Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
General material designation
- Multiple media
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title is based on the content of the series.
Level of description
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1960-2012 (Creation)
- Creator
- Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada (London, Ont.)
Physical description area
Physical description
44.2 cm of textual records
93 photographs: col.
2 photographs: b&w
4 albums (ca. 1704 photographs)
1 drawing: colour pencils and black ink on parchment in 3 pieces, 17.5 x 33 cm, 18 x 36 cm and 23 x 34 cm
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Administrative history
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.
Custodial history
Scope and content
This series contains annals for the Perú mission of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Ontario. Records are in the English and Spanish language. There are historical summaries, notebooks, legal documents, lists, correspondences, newsletters, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, promotional material, a scrapbook, artwork, photo albums, and loose photographs. These items provide a glimpse into the northern Perú mission work and humanitarian aid carried out by the Sisters in the Zaña Valley Parish from 1962 to 1994. These records document the activities and events of the Sisters in pastoral care, social activism and advocacy, in the fields of healthcare, education, and community development. Some highlighted topics included in the records are the: founding and early history of the Perú ministry, the teaching, nursing, and counseling in the rural areas, the sale and transfer of motor vehicles and property, the opening and closing of a medical clinic called the Consultorio San José, the establishment of a women’s centre named Our Lady of the Magnificat (also known as Centro Vacacional), the formation of local leaders within the church and society, and the new ministries which emerged from working with the residents to build up ecclesial communities, charismatic prayer groups, pre-marital and family counseling, and the theological training of youth leaders, lay catechists, and worker apostolates that resulted in current day parishes led by Peruvian laity, religious workers, and priests.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
These records were accumulated by the Sisters of of St. Joseph of London, Ontario.
Arrangement
Original order was maintained.
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
The records are located at The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada Archives.
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Subseries F01-S017-05 is restricted for the protection of the privacy of living persons, and confidential business and financial information. The Archives reserves the right to restrict access to the collection depending on the condition of the archival material, the amount of material requested, and the purpose of the research. The use of certain materials may also be restricted for reasons of privacy or sensitivity, or under a donor agreement. Access restrictions will be applied equally to all researchers and reviewed periodically. No researcher will be given access to any materials that contain a personal information bank such as donor agreements or personnel records, or to other proprietary information such as appraisals, insurance valuations, or condition reports.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Permission to study archival records does not extend to publication or display rights. The researcher must request this permission in writing from the Archives.
Finding aids
Series and file list available.
Generated finding aid
Associated materials
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
General note
On January 25, 1959, Pope John XXIII drafted a schemata on various topics to modernize the Church. In 1959, in response to this call, Bishop John Christopher Cody of the London Diocese in Ontario and Archbishop Patrick Skinner of the Archdiocese of St. John’s in Newfoundland and Labrador decided to set up a joint mission in South America. In June 1960, the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in London, Ontario further discussed the possibility of a foreign mission in Latin America. The Auxiliary Bishop Gerald Emmett Carter of the London Diocese gave his approval of the Sisters of St. Joseph’s interest to expand their mission overseas in Perú. In December 1960, Father Richard Morse of London and Father Charles O’Neill Conroy of St. John’s settled into the parish of Mosefú, 750 kilometres north of Lima on the Pacific Coast, in Perú, in the Chiclayo Province. In the summer of 1961, Fathers Paul Mooney and Bill Cooney of London arrived in Chiclayo City, the capital city of Chicalyo Province, and settled 40 kilometres south in the rural parishes of Zaña, Cayalti, and Mocupe. By October 1961, a group of 50 Sisters attended Spanish language classes taught by Miss Margaret Fallona, a long-time friend of the Congregation.
At the request of Bishop Cody and the missionary priests on March 19, 1962, Reverend Mother Julia of the Sisters of St. Joseph in London, Mother St. David of the Ursuline Sisters in Chatham, and Mother Mary Simon of Our Lady’s Missionaries in Toronto, traveled from Ontario to Perú to visit the diocese of Chiclayo to survey the prospect of future missions. They returned on April 6, 1962, and gave a presentation after which 168 Sisters volunteered to help establish a Peruvian mission. The inaugural group of London Sisters for the first mission to Perú were Sister Eugene Bond, Sister Cyril Reynolds, Sister Olivia Jean (Ollie) Dochstader, and Sister Juliana (Joan) Kerrigan. On November 24, 1962, they boarded the Santa Maria from New York and after 12 days at sea, they arrived in Lima, Perú.
The Sisters stayed at the Congregation of the Servant Sisters Immaculate Heart of Mary, Colegio Villa Maria, in Lima. Then they transferred to the rural parish of Monsefú, while their convent was being built, in Cayalti, in the Chiclayo Province. On March 13, 1963, the Sisters completed the final leg of their journey and traveled 800 kilometres north of Lima into the valley of the Zaña River to their still under construction residence, referred to simply as Hacienda Cayalti, or Cayalti Convent. At first the Sisters worked mainly in the parish of Cayalti and taught catechetics in the state schools. By November 26, 1964, the Sisters taught children in 11 schools beyond Cayalti, including parishes of Mocupe, Ocupe, Zaña, Polominia, Cojal, Lagunas, La Campuerto, La Viva, La Otra Banda, and Chumbinique all within a radius of 50 kilometres. In addition, they organized choir classes, gave English language classes to adults, and conducted home visits to families without adequate shelter, running water, or electricity. In 1965, the Sisters flew back home to Canada for a summer visit, and a newly assembled group continued to build upon their foundational work.
December 1962 to May 1994, a total of 23 Sisters ministered this area in northern Perú. The rural Zaña River valley ministry went through various stages of developments as the territory expanded to include Urrunaga, a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Chiclayo City; Oyotún and Nueva Arica, 30 kilometres east of Cayalti; and the nearby diocese of Cajamarca. Perhaps the greatest contribution the Sisters made with their ministry efforts in Perú, was seeding the knowledge amongst the local populace to prioritize education, as a means to escape the cycle of poverty. The complex national political changes of Perú shaped the Sisters’ pastoral work. Their efforts to alleviate and mitigate oppressive conditions were considered graver and more critical, alongside their mission of building and renovating church buildings which remained steadfast and undaunted. During their Peruvian mission the Sisters also undertook the administrative work for all the parishes in the Zaña River Valley. They collaborated with the Ursuline Sisters who were also serving in the area, and interacted with other Sisters of St. Joseph, such as those from Pembroke, Ontario. The diocese of Pembroke worked mainly in the southern Perú mission in Chincha Alta, in the parish of Our Lady of Fatimá.
To improve the lives of the Peruvians, the Zaña Valley Parish helped to establish credit, mining, and sugar co-operatives, house building programs, a poultry business venture of over 200 chickens, the raising of rabbits and guinea pigs as a cost-effective source of nutrition, and a cottage industry. The parish also gave classes in healthcare, hygiene, and healthful living. The Sisters and the parish also set up youth groups, social activity clubs, and taught sewing, knitting, embroidery, art and handicrafts. These stimulated a co-operative and the participants made and sold uniforms and held exhibitions and musical performances that promoted Peruvian folk culture. In addition, the Sister directed communal construction and renovation projects on roads, irrigation ditches, community halls, schools, and chapels. The Sisters also tended to the ill and incapacitated, paying special attention to the impecunious and children with exceptional needs. They provided counselling to all and especially to parents with newborns as infant mortality was sadly commonplace. In direct action to the natural disasters that caused high levels of fatalities and the destruction of transportation, sanitation, and energy power infrastructures that precipitated outbreaks of disease, the Sisters offered hope and faith. They aided the unhoused, wounded, distressed, and malnourished by organizing an area network of 20 soup kitchens, that functioned as dining halls, community spaces, and food collection and distribution banks. These provided respite and fed over 1500 people a day.
A notable highlight of their charism was when the Sisters responded to a request by the Mayor and Pastor of Zaña to start a public health program due to a lack of medicine and medical facilities available in the area. In January 1968, Sisters and registered nurses Joanne Campbell and Maris Stella Constance (Connie) Dignan arrived from London to Perú with two crates and a trunk of donated medical equipment and medicine acquired through the fundraising achievements of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Ontario. The Mayor bestowed an abandoned girls’ school in Zaña to build a health centre, and the Sisters opened an out-patient clinic called the Consultorio San José, on December 27, 1968. It was maintained under parish auspices with the Sister nurses and the 1-day per weekly services of Dr. Medianero, a local doctor from Chiclayo City. The Sisters operated a pre-natal, maternity, and infant unit, a tuberculosis and immunization clinic, a dispensary at token cost, and by the end of 1968, 5000 visits and 800 house calls were recorded. However, the Consultorio fell under the military control of the Gobierno Revolucionario de la Fuerza Armada (Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces) as part of their Reformismo militar radical (Radical military reform) plan of revolutionary nationalization, instigated 5 days after October 3, 1968, when Juan Velasco Alvarado assumed presidency. Although the Sisters continued to operate the clinic for the next seven years, they also worked in agreement with the local people to ensure that management and financing would be administered by the Peruvian citizens themselves, but after three years of efforts from 1972 to 1975, there was hesitancy from the people of Zaña and the Consultorio definitively closed on May 30, 1975.
In the early 1980s, the Sisters began to withdraw from pastoral work in the parishes, but continued with other ministries and embarked on new outreach projects. The focus was on women and youth, to build self-supporting co-operatives, offer essential items at lower cost, and faith formation. They established women centres and health groups, launched an academy for adult education, facilitated education and culture groups with different themes, such as afterschool homework and study, reading and library, prayer and reflection, theology and education, and leadership and training. Nuestra Señora del Magnificat (Our Lady of the Magnificat) originally began as a school that catered to special needs children in 1983. In November 1984, a new locale for the Magnificat in Zaña was founded, and by October 31, 1987, it had expanded to become a comprehensive centre for women that held consciousness raising and action meetings, nutritional cooking classes, and included on top of a school, a guest house, a restaurant, and a bakery. The Magnificat was referred to as Centro Vacacional, or the Women’s Centre. In conjunction the Sisters created rural libraries, brought arts and crafts to housebound seniors, and formed a folklore group called Alma Zañera. This group was a Peruvian troupe that performed live concerts and gave music appreciation classes. The Sisters of St. Joseph of London remained in Perú until the Congregation closed the mission in May 1994.
Upon her return to Canada from Perú, Sister Janet Zadorsky founded Heart-Links (Lazos de Corazón) in September 1994, to carry on the Zaña Valley mission work in social justice and grassroots activism. Heart-Links is a non-governmental organization headquartered in London, Ontario, that continues today with a team of volunteers committed to building solidarity in education, health, and community in Perú. Each year since 1996, 2-week long experiential trips are organized to engage with Peruvian people and their society. Benefactors may also support through a scholarship program to sponsor a Peruvian child’s education for 1 year. Heart-Links was incorporated on November 1, 2002, received charitable registration on January 1, 2003, and became a secular, autonomous organization. Over the years it has supported a range of initiatives such as, nurseries, special needs schools, breakfast programs, university preparation courses, adult literacy, mobile libraries, communal kitchens, water and sewage projects, pro bono legal services, a senior’s home, small business loans, and the preservation and promotion of Peruvian arts and culture.
General note
The whereabouts of the contracts from F01-S016-05-01 is unknown.
General note
This project has been made possible in part by Library and Archives Canada’s Documentary Heritage Communities Program.
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Control area
Description record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules or conventions
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
This project has been made possible in part by Library and Archives Canada’s Documentary Heritage Communities Program.
July 2024 by Lyllie Sue.