Renewal and Fulfilling Vatican II
Over the decades, the core missions of the SOS – immigration, rural healthcare, and education – came under the direction of the government, and catechetical education under the National Office of Religious Education (NORE). Though many Sisters had already been upgrading their qualifications prior to 1962, the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) offered further renewal and opportunities for the SOS. Sisters with advanced training pursued specialized positions in teaching, healthcare, and social services, while a growing number of Sisters served in pastoral care as chaplains, parish administrators, and spiritual directors. By pushing the boundaries to establish new roles to serve contemporary needs, these Sisters carried forward the initiative and spirit of the first pioneering Sisters.
Sister Madge Barton visiting students with squid drying on a line in the background, Dover, Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, 1979
Pastoral Care
Sister Agnes Sheehan in her office at the marriage tribunal of the Winnipeg Archdiocese, 1980
Chaplaincy
Sister Frances Coffey outside Whitby Psychiatric Hospital where she served as a chaplain, Ontario, 1981
Social Justice
Sister Mary-Ellen Francoeur leads an interfaith prayer at the dedication of the Humanitarian Workers’ memorial, Ottawa, 2003
Public Relations
Sister Ella Zink speaks at a press briefing as the first woman director of public relations of the English sector of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1968
Social Services
Sister Molly Andrews at the Fred Victor Mission, Toronto, 1976
Education
Sister Anna McNally on sled pulled by a snowmobile, travelling as part of her work with the Northern Teacher Education Program (NORTEP), Saskatchewan, c. 1984
Parish Ministry
Sister Adua Zampese at the pulpit of Holy Family church, Radville, Saskatchewan, 2000
Immigration
Sister Lydia Tyszko with Polish seamen who jumped ship to defect from the USSR, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1981
Coming to Completion: Legacies
The SOS archivist for 28 years, M.C. Havey, wrote this history of the Institute for the 100th anniversary of its founding.
This book traces a century of SOS history, concluding with the future planning, sponsorship agreement, and legacies of the Institute.
Most notably, in 2003, the SOS established the Catherine Donnelly Foundation (CDF) to honour their foundress and as an ecumenical extension of their mission to serve the unmet needs of Canada. In line with the SOS charism, the CDF works to promote social and ecological justice and to serve those most overlooked and excluded.
Sisters of Service: I Have Come To Serve, M.C. Havey, 2022
Circle Governance
With diminishing numbers and an aging demographic, fewer Sisters were available for positions on the general council. A study of different models of governance was carried out and a transition to a circle model was proposed. Unlike the traditional, hierarchical model of a general council, circle governance focuses on collaboration and co-responsibility by sharing both the burden and privilege of leadership. This approach followed in the steps of foundress Catherine Donnelly and her legacy of pioneering new models of religious life. The first SOS circle meeting was held in 1999.
Circle Meeting, 2003, Front, L-R: Sisters Anita Hatman, Anna McNally, Patricia Burke. Second row, L-R: Sisters Hilda Lunney, Mary Ellen Francoeur, Marilyn Gillespie, Adua Zampese. Standing, L-R: Sisters Sisters Frances Coffey, Bernice Anstett, Joan Schafhauser, Lita Camozzi, Colleen Young, Marilyn MacDonald, Mary Halder, Helen Hayes.
Sponsorship Agreement
In August 2007, the SOS made the difficult decision for the Institute to ‘come to conclusion’. After a series of consultations and meetings, a sponsorship agreement was proposed to plan for the future care of the remaining Sisters. Due to their close historic ties, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto were approached with the proposal. While the CSJ have taken over administration of the Sisters’ care, the SOS will continue as its own religious institute until the death of their last member. This agreement was the first of its kind between two English-speaking women religious communities in Canada.
Sisters Marilyn MacDonald, SOS, and Therese Meunier, CSJ, the Congregational Leader of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto, sign the sponsorship agreement between the two communities, Toronto, January, 2012
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