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Born Mary Margaret Ferris in London in 1931, Sister Margaret Ferris is a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, who spent much of her life furthering her education and ministry. In particular, she was a reformer and innovator of prayer, community involvement, and spiritual direction at the Congregation. She also published a book titled Compassioning: Basic Counselling Skills for Christian Caregivers in 1993, and various articles pertaining to spiritual direction and community living and involvement.

Sister Margaret Ferris was involved in her local parish at an early age and was especially encouraged in her faith by her grandmother, who lived with the Ferris family. At a young age she began to consider entering religious life. She completed upper school at St. Angela’s College in 1950 and was a member of the first class to ever graduate from Catholic Central High School in 1951. At age 22, after working as a legal secretary, she joined the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph. After the completion of her novitiate, she attended the University of Western Ontario where she completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1959, and Master’s degree in Education in 1977. In 1959, she began her teaching career as a high school teacher.

She continued to advance in her career in the 1960s. She became vice-principal of St. Patrick’s High School in Sarnia in 1963, and then principal of Mount St. Joseph Academy in 1966. During the 1960s, she continued to further her own education. She studied during the summer months at the University of Notre Dame. There she received a Master’s degree in Science in 1968. She also became a leader of spiritual renewal at the Congregation, which resulted in a strengthening of her own prayer life.

In 1972, she resigned as principal of Mount St. Joseph Academy, and with three other Sisters, established Internos, a home for troubled teenage girls, who experienced family difficulties or substance abuse. Her ministry evolved as she became exposed to and involved in family and community life. In 1977, she became Director of the Congregation’s Medaille Retreat House. During this time, she was also completing her Master’s degree in Counselling at the University of Western Ontario part-time. During this time, she continued to broaden her experience and understanding of spiritual direction and contemplative spirituality.

In 1978, she was elected to the Congregation’s General Council while still maintaining her position at the Retreat House where she worked alongside individuals of other Christian denominations. In 1984, she studied for a year at the Institute for Creation-Centred Spirituality in California where she obtained a Master’s degree in Spirituality and Culture. She marks this as the richest experience of community in her life, which strengthened and broadened her own spiritual understanding and life.

When she returned to London in 1985, she was asked to join St. Peter’s Seminary as a faculty member in the positions of teacher, counsellor, and Formation Director for Lay Ministry. She was the first woman professor to work full-time at St. Peter’s Seminary. This was another fulfilling experience for Sister Margaret Ferris as she was able to influence the development of the Church and to empower the laity. She held this position for over ten years. In 1992 she obtained her Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Direction at the Graduate Theological Foundation, and in 2007 she received an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from the same institution.

Sister Margaret Ferris also dedicated a portion of her life to travelling. From 1959-1963, she made various trips around Ontario and northern U.S.A. In 1981, she travelled to Peru and Florida. In 1990, she and other Sisters visited Rome where she also met Pope John Paul II and received a rosary from him. In 2003, she made a pilgrimage to Le Puy, France, from where the Sisters of St. Joseph originally came. In 2004, she was honoured as one of the seven Golden Jubilarians in the Congregation. She died in 2017.

Katherine Joan McKeough was born on August 21, 1920, in Stratford, Perth County, Ontario, the daughter of Christopher James McKeough and Katherine Mary Devlin. She received her habit on October 15, 1945, at Sacred Heart Convent and took her final vows on January 3, 1951. She was given the religious name Sister Angela Felix and after the Second Vatican Council in 1962, she reverted to her baptismal name.

Sister Angela Felix spent her life in hospital ministry. She then attended the University of Western Ontario in London and earned a diploma in psychiatric nursing and in 1952 was appointed to a supervisory position in psychiatry at St. Joseph’s Hospital, London. She was named an instructor at the School of Nursing in London for two years. In 1956 Sister Angela Felix received a diploma in nursing education and in 1965 completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Then in 1967 she earned a Masters of Science in Adult Psychology at Boston University in Massachusetts. She held other positions at St. Joseph’s Hospital in London besides clinical supervisor in psychiatry, such as assistant to the executive director and supervisor of patient services. She held memberships in the Ontario Group Psychotherapy Association; the Canadian College of Health Service Executives; the American Society for Hospital Nursing Service and Administration. She served as board member of the London Psychiatric Hospital, the Catholic Hospital Association of Canada, and St. Joseph’s Hospitals in Chatham and Sarnia. She was President of the Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada from 1985 to 1986, was a member of the Administrative Council of the Catholic Religious Conference and Vice-President of the Catholic Religious Conference of Ontario.

In 1971 Sister Katherine was elected to the General Council of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London and was named coordinator of health care for the Community and in 1979 she was elected General Superior. She died on April 13, 2006.

The Sisters of St. Joseph of the Diocese of Peterborough was incorporated on May 1, 1893 under chapter 172 of the Revised Statutes of Ontario, 1887. Peterborough, Ontario is located on the traditional territory of the Mississauga Anishinaabeg Peoples.

In 1890, the Peterborough diocese stretched from the shores of Lake Ontario northward, and westward beyond the western end of Lake Superior by a hundred miles or more. Bishop R.A. O’Connor, Bishop of Peterborough, felt a need for a diocesan congregation which would devote its energies to the educational and health needs of his huge diocese. He discussed the matter with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto, with the result that, in 1890, 20 sisters of the Toronto congregation formed a new congregation in the diocese of Peterborough. Mother Austin Doran was elected General Superior.

The task facing the new congregation was monumental. It had been arranged that they would assume the Academy, a high school for girls in Lindsay, Ontario, and staff the newly opened St. Joseph’s Hospital in Peterborough, Ontario, as well as the existing houses in Cobourg, Ontario and at the head of Lake Superior. To further complicate the task, the new hospital was to care not only for the sick, but also for 40 of Peterborough’s elderly poor who were at the time residents of the House of Providence in Toronto.

Fifteen new members joined the congregation during the first year, and the foundation prospered, although poverty weighed heavily. With growing numbers, a new residence on the outskirts of Peterborough, Mount St. Joseph, was opened in 1895. In the same year, the new congregation began its teaching apostolate in the city of Peterborough. A House of Providence was established in 1900 to accommodate not only the elderly poor, but orphans of the diocese.

The growing congregation led to the formation of two daughter congregations. In 1921, the 27 sisters in three mission houses located in the diocese of Pembroke were, at the request of Bishop Ryan, formed into a new congregation with the Motherhouse in Pembroke. In 1936, the bishop of Sault Ste. Marie announced the formation of a new congregation for his diocese, and thus 120 Peterborough sisters became founding members of the new congregation.

Through the years, the Sisters have served, primarily in education and health care, in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and in the Northwest Territories and the Yukon. They have also served abroad in Brazil, Honduras, Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania and the Far East.

Mount St. Joseph, the building that served as the Motherhouse since 1895, had become much more than the Sisters currently needed. After prayerful discernment and careful planning, a new Motherhouse, built to the latest environmental standards, was opened in 2009 beside the historic former Motherhouse, which has been repurposed to serve the Peterborough community.

In spite of decreasing numbers, the closing of convents and the handing over of well-established institutions, the Sisters continue to serve in areas throughout Canada. In their response to changing times and their charism of reaching out to those in need, new ministries call the Sisters forth: they network with other groups who share their mission to the most needy, and offer congregational support to some of the most urgent needs of our society, including adequate shelter for the aged, the homeless, women in need and refugees. They are present on boards that struggle to provide adequate housing for the poor, and volunteer in parishes, health care facilities and organizations that respond to current needs. Fostering spiritual growth is the work of two houses in Ontario: St. Joseph’s Villa in Cobourg and the Upper Room Home of Prayer in Ottawa. Sisters are dedicated to raising awareness about ecology and earth literacy. In this time of transition, The Sisters endeavour to be faithful to the same charism that called the first Sisters to risk all for the sake of love.

On November 22, 2012, the congregation amalgamated with those in Hamilton, London, 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.

Isabel Ross was born in Collingwood, Ontario on June 2, 1906. Isabel was the daughter of Alexander Ross and Anne Carson. She entered the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton, Ontario on January 6, 1929, made her first profession July 15, 1929, and final vows on August 28, 1934.
She attained the following degrees:
Permanent Teacher's Certificate, Hamilton Teachers' College, 1931.
Bachelor of Arts, McMaster U. Graduate Fellowship, 1966, University of Toronto.
Catechetics Graduate Work, Gannon College, Erie, Pa. USA 1977.
Sister Alexander taught school for thirty-four years in Hamilton Diocese, both elementary and secondary schools. She was stationed in Brantford Ontario mission house while serving at St. John’s High School. Sister lived at Milton, Ontario where she was both local superior and principal of the school. In 1971 she retired from teaching but continued some graduate work in Catechetics from 1963-1977. Sister previously studied at University of Toronto Graduate School where she received the Province of Ontario Graduate Fellowship. Sister spent her last years in St. Joseph’s Villa, Dundas in the Sisters’ local community there. She died peacefully in the Villa in her seventy-first year as a Sister of St. Joseph on February 21, 2000. She is buried in St. Augustine’s Cemetery, Dundas, Ontario. Mass of Christian burial was celebrated in the Villa chapel, with Bishop Anthony Tonnos as chief celebrant.

The Sisters of St. Joseph had come to Port Arthur in 1881 to take charge of the parish school. Almost immediately they became aware of a need to care for men seriously injured while working on the railway construction. On an informal basis, some of these men were cared for in the convent. In 1882, Fr. Hamel, S.J. offered land adjacent to the church for a hospital. In 1884, in consultation with the Bishop and town officials, it was decided that the Sisters would open a hospital. In 1883, an addition to the convent provided a chapel and two classrooms. Sister Monica, who had come from Toronto as a housekeeper, became the chief hospital worker. Even while the hospital building was under construction, areas of the convent and school were used to care for the sick and injured. The new building was finished in November, but was used by the school children until May of 1885 because the hospital furnishings and equipment had to arrive by ship after the ice melted and it was felt it would be too disruptive to move the patients in the cold of winter. In 1885, the "Ladies Aid" was formed to support the Sisters in their work in the hospital, providing both financial and social assistance.
When the hospital first opened, conditions were very primitive because of the lack of proper supplies and equipment. Most patients could not afford to pay anything, and public funds for the indigent were very difficult to obtain. Sr. Monica would go with a companion up and down the railway line soliciting donations for the hospital and St. Vincent's Orphanage in Fort William.
In 1890, when the Peterborough Congregation was formed, St. Joseph's Hospital was one of the original houses which formed the new Congregation. In 1900, a 3 storey addition was completed, along with a one floor addition to the original hospital. Much of the cost as covered by Sister Monica's begging trips. In 1902, the nursing sisters took up residence in the hospital, and a chapel was opened in the hospital, leaving St. Joseph's Convent for the school and music Sisters. 1905 was another important year in the growth of the hospital, as another three storey addition was opened, and a School Of Nursing began training qualified staff. The first graduates completed their studies in 1907.
In 1909, the Silver Jubilee of the hospital was celebrated. The hospital matured in 1918 with the opening of a modern wing including X-ray, clinical laboratory and pediatric departments. The hospital could now care for 150 patients. Like all similar health care facilities, St. Joseph's Hospital rose to the challenge of the 1918 outbreak of influenza. Sr. Monica's soliciting trips of funds for the hospital and orphanage continued into the 1920's.
In 1922, the hospital was accredited with an 'A-1' rating. In 1925 both the Congregation and the City of Port Arthur honoured Sister Monica on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee. In 1928, the original convent and south wing were demolished, and an addition completed which included sunrooms, central power house and a steam laundry. The design of the addition meant that all parts of the hospital were connected to each other easily. In 1928, a nearby home was purchased as a residence for nurses in training.
In 1934, the 50th anniversary of the hospital was celebrated with a special mass celebrated by Bishop David Scollard (Bishop of Sault Ste. Marie) and the unveiling a monument and statue of St. Joseph in recognition of the Sisters' contribution, especially Sister Monica who had devoted herself tirelessly to the hospital from its inception until her death in 1931. In 1935 a larger home was purchased for the nurses' residence, and the kitchen was renovated and expanded.
In 1936, at the initiative of Bishop Hubert Dignan, the Congregation's houses in the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie formed a branch Congregation, and so St. Joseph's Hospital became part of the new Congregation, continuing to give compassionate health care for many years.

Bishop Thomas Dowling (Bishop of Peterborough) purchased ‘St Leonard's Grove' in Ashburnham and on October 14, 1888 laid the cornerstone for a Catholic hospital in Peterborough. At the request of Bishop Alphonsus O'Connor (who had succeed Bishop Dowling as Bishop of Peterborough), five Sisters from the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto came to Peterborough in 1890 to set up the new hospital. These Sisters were part of the group which in August 1990 formed the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peterborough, shortly before the official opening of the hospital. The first retreat for the new Congregation, which ended with the election of Reverend Mother Austin Doran as the first Superior General, was held at the new hospital. A few days later, on August 20, 1890, Bishop O'Connor presided over the official opening of the 25 bed facility and declared that it was "open to all denominations", unlike Peterborough's other hospital (Nicholls Hospital) which was restricted to Protestants.
The following year forty aged, blind and destitute people (including orphans) who were being cared for by the Toronto Congregation arrived at the hospital. The former stable was renovated to accommodate the men and boys, and the women and children occupied the top floor of the hospital. The crowding and the unsuitability of the accommodations led to the opening of the House of Providence in 1900.
In 1894, three Sisters came from Lindsay to staff the Lake Street School (Sacred Heart School), the first teaching Sisters in Peterborough. They resided at St. Joseph's Hospital until Mount St. Joseph opened in 1895. St. Joseph's Hospital was incorporated as a charitable institution in 1894. In 1898 during an outbreak of typhoid fever which swept Peterborough, the hospital played an crucial role in caring for those afflicted with the disease.
Electric lighting was installed in 1900, making the care of patients much easier.
The hospital continued to grow with the opening of a major addition in 1908. This new wing included an operating room, sterilizing facilities, twelve additional patient beds, an isolation ward, space for a laboratory and accommodation for both Sisters and nursing students. It also boasted the first elevator in Peterborough. In later years this addition and the original building were referred to as 'C Wing'. These earliest sections were demolished in 1969.
In 1909 the first baby was born at St. Joseph's Hospital - at the time most births happened in homes.
In 1911 a steam laundry was opened to service the enlarged hospital.
After one of the Sisters had received training at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, an X-ray Department was established in 1913 in what had been the isolation ward. The X-Ray machine was purchased through the efforts of the three city parishes. The following year the Clinical Laboratory was opened, the first of its kind in Peterborough.
The hospital played a major role in responding to the disastrous fire at their neighbour, Quaker Oats Company, in 1916. In order to deal with the wave of injured, help was received from willing hands from House of Providence, Mount St. Joseph and St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. Two years later the hospital responded vigorously to the Spanish Influenza epidemic which struck Peterborough.
1922 saw a number of major achievements: a second addition ('A Wing') with sixty additional patient beds (including obstetrical, medical and surgical units) and an operating room and the awarding of a ‘Certificate of Approval' by the American College of Surgeons.
In 1944 Bishop John MacDonald (Bishop of Peterborough) transferred ownership of the hospital from the diocese to the Congregation.
St. Joseph's Hospital Auxiliary was formed in 1946 to assist the Sisters in meeting patients' needs.
The years after World War II were busy times as a number of important additions were completed. 1947 saw the opening of a Nurses' Residence, with a tunnel connecting it to the hospital. The same year a new power plant and laundry was opened. In 1950 a major addition ('B Wing') opened with 75 additional beds, Dietary Department and a Business Office. The cafeteria was completed in this section in 1952, as was the fourth floor of the Nurses' Residence.
The 1960's saw major changes to the facilities. A Cancer Clinic was opened in 1961 on the first floor of the Nurses' residence. The A Wing (built in 1922) was renovated in 1963 to bring it up to modern standards. It was designed to accommodate the nursery and Paediatric Department. A major addition ("D Wing") was completed in 1964, including 113 additional beds, new X-Ray Department, new Laboratory Department, new Surgical Suite, Emergency Department, Admitting Department, Physiotherapy Department, Medical Records Department, Pharmacy, Central Supplies, Morgue, Medical Library, Tuck Shop, Administration Office and an extension to the Dietary Department. In 1965 renovations to create a new Intensive Care Unit were completed. The Chapel was renovated in 1966. In 1969 the original hospital and most of the 1908 wing (except the chapel) were demolished, as they were no longer suitable for modern patient care.
In 1970 Mr. Leo Doiron became the first lay administrator of St. Joseph's Hospital.
In keeping up its tradition of offering the best in patient care, a Nuclear Medicine Department was opened in 1971.
The Laundry Department was folded in 1972, as the hospital become one of the founding members of Kawartha Hospital Linen Services, a co-operative venture of area hospitals. In 1973 a Teen Volunteer Program was begun to allow interested young people to provide assistance to staff and patients, while giving them valuable experience of hospital work.
The 1970's saw the beginning of rationalization of functions with Peterborough Civic Hospital, as Obstetrics were moved to Civic, and Orthopaedic services were centralized at St. Joseph's. This specialization led in 1974 to the formation of a Department of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine and in 1977 to the opening of a Prosthetic/Orthotic Workshop and the Adult Rehabilitation Program. Also in 1977 The Cancer Clinic was re-organized and expanded in conjunction with Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, so that Peterborough area residents did not always have to travel to Toronto for diagnosis and treatment. The following year an Audiology Department, Back Care Program and Orthopaedic Clinic were opened.
From 1978 to 1981 the Canadian Hearing Society operated a Hearing Handicapped Centre in part of a house owned by the Sisters of St. Joseph (Medaille House) to support the work of the Audiology Department.
In 1982 a Joint Boards Committee was formed with Civic Hospital to formalize on-going planning of Peterborough area medical care and other issues of mutual concern.
A Palliative Care Program was initiated in 1983 to train volunteers who would assist the dying and their families. In the same year the Paediatric Ward was closed, as all services for children would be offered at Civic.
In February 1984, St. Joseph's Hospital assumed responsibilty for ownership and operation of two small Red Cross "outpost" hospitals in Haliburton and Minden. In April 1996 this responsiblity was transferred to Haliburton Highlands Health Services.
St. Joseph's Hospital of Peterborough Foundation was founded in 1985 to fund-raise for major hospital capital projects.
In 1986 a Day Hospital was opened to offer minor surgical procedures. The chapel was refurbished in 1989.
The Centennial of St. Joseph's Hospital, along with the Centennial of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peterborough, were celebrated in 1990 with a variety of special events.
In 1991 the Cancer Clinic was moved to Civic Hospital.
Because of growing concerns about the ability to provide and finance hospital care in Peterborough, St. Joseph's Board of Governors met with the Civic Hospital Board of Governors along with representatives from the City and County of Peterborough in 1992. These efforts to provide the best possible medical care in times of financial stress continued throughout the following years, leading to an evolution of the roles of the two institutions. In 1992 the hospital's name was changed to St. Joseph's Hospital and Health Centre, since it was no longer a general hospital.
In 1993 the phasing out of emergency services at St. Joseph's began, with the Emergency Department closed from midnight to 8:00AM. A number of services were consolidated at St. Joseph's including orthopaedics, ophthalmology, urology, dentistry and general rehabilitation.
The Emergency Department was closed in 1994, and renovations were made to accommodate more Day Surgery. In the same year, the Oncology Centre for cancer treatment was transferred back to St. Joseph's. It was now operated in co-operation with Kingston Regional Cancer Centre and Ontario Cancer Research Foundation.
In 1995 a new Palliative Care Centre was opened, providing a multi-disciplinary approach to palliative care in a home-like setting. Also in 1995, all the health care facilities owned by the Congregation were transferred to the sponsorship of the Fontbonne Health Care Society. This is a Public Juridic Person committed to carrying out the vision of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the hospital as well as Marycrest Home For the Aged and Marycrest at Inglewood.
Further rationalization of services was carried out in 1996 as the ICU (Critical Care Services) were consolidated at Civic. Also in 1996, the hospital became a separate corporation, known as St. Joseph's Health Centre. In the same year, the hospitals in Minden and Haliburton were transferred to the community-based Haliburton Services Board.
An important step in the co-operation between St. Joseph's Hospital and Civic Hospital occurred in 1996 with the formation of the Peterborough Hospitals Joint Services Agreement. Initially this involved Pharmacy, Diagnostic Imaging and Laboratory Services. In subsequent years it expanded to include Human Resources and Financial Services. The two hospitals also submitted a Joint Operating Plan to the Ministry of Health. This plan proposed that St. Joseph's become the Regional Chronic Care Centre, while all acute care was to be available at Civic.
An innovative program was begun in 1997 in the former Nurses' residence. A Complementary Care Centre was opened, offering services such as massage therapy, therapeutic touch, yoga and other complementary services. St. Joseph's was the first hospital in the province to offer these types of services.
The Ministry of Health sent a Special Investigation Team, led by Dr. Barry Smith, to review the operations of St. Joseph's and Peterborough Civic Hospital because of media reports of problems providing timely, efficient care.
In 1977 the District Health Council issued a report after considerable discussion and debate which recommended the transformation to St. Joseph's Continuing Care Resource Centre to offer Chronic Care, Rehabilitation, Geriatric Assessment, Palliative Care, and a variety of non-acute ambulatory out-patient services. Civic Hospital would become the regional Acute Care Facility.
On March 12, 1998, despite the overwhelming support of the community for the recommendations of the District Health Council that Peterborough retain two hospitals, the Health Services Restructuring Commission decreed that all hospital services in Peterborough be located at Civic Hospital and that St. Joseph's be closed by the year 2000. In spite of outcry in the community, this decision saw the end of St. Joseph's Hospital. A major tribute was hosted by the Peterborough community later in 1998 to thank the Sisters of St. Joseph for their 108 years of hospital care.
The building continued in use as the 'Rogers St. Site' of the Peterborough Regional Health Centre until June of 2008, when new hospital building was opened.

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.