This is a collection of reference materials collected by the Sisters illustrating the history and foundation of the congregations in Canada, the USA, and France. The collection illustrates Mother St. John Fontbonne’s life and work. There is a special focus on the history of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the London diocese. The collection is comprised of publications, calendars, correspondence, news clippings, photographs, postcards, an international directory, family tree diagrams, and a watercolor painting.

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 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.

The fonds consists of photographic negatives featuring members of the Patteson family. Most of the photographs on the glass plate negatives were taken by Rose MacInnes (nee Patteson) and feature the Pattesons on their estate in Eastwood, Ontario (the former Admiral Henry Vansittart property). The film negatives feature Daisy (Christine Millicent) Moss (nee Patteson) and her son Pat (Thomas) Moss.

It is arranged into the following series and subseries:

Series 1: Glass Negatives - Eastwood
Series 2: Film Negatives - Pat & Daisy Moss

The first subseries consists of biographical chronologies and speaking notes including a presentation to the St. Joseph’s Hospital Board in 1987. Included are copies of her educational achievement certificates and information about her membership in Sigma Theta Tau, the National Honor Society of Nursing, United States. There are several photographs and newsclippings from various times throughout her ministry. Highlights from the correspondence include exchanges with Bishop Sherlock, Bishop of London, an appeal to the federal government for aid to Ethiopia and a reply from the Minister of External Affairs, and a letter from the Vice-Chancellor granting approval to establish at chapel at a mission house in 1979. Copies of speaking notes for a variety of presentations are included with event programs. There are several letters of congratulations and greeting cards. There are a few mementos of her trip to Rome.

This sous-fonds contains records pertaining to Sister Margaret Ferris’s education, professional career, artistic endeavors, personal life, and travels. Sister Margaret Ferris was an avid academic and eventually became an instructor. There are various records from her academic pursuits present here, including her many degrees and certificates, research notes, papers, theses, report cards, transcripts, photographs, a scrapbook, and regalia from her Doctorate commencement ceremony. Based on her areas of interest in her studies, she wrote and published a book in 1993 called Compassioning: Basic Counselling Skills for Christian Care-Givers which was translated into Chinese in 2010. Drafts, correspondence with publishers, English and Chinese editions of the book, and material from the book launching party are included. There are also records from when she was teaching. These records are primarily concerned with her career as an instructor at St. Peter’s Seminary and the adaptations of Compassioning: Basic Counselling Skills for Christian Care-Givers as course books for classes at the University of Western Ontario, but there is also a speech by Sister Margaret and her Stewards in Catholic Education Award.

Sister Margaret was an artist, and she created the design for the cards and pamphlets of the congregation’s 2004 Jubilee celebration, which was her Golden Jubilee. Original artworks, preliminary sketches, and replicas are included in this sous-fonds. She was also an avid traveler and photographs, travel diaries, a scrapbook, and ephemera from these trips are present. She made trips to Yellowknife, Quebec, Peru, Florida, California, Rome, and a pilgrimage to France. On the trip to Rome, she acted as a correspondent for the Catholic News Times. There are also personal memorabilia, such as photographs, scrapbooks, a papal blessing, a yearbook from St. Patrick’s High School where she was principal, and an invitation to the 1976 Opening of the Ontario Legislature reception.

The sous-fonds reflects Sr. Mary Lillian Kuntz’s time as an educator, judge, administrator, and her Congregational service. The earliest record is a class photograph from St. Angela’s College where she was a student, followed by her high school diploma from Catholic Central High School in 1953. The records have a global geographic spread with the inclusion of colour transparencies of her travels to the United Kingdom, Africa and Europe. The materials focus on her time in Yellowknife, NWT, Uganda, Nelson, B.C., and London, Ont. The sous-fonds includes photographs, sound recordings, moving image recordings, and a diploma.