The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada Consolidated Archives

Ontario

My First Collaborative Exhibit

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Rhiannon Allen-Roberts, Associate Archivist, Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada Consolidated Archives


From August to October, I had the pleasure of working with Mary Grace Kosta, Congregational Archivist, and Noelle Tangredi, eLearning Developer/Graphic Designer and caretaker of the St. Joseph’s Health Care Medical Artifacts Collection, to create an exhibit highlighting Mother Ignatia Campbell and the Sisters of St. Joseph’s first endeavours in healthcare in London. I had previously assisted with in-house exhibits and a traveling exhibit, so I was excited to put my newly learned skills to work.

Mother Ignatia Campbell is an impressive historical figure. Serving as the first General Superior of the congregation and foundress of St. Joseph’s Hospital are only a few of her many accomplishments. Our archives had prepared an in-house exhibit about her, and when that exhibit was being taken down in August, we reached out to Noelle to discuss potentially moving this exhibit to the St. Joseph’s Hospital heritage corner due to her connection to the hospital and knowing that some of her artifacts were kept in the Medical Artifacts Collection. We already had a history of collaboration. Since 2016, our archives has been training students in museum registration skills to catalogue the artifacts collection. In exchange, we have repatriated archival materials from the hospital to the archives. Together, the three of us decided that, since this event was to be hosted at the hospital, we should expand the focus from just Mother Ignatia to include the early days of the hospital. We also decided to include Mount Hope, as that was the first care facility the Sisters operated in London, and it is from it that the hospital grew.

With this in mind, I began my research. I dived deep into the life of Mother Ignatia Campbell, learning all I could about her and the early days of the Sisters of St. Joseph in London. I perhaps collected too much information, as I had 18 pages of detailed notes to compress into the exhibit description. But from my research I learned so much about Mother Ignatia Campbell, so many little anecdotes about her life that impacted her and led to her becoming the leader that she was, that I cannot find it in myself to think that it was truly too much. The thing about historical figures is that as time passes, they may seem less human. I wanted my exhibit description to cover everything about her and to get the viewer to empathize with this woman just as I had while doing my research. But that’s not possible in the small word count needed for an exhibit. How do you compress a person’s life into 500 words or less? Things must be cut, simplified, and minimized to get the main points across. I felt like I was erasing parts of Mother Ignatia. How could the viewer of this exhibit empathize with her as I had if they did not understand all she had gone through? If they didn’t know about the girl who left her home to dedicate herself to a life of faith at only 15 years old? Or how she questioned her faith enough to want to leave the congregation, only to stay and never doubt it again? Or how that moment impacted her for the rest of her life and made her compassionate to those questioning their own faith? And what about the Sisters, doctors, and staff who worked by her side and under her direction and who dedicated themselves to providing healthcare?

These figures were no longer just names on paper to me but people with compelling stories that deserved to be told. I desperately wanted to covey all of this to those viewing this exhibit, to try to get my exhibit description to show that these historical figures were people just like us who worked diligently to accomplish great things. In the end, even after chopping down so many anecdotes, the description was three pages long. This length would be fine for a short report, but it was far too long for an exhibit. I think this was the hardest part of designing the exhibit – deciding what points were most important to highlight. Luckily, I had Mary Grace’s experience to help me to chop down the unneeded fluff and highlight the key historical points. Her best advice was to “Let the artifacts speak for themselves!” With that and the focus on the early days of the Sisters’ work in healthcare in mind, I was able to compress the exhibit description into a far more acceptable length. I then sent it to Noelle who constructed beautiful graphic designs to display the text alongside photographs that I digitized from the archives.

The shift in focus from the original in-house exhibit also meant that we needed to reevaluate what artifacts to include. We wanted to keep the focus on Mother Ignatia but to make sure that the artifacts told the story of the Sisters’ involvement in healthcare. Mary Grace created a list of all the artifacts in our holdings that were connected to Mother Ignatia, Mount Hope, and St. Joseph’s Hospital. Then Noelle and I reviewed the artifacts and decided what to include, with Noelle adding the additional items that would be included from the Medical Artifacts Collection. We had to carefully decide on a balance between the personal artifacts of Mother Ignatia, the religious artifacts to highlight the foundations of the Sisters’ practices, medical artifacts to show what those early days of medicine were like, and daily life artifacts to show what life was like at that time. Each of these themes expanded on what was included in the exhibit description, allowing these artifacts to tell the story visually.

While preparing the artifacts, I learned about the importance of keeping track of what artifacts have been exhibited, and for how long, to reduce the light damage to which they would be exposed. We had to consider the physical limitations of the exhibit space, but Noelle came prepared with the dimensions of each case and we were able to determine a rough lay-out of where everything could fit. After this, I completed condition reports to record the condition of the artifacts prior to display. I learned that this is an especially important task when artifacts are going off-site, as it can help determine when an artifact is damaged and it is important for insurance purposes.

With our artifacts selected and Noelle working to prepare the graphic designs, the next step was to pack the exhibit and set it up. Then, tragedy struck! I fell ill and was unable to assist with the packing, delivery, or set-up. Luckily, Noelle and Mary Grace are a well-oiled machine, having worked together many times, and they set the whole exhibit up with no help needed from me. While I’ll hopefully be able to assist with the exhibit take-down, I’ll just have to be patient and hope that the next time our two institutions collaborate I’ll be able to assist with the set-up.

The fruits of our labour are now displayed in the heritage corner at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Zone A, Level 1, near the Richmond Street entrance. There, it is my hope that the artifacts speak for Mother Ignatia Campbell where I could not. That the viewer sees the habit and thinks about how she would pin her veil just-so with care each morning, how she would have used an oil lamp to check on the charges at Mount Hope, how she would have held those rosary beads in her hands while she prayed with all her conviction. That the viewer thinks about how that magnificent hospital was founded by committed people who did all they could to provide the most efficient healthcare possible. I think that is the power of the exhibit, to make the viewer connect these artifacts with the lofty historical figures. I hope that those who see the exhibit will see Mother Ignatia Campbell as she was; a diligent leader, a woman of extraordinary faith, and a person, just like you or me.

Mother Ignatia Campbell display with traditional habit.
Mother Ignatia Campbell display with traditional habit.
Mother Ignatia Campbell display with her wheelchair.
Mother Ignatia Campbell display with her wheelchair.

For more information about the display, please visit: The enduring legacy of Mother Ignatia

The School of Christ Radio and Television Broadcasts

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The Monsignor W. T. Flannery Radio and Television Broadcasts, known as the “School of Christ,” was a radio and television program that aired from 1939 to 1963. Founded by Monsignor W.T. Flannery, the radio broadcast was transmitted from the Chapel of the Sacred Heart Convent in London, Ontario encouraged by Sister Constance Dunn, as General Superior. The program made its debut on CFPL Radio in London, Ontario, on December 3, 1939. Named after a phrase from the writings of St. Augustine, the program’s stated purpose was to educate people about the true Catholic faith as a way of combating anti-Catholic prejudice. The 30-minute long program aired on Sunday afternoons and consisted of Msgr. Flannery providing catechetical instruction and a question and answer segment with schoolchildren. There were also musical performances by the “School of Christ Choristers” formed by Sister Mary Margaret Childs. The School of Christ Choristers consisted of a senior choir, of women aged 18 years and older, directed by Sister Mary Margaret Childs from 1939 to 1963, as well as a Junior Choir, known as the “Little Radio Choir,” composed of Grade 6 to 8 students, later directed by Sister Marie Brebeuf Beninger. Originally a local broadcast, the School of Christ became syndicated in Toronto, Chatham, and Windsor in 1940. Soon after, it extended into the states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and New York. At one point, the program was estimated to have had a potential listening audience of 10 million people, many of them non-Catholics. Starting in the mid-1950s, the programs were taped in advance and broadcast on CFPL-TV until 1963, when Msgr. Flannery retired.

Members of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph played an instrumental role in the formation and operation of the program. Sister Constance Dunn encouraged the formation of the program during her term as the Congregation’s General Superior. Sisters Marie Brebeuf Beninger, Mary Margaret Childs, and Maureen Dalton participated in the direction of the show’s choirs, while Sister Callistus Arnsby provided accompaniment. Although the primary forum for these choirs to perform was through radio and television, they also gave annual live concerts in a variety of venues, including London’s Grand Theatre, the auditorium at H.B. Beal Technical School, and Toronto’s Massey Hall Theatre in 1964.

Hospitals founded by London Sisters

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In 1868, shortly after their arrival in London, Ontario, the Sisters of St. Joseph founded Mount Hope to provide a home for Sisters, the elderly and orphans. It was renamed House of Providence, and continued to provide care for the elderly until 1966. The first hospital founded by the London Sisters was St. Joseph’s Hospital at the corner of Richmond and Grosvenor Streets in London. This ten bed hospital opened on October 15, 1888, and still located on this site. The facility, now named St. Joseph’s Health Care, has expanded to encompass the original hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital which opened in 1951, Marian Villa which opened in 1966, and the Lawson Research Centre which opened in 1983. Later, Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care was opened on the site. In July 1993 St. Joseph’s Health Care Society formed in London, and the hospital was then transferred to a separate authority. Other healthcare institutions administered by the Sisters were found at different locations in London. The St. Joseph’s Hospital Detoxification Clinic opened in 1973 on William Street and was administered by Sister St. Patrick Joyce until 2005 when the province terminated its contract with St. Joseph’s Hospital. The Sisters sold the building and the Withdrawal Management Centre moved to the Centre of Hope operated by the Salvation Army in October 2005. The Family Medical Centre opened in 1969 on Platt’s Lane and is still in operation today, although under the authority of St. Joseph’s Health Care Society.

On October 15, 1890, the Sisters opened St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chatham, Ontario, which originally was a 16 bed hospital in the former old Salvation Army barracks. In January 1892, the hospital moved to a new site on King Street. In February 2018, the Chatham Kent Health Alliance formed, amalgamating Sydenham District Hospital, the Public General Hospital, and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chatham.

In 1946, the Sisters opened St. Joseph’s Hospital in Sarnia, which was later renamed the St. Joseph’s Health Centre. In January 1998 the signing of the Strategic Alliance Agreement between St. Joseph’s Health Care Society on behalf of St. Joseph’s Hospital Sarnia and Sarnia General Hospital took place.  Ownership of the hospital was later transferred to the Lambton Hospitals Group.

In Alberta, the Sisters opened several hospitals in small, rural communities, first in Stettler in 1926 at the requrest of Archbishop H. J. O’Leary. The hospital was in a neglected state and the Sisters attempted to improve it over two years, but due to bigotry in the area, had to withdraw in 1927. They went to Galahad next, where they opened St. Joseph’s Hospital in a former teacherage as they awaited construction of a proper facility, which finally opened in September 1928 and was administered by the Sisters until 1978. After this, they opened the Killam General Hospital in 1930 which became part of the Killam Hospital Complex, including the Flagstaff Beaver Auxiliary Hospital in 1963. The latter closed in 1992. Following another request from Archbishop O’Leary, the Sisters went to Rimbey in 1932 to operate St. Paul’s Hospital for the Archdiocese of Edmonton until 1949, at which point the hospital ownership and management came under the authority of the local lay community.

In 1967, the Sisters opened a clinic, the Zana Consultario, in Chiclayo Diocese, Peru, which they operated until 1975 when due to many factors, including difficulties with the authorities, the clinic closed in 1975.

Since the beginning, at Mount Hope and the House of Providence, the Sisters saw a great need for health care services, especially when no others were providing it. Over time, the government became more involved and more lay people obtained qualifications in management and clinical practice. The Sisters then relinquished their administration of health care facilities that they had founded and administered, and turned to working in individual ministries, in pastoral care in hospitals, and still with the poor, for whom they ministered from their first days in London, Ontario.

Contemplation

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A poem by Sister Jean Moylan

Reverently I sit within the darkened pew

That has held securely our generations five,

Homesteaders come afar from Ireland,

Ahead of war and deadly famine wrath.

Into this quiet land we came,

hope-filled, faith-filled, joy-filled,

To clear the land and till the clay loam soil,

Strong and steady against the march of time.

Patrick, Thomas, John and Don,

Son to son; heir to heir,

Strong in Huron County faith and love,

Nurtured among tall trees and golden wheat.

Church bells call out Angelus

Age on age we pause and bow our heads,

God and church the foothold of our lives;

Onward, steady, amid the winds of change.

The Detox Clinic

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In 1971, a group of citizens in London met to discuss setting up a detoxification clinic. Sr. Mary Doyle, of the Sisters of St. Joseph, chaired the group which included representatives from hospitals, social service agencies, the Addiction Research Foundation, the police, the Salvation Army, and Mission Services. It was planned as a department of St. Joseph’s Hospital to ensure access to the emergency department. Funding was secured from the provincial government. St. Joseph’s Hospital would administer the clinic, while the Addiction Research Foundation would plan services. The Board of St. Joseph’s Hospital appointed Sr. St. Patrick Joyce as the Director of the newly founded St. Joseph’s Hospital Detoxification Clinic in 1973.

The clinic opened on September 13, 1973 at 331 Dufferin Avenue, attached to the Addiction Research Foundation at 477 Waterloo Street. The clinic contained 20 beds for men, with the objective of providing a hospitable environment in which the alcoholic could be detoxified without medication. The resident was given fruit juice or coffee, showered, got in pajamas, and was encouraged to sleep it off. Nourishing meals were served. The clinic had 11 trained staff members, and access to the 28-day program at St. Thomas Addiction Unit and the four-month program at Quinton Warner House, as well as to Alcoholics Anonymous. There were beds, a reception area, living rooms, and laundry and kitchen services. It was a place to dry out, to sleep, to have a meal, and to find a sympathetic listener and services. Staff planted the desire in residents to want to change their lifestyles through individual or group interaction. Three days after admission, the resident could have seizures or hallucinations, in which case he was kept in the observation area and watched, and if necessary, taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital emergency department and kept until his condition stabilized. Less than 5% of residents required hospital treatment.

From 1973 to 1979, the detox clinic handled the highest number of admissions in the province: more than 20,000 admissions reflecting about 3,600 individuals since many were repeat visits. The residents came from all walks of life, and ranged in age from 15 to 84 years, with about 20% having full time jobs. The average stay was two days. Sr. St. Patrick made the point that detox clinics deal with chronic drinkers and their success rates cannot be compared with treatment centres. She explained that detox clinics dry people out in preparation for treatment centres which would reject chronic alcoholics without this preparation. She argued that detox clinics free up hospital beds and are thus the least expensive way to treat chronic alcoholics. From 1972 to 1976, 24 of the detox clinic residents had remained sober for two years, and 65 residents for one year, a success rate that no one could argue with.

In September, 1979, the detox clinic moved to a mansion built by William Spencer, a founder of Imperial Oil, in 1856. The building was located at the corner of Queens Avenue and William Street in London. It had originally been taken over from the Knights of Columbus by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1949, and run from 1951-1965 as Fontbonne Hall, an orphanage. From 1965-1972, it had housed Vanier Children’s Services, and then Internos, a home for teenaged girls run by the congregation. In 1977, it served as a residence for women attending university and classrooms for St. Joseph’s School of Music. With the move of the detox clinic, the building was renovated to house alcoholic men and women in one half of the house, and women in need in the other. Renovations were completed on March 6, 1980, and 534 Queens Avenue became a refuge for women in need, while 471 William Street became the new detox centre. The facility, now called the Withdrawal Management Centre, could accommodate 20 men and three women, and had a round- the- clock staff of ten men and women. Sister St. Patrick’s dream to help female alcoholics came true, and her patience was rewarded when one woman she worked with for 16 years was finally able to stay sober for one whole year.

During its years in operation, the detox centre at William Street had over 3,300 client visits per year. It provided a haven for intoxicated people who were not allowed into shelter beds, and a place for alcoholics to dry out before treatment. While the clientele was mostly male, 10% were female. In 2005, the province terminated its contract with St. Joseph’s Hospital. The Sisters of St. Joseph sold the William Street building in September, 2005, and the Withdrawal Management Centre moved to the Centre of Hope operated by the Salvation Army on October 31, 2005.

A longer version of this article by Mary Grace Kosta was originally published in the London and Middlesex Historical Society Newsletter, Spring 2020.