St. Vincent de Paul Society of Kingston staff and volunteers, including Sister Shirley Morris, Sister Loretta McAndrews, and Sister Mary Ellen Killeen in 1983.
BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST
As the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Kingston breaks ground for its new facility, let’s look back on the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul’s involvement with St. Vincent’s in Kingston. Numerous sisters have volunteered with the society since the 1970s to the present. However, a few were involved in a more formal capacity. Sister Loretta McAndrews became very involved with the society upon her return from Guatemala in 1978 and she became Director of the society in 1979. At the time St. Vincent’s had (and still has) a very active warehouse that offered clothing and furniture to those who needed it. Under Sister Loretta’s leadership, the hospitality centre opened in January 1982 and began serving a hot lunch five days a week. After Sr. Loretta’s death in 1983 from cancer, the centre was renamed the Loretta Hospitality Centre, and still bears that name to this day.
Other sisters also served in formal roles with St. Vincent’s, including Sister Shirley Morris who served as Community Worker from 1983 to 1989; Sister Marguerite O’Neill, who served as Director of the society from 1987 to 2000, and Sister Rose Mary Ryan who served as Coordinator of the Loretto Hospitality Centre in the 1990s. From 1980 to 1984 the congregation rented a house on the Society’s Stephen Street property where first Sister Loretta, and then Sister Shirley lived with sister companions to be near St. Vincent’s. Many other sisters have volunteered regularly at St. Vincent’s over the years, in the warehouse, the hospitality centre, and on the Board of Directors.
Blessing of newly renovated Loretta Hospitality Centre, in September 1999, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Kingston ON
