The Department of Laryngology changed its name to the Department of Otolaryngology in 1912. In 2003, the Department expanded it's name to include 'Head & Neck Surgery. The Department exists within the Faculty of Medicine.
Arthur T. Coughlan was born in New York City on December 23, 1868 to Mary Roche and Arthur Coughlan. In 1880 under the guidance of Fr. Philip Colonel, CSsR, he went to St. Clement's preparatory college in Ilchester, MD. Later he studied at St. Mary's College, North East, PA and made his novitiate in Annapolis, MD, where he made first vows on August 27, 1887. He was ordained at Ilchester, MD by Cardinal Gibbons on December 7, 1892.
He first taught English at St. Mary's North East (1893-1898; 1907-1912) before being appointed to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in New York (1989-1905), the mission band at Saratoga, NY, (1905-1907) and St. Alphonsus in Baltimore (1912-1913). Fr. Coughlan came to Toronto in 1913 at the request of Archbishop Neil McNeil to work with the Italian immigrants in Toronto. In 1915 he was appointed rector of St. Patrick's Church and secretary consultor to the Vice Provincial Rev. Patrick Mulhall. He became provincial consultor in 1918 when Toronto became an independent Redemptorist province and became Provincial in 1920. During his time he accepted Vancouver and Edmonton as new Redemptorist foundations and established a temporary seminary at St. Ann's, Montreal.
Fr. Coughlan provided practical advice and spiritual direction to Catherine Donnelly after her two unsuccessful attempts to join the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto. Alongside Archbishop McNeil, the trio worked together on the details of creating a new community, the Institute of the Sisters of Service. At this time, Fr. Coughlan was the Provincial Superior of the Redemptorists and was busy with administering the growing Toronto Province, and so, Fr. George Daly was brought onboard. Fr. Coughlan also served as the spiritual director of the SOS Institute for its first five years.
In 1927, he was appointed pastor of St. Patrick's in Quebec City, and in 1930, when the seminary settled in the old Woodstock Baptist college, he became the first Rector while teaching moral and pastoral theology. In 1935, he returned to St. Mary's North East in the States, followed by St. Cecilia's, and St. Alphonsus in New York where he died on May 27, 1943. He is buried at Esopus, NY.
Kenneth Turner was born on 14 October 1905 in Montreal, Quebec. His early studies were done at St. Patrick’s parochial school in Montreal, and at St. Jerome’s College in Kitchener, Ontario. His studies for the priesthood began at St. Augustine’s Seminary in Scarborough and included a year of preparation at Collegio Brignole Sale in Genoa, Italy. He terminated his studies at St. Francis Xavier Seminary in Scarborough and was ordained to the priesthood on 6 September 1936 by Archbishop Deschamps. Following his ordination, Fr. Turner assisted at the Society’s Chinese Catholic Center in Vancouver from until his departure for Lishui, China in November 1939.
On 29 September 1948, Fr. Turner was consecrated Bishop of Lishui by James Cardinal McGuigan in St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto. He returned to China in November of that same year.
After the communist government came to power in 1949, Bishop Turner was restricted in his movements, along with Frs. Arthur Venadam, Paul Kam and Alexander MacIntosh. On 1 January 1951, he and his fellow Scarboro priests were confined to the convent grounds along with the Grey Sisters from Pembroke. Bishop Turner was released in 1953, arriving in Hong Kong on November 26.
Unable to return to China, Bishop Turner spent 1955 to 1959 in charge of the St. Thomas More Parish in Nassau, Bahamas. In 1959, he was appointed Regional Superior of the Scarboro community in Guyana. From 1964 to 1966 he served as pastor of Our Lady of Fatima parish in Castries, St. Lucia. He returned to the Bahamas in 1966, assisting in outlying parishes until 1979.
In July 1980, at the age of 75, Bishop Turner assumed a new position as chaplain at Pembroke general Hospital, where he served until his death. He was killed in a car accident in Pembroke, Ontario on the evening of 30 October 1983. Bishop Turner is buried in Mary, Queen of Angels cemetery located on the grounds of St. Augustine Seminary in Scarborough.
Born in Mildmay, Ontario on April 15, 1915 he was the son of Louis and Clara Diemert. Fr. Diemert was a graduate of St. Jerome’s, Kitchener and St. Francis Xavier Seminary in Toronto. Cardinal McGuigan of Toronto ordained him to the priesthood on December 17, 1938.
After some pastoral work in Brantford, Ontario he left for China in 1940 and began language studies in Peking. In 1941 he was interned by the Japanese. Toward the end of 1943 he was repatriated aboard the S.S. Gripsholm and arrived back in Canada on December 3 of that year.In November, 1944 he was commissioned to help the church in the Dominican Republic where he remained until 1949. In that year he was appointed to a teaching position at St. Francis Xavier Seminary, Scarborough. In 1950 he was appointed rector. In 1953 he was appointed to the General Council and six years later, in 1959, he was elected the third Superior General of Scarboro. He served the community in that capacity until 1968.
Beginning in 1969 he spent three years he as director of the Latin American Institute in St. Mary’s, Ontario. He returned to the Dominican Republic in 1972. Besides his pastoral commitment in the Dominican Republic and because of his expertise, he was called upon in 1973 to go to Nigeria to assist Our Lady’s Missionaries in their work there. In 1975 he also capably assisted at the Interamerican Cooperative Institute in Panama.
In 1980 he retired from his work overseas but continued to serve the community as Director of internal communications.
Fr. Diemert passed away on April 27, 1985 at Providence Villa Hospital.
Kenneth MacAulay was born in Souris, Prince Edward Island, on April 3, 1926 to Marguerite and Frank MacAulay. He was one of eleven children. He spent his early years in his home province until 1947, when joined the Scarboro Missions novitiate in St. Mary’s, Ontario.
Fr. Ken was ordained on December 19, 1953 in Charlottetown by Bishop Boyle. In 1954, he was appointed to British Guiana (Guyana) and served at Our Lady of Fatima parish, Georgetown. In 1958, he was made pastor of this large parish until 1963, when he was recalled to Canada to do specialized studies in finance and accounting. The following year he was appointed bursar as well as spiritual director of St. Francis Xavier Seminary, and then Treasurer General of Scarboro Missions.
Fr. Ken returned to Guyana from 1974 to 1977, this time working in Berbice. After returning to Canada, he was elected Superior General of the Society in 1978 and served in that capacity until 1987. Afterwards, he went back to pastoral ministry in Guyana from 1988 until 1994, when he was appointed director of the Mission Information Department at Scarboro headquarters in Canada. Fr. Ken remained in this position until 1998, returning once again to Guyana for another two years, retiring from mission work in 2000.
Fr. Ken died on September 6, 2017 at the Cardinal Ambrozic Houses of Providence in Scarborough, Ontario.
Born in Windsor, Ontario, on September 1, 1928, Fr. Paul attended St. Joseph’s primary school and Assumption high school. He entered St. Francis Xavier Seminary in 1946 and was ordained a priest by Bishop Nelligan on December 20, 1952, in Windsor.
In his first two years as a Scarboro missionary priest, Fr. Paul served in the promotion department in Canada. In 1955 he was assigned to the Dominican Republic and in 1968 he represented the Dominican mission at the IV General Chapter where he was elected Superior General. He served in this position of leadership until 1974, returning to the Dominican Republic the following year. He was recalled to Canada in 1978 to coordinate the formation of priests and lay missioners.
He was appointed to Peru in 1983 for four years, returning to the Dominican Republic in 1987. He ended his overseas missionary service in 1994 and up until recently worked in communications, helping to promote Scarboro Missions through the use of computer technology and the internet.
As Superior General, Fr. Paul led the Society at a pivotal time in its history. He helped Scarboro Missions to be open to and to accept laity as co-workers in mission. His leadership has been noted by fellow Society members for making decisions based on consensus during the changing times of the Second Vatican Council.
Fr. Paul Ouellette passed away on February 13, 2003 from cancer.
Born on November 8, 1935, in Hamilton to working-class parents, he was raised and educated in the Catholic faith. After graduation from high school, he became a priest and missionary with the Scarboro Foreign Mission Society and in 1961 was assigned to serve in Brazil.
Within three years of his arrival in Amazonas, George became fluent in Portuguese and began to understand as well the culture and ways of the cabocolo – the peasant farmers and fishers of the interior of Brazil. Later, as their bishop, he became a strong voice for their rights, opposing those who would drive them off their lands or overfish the resources of the Amazon river. In 1975 the bishops of Brazil formed a Land Pastoral Commission which received the Right to Livelihood Award, often called the Alternative Nobel Peace Prize, in 1991. As National Vice-President of the commission, Bishop George traveled to Stockholm, Sweden, to receive this honour.
Bishop George Marskell passed away on July 2, 1998 in the city of Itacoatiara, Amazonas, Brazil. He chose to return to Brazil and not undertake chemotherapy after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer while in Canada. In 1984 he had written in his will, “I want to be buried in the cemetery amongst the people I was called by God, in His love, to serve.” As he wished, he was laid to rest in the cathedral cemetery, in a simple crypt prepared by the people.
Born in Walkerton, Ontario, on February 12, 1928, Fr. Clair was ordained to the priesthood in 1951 and continued his studies at New York’s Fordham University where he received a Master’s degree in sociology in 1954. His missionary career began as he entered language school in Tokyo in the fall of 1954 and over the next 42 years he served as pastor, as assistant secretary general to the Japan’s Bishop’s Conference, and as editor of Tosei News, an English language newsletter for missionaries to Japan.
For over 20 years Fr. Clair also gave himself in service to the Society’s work and welfare in Canada. On two occasions he served as vicar general on the General Council. He was also a rector of the seminary and taught sociology at St. Augustine’s seminary. His final Society responsibility was as the person in charge of Society renewal. For this task he called upon his expertise in PRH (Personality and Human Relations). In 1984 he had studied the PRH program and became a licensed animator. He used these skills in Japan as well, being appointed a coordinator of PRH in Japan in 1991.
Clair was the first Society member of the interfaith organization, WCRP (World Conference on Religion and Peace). As well, he worked closely with the ecumenical church coalition, Canada – China Programme, as he had a special interest in China. During the 1970s, Claire was supportive of the founding of many of the ecumenical church coalitions and of Catholic New Times, an independent Catholic news magazine based in Toronto.
He passed away on Friday, November 1, 1996, from gastric cancer.
Monsignor John Edward McRae was born April 9, 1875 at Moulinette, Ontario. After schooling and further studies at Cornwall, St. Michael’s College in Toronto and at Montreal’s Grand Seminary, he was ordained July 17, 1898. Once he had acquired a Roman doctorate in Canon Law, Fr. McRae served as an assistant and later as pastor of parishes in the diocese of Alexandria, Ontario. In 1922 he became rector of St. Finnian’s Cathedral in Alexandria and Chancellor of the diocese.
In August, 1924, he accepted an invitation from the governing bishops to assume the post of president of the China Mission College in Scarborough. The next month, September, 1924 the newly relocated college – now called a “seminary” - was formally opened with McRae in charge. For the next 17 years, he remained in this position. In 1939, in recognition of his labour, McRae was named a “Domestic Prelate” by Rome with the title of “Right Rev. Monsignor”. At the first General Chapter of the newly autonomous Society in 1941 he was elected by his peers as the first Superior General, a position he occupied until his retirement in 1949.
From 1949 onwards, McRae lived in retirement at Scarboro. Despite the eventual loss of his vision, he continued to celebrate mass until his death on February 5, 1955 in his 80th year. Monsignor McRae is buried in St. Andrew’s R.C. cemetery, St. Andrews West, Ontario, in the diocese of Cornwall-Alexandria.
John Mary Fraser (1877-1962) was the first Roman Catholic priest from English-speaking Canada to work in China and the founder of China Mission College, later known as Scarboro Foreign Mission Society.
He was born John Andrew Fraser in Toronto on 28 June 1877 to Scottish immigrant parents, William Fraser (1839-1920) and Johanna Chisholm (1837-1920). He was the ninth of their eleven children:
Fraser attended St. Michael’s College (Toronto, Ont.) and graduated in 1896. Shortly thereafter, wishing to study for the priesthood (to become a priest in the Archdiocese of Toronto), in September 1896 he was sent to the Seminary Collegio Brignole Sale in Genoa, Italy (at the time there was no Seminary in Toronto). It was here in Genoa that he met missioners returning from their work abroad and this awakened his own mission vocation.
Fraser was ordained “for the missions” in Genoa in 1901, at which point he took the religious name John Mary Fraser. After a visit to Canada to bid goodbye to his family, he set sail for China and arrived on 21 December 1902. He was assigned to the Diocese of Ningpo and became the first Roman Catholic priest from English-speaking Canada to work in China.
In 1910, Fraser returned to Canada and spent two years trying to raise interest in the work in China. At that time, he also visited the United States, Ireland, Scotland and England. He then returned to his work in China.
On 9 November 1918, Fraser finally received authorisation from Archbishop Gauthier of Ottawa to establish a mission college in his diocese. The new college was opened in a former convent and school in Almonte, Ontario in September 1919. In 1921, the college was moved to Scarborough, Ontario, and in 1924, the staff and students moved into a new building on the property adjacent to St. Augustine's Seminary. Because of its location in Scarborough, China Mission Seminary eventually became known as Scarboro Missions.
Meanwhile, John Fraser continued his work in China, gradually joined by graduates of his college in Scarborough. In recognition of his efforts, Pope Pius XI conferred on Father Fraser the title of Pronotary Apostolic (P. A.) of the Church on 2 Dec. 1931. From this point on, he was known as Monsignor Fraser.
Fraser's life in China was interrupted in 1941 when he returned to Canada to attend to important matters of his growing mission society. On his return he was stranded in Manila by the outbreak of Second World War. Initially staying in the residence of the Archbishop of Manila, he was interned for three-and-a-half years during the Japanese occupation of Manila, returning to Canada in 1945.
In 1946, Monsignor Fraser once again set sail for China and continued his work in Kinhwa. Three years later, he returned to Toronto to attend the second General Chapter of the Society in 1949. He never returned to China. Shortly after his departure, under communist leadership, China was closed to any missionary endeavours. Fraser's fellow Canadian missioners who remained in China were arrested and eventually expelled from the country.
After the closure of the China mission, Monsignor Fraser soon accepted an invitation from Bishop Yamaguchi of Nagasaki, Japan to establish a new mission in that country. In May 1950, at age 73, he left for Japan. There, he built churches and established schools in Nagasaki, Fukuoka and Osaka.
Monsignor Fraser died on 3 September 1962, at the age of 85, at his residence in Osaka. He is buried in Shukugawa Catholic cemetery in Osaka.
Born on September 5, 1908 to Joseph and Mary McQuaid Tom was ordained a priest by James Cardinal McGuigan on December 17, 1939. In 1940 he went to China and attended language school in Peking. From 1943 to 1945 he was interned along with two other religious by the Japanese. In November, 1945 he was released and went to Lishui, China where he served until 1947 when he returned to Canada to be vice rector of the seminary. At the Second General Chapter convened in 1949 Fr. McQuaid was elected superior general and remained in that post until 1959. From 1959 to 1966 he served as novice master at Nazareth House in St. Mary’s, Ontario.
In 1966 he was assigned to the Caribbean. He first arrived in St. Lucia where he worked as assistant parish priest of La Clery, with Fr, John Kelly, S.F.M. as parish priest. He spent one year there before being transferred to St. Vincent. However, in 1969 he returned to St. Lucia to take up the post of parish priest at La Clery. During his tenure of office he built the presbytery, the belfry of the church and bought the bells and had them placed. In 1976 Fr. McQuaid retired as parish priest and was appointed Chaplain to the Benedictine nuns. In 1981, Archbishop Kelvin Felix appointed him Chaplain of both the Vocational School and the Marian Home for the Aged, where he remained until his departure for Canada on April 15, 1989.
For several years he gave religious instruction at the Vocational School, R.C. School and St. Mary’s College. Fr. McQuaid later took over the duties of celebrating mass at the jail as well as at Victoria and Golden Hope Hospital. In 1989, Fr. McQuaid retired to Canada. For the last seven years of his life Tom lived with the Brothers of the Christian Schools at La Salle Manor.
Fr. McQuaid passed away on October 27th, 2003 and is interred at Mary, Queen of Angels cemetery located on the grounds of St. Augustine’s seminary.
Fr. Roland (Rollie) Roberts was born in Victoria, British Columbia on September 18, 1905, the son of George and Catherine Roberts. Ordained to the priesthood on September 23, 1933, he was the first priest from western Canada to become a member of the Scarboro Foreign Mission Society. Unable to go to China because of illness, her served three yeas at Vancouver’s Chinese Catholic Mission and in 1935 was appointed national director of the Pontifical Association of the Holy Childhood for English-speaking Canada. He held this latter post until 1951 when he became responsible for the promotion department of Scarboro Missions in Scarborough, Ontario.
At age 56, Fr. Rollie was appointed to overseas mission service and on July 7, 1962 he arrived on the island of St. Vincent in the West Indies as pastor of St. Benedict parish in Georgetown. Fr. Rollie served in that parish until July, 1993, when he returned to Canada because of ill health. During his time in Georgetown he helped establish a day care centre and infant hospital at the parish.
Fr. Roberts died February 11, 1994 at Centenary Hospital in Scarborough, Ontario. The funeral mass was held on February 15, 1994 in the Scarboro Missions chapel. Burial was in Mary Queen of Angels cemetery on the grounds of St. Augustine Seminary in Scarborough, Ontario.
Ronald Thomas Pete was born on September 5, 1933 in East Chester, Nova Scotia, the son of the late Thomas and Linda Pete. He studied at St. Patrick’s High School in Halifax before entering St. Francis Xavier seminary in 1954. He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Berry in Halifax on August 21, 1960.
Ron’s first mission was to British Guiana [now, Guyana] where he arrived on October 11, 1961. He was assigned to Our Lady of Fatima Parish. He later became pastor of Port Mourant where he served from 1965 to 1970. In 1970 -1971 Ron studied at the Divine Word Centre in London, Ontario returning to Guyana as associate pastor in New Amsterdam. He was there for a year and then was assigned to work on a catechetics program serving the communities on the Corentyne River. In 1975 Ron made the Maryknoll Institute in New York and took a course in photography at Seneca College. In April of 1977 he was assigned to work with Sr. Doris McMullen in the AV department at Scarboro where he continued until 1980.
In 1980 he took a full year pastoral education program at Toronto Western Hospital and in 1981 he spent three months doing a chaplain internship program at Kingston Penitentiary. After completion of the courses he was assigned to do road work for the Mission Information Department at Scarboro. He also participated in a renewal program at Maryknoll in 1983. In September of 1984 Ron was assigned to work with the Korean Community in Toronto. He began to study Korean on his own but was later given permission to go to Korea to study for one year. He returned to Canada and continued to work with the Korean Community. With the exception of a short period of time working as a chaplain in a high school he continued to work with the Korean Community and was officially appointed by the Archdiocese of Toronto as associate pastor at St. Andrew Kim Parish where he worked until 1998.
Prior to a one year sabbatical at Ecce Homo in Jerusalem, Ron helped out in Grand Falls Diocese in the parishes of King’s Cove, Plate Cove and Summerville. He was there until June of 1998 and began his studies in Jerusalem in the fall of 1998. Upon his return to Canada Fr. Pete made application to work in the Archdiocese of Halifax. He was appointed pastor of East Chezetcook by Archbishop Prendergast for four years. His most recent appointment was as chaplain to the seamen of the Port of Halifax.
He died of cancer at Victoria General Hospital on March 22, 2005. The wake was held on March 28 at at St. Genevieve’s Parish in East Chezetcook and presided by Archbishop Prendergast. Funeral mass was celebrated at St. Mary's Basilica in Halifax on March 29, presided by Archbishop Prendergast, the former Archbishops, James Hayes and Austen Burke, and SFM priest Jack Lynch. He is buried in the priests' plot at Gate of Heaven Cemetery along with Fr. Mike Dwyer, SFM.
Fr. Venadam was born May 16, 1899. One of the original members of the Society, in 1921 he went to Almonte, Ontario at age 22 to join. The following year he was sent to St. Michael’s High School in Toronto. After finishing his education there, he began his studies in preparation for his ordination. He was ordained November 2, 1930, by Bishop Andrew Defebvre, of Ningpo, China.
Fr. Venadam went to China in October 1931 and five years later he was recalled to Canada to campaign for the Society. In 1938 he returned to his mission and six years later he was appointed pro-prefect of Lishui, headquarters of the Scarboro Fathers in that area. When the communists took over the governing of the province, Fr. Venadam was gradually restricted in his movements. In July, 1952 he was placed in the local jail for six months and then transferred to the prison in Hangchow, capital of the province. His treatment during imprisonment left him in severely ill health, he was released and arrived in Hong Kong on May 18, 1954.
After his repatriation to Canada Fr. Venadam spent a year recuperating in St. Joseph du Moine in the diocese of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Then, in 1955 he was appointed to Scarboro’s China mission in Victoria, B.C. He died while serving at the Chinese Canadian mission in Vancouver on March 8, 1958, likely as a result of ongoing sickness due to his imprisonment.
Fr. Venadam is buried in his birth place, Pomquet, Nova Scotia.
Fr. Des, as he was known to his colleagues at Scarboro, was born June 12, 1903 in Ottawa. He studied at St. Briget’s and St. Joseph’s Schools in Ottawa before attending St. Michael’s College in 1918 and graduating in 1921.
Fr. Stringer joined the newly-formed China Mission College in Almonte, Ontario in September, 1921. A year following his ordination on June 7, 1928 in St. Bridget’s Parish, Ottawa, he began his missionary life in China, leaving on October 24, 1929. He returned to Canada to do promotion work in 1936 and returned once more to China in 1938. After participating in the exodus of missionaries that resulted from the Japanese invasion of China during World War II, Fr. Des was appointed to the Chinese Mission in Victoria where he worked from 1944 until his appointment as co-editor of China magazine in 1946.
His appointment as editor of China magazine was only for one year, and in 1948 Fr. Des received his reappointment to China. He arrived in Shanghai quite ill and upon the recommendation of the attending doctor, permission was sought to have him return to Canada.
Prior to his appointment as editor of Scarboro Missions he spent several years (1949-1953) with Monsignor William McGrath touring the United States with the pilgrim Virgin of Fatima statue. This was followed by pastoral work in the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ottawa. He wrote the book "Her Plan For Peace" on the Virgin of Fatima.
Fr. Desmond died on April 23, 1959. He was buried in Mary, Queen of Angels Cemetery on the grounds of St. Augustine Seminary.
Born on Prince Edward Island on December 9, 1883, Fr. Morrison came to join the band of missionaries being formed by John Mary Fraser shortly after the Seminary was opened in Almonte, Ontario. He went on to become the third person to be ordained for the Scarboro Foreign Mission Society on June 16, 1924 at the hands of his brother, Bishop James Morrison of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He spent the first year after ordination as bursar at St. Francis Xavier Seminary in Scarborough.
Fr. Morrison went to China in 1925. He would spend a total of 18 years of his priestly life there, the first year of which was in Sung Yang and district where he built a school for boys in 1931.
During the Japanese invasion of China, Fr. Morrison’s mission property and buildings were bombed out and he himself wounded. After six months in a Chinese hospital with insufficient medical treatment he received passage to Calcutta and Bombay, India where he was hospitalized and later obtained passage on an American troop ship to America.
In 1947 he was working at St. Anne’s Chinese Catholic Mission in Toronto where he remained until he was appointed pastor of Christ the Good Shepherd Parish in Lincoln Park, Detroit in 1949. He was visiting at Scarboro headquarters at the time of his sudden death in a car accident on Saturday October 7, 1950.
Fr. Morrison was waked in the chapel of St. Francis Xavier Seminary, Scarborough, Ontario on Tuesday, October 10th. The Mass of the resurrection was celebrated from St. Theresa’s Shrine Church, Scarboro Bluffs on Wednesday, October 11, 1950. Fr. Morrison was buried in Mary, Queen of Angels cemetery located on the grounds of St. Augustine’s Seminary in Scarborough.
Born on August 22, 1929, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wallace entered the Society’s St. Francis Xavier Seminary in 1948 and was ordained for Scarboro Missions Deember 8, 1954. His first assignment was to the Guyana mission in September of 1955 where he served in Berbice and Georgetown.
In 1961, he returned to Canada and was appointed to teach at the seminary. During the late 60s he assisted at parishes east of Toronto, St. Francis de Sales in Pickering and Our Lady of the People in Oshawa. He continued to serve at our central house in Canada for the remainder of his missionary life, working, as director, in the department of communications (later known as the mission information department); as associate editor of the magazine, and until 1982, as editor of the Society’s newsletter. For a time he also looked after passports and visas and responded to the needs of overseas missionaries as they were received.
A prolific writer, he was appointed in 1962 to write the history of the Society and was called upon several times over the years for a variety of writing assignments. In 1993, up to the time of his death, he was again asked to work on the Society Newsletter as interim editor. He had also been a resource to Scarboro Missions magazine as it attempted to document the past 75 years of the Society’s journey in mission.
Fr. Wallace Chisholm died on June 9, 1993 at Scarborough General Hospital. He had been admitted a few days prior after suffering a severe heart attack from which he did not recover. A wake was held on Friday, June 11, 1993 at the Scarboro Missions Chapel and the funeral took place on Saturday, June 12 at 10:00 a.m. The homilist was Scarboro Missions Superior General, Fr. Brian Swords. He is buried at St. Augustine's cemetery in Scarborough.
Born November 9, 1917 and educated in Kingston, Ontario, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1940 as a Scarboro Foreign Missionary. He immediately went on to study Canon Law and was appointed Rector of the Seminary of the Scarborough Foreign Mission Society in 1944.
In 1950 he left for Japan on his first missionary assignment. For most of the next 27 years, until 1977, he lived and worked in Japan where he held many responsibilities. In the beginning he was pastor of a large Japanese parish in Nagasaki diocese. He became Regional Superior in 1956, and edited a small missionary newsletter for English-speaking missionaries in Japan. He worked as a member of the Tokyo Archdiocese Marriage Tribunal.
From time to time he returned to Canada where he worked in an advisory capacity to the Scarboro Foreign Mission Society in questions of church law arising out of the Second Vatican Council.
From 1977 until the time of his first heart attack in June of 1989, Fr. Pelow worked at the Catholic Marriage Tribunal in Toronto as Associate Judicial Vicar. In 1987 he was appointed, in the same capacity, to the Canadian Appeal Tribunal in Ottawa.
“Rog” or “Doc” as he was known to his colleagues had many friends both within and outside of the Society. His early years in Japan were characterized by a deep association and friendship with priests from other religious groups, most notably the Australia-based Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
During his time as pastor of Scarborough’s parish in Fukuoka City (south Japan), he taught English at the diocesan seminary and was thus known to many Japanese clergy in that area.
Fr. Pelow lived with the Scarboro Missions Founder founder, Monsignor John Mary Fraser, up until Fraser’s death in Osaka, Japan, in 1962. He was a source of many interesting stories about Monsignor Fraser, some of these told in the historical documentary Restless Mission Flame, a video produced by Scarboro about Monsignor Fraser.
Fr. Rogers Pelow died of congestive heart failure on Monday, January 22, 1990 at Centenary Hospital in Scarborough, Ontario. A wake service for Fr. Pelow, attended by many friends and relatives was held here at Scarboro Missions on Wednesday, January 24, 1990. On January 25, Bishop Robert Clune of the Archdiocese of Toronto concelebrated the funeral mass at the Scarboro Missions chapel.
Fr. John was born January 7, 1913 in Sebastopol, Ontario, one of three sons and two daughters born to Patrick and Sophia Kelly. He attended St. James Primary school and Continuation School in Eaganville, Ontario and after a few years at St. Francis Xavier Seminary in Scarborough was sent to study at Brignole Sale in Genoa, Italy from 1936 to 1938.
Fr. John was ordained to the priesthood in St. Columbkille’s Cathedral in Pemroke on August 15, 1936 by Bishop Patrick Ryan. Fr. Kelly left for China in 1938 and remained there almost continuously until 1944. He spent his first two years at Kinwha learning the Chinese language. Subsequent years saw him serving in such places as Tungyang, Huenshin, Hunan, Dolu and Lishui. Due to the Pacific War, he returned to Canada briefly in 1944-1945. While home he helped out at St. Francis Xavier church in Renfrew, Ontario and St. James Church in Eganville. In 1947 he returned to China and in 1948 was appointed Regional Superior there. In 1949 Fr. Kelly returned to Canada to participate in the Second General Chapter of the Society and was unable to return to China because of the Communist revolution. Fr. Kelly then took post graduate studies in Canon Law at the University of Ottawa and was awarded his Doctorate in that field in 1950. The title of his thesis was “Legal Status of Mission Stations.”
From 1953 to 1961 Fr. Kelly was professor of Missiology, Mission Law and Latin at St. Francis Xavier Seminary. From 1959 to 1961 he held the positions of vice-rector and librarian. In 1959 he was elected as a member of the third general chapter of Scarboro.
In 1961 Fr. John was appointed the first regional superior of Scarboro’s mission in St. Vincent, West Indies. During his time there he was also pastor of the Parish of the Assumption. After his term of office in 1966 he became pastor of Our Lady of Fatima parish in St. Lucia where he stayed until 1970 when he was appointed to Scarboro’s mission in the Bahamas.
Fr. Kelly experienced health issues from 1970-1972 for which he received treatment in Canada. He died suddenly at his mission in Rock Sound, Bahamas, on November 17, 1972. At Fr. Kelly’s own request he was buried on the mission where he died. Respecting his wishes, he was interred in Nassau, the Bahamas on November 23, 1972.
Born on June 10, 1934, in Sydney Mines, N.S., Fr. Hugh received his early schooling in Sydney Mines and at Xavier Junior College in Sydney. He graduated in 1956 with a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and entered the Scarboro Foreign Mission Society one year later. Ordained to the priesthood on August 21, 1960, Fr. Hugh was appointed to St. Vincent, West Indies, in 1961. IN 1975 he undertook his new assignment as director of student formation in Canada, and from 1980-82 he served in Halifax, N.S. promoting vocations and the work of the Society.
In 1982 he began missionary work in Chiclayo, Peru where he remained until recalled in 1991 to serve again as director of the student formation program. From 1992 – 1997 he served as a member of the General Council, and in 1995 took on the additional responsibility as pastor of St. Theresa’s Shrine parish in Scarborough, Ontario.In 1999 Fr. Hugh was assigned to work in Cuba with the Quebec Foreign Mission Society. This was an exciting assignment for him as Cuba was a new area to work for Scarboro Missions.
Fr. Hugh died outside of his residence in Havana, Cuba on November 13, 2001 after due to injuries sustained after being hit by a bicycle. A funeral Mass of the Resurrection was celebrated on Thursday, November 15 in Fr. Hugh’s parish of San José, Bahia Honda, in the diocese of Pinar del Rio, Cuba, where he was buried.
Robert Hymus was born in 1915. He was ordained 17 December 1939. In March 1943, along with Fr. Desmond Stringer, he opened Scarboro’s mission in the Dominican Republic. During his time there he served initially in Sanchez. He then went to Santiago to study Spanish and after six weeks was sent as pastor of Bayaguana where he served for a short time before moving to Monte Plata as pastor. Later in 1943 he would welcome five other Scarboro priests to the parish in Monte Plata.
Throughout his 55 years Fr. Hymus served as pastor in many Dominican parishes. He was regional superior of the Scarboro group when it numbered close to 40 missionaries in the late 50s. In 1965 he returned to Canada to head the Society’s promotion efforts in Canada. In 1970 he was reassigned to the Dominican Republic to continue his responsibilities there. On four occasions Fr. Bob was chosen by his fellow missionaries in the Dominican Republic to represent them at major Society meetings held periodically to review the state of the Society and to plan for the future. He also was chosen several times to be a member of the Dominican Mission’s regional council.
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his ordination, he was honoured by the Dominican church with the title of Monsignor as an acknowledgement of his long years of service.
Fr. Hymus died suddenly of a heart attack in the Dominican Republic in 1998. As is the custom in the Dominican Republic, Fr. Bob was buried the day after his death. The place of burial was the little town of Las Tablas, at the shrine dedicated to St. Martin de Porres which Fr. Bob had built up over and where he served as chaplain since 1988. The funeral mass was celebrated by Monsignor Severino, administrator of the diocese of Bani. A friend of Fr. Hymus, Bishop Camilo of the diocese of La Vega, celebrated the ninth day mass in the cathedral of the diocese of Bani.
Christina McCall was a prominent Canadian political journalist and writer, best known for her analytical work on the Liberal Party of Canada and her biographical studies of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. McCall was born on January 29, 1935, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She attended the University of Toronto, studying English at Victoria College, and graduated in 1956. After school, McCall worked at Maclean’s, where she initially conducted secretarial-type work. However, by 1957, McCall had her article on the female mining pioneer, Viola MacMillan, published as her first feature for the magazine. After the acknowledgment of her writing abilities, she continued to receive important projects in journalism. During her early career, McCall met the notable journalist Peter C. Newman, whom she married in 1959 and later divorced in 1977.
McCall then went to work for Chatelaine from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s. She then worked in 1967 as the Ottawa editor for Saturday Night magazine. Within this same year, McCall’s first book, The Man from Oxbow, was published. In the early 1970s, McCall returned to Maclean’s as an associate editor. From 1974 to 1976, McCall worked as a national reporter for The Globe and Mail. McCall later worked as the executive editor at Saturday Night in 1976 and then became contributing editor in 1980.
In the 1980s, McCall became focused primarily on political writing in the form of books rather than articles. Her book, Grits: An Intimate Portrait of the Liberal Party, was published in 1982 and focused on Pierre Trudeau and the environment of the inner workings of the Liberal Party under his leadership. This book was called, at the time, one of the most important Canadian books of the 1980s. McCall continued to write books even after Pierre Trudeau’s retirement from politics, and she later co-wrote a two-volume biography of Trudeau in 1990 and 1994 entitled Trudeau and Our Times, with her second husband, Stephen Clarkson, who was a political economy professor at the University of Toronto. In 1990, the first volume won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction, and in 1995, the second volume won the John Dafoe Prize for Distinguished Writing.
Even though McCall was primarily focused in her writing on the topic of the Canadian Liberal Party, she was also interested in a variety of other topics. These issues and topics included feminism, urban planning, and Canadian nationalism.
McCall died in 2005 in Toronto, and she left behind her partially written autobiography. Clarkson collected a selection of McCall’s writing, which he compiled and edited, and it was later published in 2008 as her autobiography entitled My Life as a Dame: The Personal and Political Writings of Christina McCall.
References:
CBC/Radio Canada. (2005, April 28). Political writer Christina McCall dies | CBC News: https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/political-writer-christina-mccall-dies-1.550455
Encyclopedia.com. (2025, June 3). "contemporary authors.encyclopedia.com. 6 may. 2025. Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/mccall-christina-1935-2005
Moore, O., & Martin, S. (2005, April 28). Christina McCall. The Globe and Mail: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/christina-mccall/article1117996/
Rose, J. (2021, October 5). Christina McCall: “feminist in arms.” rabble.ca https://rabble.ca/books/christina-mccall-feminist-arms/
The Religious Institute of the Sisters of Service (SOS) are a community of Roman Catholic religious women established to work with newcomers to Canada and bring the Church to rural communities. They were founded on August 15, 1922 in Toronto, and have 124 permanent members.
Unlike most other Catholic women religious at the time in traditional habits and large convents, the SOS wore simple grey uniforms and hats and lived in small communities. The simple and flexible nature of their Institute allowed the Sisters, as a domestic missionary community, to more easily adapt to the ways of life in the communities in which they lived. Their motto was "I Have Come To Serve" and the Sisters lived this charism by serving in many communities across Canada. In Western Canada, they worked as teachers, nurses and social workers. In larger cities, they operated hostels/residences for working women, particularly recently arrived immigrant women. The Sisters also maintained a presence at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, assisting newcomers in the transition from the ports to their homesteads. The SOS also provided catechetical instruction via religious correspondence schools and religious vacation schools during the summer months.
In 2011, after deciding to accept no new applicants to the novitiate, the Sisters signed a sponsorship agreement with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto, who have assumed their administration.
Born 9 September 1924, St. Jacques, Newfoundland, daughter of Anthony Burke and Rita Hartigan; entered 26 July 1952; first vows, 15 August 1956; final vows, 2 February 1960; died 28 April 2018.
The oldest of 11 children, Patricia grew up in the Newfoundland fishing village of St. Jacques on the eastern shore of Fortune Bay. She was educated at St. Jacques convent school under the Presentation Sisters and later at St. Brides College in St. John’s, where she obtained a teaching certificate. Patricia also helped to support the family with her teacher’s salary. After teaching school for six years, she joined the department of public welfare as a social worker and enrolled in the Memorial College. At the age of 27, she entered the Sisters of Service in July 1952, a year before the community established a women’s residence in St. John’s. Following the profession of first vows on August 15, 1956, Sister Burke attended the Maritime School of Social Work (1956-1958), receiving a diploma in social work.
Posted to Saskatoon, she put her training and life’s experience into practice as a social worker at the Catholic Welfare Society in that city (1958-1966) under Sister Ann O’Brien. During this time, Sister Burke earned a bachelor of arts in psychology from the University of Saskatchewan in 1964 and a professional teaching certificate from the department of education in Regina.
Following the election in 1966 to the community’s administrative council, Sister Burke moved to the Toronto headquarters for the next eight years. In the positions of Assistant Sister General (1966-1970) and Sister General (1970-1974), she directed the community to a new era of apostolate to renew and adjust to the changes of the Second Vatican Council and of society, seven of the eight women’s residences were closed. The religious correspondence schools and the summer religious vacation schools were transformed to home and parish-based catechesis. Moreover, she oversaw the construction of a new Motherhouse in east end Toronto to house the increasing number of retired sisters.
She returned to Halifax (1974-1975) for studies, graduating with a masters of social work degree from Dalhousie University. With these academic credentials, she and Sister Anna McNally moved to Northern Saskatchewan to provide social services. For almost two decades, Sister Burke held a series of positions to assist the Indigenous, developing social programs after the gradual closure of the residential schools. At La Loche, she was appointed as director of Social Services for the department of Northern Saskatchewan (1975-1979) and moved to Green Lake (1979-1982), where she assumed the posts of co-ordinator of school and community services (1979-1980) in St. Pascal school and of family services supervisor and regional director (1980-1982). After a sabbatical (1982-1983), attending St. John’s school of theology in Collegeview, Minnesota, Sister Burke returned to the northern Saskatchewan as a social worker program in development and field supervision at the regional office (1983-1985) at La Ronge. Putting into practice the newly-acquired master of science degree in administration from the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, (1985), she was promoted to regional director (1985-1986) of social services in Creighton, combining social work administration with program development. Returning to La Ronge (1987-1989), she served in the literacy program development and administration as a social worker in social services section of Northlands College.
She served as superior at Hospitality House, Edmonton (1989-1990) and returned to Northland College (1990-1991), developing programs for college campus in Buffalo Narrows. She moved back to La Ronge (1991-1994) as the co-ordinator of services for the disabled at the Gary Tinker Federation. She was elected to the SOS administrative council as Assistant General (1994-1998) and co-ordinator (1998-2003). In 2011 when the sponsorship agreement was signed with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto, she retired to an apartment in mid-town Toronto until 2014 before entering Providence Centre, where she died on April 28, 2018. The wake service and Mass of the Resurrection were held in the chapel of the Sisters of St. Joseph residence in Toronto with her nephew Rev. John Mark Massio as celebrant and Rev. William Fitzgerald, C.Ss.R. as concelebrant. Burial followed at the Sisters plot in Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.
Born 3 November 1906, in Cheadle, Cheshire, England, daughter of George Barton and Margaret McGlone; entered 21 April 1927; first vows 15 August 1928; final vows 15 August 1934; died 11 April 2003.
Born near Manchester, England, Madge grew up in Levenshulme, also near Manchester, to an Irish Catholic mother and Protestant father. After the death of her father in February 1918, Magdalen began to attend a parish school and won a scholarship to attend Notre Dame convent school at Chetham. Meanwhile, her mother was persuaded by travelling immigration officials to come to Canada. Arriving in Halifax aboard the Empress of France in June 1920, the Bartons settled in the east end of Toronto with her mother working in a munitions factory. Madge attended Holy Name school and St. Joseph's High School. After completing Grade 10, she worked at the United Drug Company for three years.
She credited Rev. Arthur Coughlan, co-founder and Provincial Superior of the Toronto Province of the Redemptorist, with the first contact knowledge of the Sisters of Service. Drawn to the community, Madge said, "I wanted to teach and I wanted to go west. It was pretty well assured that was what you were going to do." At the age of 20, she entered the novitiate and professed first vows on August 15, 1928 and final vows on August 15, 1934.
For 37 years, Sister Barton lived and served in Western Canada as a catechist and teacher. In 1928, she travelled to Edmonton, where she helped in the newly-opened catechetical mission while completing high school at St. Mary's high school. Moving to the community's women’s residence (1928-1930) in Edmonton, she completed high school and attended Edmonton Normal School for teacher training and certificate. Sister Barton began with a teaching assignment at Camp Morton, Manitoba (1930-1934, superior 1931-1934). From teaching, she moved to Regina to establish the community's second catechetical house and religious correspondence school. As the first superior (1934-1940), Sister Barton adjusted the Edmonton catechetical lessons, sent free to the 5,000 correspondence students.
During the summer of 1941 after the first year at the teaching mission of Marquis, Saskatchewan (1940-1943), she attended summer school in Saskatoon. After Marquis, she studied at St. Thomas More College (1943-1944) affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. At the end of that 1943-1944 academic year, Sister Barton helped in Fargo, North Dakota, teaching the religious vacation schools during the summer. After balancing teaching and subsequent summer courses, she obtained a bachelor of arts from the University of Saskatchewan in 1949, the first SOS to earn a university degree. Similarly, from summer school and correspondence school, she graduated with a master of arts degree in religious studies at the University of Ottawa in 1975. For the next 30 years, a series of teaching appointments followed in Alberta and Saskatchewan: Sinnett, Saskatchewan (1944-1951, 1957-1962); Peace River, Alberta (1951-1952); Rycroft, Alberta (1952-1957, 1962-1972); Regina separate schools, O’Neill High School, (1972-1974) and Spirit River, Alberta (1974-1975). In Regina, she also tutored new Canadians in English and citizenship, preparing them for high-school equivalency exams.
Retiring from teaching, Sister Barton embarked on a new religious venture with Sister Agnes Hearn in Clarenville, Newfoundland. Both 69 years old, the pair opened the community's third religious correspondence school in September 1975. Interrupting her catechetical work, she came to Toronto (1981-1982) to write the community’s new constitution with Sister Rosemarie Hudon. After a stay at the Regina catechetical house (1982-1983), she returned to Clarenville in October 1983 until 1988. Moving back to Regina (1988-2001), she embarked on a project of researching and writing the community's religious education history. The resulting 561-paged work of Gather Up the Fragments traced in detail the emergence and transitions of the catechetical houses and correspondence schools in Edmonton, Regina, Fargo and Clarenville. The history was published in 1997 as part of the community’s 75th anniversary. She also wrote histories of Father Joseph Paquin, OMI, a missionary and pastor of the Rycroft church in 1982, the Rycroft missions of Wanham and Woking in 1983 and St. Peter and Paul parish in Rycroft in 1993.
When the Regina mission closed in 2001, Sister Barton joined the retired Sisters at Scarborough Court in Toronto. In 2003, Sister Barton died suddenly at Scarborough Court at the age of 96. Due to the SARS quarantine, the wake service was held at Rosar-Morrison funeral home. Fr. Joseph Schuk, S.J. celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Lourdes church. Her body was buried in the community's plot in Mount Hope cemetery in Toronto.
Born 21 June 1911 in Montreal; daughter of William Zink and Margaret Moore; entered 21 January 1938; first vows 15 August 1940; final vows 15 August 1946; died 25 October 1992.
A Montréaler, Ella, an only child after death of an infant brother, grew up in the city's English-speaking parishes of St. Ann's and St. Gabriel's. She studied at St. Ann’s Academy, Villa Maria Convent and Marguerite Bourgeoys College before training as a nurse at St. Vincent de Paul Hospital in Brockville, Ontario. A singer, Ella appeared regularly on local radio broadcasts, both while a teenager and later as a young nurse. For three years, she worked as a public health nurse with the Montreal department of health. At 26, she entered the Sisters of Service, professing first vows on August 15, 1940 and final vows on August 15, 1946.
For the first 15 years of mission appointments, she nursed at the two rural Alberta hospitals of St. John’s hospital in Edson (1939-1941; 1946-1949) and Our Lady’s Hospital in Vilna (1941-1946; acting superior 1951; superior 1952-1954).
Remaining at the Motherhouse after the Chapter in 1954, she enrolled at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, studying photography for future assignments. When appointed as editor of The Field at Home (1955-1974), she also embarked on a career in religious promotional work, primarily for the Sisters of Service. During five summers of study, she earned a masters of arts degree in journalism and theology at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Later, she studied philosophy of social communications at St. Paul’s University in Ottawa. As editor, she documented the changes of the community through the 1950s and the 1960s, presenting illustrated articles of the founding and early missions. In the magazine, she emphasized individual sisters through their own words or Sister Zink’s profiles to celebrate jubilees and to memorialize after death. Special issues were devoted to vocations, Chapter deliberations and the contributions during the 1967 Canadian centennial. At the same, Sister Zink travelled to parishes, giving illustrated slides of the sisters’ missions to promote interest in vocations.
In the wake of the Second Vatican Council and the consequential changes for religious life, Sister Zink joined the Canadian Religious Conference (CRC) in Ottawa, (1965-1968), as a member of the permanent secretariat office and later assistant general secretary. Remaining in Ottawa, Sister Zink was the first woman director of public relations of English sector (1968-1973) for Catholic Conference of Bishops (CCB). In that capacity, she attended some of the synods of the bishops in Rome.
Continuing in public relations, Sister Zink returned to the hospital field as assistant executive director for public relations and publications (1973-1975) of the Catholic Hospital Association. She was employed by a non-religious organization as public relations director (1975-1980) of the YM-YWCA. During those years (1965-1981) in Ottawa, she also assisted other organizations, including as a member of the publicity committee of the Ontario Heart Foundation, campaign publicity committee of the United Way of Ottawa-Carleton, publicity committee of the social planning council of Ottawa-Carleton and a board member of the Catholic Family Services of Ottawa. For the profession of public relations, she served as chief examiner for the Canadian Public Relations Society of Canada (1973-1987), which approved the accreditation of public relations practitioners and its chair (1980-1982), receiving an award of merit from the society at the end of that term.
Upon returning to Toronto, Sister Zink resided at the Motherhouse (1981-1982), in a nearby house on Broadview Avenue (1983-1987) and a downtown apartment on De Grassi Street (1987-1992) with Sister Agnes Sheehan. Diagnosed with cancer, Sister Zink underwent treatment and joined the retired sisters at Scarborough Court for the six months before she died in St. Michael’s Hospital on October 25, 1992. The wake service was held at Scarborough Court and the funeral mass with celebrant Fr. Edward Dowling S.J. at nearby St. Boniface church. Her body is buried in the community's plot at Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.
Born 9 March 1902 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec; daughter of Alfred Deland and Mary Ann Dixon; entered 21 January 1935; first vows 15 August 1937; final vows 15 August 1942; died 24 December 2000.
Growing up in a large family of English and French heritage in Quebec provided Ella with an early experience of two cultures. Her father, who was born on a farm, became a notary. He met her mother, the Irish-English daughter of the town pharmacist while teaching Latin to her brother. Following the death of their father, she and her twin sister, Edna, attended a retreat in Montreal with the Franciscan Sisters of Mary.
Ella became aware of the Sisters of Service through the local Catholic Women’s League, of which their mother was a charter member and The Field at Home, the community's quarterly magazine. Her sister Mamie, a nurse in Montreal, cared for Father Daly’s brother, William, and his family. Entering at the age of 33 in January 1935, Ella professed first vows on June 2, 1937, and final vows on August 15, 1942 in Edson.
Like her twin sister, Edna, Sister Ella received most of her appointments to the community's women’s residences: Montreal (1936-1937); Toronto (1937); Edmonton (1937-1942); Ottawa (superior 1944-1950 and 1961-1968, superior 1962-1968); Regina (1950-1955); Vancouver (superior 1955-1961) and Halifax (1968-1978). Only in the residence in Edmonton (1940-1942) were Sisters Edna and Ella Deland assigned to the same mission. Taking a leave from the Halifax residence, Sr. Ella with Sr. Nora FitzPatrick cared for the dying Sr. Edna in the community's Montreal house on Elm Avenue.
In 1978, Sister Ella retired from the Halifax residence and moved to live with the SOS retirement community in St. Catharines, Ontario (1978-1989) and Scarborough Court (1989-2000). She died on December 24, 2000 at Scarborough Court. Her nephew, Fr. Jacques Monet s.j., celebrated the funeral Mass at Scarborough Court. Her body was buried in the SOS plot in Mount Hope cemetery in Toronto.
Born 19 February 1914 in Brandon, Manitoba, daughter of Timothy Sheehan and Leah Page; entered 21 January 1940; first vows 15 August 1942; final vows 15 August 1947; died 26 February 2014.
Born in Brandon and baptized in the Redemptorist parish of St. Augustine of Canterbury, Agnes grew up in that southern Manitoba town and the Saskatchewan communities of Saskatoon, Ridgedale and Punnichy, where her father was the station master. She attended local schools, predominately in Ridgedale, a community she described as anti-Catholic, remembering vividly the burning of a flaming cross by the Ku Klux Klan. To ensure safety for travelling religious, the Sheehans provided accommodation. In 1938, Agnes recalled an overnight stay of Sister Catherine Donnelly.
On a catechetical tour, Sister Clara Graf was the next Sister of Service to stay with the Sheehans. Sister Graf asked Agnes, the church organist, to teach the children hymns. This connection with the sisters prompted in Agnes entering the Sisters of Service on January 21, 1940 a few weeks before her 26th birthday. In the second year of novitiate, she was assigned to the Toronto residence (1941-1948) and professed first vows on August 15, 1942. She was the first Sister of Service to graduate from St. Michael's Choir School, Toronto, in 1952.
She was next appointed to the Montreal residence (1948-1955, superior 1949-1955). Sister Sheehan attended the Maritime School of Social Work in Halifax (1955-1957), becoming the first member to graduate as a social worker. For the next 15 years in the Winnipeg residence, Sister Sheehan served in many posts, including superior (1957-1960), directing the addition of the residence, the residence's staff social worker (1960-1968) and social worker at a Child Guidance Clinic (1968-1973).
Her contribution in Winnipeg was recognized in 1966 with the awarding of the Bene Merenti Medalion on the occasion of the 50th jubilee of the Archdiocese of Winnipeg. At that time, she worked with the Recreation Division of the Social Planning Council, the umbrella for all the social agencies, including the Sisters of Service residence. When the residence was closed in 1972, it was leased to the Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation for five years at $1 a year. The YWCA undertook the operation of Hargrave House as a YWCA-SOS joint project with Sister Sheehan as the director.
When the project ended, she joined the Marriage Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Winnipeg (1979-1983) and the Marriage Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Toronto (1984-1997) when she returned to that city. In Toronto, Sister Sheehan lived in the Broadview Avenue house and in an apartment on Degrassi Avenue before moving into the Motherhouse, where she served as the book-keeper and singer. When the Motherhouse was renovated, she moved to Scarborough Court as the co-ordinator of the retired community (1999-2005) and at LaSalle Manor (2005-2009).
She died five days after her 100th birthday at La Salle Manor. , Fr. Rocky Guimond, OMI, also her spiritual director, celebrated her funeral mass. She is buried in the community plot at Mount Hope cemetery.
Born 13 October 1892 in Grantham, Ontario, daughter of Louis Schenck and Winnifred Howe; entered 30 January 1923; first vows 2 August 1924; final vows 15 August 1931; died 24 March 1976.
One of eight children, Kathleen grew up in the Ontario Niagara area, where the Schenck family was prominent as fruit growers with large greenhouses and a canning factory. Two of her sisters entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto, taking the religious names of Sister St. Louis and Sister Marcelline. After educated at local schools, Kathleen worked for Canadian Department Stores in St. Catharines as a window designer and advertising copywriter until she entered on January 30, 1923 at the age of 30. She was the sixth candidate to join the new community. A member of the first group of novices, she professed first vows on August 2, 1924 and final vows on August 15, 1931.
Due to her business experience, Sister Schenck was placed in charge as superior (1924-1931) of the first mission, an immigrant women’s hostel, next door to the Toronto Motherhouse, which the Catholic Women’s League had opened seven months earlier. The hostel/residence, the first of six that the community opened in the first 10 years, provided short-term accommodation, particularly for women seeking work as domestic servants under the Empire Settlement Act. At the Toronto house, Sister Schenck established a home-like atmosphere for these women, aged 18 to 32 years, and an employment service for placement in private homes, religious institutions, such as the Sisters of St. Joseph convents and institutions. For the opening of the Montreal hostel in October 1926, she assisted in setting up the house and in meeting the trains, carrying immigrants from the Quebec City port. Her duties increased when appointed as a member of the first administrative General Council (1928-1937), which oversaw the rapid development of the community.
Transferring the experience of immigrant needs in the city, Sister Schenck along with Sister Pauline Coates assisted in the establishment of Settlement House (1931-1933), the Redemptorist mission for German immigrants, adjacent to St. Patrick’s church in downtown Toronto. Sister Schenck provided the skills and human touch to create a neighbourhood house and a social and cultural centre for the growing number of German immigrants to the city after the First World War.
For the next 23 years, Sister Schenck’s continued in women’s residences. After resuming duties as superior in the Toronto residence (1933-1935), she was posted to Montreal (superior, 1935-1943), where a dispensation for an extension was received from the Toronto archbishop until the 1943 Chapter. During the two Montreal terms under her direction, the residence and the sisters activities grew. Just before her appointment, the sisters had purchased a large house on 1923 Dorchester Street West to also provide instruction in language and domestic skills. Opened in January 1935, the semi-detached residence had been built in 1894 and owned by railway magnate Lord Thomas Shaughnessy, the third president of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). In 1940, the sisters purchased the other semi-detached house on the west side, previously-owned by Lord Strathcona, co-founder the CPR, who pounded the last spike to open the railway. As the community’s largest residence, it provided rooms for 80 residents and drop-in social activities for hundreds of young women in the city.
Besides the residence, the sisters continued immigration work, especially assisting the Sudeten refugees in 1939-1940 and immigrants during the Second World War. For girls, aged 6 to 17 years, the sisters started a club in 1940 to provide recreation at Goose Village, part of the Montréal Redemptorist parish of St. Ann’s. In leaving Montreal, she was stationed to the residence in Vancouver (superior, 1943-1949), where she also visited a local women's prison. Moving to assist at the Halifax residence (1949-1954) during the influx of immigration after the Second World War, she also directed the catechetical summer camps for Catholic girls from Halifax at Medford Beach (1950-1952). For a respite, she returned to the Motherhouse (1954-1956) and was reappointed to the Montreal residence (1956-1960) as the last residence assignment. Transferred to the catechetical mission at Fargo, North Dakota (1960-1962), Sister Schenck returned to Toronto Motherhouse (1962-1976) in semi-retirement, serving as a parish visitor (1962-1969) at nearby Our Lady of Lourdes parish.
Sister Schenck celebrated her golden jubilee of profession in August 1974. In declining health, she was hospitalized in early 1976 and was moved to Providence Villa, where she died on March 24, 1976 at the age of 83. She is buried at the community’s plot in Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.
Born 1 September 1902 in Saint John, NB, daughter of James Quinn and Katherine Fitzpatrick; entered 2 February 1928; first vows 15 October 1929; final vows 23 June 1933; died 23 November 1980.
Mary grew up in the Irish community of the Redemptorist parish of St. Peter’s in the north end of Saint John. She attended St. Peter’s girls school, St. Vincent’s high school and commercial course at Mount Carmel Academy. She was a graduate registered nurse when she entered at the age of 25. Her novitiate training was interrupted to return home during her father’s serious illness. She professed first vows on October 15, 1929.
For 14 years, Sister Quinn was assigned to the two rural Alberta hospitals, starting with St. John’s Hospital in Edson (1929-1930; superior 1934-1942), where she took final vows on June 23, 1935. In 1941 as an extraordinary visitor, Sister Quinn travelled to each mission on behalf of Sister General Margaret Guest, meeting all the sisters. At the 1943 General Chapter, she garnered the second largest votes and was elected to the General Council and Assistant Sister General. She assumed many duties of the ailing Sister General Margaret Guest in 1946 while also fulfilling the tasks of superior (1943-1948) of the Motherhouse. In the 1948 Chapter and the subsequent 1954 Chapter, she was elected as Sister General. For those 12 years, Sister Quinn directed the community with a calm and steady hand. She had a friendly relationship with Father Daly, who knew her as a teenager when he was posted in Saint John.
During her two terms, she oversaw the community at its peak of 124 sisters, including 100 with final vows. The missions had increased to 20 after the opening of Alberta teaching missions of Peace River (1951), Manning (1952) and a residence (1953) in St. John’s, Newfoundland. The teaching mission of Wexford, east of Toronto, was closed, and construction projects were undertaken to modernize the residences in Vancouver, Edmonton and Winnipeg. After Father Daly’s death in 1956, Sister Quinn ushered the administration into full self-government. With the institute on a sound financial footing, she focused on the continued and upgrading of the education of the sisters through university degrees, professional diplomas and certificates.
After two terms as Sister General, Sister Quinn was elected as a councillor on the General Council (1960-1966) in the 1960 Chapter and was appointed as superior of the Motherhouse. Ill health caused her to resign from the General Council in 1964, and she returned to Vilna to recuperate. For the next few years, she moved to Regina (1965-1966), back to Vilna (1966-1968) and the Edson hospital (1968-1971) following a nursing refresher course. A year after moving to Halifax (1971-1973), she broke a hip and returned to Alberta, living in Edmonton (1973-1976) and Edson (1976-1977), where she had nursed in the three SOS hospitals – the original three-storey frame building, the 37-bed brick building, which opened in 1932 and the modern 50-bed hospital, opened in 1969.
In continuing poor health, Sister Quinn joined the retired sisters at Niagara Retirement Manor in St. Catharines, Ontario, where she died on November 23, 1980. The well-attended wake service at the Motherhouse was followed by the funeral mass in the Motherhouse chapel, concelebrated by Jesuits Edward Dowling, Edward Tyler, and Redemptorists, Toronto Provincial Superior Francis Maloney, former Provincial Superior John Lockwood, religious broadcaster Matthew Meehan and philosophy professor Joseph Owens, also a fellow Saint Johner and St. Peter’s parishioner. Her body was buried in the community’s plot at Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.
Born 15 November 1901 in Mineral, New Brunswick, daughter of William Guest and Margaret Haley; entered 29 September 1923; first vows 29 September 1924; final vows 15 August 1931; died 15 October 1987.
One of seven children, Margaret grew up in the central New Brunswick potato farming area and attended St. Michael's Academy in Chatham, NB as a boarding student. After graduating from St. Michael's Academy, she studied at the Provincial Normal School, attaining a childhood ambition as a teacher. She taught in public schools in her native Carleton County, recalling: "I liked the work from the first. It was my one desire to be of help to the child and help and to form and mold character."
At the age of 21, she joined the year-old community of the SOS, professing first vows on September 29, 1924 and final vows with the first group of sisters on August 15, 1931. Immediately after first vows, Sister Guest, one of the pioneer sisters, travelled to Camp Morton, the community's first Western Canadian mission. Located in a rural Manitoba farming area, north of Winnipeg, she joined foundress Sister Catherine Donnelly as a teacher in one of the schoolhouses.
After five years at Camp Morton (superior 1926-1928), Sister Guest returned to the Toronto Motherhouse, replacing Mother Othilia, CSJ, as Novice Mistress (1928-1937) at the Glen Road novitiate. During that time as Novice Mistress, she directed more than 100 novices and was a member of the community's General Council, which was establishing their apostolates of rural education, immigration and catechetics. She also was enrolled in extension courses (1931-1933) at Columbia University, New York City, and arranged for novices and professed sisters to enroll in night and summer classes.
At the first General Chapter in May 1937, Sister Guest became the first-elected Sister General and was re-elected in 1943. At that time, the 70-member community served in 12 missions. Her interest in rural education never waned. Under her two terms, six of the eight new missions were dedicated to rural teaching: Marquis and Bergfield, Saskatchewan (1938); Wexford, Ontario (1939); Sinnett, Saskatchewan (1940); Christian Island, Ontario (1941); and Rycroft, Alberta (1944). A catechetical mission was founded in Fargo, ND (1939) and a university women's residence (1946) in Saskatoon. In ill health and unable to complete the second term, she resigned from office in 1948.
Sister Guest was appointed to St. John's hospital, Edson (1950-1975), developing a second career. Completing courses in hospital administration, medical records and as a records librarian, Sister Guest established the medical record department in the Edson hospital. Working closely with the medical records librarians of the Alberta Hospital Association, she assisted other small hospitals in setting up their own medical records department. A member of the St. John’s hospital board, she upgraded catechetical training for many years of teaching Grades 5 and 6 at the town's Sacred Heart parish.
In 1974, Sister Guest joined the retired Sisters at the Niagara Retirement Manor, St. Catharines, Ontario, where she died at the age of 85 on October 15, 1987. In the Motherhouse chapel, the funeral Mass was celebrated by Fr. William Brennan, a grand-nephew, with Jesuit Fr. Edward Dowling and Redemptorist Fr. Matthew Meehan as concelebrants. Her body was buried in the community's plot at Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.
Born 15 August 1882 in Toronto, daughter of James Regan and Maria Whalen; entered 6 January 1925; first vows 24 June 1926; final vows 15 August 1931; died 8 January 1972.
Growing up in an Irish-Catholic family in Toronto, Florence worked as a stenographer in the manufacturing department of Imperial Oil, rising to the position as executive secretary. Entering in January 1925 at the age of 36, she professed first vows on June 24, 1926 as a pioneer member of the community. Shortly afterwards, she travelled to Western Canada as superior of the newly-opened catechetical mission in Edmonton (1926-1928) to develop the new venture of sending catechism lessons by mail and of teaching in person catechism to children. In July 1927 at the request of Archbishop Mathieu of Regina, she and Sister Mary Rodgers embarked on a tour teaching catechism to children in Saskatchewan.
The following year as the student enrollment of the Edmonton religious correspondence school increased steadily, Sister Regan was appointed by Toronto Archbishop Neil McNeil as the first Sister General and superior of the Toronto Motherhouse. Since the founding in 1922, the community had opened eight missions. For the next nine years, she was intricately involved in the building, planning and expanding the community throughout Canada. Professed sisters voted to reappoint Sister Regan and her General Council of Sisters Kathleen Schenck and Carmel Egan for a second term in 1931 and a third three-year term in 1934, all of whom made final vows on August 15, 1931.
Under her watch, the community opened women's hostels in Vancouver and Edmonton; a rural teaching mission in St. Brides, Alberta, and two new hospitals were constructed in Edson and Vilna, Alberta to replace the original frame buildings. Although she left office as Sister General in 1937, Sister Regan remained as superior of the Motherhouse (1937-1943) and on the General Council, elected to serve three consecutive terms of 1937-1943, 1943-1948 and 1948-1954.
Leaving the Motherhouse in 1943, she moved to the novitiate until moving to the new Motherhouse at 10 Montcrest in 1970. She died at St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, on January 8, 1972 at the age of 89. In Holy Family church, near the Motherhouse, Fr. Bernard Regan, CSB, a cousin and the main celebrant, concelebrated the funeral mass with Fr. Edward Dowling SJ, Redemptorist Provincial Superior Richard Bedard and Fr. William Brown. Her body was buried in the community's plot in Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.
Born: 9 May 1935 on Calumet Island, Quebec, daughter of Lawrence McNally and Marie Ryan; entered 26 July 1954; first vows 2 February 1957; final vows 15 August 1962.
Born 21 September 1911 in Renfew Ontario, daughter of Joseph Kenopic (Knopsick)) and Katherine Rouble (Wrobel); entered 21 January 1941; first vows 15 August 1943; final vows 15 August 1948; died 9 May 2003.
As the third of 11 children of Ontario-born descendants of Eastern European immigrants, Brigid grew up in the Ottawa Valley town of Renfrew. After attending local schools, Brigid graduated from the Lorraine School of Nursing at the Pembroke General Hospital in 1932 and completed the qualifications as a registered nurse. At the time of her nursing graduation, Irene, a younger sister, entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in Pembroke, taking the religious name of Sister Anthony. For eight years, she worked as a private-duty nurse for M. J. O’Brien, an industrialist, lumber baron and silver mine owner, who resided in Renfrew. Active in St. Francis Xavier parish and its sodality, Brigid wrote to Fr. George Daly about her rekindled vocation. After a novena at the shrine of St. Anne de Beaupre and a visit to the SOS women's residence in Montreal, she applied to join the Sisters of Service, but not until the death of Mr. O'Brien. In November 1940 and giving away her fur coat, Brigid at the age of 29 entered on January 21, 1941.
Professing first vows on August 15, 1943, Sister Knopic made final vows on August 15, 1948 in Edson. For the next 37 years, Sister Knopic intertwined religious life, daily joys and dedicated nursing at the two rural hospitals in Alberta. At St. John’s Hospital in Edson, she served for 27 years in two appointments (1943-1957, as superior 1951-1957; and 1967-1980, as superior, director of nursing 1969-1972). Between the Edson postings, she moved to Our Lady’s Hospital in Vilna (1957-1967, superior 1960-1967). During these years, Sister Knopic continuously upgraded her medical education with certificates in the care of communicable diseases, practical obstetrics, and a diploma as a radiology technician. She also completed courses in hospital administration and rehabilitation medicine.
Following retirement from nursing, she was appointed the director of the senior sisters at Niagara Retirement Manor (1980-1982) in St. Catharines, Ontario. For almost two decades, she lived at the Toronto Motherhouse (1983-2000) except for a year at the catechetical mission (1984-1985) in Clarenville, Newfoundland. For 15 years at the Motherhouse, she assumed responsibility of sacristan and wrote articles and arranged for contributions for the community's monthly newsletter of Here and There. Outside the Motherhouse, Sister Knopic coordinated the spiritual program for Catholic residents at Fudger House, a downtown nursing home.
Moving to Scarborough Court at the time of the Motherhouse renovations in 2000, she remained active until a few months before her death on May 9, 2003 at Scarborough General Hospital. She was 91. Due to the SARS epidemic, the wake service was held at Rosar-Morrison funeral home and was followed by the funeral Mass at St. Boniface church with celebrant Fr. Edward McGovern. Her body was buried in the community's plot in Mount Hope cemetery.
Born 4 September 1909, in Sydney, Nova Scotia; daughter of Joseph Morrison and Mary MacKinnon; entered 14 May 1929; first vows 2 February 1931; final vows 21 August 1937; died 23 May 2005.
One of seven children, Domitilla grew up in the Scottish culture of Cape Breton and attended local schools, Constantine, Holy Angels convent and Sydney Academy in Sydney, where her father worked in the steel mill. Leaving home in 1928, she was employed as an office clerk in Verdun, Quebec. Domitilla entered at the age of 19 in May 1929. She professed first vows in February 1931 and final vows in August 1937.
For the initial appointments, Sister Morrison was assigned to the women’s residences, starting with Halifax (1931-1932) and Toronto (1932-1933). While in Toronto, she also helped at the Catholic Settlement House, established for German immigrants to adjust to their new life in downtown Toronto. In Edmonton (1933-1934), she also attended Camrose Normal School, graduating in 1934. With the newly-earned teaching qualifications, she was transferred to the teaching mission of Camp Morton, Manitoba (1934-1939), where she taught in King Edward School No.1. In the opening of the catechetical mission at Fargo, North Dakota, Sister Morrison as the founding superior (1939-1945) establishing a religious correspondence school similar to the Canadian model. In those years, the mission centre also held children and adult classes, the location of meetings for the Legion of Mary and the newly-created Catholic Youth Organization. In the summers, the sisters travelled to the rural areas of the Fargo diocese, to teach religion and prepare students for the sacraments.
Returning to the Motherhouse, she assumed the responsibilities as Mistress of Novices (1945-1954), guiding and directing up to 15 novices and postulants at one time in the post Second World War era. Moving back in Western Canada, Sister Morrison was appointed as acting superior (1954-1955) in the teaching mission of Rycroft, Alberta before returning to catechetical work for the next 13 years. In Winnipeg (1955-1956), she assisted with the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine program and at the Regina correspondence school (1956-1958 and 1968-1969). In returning to Fargo (1958-1961) before the mission was closed, Sister Morrison remained in North Dakota as the first office manager of the Office of Religious Education (1961-1966) in Grand Forks.
After a short period in Halifax (1968), Sister Morrison enrolled in a librarian technician’s course in Winnipeg (1968-1969) to prepare for the positions at the Toronto Motherhouse (1969-1988) of librarian, community archivist and circulation manager of The Field at Home until the publication was ceased in 1984. Sister Morrison joined the retired sisters in St. Catharines, Ontario (1988-1989) and later in Scarborough Court (1989-2005). Four months after moving to Providence Centre in 2005, Sister Morrison died on May 23, 2005 at the age of 95. The wake service was held at LaSalle Manor, where Frs. Michael Coutts, sj and James Mason, C.Ss.R., a family friend, concelebrated the Mass of the Resurrection. A piper led her casket and the mourners to the community's plot in Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto, for burial.
Born 5 March 1942 in Hamilton, Scotland; daughter of Paul Flynn and Eileen McCabe; entered: 8 September 1967; first vows: 22 August 1969; final vows, 15 August 1974; died 27 January 2023.
Patsy, the daughter of Paul Joseph Flynn and Eileen McCabe was born on March 5, 1942 in Hamilton Scotland and grew up in Bothwell, a community southeast of Glasgow. Patsy attended Elmwood convent school (1953-1960) under the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception before studying at Craiglockhart Teachers College (1960-1963) in Edinburgh, Scotland, earning a teaching diploma. She taught in the local school in Carfin, Scotland (1963-1965) near the family home, before immigrating to Canada in July 1965. Immediately, she began teaching in the Metropolitan Toronto Separate School Board during a period of rapid expansion of enrolment. For two years (1965-1967), she taught Grade 1 in St. Anthony school in a multi-cultural area of the city’s west end. Outside the classroom, she volunteered as a catechist at St. Clare’s parish and belonged to the Young Christian Workers.
From a friend, she learned of the Sisters of Service, entering on September 8, 1967 with Adua Zampese. The subsequent shorten months of novitiate was directed by Sr. Frances Coffey as the last class in the Edwardian house on Glen Road in the city’s Rosedale area. As a much-needed qualified teacher, Patsy was posted to the northern Alberta town of Rycroft, Alberta (January-June 1968) to teach in the public school with two other sisters. Returning to continue novitiate in Toronto, Patsy participated in the Inter-community formation program and professed first vows on August 22, 1969. Assigned again to Western Canada, Sister Flynn joined the Daly Centre, (1969-1971) the catechetical centre in Regina. Back in the classroom, she taught Grades 3-4 at the Duke of Marlborough school, Churchill, Manitoba (1971-1973) and was assigned as the full-time art and music teacher for the elementary grades until 1976.
Following the Churchill posting, Sister Flynn moved to the Newfoundland fishing outport of St. Julien’s (1976-1979) to teach with Sr. Adua Zampese at St. William’s school, a two-room schoolhouse. Following St. Julien’s, Sister Flynn studied as a full-time student (1979-1980), leading to a bachelor of education degree from the Regina university. With the newly-minted academic credentials, she taught in the Northern Alberta elementary schools of J.A Turcotte in Fort McMurray (1980-1984) and High Level public school (1984-1987). For a sabbatical (1987-1988), she enrolled in active spirituality program at Mount St. Joseph College, Cincinnati, Ohio. Other teaching assignments followed in Ontario at Holy Rosary school in Wyoming, Ontario, (1988-1990) with Srs. Colleen Young and Anita Hartman, and at Bishop Belleau school, Moosonee, (1990-1993 and 1994-1997). After a six-month course in 1994 of religion and art in the modern world at Regis College, Toronto, she returned to Moosonee, adding teaching Cree to her students and specializing in religion, art and music.
After Moosonee, she was granted compassionate leave (1997-2002) to return to Scotland to care for her aging parents. Upon the death of her mother in 2001, she joined Srs. Zampese and Margaret Ready (2002-2003) in Regina and volunteered at a women’s shelter and at Birthright. A year later, after the death of her father, she undertook a graduate degree (2003-2005) in art therapy at the Kutenai Art Therapy Institute in Nelson, BC. Applying this therapy (2005-2013) in Beaverton, Ontario, she conducted one-day retreats in country parishes and art therapy and spirituality group at her home.
Sister Flynn joined the retired sisters at Houses of Providence, Toronto, in 2013 and celebrated the 50th jubilees jointly with Sister Zampese in 2017. In declining health, Sister Flynn died on January 27, 2023 in Providence Centre. Held in the chapel of Presentation Manor, Toronto, the Mass of Resurrection was celebrated by her brother Fr. James Flynn, CSSp. Burial followed at the community plot, Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.
Born 13 February 1914 in Lajord, Saskatchewan, daughter of Joseph Reinhardt and Agatha Bast; entered 2 August 1936; first vows 2 February 1939; final vows 24 August 1944; died 5 January 2000.
Celestine was born and raised on a farm in the German Catholic district east of Regina. After attending local schools until Grade 10, she completed a three-month course of typing and bookkeeping at Success Business College in Regina. . In June 1935, a year after the sisters established its catechetical mission in Regina, she attended a lecture by Sister General Florence Regan, who presented slides of the sisters' activities. After that presentation, Celestine, who had been considering religious life, entered the novitiate in August 1936 at the age of 22. She professed first vows on February 2, 1939, and final vows on August 24, 1944.
For the next 50 years, Sister Reinhardt served in the rural prairie missions. As a novice, she was posted to the women’s residence in Winnipeg (1938-1940) before returning to Toronto for first vows. Using her business training, she was transferred to St. John’s Hospital, Edson (1940-1944) to assist with the office work. At the next assignment, the teaching mission of Sinnett, Saskatchewan (1944-1948), she assisted in the teaching while understanding the culture of the isolated prairie farming area from her childhood. After a second appointment to the Winnipeg residence (1948-1949) and a year (1949-1950) at the Toronto Motherhouse, she embarked on a teaching career.
In Saskatoon (1950-1951), she attended Normal School to earn a teaching certificate. Accordingly, she was assigned to teaching missions, starting with Camp Morton, Manitoba at King Edward School No. 1 (1951-1960, superior 1953-1960), when foundress Sister Catherine Donnelly returned to retire. Moving to northern Alberta communities, she taught at Manning (1960-1966, superior 1960-1966), Peace River (1966-1968) and Hawk Hills (1968-1977).
After leaving Hawk Hills, Sister Reinhardt moved to the Regina catechetical mission. Until her health deteriorated, she continued the institute’s assistance to new immigrants by teaching English. Diagnosed with congestive heart failure, Sister Reinhardt died at the sisters' residence in Regina on January 5, 2000 at the age of 85. Regina Archbishop Peter Mallon and pastor Fr. Louis Kubash concelebrated the Mass of Christian Burial. Sister Reinhardt is buried at the Reinhardt family plot at Riverside Memorial Park, Regina.
Born: 24 December 1924 in Tichbourne, Ontario; daughter of William Hayes and Anne King; entered 21 January 1949; first vows 15 August 1951; final vows 15 August 1956; died 2 March 2013.
Although born near Kingston, Ontario, Helen grew up in British Columbia, when her family moved in 1926 to Kamloops for her father's opportunities on the railroad. A few months later when Helen was still two years old, her father died as a result of an industrial accident. The family moved to her grandparent's farm at Kingsvale, B.C. The railroad company paid for Helen's education as a boarding student at the Sisters of St. Ann's school in Kamloops. When Helen was 14, her mother remarried and the family moved to the BC interior community of Williams Lake. Helen finished her education with a commercial course at St. Ann's Academy in Vancouver and returned to Williams Lake. Although her long-term goal was teaching, she worked in the Canadian Bank of Commerce. Later as a stenographer, she joined the local branch office of the federal Department of Indian Affairs.
A member of the Redemptorist parish of Sacred Heart, she played the organ for Mass, weddings and funerals. Outside the church, she sang in an ecumenical community choir and loved to dance. With opportunities to marry, she decided to discover whether she had a religious vocation and was encouraged by her pastor, Fr. Bernard Johnson, C.Ss.R., brother of Sister Anne Johnson.
On December 8, 1948, the day Helen received word that she had been accepted by the Sisters of Service. . Two years later, Sister Hayes professed first vows in the novitiate chapel on August 15, 1951. Appointed first to the women's residence in Toronto (1951-1952), she returned to Western Canada as bookkeeper at Our Lady's Hospital in Vilna (1952-1956) until final vows in Toronto and summer music school under Monsignor J.E. Ronan, director of church music of the Toronto archdiocese. An appointment (1956-1961) at the women's residence in Winnipeg lent itself to the opportunity for her to attend Normal School (1962-1963) in that city, and to earn a teacher's certificate. Moving to Camp Morton, she taught at King Edward School No. 1 (1963-1965), bringing also her music talent to the classroom. With her guitar and teaching skills, she served in Grand Forks (1965-1969) at the correspondence school in the North Dakota Diocese of Fargo. During these years following the Second Vatican Council, she was appointed the diocese’s acting director of religious education in April 1966.
A year later, she was elected as Sister General for the first of three consecutive terms from 1974 until 1986. During her administration as part of the renewal process, the painstaking task by the entire community was undertaken to revise the original Rule and write a new constitution. With the closing of the original apostolates, 16 new missions were established, involving sisters in parishes, education, public health, and social work in Yukon, in the Maritimes, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northern Saskatchewan and Alberta. In preparing for an appointment as superior of SOS retirement residence (1987-1989), she attended corporate ministries program at the University of St. Louis, Missouri. For the next 10 years, she served in Saskatchewan, correspondence school of religion (1989-1991) in Regina, parish minister, Milestone (1991-1994) and superior of the Regina house from 1994 until it was closed in 2001. She again was elected on the General Council (1994-1998).
Returning to the Motherhouse in Toronto (2001-2010), Sister Helen edited the internal community newsletter Here and There and visited the retired sisters. Upon the sale of the Motherhouse, she moved to LaSalle Manor, where her health declined with falls and a final severe stroke. She died on March 2, 2013 in St. Michael’s Hospital. In respecting her wish for no wake, a Mass of Ressurection at LaSalle Manor was celebrated by Fr. William Fitzgerald, C.Ss.R. Sister Helen's ashes were buried in the community's plot in Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.
Born 15 August 1913 in Brantford, Ontario, daughter of Hugh Reansbury and Winnifred Fletcher; entered 21 January 1945; first vows 15 August 1947; final vows 15 August 1952; died 15 April 2003.
One of eight children, Mary was the daughter of an English-born woodworker. She studied at the local Brantford schools of St. Basil’s separate school and Brantford Collegiate Institute. Upon leaving school, Mary worked as an office clerk in the southwestern town. Her interest in the Sisters of Service began at a lecture by two sisters in the parish hall, and increased at a Redemptorist retreat in nearby Hamilton. She contacted the Motherhouse a month later. Entering in January 1945 at the age of 32, she professed first vows on August 15, 1947 and final vows on August 15, 1952.
Remaining in Toronto for the early postings, she assisted at the Motherhouse (1946-1947) and the adjacent women’s residence Toronto (1947-1949) before moving to the Ottawa women's residence (1949-1950) for further studies. Leaving Ontario for her longest missionary posting (1950-1966), she was assigned the business office of to St. John’s Hospital, Edson, Alberta. Named superior (1957-1966), Sister Reansbury rose to position of the hospital’s administrator, upgrading her skills by completing several hospital management courses as well as one in automobile driving. In 1964, she replaced an ailing Sister Mary Quinn on the General Council At the next chapter, held in 1966, she was elected as Sister General.
After leaving office, she was appointed bursar (1970-1972) and returned to Edson (1972-1975) as superior. Elected to the General Council in the 1974 Chapter, Sister Reansbury was appointed superior of the Motherhouse (1975-1976) and later superior of newly-established residence for the retired sisters at Niagara Retirement Manor in St. Catharines, Ontario (1976-1978). Returning to the Motherhouse in 1978, she received a second appointment as bursar (1979-1987) and property manager (1981-1982) of a community house at nearby 648 Broadview Avenue.
Upon the 1989 opening of the new residence for retired sisters at Scarborough Court in Toronto’s east end, she joined the sisters although she served as acting director from 1997 until 2000 when she moved to long-care facility of Providence Centre in July, 2000. At the age of 89, Sister Reansbury died of a heart attack at Providence Centre on April 15, 2003 during Holy Week. Celebrated on Holy Thursday by Father David Louch, C.Ss.R., her funeral liturgy was held in Rosar-Morrison funeral home in Toronto. Her body was buried in the community plot in Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.
Born 14 October 1904 in Townsend, Ontario; daughter of Daniel Joseph Dwyer and Elizabeth O’Mahony; entered 21 January 1931; first vows 15 August 1932; final vows 15 August 1938; died 10 April 1978.
Agnes grew up in the southwestern Ontario farming area of Norfolk County. While attending high school in Wallaceburg, Ontario and later in Penetanguishene, Ontario, she lived with her mother's relatives. Following graduation from the Provincial Normal School in London, Ontario in 1923, Agnes returned to Penetanguishene as a teacher. An article about the Sisters of Service in The Catholic Register prompted her to write a letter of inquiry to the Toronto Motherhouse in 1927. Enthusiastic about teaching in Western Canada, she delayed entering until January 1931 when her family financial responsibilities were satisfied and a younger sister's tuberculosis stabilized.
After professing first vows on August 15, 1932 in the novitiate chapel, Sister Dwyer's desire was realized with a series of rural teaching appointments in the prairie provinces. She taught in St. Bride's Alberta from 1932 to 1934. Posted to Camp Morton, Manitoba (1934-1939), she combined teaching with the duties as superior and took final vows on August 15, 1938. Moving to teach at Bergfield, Saskatchewan (1939-1943), she travelled to nearby Diamond Crossing (1943-1945). Each summer, Sister Dwyer attended summer school to upgrade her teaching certificates and was awarded a permanent first class certificate. After 13 years of teaching, Sister Dwyer applied many of her instructional skills as director and superior of the religious correspondence school in Fargo, North Dakota (1945-1948)
At the 1948 Chapter and with her administrative ability and experience, Sister Dwyer was elected as a member of the General Council (1948-1954), and appointed as Assistant Novice Mistress. During this appointment, she developed and wrote a program for novices, based on the spirituality of St. Alphonsus, and trained younger sisters in catechetical instruction. Moreover, she also acted as a consultant to the community's correspondence schools in Edmonton and Regina to improve and update programs of religious instruction to children. For the proceedings in the First Canadian Religious Congress in 1954, she presented a paper, entitled “Occasions of Encroachment upon Religious Life in the Apostolate.”
At the next Chapter, she was re-elected to the General Council (1954-1960) and appointed Novice Mistress. In the 1960 Chapter, she was elected as Sister General and recognized the importance of the Second Vatican Council. Sister Dwyer arranged for sisters to attend lectures and colloquiums to hear perspectives of the changes in religious life. Under the council’s directives, religious communities were mandated to review and reassess their way of life and programs while remaining faithful to the essence of religious life and the history and development of each community. Under Sister Dwyer’s leadership, a new design of uniform in a modern classic style replaced the longer grey dress.
After a six-year term as Sister General, Sister Dwyer returned to religious education, stationed at the catechetical mission in Nelson, BC (1966-1969) and was appointed superior in 1967. Due to ill health, Sister Dwyer moved to the Regina correspondence school (1969-1973) and retired to Camp Morton for the next three years until 1976. A final move in 1976, she joined the retired Sisters at the Niagara Retirement Manor, St. Catharines, Ontario. She died on April 10, 1978 in Hotel Dieu Hospital in that city. The funeral mass was held in the Motherhouse chapel and her body was buried in the community's plot in Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.
Born 20 April 1913 in Orillia, daughter of Joseph Trautman and Ethel Mary Hundt; entered 18 February 1933; first vows 15 August 1934; final vows 15 August 1940; died 12 October 2006.
The eldest of eight children, Leona was born in Orillia. During the First World War, the family moved to Flint, Michigan, in the early 1920s, the family returned to the Trautman family farm near Mildmay in southwestern Ontario. Leona graduated from separate school in Ambleside.
Entering at the age of 19, she professed first vows on August 15, 1934 in the Motherhouse chapel. Posted to the women's residence in Winnipeg (1935-1937), Sister Trautman worked with young women, who had come to the city looking for work. To upgrade her education, Sister Trautman was transferred to Regina (1937-1938), where Sister Catherine Donnelly taught high school courses to her and Sister Irene Faye. To complete the final high school year, both young sisters accompanied Sister Donnelly to Marquis, Saskatchewan (1938-1939) and joined her high school classes. After completing high school, she received an appointment to the Vancouver residence (1939-1940), where she professed final vows on August 15, 1939 in the chapel. To continue her education, Sister Trautman attended Winnipeg Normal School (1940-1941) to earn a teaching certificate. In a 30-year teaching career, she was assigned to small, often isolated rural communities: Camp Morton, Manitoba (1941-1948); Previous Blood school, Toronto-Wexford (1948-1949); Indian Day School, Christian Island, Ontario (1951-1954 and 1963-1967); Loyola Continuation School, Sinnett, Saskatchewan (1954-1961); St. Michael's high school, Rycroft, Alberta (1961-1962) and Bishop Belleau school, Moosonee, Ontario (1972-1979).
Sister Trautman returned to the women's residence in Toronto (1949-1950) and in Ottawa (1950-1951) and was posted catechetical house in Edmonton (1962-1963). In 1968, Sister Trautman volunteered and was selected for the community's Brazil mission. In a year-long preparation, she attended a six-week course at the Coady Institute, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS, and extensive language training in Portuguese at the Latin American Institute in St. Mary’s, Ontario. In June 1969, Sister Trautman and Sister Lydia Tyszko departed on a two-year mission in Casa Nova in northeastern Brazil. Applying her teaching and catechetical experience and craft skills, Sister Trautman worked among the women, teaching literacy and sewing as a craft industry, and forming the catechetical groups.
After returning from Brazil, Sister Trautman attended the University of Winnipeg (1971-1972), she resumed teaching in the northern Ontario community of Moosonee, where she also helped the mothers form the Catholic Ladies’ Club, which later evolved into a subdivision of the Catholic Women's League. An avid gardener, Sister Trautman was president of the James Bay Horticultural Society in Moosonee. A year before going to the Regina catechetical house (1980-1988), she attended Newman Theological College in Edmonton and went on a college-sponsored 21-day tour of Europe and the Middle East. In Regina, she combined the duties of the religious correspondence lessons, now the Home Program, for more than 100 students, writing letters to parents and students, with assisting the Laotian immigrants and the sisters' vocation program.
Following Regina, her last mission, she lived in Kitchener (1988-1989) on an informal sabbatical and moved to the Motherhouse (1989-1999), arranging and identifying the 10,000 photographs in the newly-established archival collection.When the Motherhouse underwent extensive renovations, Sister Trautman joined the retired sisters at Scarborough Court (1999-2005), where she assisted as a tutor at adjacent St. Boniface school and at St. Boniface church in the catechetical program. Throughout this time, she continued to paint, mostly in oils, and tended the gardens of Scarborough Court and LaSalle Manor, where the retired sisters moved in 2005. On October 12, 2006, she slipped outdoors en route to the gardens, hitting her head and died hours later in Sunnybrook Hospital. The wake service and Mass of Christian Burial were held at LaSalle Manor. Her body was buried in the community's plot at Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.
Born 5 May 1906, St. Catharines, Ontario; daughter of Thomas Hearn and Mary Ann Bench; entered: 2 February 1928; first vows 15 Oct. 1929; final vows, 23 June 1935; died 22 April 2006.
Raised on a fruit farm outside of St. Catharines, Ontario, Agnes attended the local four-room St. Catherine's elementary school and an all-girls’ high school. When the family moved to Toronto, Agnes attended Loretto Business College, where she received training as a stenographer and bookkeeper. For three years, she was employed as a stenographer for W.Y. Lloyd Lumber Co. while taking night classes in business courses and high school credits. For the six months before she entered, Agnes worked as a stenographer for the vice-president of a wholesale drug company.
In February 1928, she entered with Mary Quinn, Mary Fitzmaurice and Mary Rodgers as the first novices to enter the newly-opened novitiate at 60 Glen Road. She took first vows on October 15, 1929 and final vows in Edson. Using her stenographic skills, Sister Hearn became Fr. George Daly’s secretary for several months until November 1929. Travelling west to the Edmonton residence (1929-1932), she served as cook, housekeeper, and greeter of trains as immigrants arrived in the evenings.
Sister Hearn received a series of appointments in the community's residence/hostels in Montreal (1932, 1938; 1952-1956); Halifax (1932-1933; 1979-1980); Toronto (1933-1934; 1949-1952; 1956-1962) and Winnipeg (1934-1938). In ill health, she recuperated at the Motherhouse (1938-1939). Sister Hearn also served appointments in the catechetical houses of Edmonton (1932-1935; 1940-1942; 1963-1969) and Regina (1939-1940; 1942-1947; 1974-1975). For catechetical assignments at the religious correspondence schools, she corrected students' correspondence lessons in the winter and visited the isolated rural communities to teach religion during the summer. For one year (1962-1963), Sister Hearn was appointed as the dietary supervisor at St. John’s Hospital in Edson, AB.
Sister Hearn joined the staff of St. Paul the Apostle parish in the western perimeter of Winnipeg. In that position, she became the first catechetical co-ordinator in the Archdiocese of Winnipeg. Organizing religion program from grades 1-10, she also established a junior choir and youth club. Following a year of travel and rest (1974-1975), she resumed catechetical work in Regina and accepted an assignment to open a new mission in Newfoundland. In June 1975, Sister Hearn and Sister Madge Barton established a religious correspondence school in Clarenville for the Newfoundland diocese of Grand Falls. As an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, Sister Hearn held her own liturgical service in mission churches.
In June 1980, Sister Hearn joined the retired Sisters at Niagara Retirement Manor, St. Catharines, Ontario, where also she volunteered as a vocation animator in 1983. Back at Toronto, she also lived in Scarborough Court (1989-2005) and LaSalle Manor (2005-2006). Sister Hearn suffered a stroke and died at LaSalle Manor on April 22, 2006. The wake service and Mass of Christian Burial with Fr. Paul Tinguely of the Archdiocese of Winnipeg as the main celebrant were held in the chapel of LaSalle Manor. Her body was buried in the community's plot at Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.
Born 4 November 1925 in McGregor, Ontario, daughter of Ulric Renaud and Estelle Meloche; entered 21 January 1949; first vows 15 August 1951; final vows 15 August 1956; died 17 February 2014.
Born on a farm in the southwestern Ontario Colchester North Township of Essex County, Lena attended local schools and the Pines, the Ursuline high school for girls in Chatham, graduating in 1945. She entered on January 21, 1949, professing first vows in the Motherhouse chapel on August 15, 1951.
Within a week after first vows, Sister Renaud was posted to Winnipeg for further high school studies at St. Mary's Academy before admittance to the Normal School in Winnipeg, where she earned a teacher's certificate in 1953. For the next 35 years, she served in Camp Morton as a teacher, community, and parish worker. From 1964, Sister Renaud served as superior of the Camp Morton mission. Drawing from her rural background, she brought practical education into the one-room schools with eight grades of King Edward School No. 2 (1953-1960), and Bismark school, Berlo (1960-1967) through the 4-H Club activities, carpentry, hockey and baseball. When the one-room rural schools were closed, she transferred to Gimli (1967-1983), where she taught until retirement. She was active in Inclusion Canada [formerly Canadian Association for Retarded Children] and she assumed executive positions in the Gimli Branch of the Manitoba Teachers Society. She received a centennial medal from Manitoba History Society in 1971 and a Gimli Community Service Award in 1972.
As the longest-serving Sister of Service at Camp Morton, she also lived for 25 years with the foundress Sister Catherine Donnelly, who retired to this first Western mission in 1956. Sister Renaud's apostolate was captured in a1980 episode about Sister Catherine Donnelly in the CBC-TV series of Man Alive. Officially installed as an Extraordinary Minister of Eucharist in 1971, Sister Renaud served as assistant pastor, wearing an alb, led the Service of the Word, visiting the shut-ins and director of altar servers and the choir.
When the Camp Morton mission closed in 1988, Sister Renaud and Sister Margaret Murphy moved to the Toronto Motherhouse where she served as superior (1988-1994). Back in Western Canada, she was appointed assistant superior (1994-2001) in the Regina house until it was closed. In returning to Toronto, she joined the retired sisters at Scarborough Court (2001-2005) and at La Salle Manor (2005-2014), where a woodworking shop was created for her. She died at La Salle Manor on February 17, 2014 at the age of 88. The wake service and funeral mass were held in the chapel of LaSalle Manor with burial following at the community plot in Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.
Born 14 October 1935 in Dignano, (Udine), Italy; daughter of Giovanni Zampese and Rina Bisaro; entered 14 September 1967; first vows 15 August 1969; final vows, 12 August 1975; died 30 May 2024.
Born in Dignano, a town in the northeast of Italy, Adua was the eldest of the four children of Giovanni Zampese and Rina Bisaro. Her schooling during the Second World War was completed in Grade 5, the end of the elementary grades. The family’s finances and the war prevented Adua from attending a city middle school and realizing a desire of becoming a kindergarten teacher. Instead, Adua learned the art of sewing from a local dressmaker, who became a mentor and a friend. After the apprenticeship, Adua studied at a design school and subsequently started a dressmaking business in Dignano. Adua left with her brother in 1957 for Regina to join their father, who had immigrated six years previously. She entered Canada in August 1959 at Pier 21. Upon arriving in Regina, Adua enrolled in English-language night classes at Central College. A member of St. Mary’s parish, Adua was a leader of the parish’s cub scouts for five years and a member of the Siena Club, a young women business club. She was employed as a custom seamstress of drapery and upholstery at Eaton’s department store in Regina for nine years.
In entering on September 14, 1967, a decade after coming to Canada, she was a member of the final novitiate class located in the Glen Road mansion. On January 2, 1968, she was assigned to the Halifax mission until 1969. Before moving to a second Atlantic Canadian appointment, Sister Zampese professed first vows on August 15, 1969 in the Toronto novitiate chapel. The posting in St. John’s combined further studies with part-time duties in the women’s residence and a Brownie leader for five years. At night school, she earned a high school diploma and subsequently attended Memorial University, where she completed two years of a bachelor of education degree, graduating in 1978 following summer courses.
Her childhood ambition as a primary school teacher was realized at St. Kevin’s school (1973-1975) in Goulds, a community southeast of St. John’s. Moving in 1975 to Grandois-St. Julien’s, an isolated fishing outport on the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland, she was hired to teach at the two-room St. William’s school. Remaining in Newfoundland, she assumed the position of teacher and principal (1979-1984) of the sisters’ Correspondence School of Religion in Clarenville.
Leaving Newfoundland after 15 years, Sister Zampese prepared for an appointment as the formation director (1985-1987), studying at the Institute of Religious Formation at St. Louis University (1984-1985), St. Louis, Missouri. Accepted for the position by the Toronto archdiocese, she was assigned to Epiphany of our Lord parish in Scarborough. In this east-end parish with five schools, her ministry as pastoral associate (1987-1993) included directing the RCIA program; coordinating sacramental preparation for First Communion and Reconciliation and Renew Animator of 18 scripture prayer groups. With the pastor and other parishioners, she attended a training session at Loyola Jesuit Centre in Guelph to establish ongoing prayer groups based on the model of the Basic Christian Communities (BCC).
After a year’s sabbatical, Sister Zampese returned to Saskatchewan and parish ministry. As pastoral assistant in the Regina parish of Holy Family (1994-1996), she coordinated sacramental preparation for First Communion, Reconciliation and Confirmation and director of the RCIA program. After another year of formation duties in Toronto (1996-1997), Sister Zampese with companion Sister Margaret Ready returned to Saskatchewan and parish ministry. As pastoral minister (1997-2002) of Holy Family parish in Radville, a community in the southern area of the province, she also provided pastoral care to the attached mission of St. Blaise parish in Lake Alma. Back in Regina, she co-ordinated the religious education (2002-2003) at St. Anne’s parish. During the years, further studies included a course on clinical pastoral education in Toronto and three-month sabbaticals at St. Gertrude Benedictine monastery in Cottonwood, Idaho, and All Hallows College, Dublin, Ireland.
In July 2003, Sister Zampese was elected as Pastoral Director of the Sisters of Service. . She remained in administration as assistant to the Pastoral Director (2007-2011) when negotiations of the sponsorship agreement were undertaken with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto. She died on May 30, 2024. Monsignor Samuel Bianco celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial in the chapel of the St. Joseph’s residence on June 6, and her body was buried in the SOS plot in Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.
Born 10 May 1940 in Radway, Alberta, daughter of Lawrence MacDonald and Rose Catherine Carson; entered 22 August 1963; first vows 15 August 1966; final vows 16 June 1973.
Born 28 July 1934 in Saskatoon, daughter of Anton Schafhauser and Dolores Berger; entered 21 January 1956; first vows 15 August 1958; final vows 15 August 1963.
Born 3 November 1913 in Indian River, PEI, daughter of John MacLellan and Cecilia Gillis; entered 2 August 1935; first vows 2 February 1938; final vows 15 August 1943; died 12 May 1997.
One of eight children, Rita grew up in the rural community of Indian River, where she finished Grade 10. In Charlottetown, she attended Prince of Wales College, completing Grade 11 and obtaining a teaching licence. Back home, she worked as a store clerk and credited an advertisement about the Sisters of Service in a Catholic newspaper that attracted her to the community. Sister MacLellan made first vows on February 2, 1938 and final vows on August 15, 1945.
Following first vows, Sister MacLellan remained in Toronto to earn Ontario high school credits at St. Joseph's College School in downtown Toronto and an Ontario teaching certificate from the Toronto Normal School in 1942. From the Motherhouse, Sister MacLellan commuted daily (1942-1945) to teach in Wexford in Scarborough Township, east of Toronto. Posted to Camp Morton, Manitoba, she taught at the Bismark school in nearby Berlo (1945-1951) and organized the Berlo Boosters’ Boys Poultry Club with the assistance of the federal agriculture representative. During the summers, she enrolled in courses in Toronto (1944 and 1945) and Winnipeg (1949).
In the spring of 1951 at the request of Bishop Philip Pocock of Saskatoon, Sister MacLellan was appointed to conduct a survey of the religious education needs of the Saskatoon diocese. For several months in 1951, she studied the Church’s official program of religion education, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD), at Franciscan Sisters of Baker, Oregon. Placed in charge of the diocesan CCD office, Sister MacLellan arranged classes for children attending public schools, trained and assisted lay catechists and provided CCD material to parishes throughout the Saskatoon diocese. From August 1954 until the end of the year, she also assisted in Fargo, Winnipeg and Regina.
Returning to teaching, she moved to Peace River, Alberta (1954-1959) to teach in Immaculate Conception school and later in the Indian Day school (1959-1960) on Christian Island, Ontario. In a reappointment to Camp Morton (1960-1963), she combined teaching at King Edward School No.1 with the duties of the mission's superior. Similarly at Peace River (1963-1966), she balanced the duo tasks of teaching and the duties of superior. Two final teaching positions followed at Loyola School in Sinnett, Saskatchewan (1966-1969) and Rosary School in Manning, Alberta (1969-1980) until she reached the mandatory retirement age. In Clarenville, Newfoundland, Sister MacLellan held the position as pastoral assistant in Our Lady of Fatima parish (1980-1990), joining the sisters at that catechetical mission. In this ministry, she provided religious education, pastoral care, chaplain services to the community’s correctional institution and senior citizens home as well as being a member of the ecumenical pastoral team.
Upon leaving Clarenville, she was appointed to Scarborough Court, Toronto (1990-1992) as acting superior and later superior of the retired sisters. At the age of 75 years, Sister MacLellan returned to the West, serving as a parish volunteer at Sacred Heart Church (1992-1997) in Edson. Declining health had prompted her to return to Scarborough Court from Edson. Accompanied by Sister Joan Schafhauser, she collapsed in the Edmonton airport just prior to boarding a flight to Toronto. Rushed to nearby Leduc Hospital, she died on May 12, 1997 of a pulmonary embolism at the age of 83. The wake service was held at Rosar-Morrison funeral home in Toronto. A Mass of the Resurrection was celebrated at Holy Name church by Fr. Gerard Pettipas, C.Ss.R. and assisted by Fr. Roger Keelor, pastor of Sacred Heart church in Edson. The chair of the parish council also attended the funeral, representing the community of Edson. Burial followed in the community's plot at Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.
Born: 28 January 1913 in Peterborough, Ontario, daughter of Charles Joseph Jackson and Annie Sharkey; entered 2 August 1936; first vows 2 February 1939; finals vows 15 August 1944; died 19 February 1999.
Born in Peterborough, Ontario of a nurse and British army officer and engineer, Mary one of seven children, grew up in Dartmouth, completing studies at St. Peter's convent, Park high school and St. Patrick’s girls high school in adjacent Halifax. After graduating from the Truro Normal College in 1931 with a teaching certificate, she taught in the small fishing village of Portuguese Cove outside of Halifax for four years. When younger sister Bertha heard of the Sisters of Service at a retreat, both sisters became interested in the community. Mary entered on August 2, 1936 at the age of 23, taking first vows on February 2, 1939, and final vows on August 15, 1944, both in Toronto.
At her first mission in 1938, she learned of the work of the religious correspondence school before attending summer school in Winnipeg. Returning to the classroom, she was appointed to the Bergfield mission and the school at Diamond Coulee, Saskatchewan (1938-1939) and to Camp Morton, Manitoba (1939-1943). In the summers of 1940 and 1941, she continued summer school in Winnipeg and spent four months (September-December 1941) at the Edmonton catechetical mission. During the summers, Sister Jackson was posted on the staff of the women’s residence in Winnipeg (1939, 1942) and in Halifax (1943). More teaching appointments followed at Christian Island, Ontario (1943-1945) and to the Bergfield mission (1945-1948) at Jutland school.
After a stay at the Motherhouse (December 1948-summer 1949), Sister Jackson returned to the Edmonton catechetical mission (1949-1953) to initiate a new era of catechetical lessons and development of religious education. She adapted senior correspondence courses for the texts of Fr. Heeg's texts of The Apostles' Creed, Sacraments and Commandments. In 1952, Edmonton Archbishop Hugh MacDonald organized a regional congress to promote religious education of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD), the Church’s official organization. In presenting a paper, Sister Jackson outlined the work of the sisters' correspondence schools as part of the CCD. In April 1953, Archbishop MacDonald selected Sister Jackson to establish a CCD office to organize religious education in the archdiocese’s parishes. During the summer of 1954, Sister Jackson with Sister Alice Walsh of the Winnipeg CCD office attended a CCD course at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. When Sister Jackson returned, Archbishop MacDonald placed her in charge of the Catholic Information Centre (1954-1955) in Edmonton.
Sister Jackson enrolled at St. Francis Xavier University (1955-1958) in Antigonish, NS, graduating in 1958 with a bachelor of arts degree with a major in philosophy and a bachelor of education degree. While staying at the Toronto novitiate (1958-1959), she wrote The Social Teaching of the Catholic Church, a comprehensive course for senior high school students. After teaching summer religion classes in Uranium City, Saskatchewan with Sister Mary MacDougall, Sister Jackson returned to the Edmonton information office (1959-1961) until she assumed the post of supervisor (1961-1975) of religious education for the Edmonton Catholic school system. During this time, she collaborated with Monsignor Walter Fitzgerald, director of religious education at the Edmonton archdiocese, and served as editor of his book, The Exhilarating Years. Continuing with further studies, she completed a masters of arts degree in theology, graduating in 1964 from University of Notre Dame in Grand Bend, Indiana. She also studied at the newly-opened Divine Word Institute (1966-1967) for catechists in London, Ontario.
After that study period, Sister Jackson joined the members of the National Office of Religious Education, assisting teachers and catechists to update their teaching methods in response to the Second Vatican Council. Part of a group from Divine Word Institute, she also travelled to the schools in Germany for the Department of National Defence to introduce religion teachers to the newly-released religion series of Come to the Father. In 1968, Sister Jackson also assisted in the production of the parish and home editions of the Canadian Catechism series. Later she completed the program for junior high school. She taught summer schools across Canada, including two summer programs at Newman Theological College near St. Albert, Alberta, and conducted workshops across Canada and in the United States as well as serving on the National Liturgical Commission (1968-1971) and the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission (1969-1972).
After retiring from the Edmonton school board, she assumed the position of supervisor of religious education and art in Fort McMurray, Alberta. During this tenure (1975-1977), she shared an apartment with her sister Bertha, who was working in early child services and teaching at Keyano College. On returning to Edmonton, Sister Jackson became a member of the Alberta regional tribunal for the Archdiocese of Edmonton (1977-1994) as an interviewer, official auditor, judge and Defender of the Bond. Studying at St. Paul’s University at the University of Ottawa (1978-1980), she graduated in 1980 with a masters degree in canon law (Licentiate).
Upon retiring from the Marriage Tribunal in 1994, she moved to the Toronto Motherhouse (1994-1998), after being elected to the General Council. After the council term ended, she joined her sister Bertha with the retired sisters at Scarborough Court in 1998. A year later at the age of 86, Sister Jackson died at Scarborough General Hospital six hours after a massive stroke at Scarborough Court. The wake service and a Mass of the Resurrection with celebrant Jesuit Fr. Edward Dowling were held in the chapel of Scarborough Court. Her body was buried in the community's plot at Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.