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This subseries contains a history of the Novitiate House on St. James Street of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Ontario. There were thirteen groups of Sisters who resided at the St. James Novitiate House during its operation from October 15, 1974, to September 1987. A novitiate is a home or wing of a building specifically for those wishing to become women religious but have not professed full vows. This subseries provides a glimpse into the various events that document the preparation process for to become a Sister. This subseries contains a record of the Sisters’ apostolic activities such as taking higher education degree courses at universities, attending Faith Formations and American Novitiate Conferences, participating in social justice and music workshops, and going on spiritual retreats. In addition, this subseries documents a spectrum of the Sisters’ community outreach ministries in the field of healthcare, education, social welfare, and pastoral care in their various roles such as a registered nurse assistant, administrator, executive secretary, coordinator, teacher, social worker, prison ministry counsellor, and resettlement assistant for refugees.

This subseries contains the chronicles of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Ontario, during their mission at the Richmond Street Community Houses, London. The Sisters of St. Joseph occupied two Community Houses on Richmond Street. A group of Sisters lived in one residence at 893 Richmond Street (originally called Campbell House), from 1979 until it closed in 1987; and a second group of Sisters lived at 909 Richmond Street, from 1977 to 1993. There is a list of Sisters who were stationed at the Community Houses and records that document various activities such as their ministry to parishioners in providing pastoral outreach by visiting homes, hospitals, and long-term care residences. There are records documenting the Sisters working at St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Health Centre, St. Mary’s Hospital, Marian Villa Long Term Care Residence, and Home Care in London. This subseries also contains the various roles and positions the Sisters served in, such as Sister Katherine McKeough who was appointed the Superior General by Bishop Michael Sherlock, Sister Mary Doyle was the Chief Executive Officer at St. Joseph’s Health Centre, and Sister Sheila Collins was appointed Manager of Volunteer Services at St. Joseph’s Hospital. The records in this subseries also document other activities of the Sisters in the field of education like teaching English-as-a-Second Language to newcomers, helping Spanish and Ethiopian families to settle and integrate into Canada, teaching music, and serving as staff at St. Peter’s School. This subseries also documents the social welfare services the Sisters provided such as childminding at the Merrymount Children’s Home, a female prisoner visiting ministry, playing guitar at liturgical events, taking care of the sick and elderly, and fundraising efforts for their charitable causes. There are records that document the Sisters’ own professional development and education. In addition, there is an event program brochure related to the 25th Year Anniversary Silver Jubilee celebration of the Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse in London on September 17, 1978.

This subseries contains a short historical summary of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Ontario, during their ministry at the Queens Avenue Community Apartment and at the Upper Queens Street Community House in London. From November 2003 until December 2006, Sister Esther Lucier of the Sisters of St. Joseph lived in an apartment on Queens Avenue in London, Ontario. Sister Esther drafted a summary about her ministry which included providing social interaction, spiritual guidance, and serving at St. Joseph’s Hospitality Centre (also known as the Soup Kitchen and St. Joe’s Café). Sister Esther also wrote about attending meetings of the London Intercommunity Health Centre, tutoring students at Lorne Avenue Public School, and bringing the Holy Communion to seniors at Queens Village Retirement Home.

This subseries also contains a record of the ministry of Sister Barbara Hughes and Sister Ann Marie (Judith Ann) Purtill from 1989 until 1990, when they took up residence at a community townhouse on Upper Queens Street. Sister Alice Marie (Margaret Loretta) McDonald was the Liaison Superior, who did not live on-site. The apostolic focus of the Upper Queens Street Community House was hospitality by inviting other Sisters, family members, friends, and neighbours for a meal. Sister Barbara Hughes worked at Comcare Health Services in London and was assigned to home and occupational health cases. Sister Ann Marie Purtill was employed as a Family Mediator, Lay Counsellor, and driver for Family and Children Services in London, Ontario.

This subseries contains a short history and autobiographical account on the activities conducted by Sister Patricia Hogan of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Ontario from 1999 to June 28, 2007. Sister Patricia lived at the Proudfoot Lane Community Apartment in London. She documented her ministry serving as a board member and general secretary of the Canadian Federation Leadership Team. Sister Patricia recorded her work as the president of the Executive Committee from 2004 to 2006 and helped to establish the Federation Office for Systemic Justice. She also recorded serving as a council contact person for Sisters stationed in western missions at Nelson in British Columbia, and at Edmonton, Calgary, and Red Deer in Alberta. Sister Patricia wrote about her decision to act with a public voice to speak out on oppressive issues in the areas of child poverty, human trafficking, and awareness of water sustainability.

This subseries contains a short historical summary of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Ontario, during their ministry at the Pine Lawn Avenue Community House in the Holy Cross Parish from July 1, 1977, until it closed on June 30, 1978. This subseries documents the various roles and activities of Sister Nancy Wales, Sister Dorothy Ann Howley, Sister Joanna Roks, and Sister Francis Walton at Pine Lawn Avenue. Bishop Carter appointed all of the Sisters residing at the Pine Lawn Community House to serve as Auxiliary Ministers of the Eucharist at the Holy Cross Church in the Holy Cross Parish. Their ministries also included Sister Francis Walton in the position of the Acting Superintendent of the London and Middlesex Roman Catholic School Board, Sister Nancy Wales as an elected member of the Parish Council, and Sister Dorothy Ann Howley and Sister Joanna Roks conducted local house visits to parishioners. In addition, this subseries contains correspondence from the Sisters outlining the reasons for a request to move to a different community house addressed to Sister Mary Brendan (Cathleen) Flynn, Superior General. In addition, there are photographs of Sister Loretta Manzara, Sister Nancy Wales, Sister Angela Shannon, Sister Dorothy Ann Howley, Sister Joanna Roks, and Sister Francis Walton at the Pine Lawn Community House during an open house event and at Christmas in 1977.

This subseries contains two photo albums that provide visual documentation of the various missions, activities, and events of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London in London, Ontario and beyond. Inside both photo albums are photographs of Sisters interacting with each other at events such as spiritual retreats, reunions, jubilees, open houses, convent closing, farewell mass, first vow ceremonies, cultural holidays and seasonal celebrations. There are also photographs of Sisters engaging with a variety of other people such as with parishioners at a baseball park in London, students in Moosonee, altar boys and a children’s choir in Maidstone, Jesuit Novices and Guatemalan refugees in Toronto, and services in the chapels of the various community residences the Sisters occupied in Ontario. “Miscellaneous Missions” contains photographs from Harrow, Kinkora, Sarnia, Maidstone, Toronto, Ingersoll, Seaforth, Moosonee, and Elginfield. In addition, the “Miscellaneous Missions” album contains postcards depicting the Oxley Holy Family Retreat House, in Harrow, Ontario and event programs for the Federation Novitiate Final Liturgy in West Hartford, Connecticut, in 2001 and the World Youth Day at St. Patrick Church in Lucan, Ontario, in 2002. The album “London Missions, and Small Houses” contains photographs of the Sisters’ Community Houses and retreats on Alma Street, Boullée Street, Jalna Boulevard, Little Grey Street, Queens Avenue, Richmond Street, Wellington Street, and Windermere Road in London.

This subseries contains records from Mount St. Joseph, Motherhouse of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Ontario. It primarily consists of an autobiographical account written by Sister Mary Zimmer. On September 20, 1998, Sister Mary Zimmer moved into the southwest wing at the Mount St. Joseph. In her role as the Congregational Archivist, Sister Mary Zimmer wrote about her activities such as participating in various records management and archives workshops and attending the annual conferences for Archivists of Religious Orders. She also wrote about attending Finance Committee Meetings, General Chapter Meetings, and Assembly Meetings of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London.

This subseries also contains short summaries and drafts that chronicle the history of the Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse and the Sisters of St. Joseph within the Diocese of London. Significant topics include the construction of the Motherhouse, Ignatia Hall (an infirmary), caring for Sisters, the Medaille Program Centre for prayer, study days, and Mount St. Joseph Academy which eventually became a Guest Wing.

There is an oversize scrapbook that commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Sisters of St. Joseph being in London. It contains a program brochure, a schedule of events, a small calendar, and souvenir bookmarks, news clippings, and correspondence that congratulate the Sisters of St. Joseph on their Centennial event. There is a newspaper article titled, “Century of Service: 100 years in London, Order of St. Joseph more involved than ever in technical age,” written by Mary Jane Charters, and published by The London Free Press, on December 7, 1968. The news clippings include printed pictures of the Sisters playing basketball, practicing the drums, examining worms as a pre-med student at the University of Western Ontario, working as a pharmacist, and as a nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital taken by photographer Ed Heal. In addition, there are photographs inside the scrapbook of the flag raising ceremony at Mount St. Joseph on December 11, 1968.