Subseries 03 - Internos

2 cm of textual records
6 photographs : col.
8 photo albums : 26 x 30 x 3 cm

This subseries contains written records and visual media documenting the history of Internos at 534 Queens Avenue in London, by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Ontario. Internos was a project that provided guidance for teenage girls struggling with interpersonal stresses in a residential group home setting. The Internos initiative was conceived and administered by the Sisters of St. Joseph from 1972 until 1979. In this subseries, there is a short historical summary of Internos covering the first three years of operation. There is correspondence among the Sisters of St. Joseph related to the administration, program planning, objectives, and philosophy for Internos. There are also letters from the Environmental Health Services, Children’s and Youth Division, and Middlesex-London District Health Unit in support of Internos being used as a group home. There are records related to the running of the program that stipulate the rules, regulations, and responsibilities while living at Internos. There are also blank application forms, a list of interview recruitment questions, recommendation letters from schools, and parental or guardian consent and authorization forms from the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services. There is also a document from the Ministry of Community and Social Services certifying the registration of Internos under the Children’s Boarding Homes Act of the Province of Ontario.

There are loose photographs and eight photo albums. The photographs in this subseries depict the Sisters of St. Joseph, teenage girls, and guests at Internos participating in various activities such as setting up the chapel, preparing for promenade dance night, attending Grade 8 and high-school graduation, decorating a Christmas tree, playing volleyball, candle making, bicycling to Springbank Park, and excursions. There are also photographs documenting several events such as the Catholic Central Service Day and Initiation Night at Internos, a May 1972 wedding of one of the first girls admitted to Internos, and Sister Joan Atkinson’s Final Profession in June 1975 with Bishop Sutton. There is a news clipping from February 1977, related to a heritage project carried out by John Lutman for the Canadian Inventory of Historic Buildings. In addition, there is a laminated apostolic blessing.