Jackson, Mary Alice

• Sister Mary Jackson, SOS

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.

Created by F Rousselle June 25, 2025.
Revised by F Rousselle June 27, 2025.

Biographical sketch adapted for brevity from complete biography written by SOS congregational archivist MC Havey.