Series 6 - Missions

27 m of textual records.- some objects, maps, photographs

For the missions closed before 1988, the records were stored at the Motherhouse and transferred to the newly-created archives in that year.

The Missions Series consists of the correspondence files of the 54 missions established by the Sisters of Service in Canada and two international missions since 1922 until 2012 when the Sponsorship Agreement with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto was signed.

The Institute of the Sisters of Service was founded to be a presence from the ports to the homesteads in an attempt to heighten the awareness of the large number of European immigrants of the English-speaking Canadian Roman Catholic Church. Through the apostolates of immigration, rural education, religious education, women’s residences and rural health care, the sisters assisted those in need across Canada. From 1926, and for the next four decades, the Sisters met the immigrant ships at Pier 21 in Halifax, and three other eastern ports welcoming and assisting the newly-arrived at their entry to Canada.

In the Western Canadian missions, the Sisters lived in rural communities to teach in remote public schools, and opened two small hospitals in Central Alberta. In the cities, their women's residences offered short-term accommodation for women and educational workshops in a home-like atmosphere.

Keeping the faith among Catholics, the Sisters taught catechetics on weekends and reached the largest number of children through their religious correspondence schools in Edmonton, Regina and Fargo as a means to instruct Catholic children in their religion. In the summers, all available Sisters visited small communities to teach the faith and prepare the children for the reception of First Communion and Confirmation.

The sisters did not reside in large convents, instead lived in modest accommodation similar to the people in the missions. The missions following the Second Vatican Council reflect the call for renewal to provide service as teachers, pastoral, social and health care workers in locations of the most need, in particular in northern Canada.

The series consists of correspondence, reports and annals/chronicles, which are arranged alphabetically and chronologically. The textual material also contains histories, memorabilia, newsclippings, meeting minutes, and documents pertaining to the specific ministries of each mission.

Series arrangement not altered from received arrangement except where related folders were combined into a single intellectual file. These are indicated at the appropriate level by the previous identifier.

Created by F Rousselle 4 November 2024.
Revised by F Rousselle Jan. 20, 2026.

Archival History and Content descriptions adapted for brevity from those by MC Havey, congregational archivist, and inherited upon USMC transfer.