Subseries 01 - Chronicles

9 cm of textual records

This subseries contains several historical summaries about the activities and events at St. Joseph’s Convent in Goderich, Ontario by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph on London, Ontario. The Sisters resided at St. Joseph’s Convent located first on North Street from 1873 to 1989, second on Dawnrose Street from 1989 to 1997, and third on Waterloo Street from 1997 to 2007. This series contains the Community Chronicles, three volumes named Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3 that chronicles the history of the Sisters at the Convent from 1873 to 1989, including newspaper articles scrapbooked into some of the pages. There are extracted excerpts derived from the Books that comprise short one to ten page long historical summaries titled, “First Mission in Goderich,” “Goderich Separate School,” and “100 Years Ago in Goderich.” There are also drafts and notes related to these historical summaries of Goderich and to the research and assembly of the Books.

Some of the topics in Book 1 include the opening of the Goderich mission, description of the surrounding area of Goderich, laying of cornerstone, opening of new St. Peter’s Church, assigned Pastors, Diocesan Congress of 1933, reception of novices, open house and renovations at St. Peter’s School.

Some of the topics in Book 2 include planning the curriculum for elementary school, class teaching subjects (Homeroom, English, French, History, Music, Home Economics, Remedial, Special Needs, Catechetical Instruction, and Religion Program), tutoring and counselling, graduation of Grade 8 students, organizing Education Week, History Fair, Poetry Contest, Soap Carts Judging, and the implementation of a new teaching methodology called Impact. There are topics as well on administering adult religion classes, and assisting with Youth Days, Youth Club, Youth Ministry, Youth Choir, Folk Music Camp, Folk Choir, and the Adult Choir. Other activities of the Sisters that are mentioned include participating in vocation workshops, celebrations, jubilees, Médaille House retreats, Catholic Women’s League meetings, and helping with an open house at the parish rectory, annual church picnic, spring and winter bazaars, and attending teacher conferences, 150th anniversary of St. Peter’s Parish, the Sesquicentennial of the Town of Goderich, and the Mohawk Horse Races. There are also topics on the day-to-day and general activities in St. Joseph’s Convent, such as the purchase of new furniture; renovating the laundry room, cloak room, kitchen and rectory; painting inside and outside; wallpapering; and installing new flooring and a plumbing system.

Some of the topics in Book 3 include the annual September reopening of St. Peter’s School, conducting parent interviews, attending Parent-Teacher Association Meetings, volunteering with events like the annual pub night at Parish Hall, participating in Parish ministry workshops and renew study groups, attending social justice meetings, planning picnic trips, and sharing potluck lunches and dinners, and going to a concert given by the London Symphony Orchestra, a play in Stratford, an opera in Kitchener..

This subseries also contains other material related to the Sisters time in Goderich. Several lists are present, recording information such as Sisters who were stationed, taught, and entered the Congregation in the Town of Goderich and Superiors and Pastors who were assigned to the Goderich Mission. There are official documents regarding the 110th anniversary of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Goderich from the Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, and the Premier of Ontario, William Davis, in 1983. There are two event programs, one is for the Goderich Founder’s Day, in 1978, and the other is for the 100th anniversary of the Sisters of St. Joseph in St. Peter’s Parish, in 1973. There is a speech written by Sister Margot Ritchie titled, “Celebration of Goderich” on the closing of the Goderich Mission in July 2007. There is a news article related to the opening of St. Joseph’s Academy in Goderich published in The Huron Signal, dated November 12, 1873, and newsclippings on the various priests assigned to St. Peter’s Parish over the years. There is correspondence from St. Peter’s Parish Council to Reverend Mother Julia Moore requesting the Sisters to stay in Goderich with an attached petition with the signatures of parishioners. This subseries also contains a photocopy of the registration of the Sisters of St. Joseph’s Convent of Goderich from when it opened in 1873 and a photocopy of the approved Constitution of the Parish Council of St. Peter’s Church of Goderich.