The fonds contains records created during the course of business of St. Mary’s Hospital and Marian Villa. The records present include meeting minutes and agendas, a donations list, a chronology of St. Mary’s Hospital, written histories, newspaper photographs, newspaper clippings, invitations, correspondence, reports, a pamphlet, publications, memorandums, meeting minutes, reports, a study, a scrapbook, a photo album, photographs, architectural drawings, a certificate of accreditation, and constitutions and by-laws.

This series contains documents relating to tertianship classes run in the 1950s and 1960s. There are programs, transcripts, a crucifix, booklets on religious scholarship, and photographs. Of particular interest is a history of the Congregation with a timeline.

This series includes a variety of textual records and photographs related to the vocational activity of the Sisters of St. Joseph. There are correspondence, newspaper clippings, bookmarks, advertisements, pamphlets, brochures, program outlines, catalogues, registers, photographs, communication records, newsletters, bulletins, memos, minutes, advertisements, bookmarks, and booklets. The materials were created predominantly in London, Ontario and Edmonton, Alberta. The main function of the materials in this series relates to providing information as well as the administration of the formation process.

This series contains records concerning the involvement of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the London diocese with the field of education in London, Ontario. This includes the Sisters’ time as students, teachers, principals, and administrators. The educational institutes are Catholic elementary schools and high schools, choir schools, the London Roman Catholic Separate School Board, post-secondary schools, and the Divine Word (the International Centre of Religious Education operated by the London diocese). One of the post-secondary institutions, London Teachers College, was originally named London Normal School. The material in this series consists of correspondence, pamphlets, photographs, news clippings, newsletters, board minutes, histories, yearbooks, and manuals. The correspondence is primarily concerned with administrative matters, the employment of Sisters, and arranging events. Notable topics within these records include teaching practices, anniversary events, Canada’s centennial, and G. Campbell Trowsdale’s study “An Alternative Elementary School in the Performing Arts: The St. Mary’s Choir and Orchestra Program.” There are also two vinyl records of choir performances from Catholic Central High School.

This series includes material created by Mother Philomena Hussey and material collected about her. Included is biographical information; her obituary; an account by Sister St. Philip and correspondence, including some post cards, from Mother Philomena Hussey’s pilgrimage to Rome in 1925. There are also photographs of Mother Philomena Hussey, Sister Euphemia Hussey, James Cardinal McGuigan, and Mother Philomena Hussey with Sister St. Philip and their traveling companions to Rome. Also found are golden jubilee memorial cards; correspondence and a 1933 Report of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Diocese of London, Ontario; as well as correspondence concerning the governance of the Edmonton mission.

This series contains material created by and collected about Mother Celestine McCarthy. The material in this series includes biographical research, a prayer written by Mother Celestine McCarthy, photographs, a postcard, two of Lena McClure’s autograph books, an exchange of correspondence between the Bishop of London and the Archbishop of Toronto about the extension of incorporation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto, and a financial document written in Latin, dated 1913, and a written history of Catholic Central High School tracing it back to its beginnings at Sacred Heart School.

This is a collection of material related to the life and work of Mother Ignatia Campbell which comprises two subseries. It includes several biographical chronologies and summaries of her work which were considered in the drafting of her profile in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography (University of Toronto Press). There are news clippings and photographs of the 1991 “People and the City” monument in London, Ontario which includes a depiction of Mother Ignatia Campbell. There is information related to the “Mother Ignatia Campbell Bursary for Women” introduced at Regis College, Toronto in 2005. There are genealogical research notes and correspondence about Mother Ignatia Campbell prepared by Sister Esther Bardawell. There are also several undated photographs of Mother Ignatia Campbell.

The series contains photographs, biographical material pertaining to her election to General Council, her MA in Sacred Theology from Regis College in 1983, her Doctor of Ministry degree from Toronto School of Theology in 1990, her employment at Regis College as Director of the MA in Ministry and Spirituality Program, various news-clippings, a hand painted Feast Day album, a hand painted card from the Precious Blood Sisters in 1979, and various Jubilee memorabilia. The series also contains different versions of Sister Cathleen’s curriculum vitae, a report by her about a pilgrimage she made to Europe and the Holy Land, and a paper written about Sister Cathleen by her grandson, Brandon Graham, in 2017.

Much of this series is made up of reports to the General Chapter from various Sisters in 1979. There is extensive material on the topic of catechetics, religious education and the future for Sisters in parish ministry. In a letter to the Secretary of State, Vatican Apostolic College, Mother Mary Brendan reported on the success of literacy programs provided to Portuguese immigrants in London. A report from the Archdiocese in Edmonton describes the need for a five-year National Religion Program consisting of teams of Sisters providing instruction in Catholic schools, and the involvement of lay people to provide instruction to adults.

A report on the activities of the St. Joseph’s School of Music 1975-1979 discusses the renovation of the Recital Hall, instruction in piano, singing, violin and music theory for 390 students annually, participation in the Royal Conservatory of Toronto and the Western Conservatory, a scholarship fund, professional development for the Sisters and the hosting of and participation in local music festivals. A report by one Sister in April, 1979 expresses uncertainty as to the future of the music school.

In early 1979, Mother Mary Brendan wrote to Sisters across the country seeking their views in response to the promulgation of Vatican II, the Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World. One Sister wrote with concern for the socio-economic interests of the Third World and rising tensions within the Christian communities about how to respond. In another report, Sister St. Patrick Joyce outlined what were novel recommendations for the treatment of alcohol addiction and the concept of detoxification centres. Sisters committed to the continuation of work of the Boulee Street mission which served the needs of a low income neighborhood in London and support for those in jail. In another report, a Sister wrote on the topic of evangelization and Christian renewal in a climate of diversity, pluralism and the attraction to Eastern spiritual disciplines. In another report, one Sister called for an increased commitment to youth and adults through solid religious instruction and the teaching of prayer. There is also a survey, report, and recommendations prepared for the Most Reverend J.N. MacNeil by the Ad Hoc Committee for Pastoral Assistants in the Archdiocese of Edmonton, February 1979 outlining the scope of work and hiring of pastoral assistants to aid priests in their work.

On the topic of the higher incidence of divorce and the Marriage Tribunal, Sisters recommended that more women study, teach and write about the Canon law conventions and procedures in jurisprudence. There are several reports outlining emergent changes within the healthcare system related to governance, administration, funding, personnel, medico-moral issues, medical treatments, and technology. Sisters confirm there was a common need for continued pastoral care at the hospitals in London, Sarnia, and Windsor. It was observed that there were increasing needs for retreats for Sisters and lay volunteers offered by the Medaille House in London and for societal formation, or a reorientation to religious life.

This series contains sixteen speeches written by Mother Mary Brendan and a paper she wrote for the Synod on the role of religious women in the community through teaching, hospital care, administration, and social work. Certificates of her educational achievements and professional memberships dating from 1947 to 2001 are included along with a certificate she received with a medal from Queen Elizabeth.
 

The series consists of records kept by the General Superior office for use in the administration of the community in London, Ontario. Material is primarily from the period during which Sister Margo Ritchie held the office, but it also contains material from when Sister Mary Diesboug and Sister Valerie Van Cauwenburghe held the position. This series contains twelve subseries relating to the operations, missions, and activities of the congregation. This includes the Medaille Retreat House, Josephs’ House, the Detox Centre, My Sister’s Place, St. Joseph’s Hospitality Centre, Elizabeth Place, St. Stephen’s House, the Southdown Project, Holy Rosary House in Windsor, the Goderich convent, and the Sisters of St. Joseph in Alberta. There is also material related to the hospitals in London, Sarnia, and Chatham administered by the Sisters and the transfer of operation of said hospitals to the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance and St. Joseph’s Health Care Society. There is material related to the construction of a new residence, especially concerning the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards of the new building, and relocation of the Sisters from Mount St. Joseph to this new residence.

There is also material related to the various meetings of the congregation, from the more informal Community Days to the more formal Assemblies and Chapters. Chapters are formal congregational meetings where major decisions, such as amalgamation and leadership positions were voted on. There are voting records from the 2011 Special Chapter and the 2009 Oneness Project in this series. There are also reports from the Leadership Circle, Chapters, and committees within the congregation. There is also material from the Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada, an organization made up of all the Congregations of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada. There is material from the Federation and the London congregation’s systemic justice efforts and the Sisters’ efforts towards concerning the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. There are various newsletters from the Federation and the London congregation. The series also includes administrative correspondence and speeches presented by the General Superior to the congregation.

In summary, the series contains letters, reports, speeches, minutes, voting records, newsletters, pamphlets, prayer books, agendas, meeting minutes, memorandums, postcards, photographs, correspondence, timelines and schedules, inventory lists, legal documents, meeting minutes, executive summaries, budget reports, reports, newspaper and magazine clippings, bursary reports, histories, bulletins, designs for stained glass windows, and property appraisals.

The sous-fonds contains photographs of Sr. Mary Leo Kirwin’s Congregational and family life, as well as pamphlets and memorabilia from the reunions she attended for her teacher training class, personal prayer books, religious artifacts, a photo directory from the Diocese of London, correspondence, a quilt she made by hand, and a Red Cross pin she earned for her service.