when the order closed the mission). In 1994, when Sister Janet Zadorsky returned to Canada, she began as a way for the Sisters and others to continue links with Peru and expand the work the Sisters started.

The first board for Heart-Links met in 1995, and eventually Pat Mailloux took over accounts and Sister Marie Celine organized artistic work and sales. On November 1, 2002, Heart-Links was incorporated under the Canada Corporation Act, and on January 1, 2003, it received charitable registration from Canada Customs and Revenue Agency. At this time, Heart-Links became a secular, autonomous organization.

The Sisters and other volunteers raised funds through Heart-Links for Peru via concerts and bazaars. Each year beginning in 1996, an Awareness trip took volunteers to visit the work and communities in Peru supported by Heart-Links. In 2014, Heart-Links celebrated its 20th anniversary.

Over the years Heart-Links in Peru has supported communal kitchens in Zana, Aviacion, Nueva Rica, and Mocupe, a music group in Chiclayo, a dance group in Zana, school breakfast programs, special needs schools in Mocupe and Zana, a school for needy in Zana, a bakery in Reque, and the construction of a new communal kitchen in Zana, among others.