Are the seeds contemplating their future, as I am?
BY CATE HENDERSON We are coming to realize that plants do have an organ similar to our mammal brain. This organ is connected to a nervous system of sorts and capable of sending out signals that cause action in other parts of the plant. In plants, this central organ is located within the roots – underground. Of the immature parts found in a plant embryo, within a seed, the root is what emerges first, at germination. Of course, in that case we...
January, a hundred years ago
Margaret Irene Connolly (Sr. Mary Roberta) and Irene Carter (Sr. Mary Lenore) as postulants in 1916 with an unidentified novice.BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST Most people start the New Year looking forward; however, let’s look back 100 years in the Congregational Annals to see what life was like at the House of Providence in Kingston in January, 1916. A new year brings fresh hope January 4 – The New Year 1916 opens – a clean page is now...
Time in Peru
BY SISTER UNA BYRNE Although I had been to Peru a few times before this past fall, I had never stayed for very long. So to spend three months among such a welcoming and faithfilled people was indeed a privilege and a gift! Living with our Sisters Rosemarie and Sarah in a house where flowers bloom all year inside and out due to Sister Sarah’s careful tending, was pleasant and inspiring. These two Sisters dedicated to serving the poor, are also...
Meeting Jesus in Fray Martin de Porres, Peru
A game of CuyBY CARMEN ALOMÍA GUÍA, PROVIDENCE ASSOCIATE Let us love God, my brothers (and sisters); let us love God but let it be with the strength of our arms and with the sweat of our brows. – St. Vincent de Paul We had planned everything with care and dedication. It was September 20 and the Providence Associates of our area of Peru, with the Sisters of Providence, were heading to a small and very poor community for the day. The truck...
The story of the congregation, one life at a time
BY ARCHIVIST VERONICA STIENBURG The history of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul has often been written about in terms of the missions, institutions and ministries of the congregation. The focus has been on the works of the whole instead of the individual; yet the whole would be nothing without the women who have served since 1861. The archives and the communications department have been hard at work over the past few months to...
Vigil closing / retrospective
2011: To mark their 150th anniversary, the Sisters of Providence rented a bus to bring Sisters, Associates, staff, partners and special guests together for a vigil. A provincial election was underway. With a federal election campaign taking place, those attending the concluding event for the social justice vigil carried Vote for a Poverty-Free Canada signs.This Vigil began 20 years ago…so what exactly do you remember about 1995? That was the...
Healing the Church 2015
Healing the Kingston church The invitation to heal the church by addressing the crisis in clergy sexual abuse was accepted by more than 320 people who participated in conferences at the Providence Motherhouse September 11-12. The response was a heartwarming surprise for the organizing committee who responded in turn by extending the conference for an extra day to meet the demand. People came from all over the archdiocese – from...
Reviewing the legacy
BY ARCHIVIST VERONICA STIENBURG The Catholic Archivist Group conference was held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan a week before the unveiling of the “Called to Serve” monument in Regina. In light of that upcoming event, Sr. Teresita Kambeitz, OSU, gave a fantastic presentation at the conference about the history of the 61 congregations of women religious who have served in Saskatchewan since 1860. Sr. Teresita is a professor of religious education...
Saskatchewan recognizes Sisters’ contribution
On October 1, a bronze monument was unveiled in Regina’s Wascana Park in front of more than 500 guests and dignitaries. Those guests included Canada’s papal nuncio, the bishops of Saskatchewan, officials from Catholic health and education, and representatives of the founding religious orders in the province. In their midst were Sisters of Providence leadership team members Sandra Shannon and Diane Brennen. The monument, “Called to Serve,”...
Weather issues more abundant than crops
BY GARDENER CATE HENDERSON This year’s growing season brought far more climatic challenges than we like to see, although it’s easy to forget that fact when enjoying such ideal conditions at the moment. It’s easy to forget that what we actually experienced was as follows (backed up by the Environment Canada stats): Drought during planting-time! We had only 23.8 mm of rain in the whole month of May, more than half of which came all at once on the...
A closing celebration … and one final vigil
It was fitting that the weather was so beautiful on September 17 and 18 when, after 20 years of fidelity, the silent vigil in solidarity with the poor and so many others, came to an end. On the Thursday evening, hundreds gathered outside Kingston City Hall where the day was proclaimed Social Justice Vigil Recognition Day amid singing, gentle Aboriginal chanting and silence. Then inside all went for speeches, remembrances and more song. The...
The gift of security for one Syrian family
Earlier this year, before the federal government announced it was bringing 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada, even before the child, Alan Kurdi, ended up shocking the world with the plight of the Syrians, the Sisters of Providence made a strong act of solidarity to the cause. The congregation donated significant funds to make possible the private sponsorship of one Syrian family. Leadership team member Sister Frances O’Brien gets great...
Christmas 82 years ago
BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST Excerpts from Congregational Annals of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul December 24, 1933 All in holy preparation for the great feast tomorrow. The chapel looks very sweet in its austere simplicity and pretty decoration of cut flowers. Two beautiful pedestals presented by Sister M. Carmelita, superior of St. Mary’s of the Lake, adorned the Sanctuary. Two jardinières to match are suitable to hold...
Pondering a Providence moment
This past weekend of November 13-15, I had the opportunity to take in the weekend retreat offered by Fr. Ron Rolheiser OMI at Star of the North Retreat Centre here in Alberta. The theme of the retreat was Mirroring the Greatness of Life: Respecting and Accessing our Deepest and Most Sacred Energies. There were many key moments that connected with life as it is unfolding, but this one was shared with me on the last morning at the close of the...
PeaceQuest: Artists remember for peace
RH Thomson's The World Remembers Project has the remarkable ambition of displaying the names of all 26 million people who died during World War I, regardless of country, regardless if they were soldiers or what has come to be called, "collateral damage." The actor and playwright told a large crowd at Kingston's City Hall on November 5 that as we pass through 100th anniversary of World War I, year by year, 2014-2017, it's not enough to simply...
Opening the doors, 50 years ago
BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVISTOpening the doors, 50 years ago The open house at the Motherhouse this October got me wondering about past open houses and I discovered that a series of three was held in November 1964. They were held to show off the newly-completed large addition to the Motherhouse consisting of the administration wing, the extension of the Marian wing, the extension of the novitiate (where the Spirituality Centre is now), the...
Come and See Open House
On Saturday, October 17, 2015, an open house was held at Providence Motherhouse in Kingston in honour of the Church's Year of Consecrated Life. Approximately 400 people attended and it was a wonderful afternoon. To mark the year, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious has suggested that religious congregations hold an open house and invite in their neighbours and communities. Providence Motherhouse is home to three congregations at...
Apple Hill
Staff of St. Anthony’s Convent, Apple Hill on October 24, 1936. Left to Right:Sr. Mary Wilhelmina O’Hearn, music teacher, Sr. Mary Zita Welsh, teacher andsuperior, Sr. Mary Francesca Kelly, teacher, and Sr. Mary Thomassina Whalen, domestic duties.BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST In July 1929, Rev. Foley, parish priest of Apple Hill, visited Providence Motherhouse in Kingston and requested that the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul...
Faith Development Day
On September 25, the entire staff community of Holy Cross Catholic Separate School spent a day together at Camden Braes Golf & Country Club reflecting on Pope Francis’ recent encyclical ‘Laudato Si’: On Care for our Common Home. Our guest presenters came from the Office of Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation at Heathfield here in Kingston: Sr. Shirley Morris, SP, Sr. Pauline Lally, SP, and Bridget Doherty. Each of the presenters...
Proclamation of Social Justice Vigil Recognition Day
September 17, 2015 will be Social Justice Vigil Recognition Day in Kingston. Here's the proclamation which was passed unanimously by Kingston City Council in mid-July. WHEREAS The Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul have been ministering to Kingston’s poorest, most vulnerable people for 154 years And WHEREAS The Sisters of Providence have been holding a weekly silent vigil for social justice in front of City Hall since 1995, urging...