This series contains records that describe administrative data about the Sisters including their membership in the congregation as well as any occupational roles that they fulfilled in education and healthcare. These files include handwritten lists, typed lists, directory books that list all the Sisters within the congregation and their contact information, and a booklet of Sisters’ feast days and the Necrology for Fall 2011 that lists the most recent deaths within the congregation.

This collection contains material accumulated by the archivist of the London congregation. It includes photographs of the General Council members, a farewell reflection written by Sister Patricia Hogan thanking the last General Council members and lists of General Council members and their duties and dates of service.

The first subseries consists of biographical chronologies and speaking notes including a presentation to the St. Joseph’s Hospital Board in 1987. Included are copies of her educational achievement certificates and information about her membership in Sigma Theta Tau, the National Honor Society of Nursing, United States. There are several photographs and newsclippings from various times throughout her ministry. Highlights from the correspondence include exchanges with Bishop Sherlock, Bishop of London, an appeal to the federal government for aid to Ethiopia and a reply from the Minister of External Affairs, and a letter from the Vice-Chancellor granting approval to establish at chapel at a mission house in 1979. Copies of speaking notes for a variety of presentations are included with event programs. An event program for her Feat Day in 1987, which included performances by the Chatham Mosaics and the Kent Players, is also present. There are several letters of congratulations and greeting cards. There are a few mementos of her trip to Rome.

This is a collection of histories and reference material, including publications and photocopies of historical documents and correspondence, created and collected by the Sisters illustrating the foundation and history of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Ontario. Topics range from the founding of the religious order of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Le Puy, France by Father Jean Pierre Médaille in 1648 to the activities of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the diocese of London, Ontario from their foundation to the early 2000s. A major focus of the material is on the founding of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London as a branch of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto and the establishment of an independent congregation. Many of the Sisters wrote accounts, chronicles, booklets, and essays on their history, some of which were published. Drafts and published versions of these writings are included here alongside histories written by those from outside the congregation. There are also various photocopies of records from the late 1800s related to the early history of the Sisters. This includes publications on their history, correspondence about establishing the community (though there are also some original correspondence), Acts of Profession, Acts of Reception, the 1871 Act of Incorporation and the 1915 and 1938 amendments. There are, however, original documents from the late 1800s and early 1900s as well, such as photographs of Sisters, “History of the Sisters of St. Joseph,” (which was written at Sacred Heart Convent, London), and an excerpt from a manuscript by Bishop R. H. Dignan. The approbation decree and pontifical rights from the Holy See in Rome for Sisters of St. Joseph of London’s are also present. The material in this collection also includes photographs, postcards, a photo album, and news clippings.

This series contains chronicles documenting the history of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Ontario from 1853 to 1979. The records are chronological accounts of daily life and major events at specific locations. Most include an index or chapter list. Several of the chronicles have photographs, correspondence, event programs, and news clippings pasted or tucked within. One chronicle, “Sacred Heart Convent Motherhouse 1950-1952 X9”, is made up almost entirely of news clippings. Some also have transcriptions of relevant correspondence included, such as letters about the founding of the Sisters of St. Joseph in North America. The chronicles are a mix of primary recollections and secondary summaries of history.

Several of the chronicles were compiled, written, and collected by Sister Genvieve Hennessey. Variations of these chronicles are included, some of which are annotated, and there are inconsistencies between the versions. Sister Genevieve’s the “Chronicles of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London,” recounts the Sisters’ history from 1868 to 1928, the “Diamond Jubilee Books,” recount the Sisters’ history from 1868 to 1928 and 1933, and there is an addendum added to some versions of each volume which provide accounts up to 1954. Among these histories, there are also accounts by Mother Margaret Coughlin, Sister Placidia Walsh, and Sister Callistus Arnsby which detail local activities and pilgrimages to Rome and France.

The chronicles frequently note religious events and internal activities of the community such as receptions and professions, jubilees, election of congregational leaders, ordinations, changes to habits, and visits of prominent religious figures. Other topics concern the Sisters’ missions and ministries, such as travel arrangements, properties, events for the orphans, and the Sisters’ involvement in healthcare and education. Deaths of Sisters, clergy, and prominent figures, such as King George VI are also frequently mentioned, sometimes with the obituaries included. Local disasters and events are also frequent topics, such as the 1881 Victoria Steamboat Disaster, the 1925 fire at Mount St. Joseph, the 1929 fire at the Ingersoll convent, the 1935 earthquake, the 1937 flood of the Thames River, the first provincial election at which the Sisters voted in 1937, and the smog from the 1950 Alberta wildfires. There are also mentions of global events, particularly those that impacted the Sisters’ and their missions.

This is a collection of reference materials collected by the Sisters illustrating the history and foundation of the congregations in Canada, the USA, and France. The collection illustrates Mother St. John Fontbonne’s life and work. There is a special focus on the history of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the London diocese. The collection is comprised of publications, calendars, correspondence, news clippings, photographs, postcards, an international directory, family tree diagrams, and a watercolor painting.

Sous-fonds consists of textual records, three albums and loose photographs depicting various events of Sister Eveline's life. The photographs are of her 50th Jubilee celebration at St. Andrew the Apostle Church in London, Ontario. There are also photographs and postcards from her personal and family life in Ontario, her time at Lumen Vitae, Belgium, and her time in the Exodus program, in Dittmar, Missouri. The sous-fonds also includes handwritten correspondence, certificates, and newspaper clippings and obituaries. The majority of materials are in English, with some correspondence and the Lumen Vitae booklets written in French.

This sous-fonds contains material created and amassed by Sister Marie Angela Aubert. Sister Marie Angela Aubert was a writer of poetry, articles, poems and more and much of that material is included here. The scripts, records, and correspondence about the over 140 plays she wrote inspired by the Bible are present. A notable inclusion is The Great Adventure, a play written and produced by Sister Marie Angela Aubert for the 125th Anniversary of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London. There is also correspondence with the Bishops of London granting her plays Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat, which means that the content of the plays was found to be in keeping with the teachings of the Church, are of good quality, and can be published. Her work was also included in Fine Lines: 1997 Anthology and Fine Lines II: 1998 Anthology by London & Area Writers. Both books are within this sous-fonds. In addition, there are various serial publications and clippings present which feature Sister Marie Angela Aubert’s poems, plays, reflections on her life and religious experiences, articles on education, and Letters to the Editor. There is also a research paper she wrote on the impact of Christianity in a detention centre. Sister Marie Angela Aubert was the Coordinator of R.C. [Roman Catholic] Jail Ministry Volunteers and the scripts for communion services at Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre are present here, too. The sous-fond also includes certificates, diplomas, transcripts, and teaching licenses presented to and earned by Sister Marie Angela Aubert, including her B.A. diploma from the University of Windsor and B.Ed. diploma from the University of Alberta. Sister Marie Angela Aubert spent much of her life as a teacher. While working at O'Leary High School she got the students involved in the Junior Achievements Program and at Catholic Central High School she supervised the CCH Business Club. Newsletters, administrative documents, correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and an article written by her from these two programs are included in this sous-fonds. There are also invitations, awards lists, and thank-you notes from Sister Marie Angela Aubert’s time at these schools.

This series consists of records collected about Mother Mechtilde McCarthy and created by her. The material consists of chronologies; a Form of the Act signed at reception and a Form of the Act signed at final vows dated 1878; a detailed report of a canonical visit by the Bishop of London, Michael Frances Fallon in 1917; correspondence with Bishop Michael Frances Fallon, Dr. Bruce Smith, Mother M. Clare, and George M. Reid; copies of correspondence with Archbishop J. H. MacDonald concerning the governance and separation of the Edmonton community from its founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of London; and a history of the Edmonton community from 1922 to 1953 entitled “Our Western Saga”. The canonical status, governance, and fiscal responsibility of the Edmonton community had been an ongoing issue since its establishment in 1922.

This series contains annals for the Perú mission of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Ontario. Records are in the English and Spanish language. There are historical summaries, notebooks, legal documents, lists, correspondences, newsletters, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, promotional material, a scrapbook, artwork, photo albums, and loose photographs. These items provide a glimpse into the northern Perú mission work and humanitarian aid carried out by the Sisters in the Zaña Valley Parish from 1962 to 1994. These records document the activities and events of the Sisters in pastoral care, social activism and advocacy, in the fields of healthcare, education, and community development. Some highlighted topics included in the records are the: founding and early history of the Perú ministry, the teaching, nursing, and counseling in the rural areas, the sale and transfer of motor vehicles and property, the opening and closing of a medical clinic called the Consultorio San José, the establishment of a women’s centre named Our Lady of the Magnificat (also known as Centro Vacacional), the formation of local leaders within the church and society, and the new ministries which emerged from working with the residents to build up ecclesial communities, charismatic prayer groups, pre-marital and family counseling, and the theological training of youth leaders, lay catechists, and worker apostolates that resulted in current day parishes led by Peruvian laity, religious workers, and priests.