This series contains records relevant to the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the diocese of London’s amalgamation with the Hamilton, Pembroke, and Peterborough congregations to become the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada. The records are from before, during, and just after the amalgamation. While material concerns all four of the congregations and the Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada, it was created by and primarily concerns the London Sisters.

The Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada was heavily involved in driving the amalgamation. In 1996 a video was shown to the London Sisters to bring awareness of the prospects of the religious communities and proposed uniting as one congregation. The London Sisters individually wrote reflections on this video. From 2007 to 2009 the Federation operated the Oneness Project which focused on interconnectedness and unity amongst the Sisters of St. Joseph and assessed four potential options of collaboration, one of which was amalgamation. This project resulted in newsletters, presentation slides, and the “Wisdom Gathering” report prepared by Sister Veronica O’Reilly. There is feedback from the London Sisters to the Oneness Project and the options presented at the 2009 Assembly.

Many of the records involved preparation for the amalgamation and the legal, organizational, and financial concerns related to the amalgamation. Other congregations of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the United States had undergone similar union of congregations. A booklet, timelines of their process, and minutes from meetings with these American Sisters were amassed by the Canadian Sisters in preparation for their own amalgamation.

Many committees and teams were formed and involved with preparing for and facilitating the transition, creating new goals and organizational structures for the amalgamated congregation, and communicating the process to the Sisters. Prayer pamphlets, minutes, and agendas from meetings as well as correspondence, newsletters, and reports from these teams and committees are present in this series. Those prominently featured are the Core and Local Futuring Teams, the Transitional Team, the Design Team, Chapter Planning Committee, Materials Resource Committee, Lay Advisory Committee, Website Committee, and the General Council. Select major topics include by-laws, insurance, finances, internal organizational structure, future planning, canonical and civil law requirements, and the creation of a website for the amalgamated congregation. There is also preparation for, and reports from, various Chapters and the Assembly where amalgamation and other options proposed by the Federation were discussed and voted on.

Another report included is “Evolving Design” which was created as part of the amalgamation process to outline the goals, governance, and process of the amalgamated congregation. There are several versions of this document from its creation process. It is based on the Sisters’ feedback on the congregation’s collective vocation and outlines the charism, the leadership structure, the role of the General Chapter, and contains a transitional constitution for the Sisters. It also outlines the duties of the Transitional Team.

There were many legal and financial issues which had to be addressed during the amalgamation. Forms, agreements, by-laws, acts, and correspondence with the Holy See, the Canadian government, solicitors, and Father Francis G. Morrisey about canonical and civil legal requirements for the amalgamation are present in this series. Some by-laws are internal and concern the operations and structures of the amalgamated congregation. Financial records, including budgets and arrangements for transfer of assets, for both the individual and amalgamated congregation are also included. There are also various iterations of guiding principles for the transition process and the amalgamated congregation.

The Sisters of St. Joseph of London had their final, binding vote on amalgamation at the Special Chapter in November of 2011 and there is an album of photographs documenting the event. The formal installation of leadership of the amalgamated congregation was held in 2013, and there is an invitation and brochure from the event. There are also correspondence and statements concerning press releases about the amalgamation.

This series documents the Assembly meetings and contains registration forms, related correspondence, prayers, leadership team reports, reflections on the assembly days, excerpts of publications, questionnaires, brochures about celebrations, lists of groups and participants, schedules, and brochures containing reports on the topics discussed.

This collection contains material accumulated by the archivist of the London congregation. It includes photographs of the General Council members, a farewell reflection written by Sister Patricia Hogan thanking the last General Council members and lists of General Council members and their duties and dates of service.

This series documents the Community Days. The series contains material covering ten different years. The Community Days were not held every year, but Assembly meetings were held every two years, and Chapter meetings were held every four years. The series contains various materials related to these meetings. Some of the most interesting materials include, for example, a Windsor workshop that taught Sisters to experience negotiation, meditation, and to practice active listening communication; the celebration of the 125th Anniversary (1993); a workshop on managing differences and conflict situations (2002); and other workshops and conferences.

The series contains schedules of congregational days, leadership style notes, spiritual exercises, prayers, workshop notes, “coming soon” reminders and “welcome” sheets, musical sheets for prayers and songs, short writings about the congregational history, correspondence related to the Community gatherings, reviews of new publications, ceremonies and celebrations, talks, corporate stances, photocopies of articles or short book chapters. It also contains printed brochures with prayers, theological reflections, other kinds of spiritual reflections, and conference materials.

This series contains correspondence, journal articles, historical reports, newspaper clippings, prayer cards, sermons, photographs, administrative reports, meeting minutes, speeches and one map relating to the commissions of the Sisters of St. Joseph within the Diocese of London. The series also contains biographical information on Bishop Michael Fallon, including a biography and eulogy, as well as articles related to the Bilingual Controversy that the Bishop was involved in. The series contains reports made by the Mission Commission related to the administration and operation of missions that the Diocese were engaging in from 1971 to 1979. Also included are textual materials related to Sister Flynn and Sister Carmel’s missionary visit to Labrador from February 1974. Administrative records reflect the participation of CSJ London in the Second Synod of the Diocese of London in 1966-1969.

This series includes a variety of textual records and photographs related to the vocational activity of the Sisters of St. Joseph. There are correspondence, newspaper clippings, bookmarks, advertisements, pamphlets, brochures, program outlines, catalogues, registers, photographs, communication records, newsletters, bulletins, memos, minutes, advertisements, bookmarks, and booklets. The materials were created predominantly in London, Ontario and Edmonton, Alberta. The main function of the materials in this series relates to providing information as well as the administration of the formation process.

This series consists of records produced in the course of the business activity of the General Secretary. There are documents pertaining to the history of the Sisters of St. Joseph, a pilgrimage taken in 2005, memorials and anniversaries such as the 135th and 138th anniversaries of the founding of the London Congregation, and Mother St. John Fontbonne. The series also contains material on the CSJ International Center in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, the sale of the Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse in 2004, and activity reports.

This collection contains draft biographies of some of the General Superiors, final copies of biographies prepared by the archivist for all General Superiors from 1870-2007, and a script for a television play about the General Superiors called “Our Little Design – A Tribute to St. Joseph” in which Father Medaille, the founder of the congregation, interviews each General Superior from Mother Ignatia Campbell to Sister Katherine McKeough concerning her life.

The series consists of records kept by the General Superior office for use in the administration of the community in London, Ontario. Material is primarily from the period during which Sister Margo Ritchie held the office, but it also contains material from when Sister Mary Diesboug and Sister Valerie Van Cauwenburghe held the position. This series contains twelve subseries relating to the operations, missions, and activities of the congregation. This includes the Medaille Retreat House, Josephs’ House, the Detox Centre, My Sister’s Place, St. Joseph’s Hospitality Centre, Elizabeth Place, St. Stephen’s House, the Southdown Project, Holy Rosary House in Windsor, the Goderich convent, and the Sisters of St. Joseph in Alberta. There is also material related to the hospitals in London, Sarnia, and Chatham administered by the Sisters and the transfer of operation of said hospitals to the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance and St. Joseph’s Health Care Society. There is material related to the construction of a new residence, especially concerning the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards of the new building, and relocation of the Sisters from Mount St. Joseph to this new residence.

There is also material related to the various meetings of the congregation, from the more informal Community Days to the more formal Assemblies and Chapters. Chapters are formal congregational meetings where major decisions, such as amalgamation and leadership positions were voted on. There are voting records from the 2011 Special Chapter and the 2009 Oneness Project in this series. There are also reports from the Leadership Circle, Chapters, and committees within the congregation. There is also material from the Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada, an organization made up of all the Congregations of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada. There is material from the Federation and the London congregation’s systemic justice efforts and the Sisters’ efforts towards concerning the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. There are various newsletters from the Federation and the London congregation. The series also includes administrative correspondence and speeches presented by the General Superior to the congregation.

In summary, the series contains letters, reports, speeches, minutes, voting records, newsletters, pamphlets, prayer books, agendas, meeting minutes, memorandums, postcards, photographs, correspondence, timelines and schedules, inventory lists, legal documents, meeting minutes, executive summaries, budget reports, reports, newspaper and magazine clippings, bursary reports, histories, bulletins, designs for stained glass windows, and property appraisals.

This series contains material created and used by Mother Angela and research on her conducted by others. The series has four subseries. In it is found biographical information collected about Mother Angela McKeogh as well as a small card gifted by her to Sister Mary in 1910. There is also a copy of Oliver Diston Company’s Wreath of Mary: companion to May Chimes, 1883 annotated by Mother Angela in 1902, and handwritten sheet music for various hymns. Also found are photographs of Mother Angela. Finally, there is material related to the Ontario legislation on teaching French and allegations made against Bishop Michael Francis Fallon by the French community which eventually led to Bishop Fallon bringing a defamation case before the Holy Rota in Rome. While there is photocopied correspondence, the majority of the material is secondary research.

This series contains material created by and collected about Mother Celestine McCarthy. The material in this series includes biographical research, a prayer written by Mother Celestine McCarthy, photographs, a postcard, two of Lena McClure’s autograph books, an exchange of correspondence between the Bishop of London and the Archbishop of Toronto about the extension of incorporation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto, and a financial document written in Latin, dated 1913, and a written history of Catholic Central High School tracing it back to its beginnings at Sacred Heart School.

This series consists of material created by and collected about Mother Constance Dunn. This includes biographical research; a bound New Testament owned by Mother Constance Dunn; photographs of Mother Constance Dunn and her sister, Sister Norberta Dunn; correspondence concerning a new Motherhouse, the foundation of the hospital in Sarnia; jubilees; correspondence, some written in Latin, with the Bishop of London, John T. Kidd, and the Archbishop of Edmonton, J. H. MacDonald, concerning the canonical status of the Edmonton community (the canonical status, governance, and fiscal responsibility of the Edmonton community had been an ongoing issue since the Edmonton community had been founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of London in 1922); and letters from Bishop Dignan of Sault Ste. Marie to Mother Constance expressing his condolences on the deaths of several Sisters.

The sous-fonds contains the personal and business records of Mother Julia Moore. This includes personal and business correspondence, primarily from her tenure as General Superior; biographical records and photographs; her work, Beginnings in London Diocese 1868-1879; photographs and a diary from her trip to Italy and France; records from her trip to Ireland as part of the Ireland project; photographs and an account from her time in Peru; watercolour artwork gifted by Sister Mary Celine Janisse; photographs of the Pope and Papal mass; a yarmulke and photographs from the bar mitzvah of Irwin Zaifman; her speeches; her historical research, predominantly on the Sisters of St. Joseph; pamphlets and articles collected by Mother Julia Moore, notably of Pierre Wolff, S. J.’s works; information and documents pertaining to the International Union of Superiors General (U.I.S.G.); photographs and correspondence from the International Union of Mothers’ General meeting in 1969; a souvenir booklet from Pope John Paul II’s 1984 visit to Toronto, Canada; and a feast day book about the founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London, Reverend Jean Pierre Médaille. There is also material concerning the 2005 Lyon heritage display.

This series contains records belonging to and created by Mother Margaret Coughlin. This series includes personal biographic material like Mother Margaret Coughlin’s notebook, Bartholomew Coughlin’s obituary, and Mother Margaret Coughlin’s educational certificates. This series also includes various correspondence regarding Mother Margaret Coughlin’s Feast Day, congratulations, expressions of gratitude, seasonal greetings, Mother Margaret Coughlin and Sister Placidia’s pilgrimage to Rome, the erection of the stations of the cross at Sacred Heart Convent (some of which is in Latin), and correspondence from Sisters in Le Puy and Lyon, France (some of which is in French). Included with the correspondence is a St. Joseph’s Alumni Bulletin and some pamphlets in French. There is also administrative correspondence with the Bishop of the Diocese of London, J. C. Cody, and a letter of thanks and congratulations from Rev. Durand. There are photographs of Mother Margaret Coughlin and a portrait of her father, Bartholomew Coughlin. There are also photographs, postcards, pamphlets, and news clippings from Mother Margaret Coughlin and Sister Placidia’s travels to Rome and France and scrapbook of the Holy Year pilgrimage to Rome and visits to Lyon and Le Puy on the occasion of the tercentenary of the Sisters of St. Joseph which has photographs, news clippings, and postcards pasted inside alongside a typed account. There is also material, primarily correspondence, concerning the “Ireland project” and a sermon on Ireland by Bishop J. C. Cody. The “Ireland project” was a recruitment endeavor to establish a Juniorate in Ireland from which young women could come and become novices in Canada where the Sisters would provide them with training in nursing or teaching.

This series consists of records collected about Mother Mechtilde McCarthy and created by her. The material consists of chronologies; a Form of the Act signed at reception and a Form of the Act signed at final vows dated 1878; a detailed report of a canonical visit by the Bishop of London, Michael Frances Fallon in 1917; correspondence with Bishop Michael Frances Fallon, Dr. Bruce Smith, Mother M. Clare, and George M. Reid; copies of correspondence with Archbishop J. H. MacDonald concerning the governance and separation of the Edmonton community from its founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of London; and a history of the Edmonton community from 1922 to 1953 entitled “Our Western Saga”. The canonical status, governance, and fiscal responsibility of the Edmonton community had been an ongoing issue since its establishment in 1922.

This series includes material created by Mother Philomena Hussey and material collected about her. Included is biographical information; her obituary; an account by Sister St. Philip and correspondence, including some post cards, from Mother Philomena Hussey’s pilgrimage to Rome in 1925. There are also photographs of Mother Philomena Hussey, Sister Euphemia Hussey, James Cardinal McGuigan, and Mother Philomena Hussey with Sister St. Philip and their traveling companions to Rome. Also found are golden jubilee memorial cards; correspondence and a 1933 Report of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Diocese of London, Ontario; as well as correspondence concerning the governance of the Edmonton mission.

This series contains records reflecting the policies and procedures of the congregation from the late 1960s to the mid-2000s. Included in the series are community handbooks and Called to Unity booklets (guidance for the Sisters in their union with God and the community), both of which discuss the Sisters’ role within and outside the congregation. Topics include community prayer, education, donations, finances, legal advice and procedures, and travel policies. Also included are position papers detailing how a Sister is to behave and conduct herself as a member of the congregation, which were prepared by various committees including the spiritual life commission, habit commission, commission on education, and homemaking commission. Records relating to congregational staff include the Human Resource Policies Handbook, which details the roles and responsibilities related to the working environment. The other records in this series pertain to the congregation as a whole; these include information on sexual misconduct, alleged abuse, and how misconduct is reported and dealt with in the congregation. Also included is policy pertaining to the appropriate use of technology, such as computers and the Internet. There are also correspondence, memos, and reports related to the development of policy by the travel committee, who mediated discussions around the Sisters’ travel.

This series contains records collected about, belonging to, and created by Sister Theresa Marie Caillouette. It includes photographs, a poem she recited when she became a postulant, her resume, biography, and educational certificates and awards for her work. Notable inclusions are a certificate of distinction on completion of the Management Education program offered by the Ontario Hospital Association in 2000 and an award in recognition of outstanding volunteer service to St. Joseph’s Hospital, Chatham in 1995. She was an avid participant of the Canadian Medaille Team and received funding from the French Embassy to study the history of the Congregation in France. In 1986 she was honored as a researcher by the Federation at the 150th Anniversary event at St. Louis, Missouri. A chronology of her research activities, a certificate from the 150th Anniversary, and addresses she made to the Federation for the period from 1967-1971 are included. There are newsletters and news clippings documenting her views and her work, including a 1974 newspaper profile for her parish work at St. Joseph’s Convent in Sarnia and a profile in a newsletter announcing her election as General Superior by the Diocese of London on April 13, 1987. Her views on the role of Sisters in parish ministry are set out in a paper she authored in 1987. The paper is based on her seven years of experience as assistant to the local priest and her membership on the Diocesan Commission on the role of women in the Church and in society. Her reflection on conversion, published in Canadian C.S.J. Bulletin in 1991 while she was serving as Vice-President of the Federation, is also included.