This series contains the annals of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton, Ontario’s ministry in Guatemala. In October 1963, Sisters Francis Xavier Ruth, Marie Garnier (Joan) McMahon and Bertille Riordan started a mission in Guatemala. They traveled to Teculután to establish a school. A construction committee was formed to buy a plot of land the belonged to the Casteñeda-Rossal family for the school and convent. The town gave half of the land to the Sisters and Don Carlos Piaz of the construction committee provided the other half. The Sisters raised funds to pay for the construction of the buildings. The school opened on January 18, 1965. It was officially inaugurated and named Colegio San José on March 19, 1965. The school offered both elementary and secondary programs and was fully approved by the Guatemalan Ministry of Education. Education was also extended through the airwaves, where literacy programs were broadcast. Evangelization work occurred through catechetics in the schools, the local parish, and through radio programs. In the 1970s, a beca program was created. This program collected donations in-order-to help fund children’s education.
Several other projects were initiated in addition to the school. In 1969, a dentistry clinic was built. The clinic provided a space for nursing Sisters to treat the sick. Several of the Sisters also worked in the local clinics. In 1977, Sister Mary O’ Sullivan started the Nutritional Centre to help children with malnutrition receive care. A focus was also placed on pregnant mothers, and the Sisters provided nutritional advice to ensure the health of their infants. The Nutritional Centre officially opened on August 22, 1978.
In 1976, an earthquake devastated Guatemala. Restoration programs commenced shortly after. The Sisters lent the football field of the school to be used for temporary housing for the 200 workers who had lost their homes during the disaster. The Sisters in Hamilton started “Operation Guatemala,” a charity effort to raise funds and send supplies to the devastated country.
Sister Aloysia Fischer was responsible for the organization and administration of the Christian Children’s Fund, which was an American program, from 1972 to 1976. She also administered the Guatemala Education Bursary (C.O.G.E.B.) in 1975. This bursary program was created by Bishop Reding of the Hamilton Diocese. He wanted to start a program like the Christian Children’s Fund but with Canadian and Diocesan roots. The program provided Teculután families with financial assistance to help with school costs. Participating children had to attend Colegio San José or the local school and mothers had to attend one hour of cooking, one hour of sewing, and one hour of nutrition classes per month. Sister Madeleine Graf later administered this program from 1977 to 1979.
The Sisters also were involved in bringing portable water and electricity to poor areas. The Sisters and priests brought running water to El Jute and Gúijo in 1978 and to the small village of Los Palmares in 1979.
The mission formally ended in November 1979 when the Sisters returned to Canada. That year, they relinquished control of the Colegio San José and the Nutritional Centre to the Capuchin Sisters of the Third Order. Although no longer directly involved in the mission, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton continued to send funds to Guatemala into the 2000s. Several Sisters went back to Guatemala celebrate various milestones. For instance, Sisters Madeleine Graf and Marie Garnier (Joan) McMahon returned to Teculután in 2005 for the 40th anniversary of the Colegio San José.
This series contains written histories and recollections including annals, correspondence, pamphlets, newspaper clippings, publications, donation lists, financial reports, legal documents, class lists, photographs, negatives, and meeting minutes.
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