This sous-fonds contains records pertaining to Sister Margaret Ferris’s education, professional career, artistic endeavors, personal life, and travels. Sister Margaret Ferris was an avid academic and eventually became an instructor. There are various records from her academic pursuits present here, including her many degrees and certificates, research notes, papers, theses, report cards, transcripts, photographs, a scrapbook, and regalia from her Doctorate commencement ceremony. Based on her areas of interest in her studies, she wrote and published a book in 1993 called Compassioning: Basic Counselling Skills for Christian Care-Givers which was translated into Chinese in 2010. Drafts, correspondence with publishers, English and Chinese editions of the book, and material from the book launching party are included. There are also records from when she was teaching. These records are primarily concerned with her career as an instructor at St. Peter’s Seminary and the adaptations of Compassioning: Basic Counselling Skills for Christian Care-Givers as course books for classes at the University of Western Ontario, but there is also a speech by Sister Margaret and her Stewards in Catholic Education Award.

Sister Margaret was an artist, and she created the design for the cards and pamphlets of the congregation’s 2004 Jubilee celebration, which was her Golden Jubilee. Original artworks, preliminary sketches, and replicas are included in this sous-fonds. She was also an avid traveler and photographs, travel diaries, a scrapbook, and ephemera from these trips are present. She made trips to Yellowknife, Quebec, Peru, Florida, California, Rome, and a pilgrimage to France. On the trip to Rome, she acted as a correspondent for the Catholic News Times. There are also personal memorabilia, such as photographs, scrapbooks, a papal blessing, a yearbook from St. Patrick’s High School where she was principal, and an invitation to the 1976 Opening of the Ontario Legislature reception.

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 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.

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.