This series contains the records of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Ontario's mission in Simcoe, Ontario. Simcoe is in Norfolk County and is on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Neutral, and Haudenosaunee peoples. At the request of Reverend F. O’Drowski, the Sisters of St. Joseph of London came to Simcoe in 1938. The Sisters moved in a home at 253 Union Street which had once been Father Hannick’s. While in Simcoe, the Sisters’ primary ministry was teaching at St Mary’s School, but they also did various parish ministries and taught catechism and music. In 1963, construction finished, and a new convent was opened at 251 Union Street. Due to a lack of personnel, the Sisters withdrew from Simcoe in 1974. Throughout the 1980s, a few Sisters rented residences in Simcoe and the surrounding area and did parish ministry. The last Sisters left Simcoe in 1989. The records present include annals, histories, event booklets, a guest book, correspondence, financial reports, meeting minutes, and photographs.
Sans titreSt. Joseph’s House of Studies was a residence for Sisters of St. Joseph of London studying at Assumption University, Windsor as well as those Sisters teaching music and working at nearby elementary schools. The building at 3020 Sandwich Street West was purchased on July 2, 1959. The Tudor Revival style mansion, previously the home of politician and merchant William J. McKee, was known as Casa Grande. The Sisters hired the Odette Brothers to renovate the house. The Sisters moved into the building on November 27, 1959, and renovations were completed in 1961. St. Joseph’s House of Studies officially closed on July 4, 1974, and the keys were given to Reverend P. Charbonneau of Charity House. The building became Brentwood, a recovery home for male alcoholics. Windsor is located on the traditional territory of the Three Fires Confederacy of First Nations, which is an alliance between the Ojibwa, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi.
This series contains the annals (also referred to as chronicles) of St. Joseph’s House of Studies. Topics include but are not limited to furnishing and renovating the house, the Sisters' ministry, activities at the various schools the Sisters taught and administered, the Sisters' social activities, and preparation for Chapter, a quadrennial event where the Sisters elect new leadership.
Sans titreThis series contains photographs, histories, correspondence, meeting minutes, and pamphlets from St. Joseph's Centre. St. Joseph’s Centre was a holistic care centre opened in 2006 and was located on Tecumseh Road, Windsor. It provided various services including spiritual direction, counseling, and massage. It was operated by Sisters Yvonne Parent, Linda Parent, and Jacqueline Janisse. Windsor is located on the traditional territory of the Three Fires Confederacy of First Nations, which is an alliance between the Ojibwa, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi.
Sans titreThis series primarily contains the financial and legal documents of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Ontario, for the Sylvan Lake property in the Summer Village of Birchcliff, Alberta. Documents include official appraisal reports, property surveys, purchase and sale of land records, a subdivision land map, drawing of a diagram for the construction of a garage and extension for storage. There are also invoices and receipts for the building, repair, and maintenance of the Sylvan Lake cottage, as well as correspondence with construction contractors. There is a report authored by Cuthbertson Sandall Chartered Accountants titled, Summer Village of Birchcliff Financial Statements, Year Ended December 31, 2001. There is also a folded and certified land survey plan indicating the subdivision plots by the City of Red Deer Land Surveyor, Mr. J. C. Horn, dated July 2, 1974. In addition, there are photographs of the landscape and the interior of the house. There are also two photograph albums, one created by Colin George Arthur and Lorna Mae Arthur and the other by the Sisters.
Sans titreThis series contains a history of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Ontario’s activities in St. Brides, Alberta. History of St. Bride’s Settlement, Alberta, is a written history authored by Sister M. Winnifrid Downs covering 1927 to 1956. It was an assignment submitted on July 31, 1956, for a history summer school course at the University of Alberta. The essay topics include immigration policies, the original and later settlers, and the development and progress of St. Brides, with 47 photographs, maps, land plot diagrams, a pamphlet, a list of pioneer families who arrived in St. Brides in 1927, and a letter with an envelope to Sister Mary Winnifrid in Edmonton from Father MacDonell in Inverness-shire, in Ireland, on vows taken on April 14, 1956. There are also lists of of Sisters who taught or were missioned to St. Brides from 1934 to 1964, as well as correspondence about collecting information to create a history of St. Brides, and newsclippings on the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of St. Brides Parish. There are printed pictures and photographs of the Sisters poised in from of St. Brides Convent in the mid-1950s, and photographs of the condominium residence of Sister St. Bride and Sister Rose Ellen in Edmonton. In addition, there is a photograph of a wooden and metal engraved plaque that was awarded to the Sisters for their fifty years of service in St. Brides from 1927 to 1977.
Sans titreThis series contains records concerning the involvement of the Sisters of St. Joseph from the London diocese with education in Maidstone, Ontario. This series consists of a 1971 yearbook from St. Mary’s Elementary School where the Sisters worked as teachers.
Sans titreThis series contains qualitative and quantitative statistical data collected by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Ontario on their activities from 1858 to 2009. The statistics are presented in surveys, lists, quantitative summaries, and a timeline as well as related correspondence. Some of the information was collected to be reported to external parties or based on events, such as Sisters’ jubilees, as well as the use of lay and religious names after Vatican II. Major topics of the data include demographics, leadership, deaths, and occupations within the community and the Sisters’ various ministries. The Sisters’ ministries include administration of motherhouses, care of orphans and the elderly, education, healthcare, retreat centers, marriage tribunals, parish and pastoral work, and works of mercy. Works of mercy summarizes various charitable activities, such as a foster home for the severely disabled, a refugee house, various recovery and rehabilitation homes, youth ministry, and ministry to Indigenous communities. Major locations for the Sisters’ activities include Ontario, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories, though the material is primarily focused on Ontario and Alberta.
Some of the statistics prepared for external parties were reported to the diocese of London and published in the Ontario Catholic Year Book and Directory, and to the Sisters of St. Joseph of the French Federation for the 350th anniversary of the Foundation in Le Puy. Other statistics were collected in reports and questionnaires for various offices of the Holy See to be used in the creation of the Annuario Pontificio, the Holy See’s annual directory, and the Statistical Yearbook of the Church. Accompanying these statistics is correspondence and a guide outlining the duties and powers of congregational leadership and the canons which govern the constitution of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Ontario. There are also reports and correspondence concerning the canonical visits of the Bishop of the diocese of London, and about Sisters being appointed Treasurers at various institutions operated by the congregation.
Sans titreThis series contains records relevant to the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the diocese of London’s amalgamation with the Hamilton, Pembroke, and Peterborough congregations to become the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada. The records are from before, during, and just after the amalgamation. While material concerns all four of the congregations and the Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada, it was created by and primarily concerns the London Sisters.
The Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada was heavily involved in driving the amalgamation. In 1996 a video was shown to the London Sisters to bring awareness of the prospects of the religious communities and proposed uniting as one congregation. The London Sisters individually wrote reflections on this video. From 2007 to 2009 the Federation operated the Oneness Project which focused on interconnectedness and unity amongst the Sisters of St. Joseph and assessed four potential options of collaboration, one of which was amalgamation. This project resulted in newsletters, presentation slides, and the “Wisdom Gathering” report prepared by Sister Veronica O’Reilly. There is feedback from the London Sisters to the Oneness Project and the options presented at the 2009 Assembly.
Many of the records involved preparation for the amalgamation and the legal, organizational, and financial concerns related to the amalgamation. Other congregations of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the United States had undergone similar union of congregations. A booklet, timelines of their process, and minutes from meetings with these American Sisters were amassed by the Canadian Sisters in preparation for their own amalgamation.
Many committees and teams were formed and involved with preparing for and facilitating the transition, creating new goals and organizational structures for the amalgamated congregation, and communicating the process to the Sisters. Prayer pamphlets, minutes, and agendas from meetings as well as correspondence, newsletters, and reports from these teams and committees are present in this series. Those prominently featured are the Core and Local Futuring Teams, the Transitional Team, the Design Team, Chapter Planning Committee, Materials Resource Committee, Lay Advisory Committee, Website Committee, and the General Council. Select major topics include by-laws, insurance, finances, internal organizational structure, future planning, canonical and civil law requirements, and the creation of a website for the amalgamated congregation. There is also preparation for, and reports from, various Chapters and the Assembly where amalgamation and other options proposed by the Federation were discussed and voted on.
Another report included is “Evolving Design” which was created as part of the amalgamation process to outline the goals, governance, and process of the amalgamated congregation. There are several versions of this document from its creation process. It is based on the Sisters’ feedback on the congregation’s collective vocation and outlines the charism, the leadership structure, the role of the General Chapter, and contains a transitional constitution for the Sisters. It also outlines the duties of the Transitional Team.
There were many legal and financial issues which had to be addressed during the amalgamation. Forms, agreements, by-laws, acts, and correspondence with the Holy See, the Canadian government, solicitors, and Father Francis G. Morrisey about canonical and civil legal requirements for the amalgamation are present in this series. Some by-laws are internal and concern the operations and structures of the amalgamated congregation. Financial records, including budgets and arrangements for transfer of assets, for both the individual and amalgamated congregation are also included. There are also various iterations of guiding principles for the transition process and the amalgamated congregation.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of London had their final, binding vote on amalgamation at the Special Chapter in November of 2011 and there is an album of photographs documenting the event. The formal installation of leadership of the amalgamated congregation was held in 2013, and there is an invitation and brochure from the event. There are also correspondence and statements concerning press releases about the amalgamation.
Sans titreThis series documents the Community Days. The series contains material covering ten different years. The Community Days were not held every year, but Assembly meetings were held every two years, and Chapter meetings were held every four years. The series contains various materials related to these meetings. Some of the most interesting materials include, for example, a Windsor workshop that taught Sisters to experience negotiation, meditation, and to practice active listening communication; the celebration of the 125th Anniversary (1993); a workshop on managing differences and conflict situations (2002); and other workshops and conferences.
The series contains schedules of congregational days, leadership style notes, spiritual exercises, prayers, workshop notes, “coming soon” reminders and “welcome” sheets, musical sheets for prayers and songs, short writings about the congregational history, correspondence related to the Community gatherings, reviews of new publications, ceremonies and celebrations, talks, corporate stances, photocopies of articles or short book chapters. It also contains printed brochures with prayers, theological reflections, other kinds of spiritual reflections, and conference materials.
Sans titreThis series contains records related to the residence of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph located at 485 Windermere Road, London, Ont. The main topics are the design, and construction of the new building, its stained glass and metal artwork, public education efforts concerning the environmental features of the residence, the Sisters’ planning to move into the building, and the on-going administrative and community work of the Sisters.
A large collection of photographs shows the demolition of the old Medaille Retreat House and all phases of the construction of the new building. Information about the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design features of the residence are outlined in pamphlets, photographs, magazine and newspaper articles, event programs, and a CD-ROM Power-Point presentation. Brochures, flyers, and the scripts used by facility tour guides as part of the public education program provide detailed insight into the green features of the new building.
The series contains a copy of the Spring, 2013 issue of Stained Glass, journal of the Stained Glass Association of America which has photographs and information about the stained glass mural commissioned for the Chapel entitled Life Itself -That All May Be One created by Ted Goodden. There are also various preliminary sketches and paintings done by Ted Goodden. In addition, there is a sketchbook of drawings by Ron Milton used in the creation of the metalwork panels depicting fauna of the area which adorns the main foyer, and a magazine article profiling the artist are included in this series. A short description of the reconstruction of, and the features of the Casavant organ at 485 Windermere is also contained in the series. Event programs and speaking notes prepared for the sod turning, land and building blessing ceremonies and the grand opening are included. There are also floor plans for each floor of 485 Windermere Road created by Cornerstone Architects.
The series contains records related to the Sisters activities at and use of this residence. There is a 2010 study prepared for the Sisters by Deloitte, detailing demographic and financial projections, and recommendations to sustain financial support for the operation of the residence and the provision of needs-based care, assisted living, and hospice services to the Sisters. Minutes, email correspondence, and records of the Suites committee, deal with recommendations for facility uses, room allocation, the rental of surplus suites, and the need for additional staff to oversee administrative matters related to the suites. There are a few issues of a 2013 bulletin London Neighbourhood Update. The bulletin provides information about administrative issues of concern to the Sisters, news from the Congregational Leadership Circle, special events, and accounts of the activities of individual Sisters. The bulletin refers to progress on the hospice project which resulted in the establishment of a hospice administered by a separate entity on the north and east wings of the third floor of the residence some time after the Sisters moved into the residence. There is a collection of photographs of children engaged in planting trees at 485 Windermere as part of an Upper Thames Conservation initiative. A brochure advertising the cost of room and board at the residence for retreats is included.
There are also records not directly related to the residence. There are ancillary administrative matters related to the sale of the old Mount St. Joseph facility, its conversion to a retirement residence, and the granting of an exemption from taxation for municipal and school purposes are outlined in news clippings present. The records also include a news release announcing educational bursaries for sole support mothers attending Brescia University College and Fanshawe College. A press release sets out details of the Sisters of St. Joseph educational scholarship program, and news clippings report on the concerts performed by the Intergenerational Choir comprised of Sisters and local high-school students. Event brochures detail staff service award celebrations and an anniversary dinner celebrating the founding of the Sisters of St. Joseph. There is a collection of photographs of Sisters during taken during the 140th anniversary dinner of the Sisters in 2008. News clippings present also report on the end of the Sisters’ involvement in the governance of St. Joseph’s Health Care after 120 years, and the release of a commemorative book entitled Sister: The History of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London published by St. Joseph’s Health Care.
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