Phillips, Mary Elizabeth

• Sister Mary Phillips, SOS

Born 2 February 1918 in Ste. Amelie, Manitoba, daughter of Herbert Phillips and Elizabeth Crossland; entered 2 August 1935; first vows 2 February 1938; final vows 15 August 1943; died 18 June 2000.

The eldest of eight children, Mary was born on the family homestead near Ste. Ameile, a Franco-Manitoban community in southwestern Manitoba. From her birthplace, Mary’s family moved to North Bay, Ontario and later settled in the east-end of Toronto, where she worked in her father’s grocery store. Entering at the age of 17 to fulfil her great desire “to serve the people of God in Western Canada,” she professed first vows on her 20th birthday on February 2, 1938. After profession, Sister Phillips studied at St. Joseph’s College School, Toronto, to earn high school credits for a year.

A variety of appointments followed. When posted to Edmonton in 1939, she completed high school credits at St. Mary’s high school, and was assigned to the women’s residence (1939-1940) in the city. She was moved to the newly-opened teaching mission in Sinnett, Saskatchewan (1940-1941) as a housekeeper and music teacher. At St. John’s Hospital, Edson, Alberta (1941-1950), Sister Phillips was the bookkeeper in the accounting department and a teacher in the summer religious vacation schools. Transferred to the teaching mission at Rycroft, Alberta (1950-1954), she combined the duties of superior of St. Michael’s dormitory with teaching music. She returned to the Motherhouse (1954-1955) to recuperate from ill health and joined the teaching community at Christian Island, Ontario (1955-1956).

Returning to Edmonton, she earned a teaching certificate (1956-1957) and rejoined the Rycroft mission (1957-1969) as a teacher. She chaired a Junior Red Cross study week at the Banff School of Fine Arts in 1964 and attended a study week of the Social Studies Council of the Alberta Teachers Association. During that time, she took a one-year sabbatical to finish a bachelor of education degree in 1967 at the University of Alberta and attended additional courses in early childhood education. She received the federal Centennial Medal in 1967. In the summer of 1968, Sister Phillips trained teachers in Uganda as a member of Project Overseas, a program of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation. The following summer, she trained teachers in Ghana under the same project.

Remaining in the Peace River area, she taught in the public school (1969-1970) at Faust, Alberta, and continued to live there while teaching at nearby Joussard (1970-1973) and working on community projects. In 1970, Sister Phillips was awarded the Hilroy Fellowship for developing a language program to assist Indigenous and Métis students. She resumed work in early childhood education as coordinator of the Fort McMurray Early Childhood Services (1974-1976), where she lived in a trailer for the next 17 years. While co-ordinator in 1975, she attended the National Education Association, a summer school in Oxford, England to study the British Infants Schools. Returning to the classroom, she taught students (1976-1977) with learning disabilities in the Fort McMurray Catholic School District, dividing the teaching day between Good Shepherd and St. Paul’s schools. At the same time, she updated her professional skills with special education courses at the Eugene campus of the University of Oregon and was the board’s resource teacher for children with learning disabilities. She developed expertise in psychological and achievement testing, and program planning for special education and learning disabled students.

She served as chair of the 1970 Chapter, following the Second Vatican Council, and chair of the steering committees of the Chapters in 1978 and 1979 that undertook the review of the community’s rules and constitutions. From 1979, she served as part of the pastoral team of St. John the Baptist church in Fort McMurray, co-coordinating sacramental programs as well as visiting hospitals and volunteering as choir director and organist. She also was a member of the council of the Catholic parishes of Fort McMurray. In this oil resource community, she assisted in the social support services as a founding member of the Growing with Grief Group, a local member of the senior’s group, Golden Year’s Society and a board member of the Cornerstone Counselling Centre. At the Fort McMurray Regional Hospital, she was a member of the volunteer services committee for pastoral care committee, worked with home care and introduced a palliative care program at the hospital.

After retiring in 1982, she was presented with the Tree of Life award in 1987 by the Fort McMurray Education Centre, and the Achievement Award for community service by the Alberta government in 1991. The Catholic School District in Fort McMurray named its newest school as the Sister Mary Phillips School; it opened in October 1993. In 1991, she moved to Seba Beach, the community’s cottage an hour’s drive west of Edmonton for that year. In joining Sister Marilyn MacDonald in Stony Plain, Alberta (1992-1996), she assisted in pastoral care at Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish (1992-1996). The two sisters moved to the Edmonton residence (1998-1999), where they provided a bed-and-breakfast accommodation for family and friends of patients in the city’s hospital.

Early in January 2000, Sister Phillips was diagnosed with cancer and was admitted to palliative care at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Edmonton. She died on June 18, 2000 with Sister Frances Coffey at her bedside. A Mass of Christian Burial was held in Our Lady of Perpetual Help church, Stony Plain with Fr. Richard Theroux, the main celebrant, assisted by retired Bishop Emmett Doyle, Frs. Gordon Roebuck and Jack Spicer, C.Ss.R. In following her wishes, Sister Phillips’ organs were donated, and an urn containing her ashes was buried in the SOS section in St. Joachim’s cemetery, Edmonton. In Fort McMurray, a memorial service was held in the gymnasium of Sister Mary Phillips School and a memorial mass at St. John the Baptist church. In Toronto at Scarborough Court, members of the Phillips family joined the retired sisters in celebrating her life.

Created by F Rousselle Dec 16, 2025.

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