The Islands: Howe Island: Women in Religious Orders

Women in Religious Orders

Women of Howe Island who joined Holy Orders.

If you have any more information on these women,
or others who are not listed, please email me.
I am partiularily trying to find out their dates
of birth and death, and who their parents were.
Wallers book shows many of the women, but there are
more than one with the same name so I can't make
any definate connections.

Big thank you's to Sister Gayle Desarmia,
Archivist at Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent
de Paul Kingston, Ontario for names and dates for
the five women directly below.

For more information on the following 5 women,
contact Archives,
Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul
Kingston, Ontario
See link at bottom of page.

Sister Mary Magdalen - Ellen Clancy d/oJohn Clancy and Catherine (Ellen) O'Donnell
Sister Mary Fidelma - Elizabeth Pickett d/o John Pickett and Bridget Foley
Sister Mary Jane - Marie Prior d/o Timothy Prior and Jane Walsh (Welsh)
Sister Mary Zita - Anastasia Welsh d/o Joseph Welsh and Anne Gough (Winnie Goff)
Sister Mary Eulalia - Margaret Somers d/o Thomas Somers and Bridget Walsh

Note from Sr. Gayle Desarmia:"Variations in our records are indicated in brackets."

Sister Raphael formerly Rachel Thompson
She is listed in the St. John's Church Records of 1848-1868. She was born Rachel Thompson on September 14,1874 (but the obituary says August 10, 1874) to Thomas Thompson and Mary Lynch Thompson. She was the 8th of 12 children born to Thomas and Mary. She was the last of theirs to be born on Howe Island since they moved in 1875.
Info from Mary Ann Thompson Camosy

Sister St. Matthias formerly Philomena Gagneau
After whom the Howe Island church was named.
Convent of the Holy Name, Outremont, Que.
Deceased.

Sister Mary Loyola formerly Isabella Mary O'Mullen
Deceased.

Sister Mary Magdalen formerly Ellen Clancy
Sisters of Providence, Kingston, Ont.
B.1850 D.1930.
Note: Howe Island clearly stated as place of birth
in Providence records.

Sister Mary Zita formerly Anastasia Welsh
Sisters of Providence, Kingston, Ont.
B. 1874 D. 1971.
Note: Howe Island clearly stated as place of birth
in Providence records.
Daughter of John Welsh and Ann Gough (Never called Winnie- name in one variation of record)
From the family record, and also from Sister Gayle Desarmia , Archivist (Sisters of Providence, Kingston, Ontario), from Sr. Mary Zita's necrology (it's a direct quote):
Sister Mary Zita has the distinction of having reached the most advanced age of any member of the Sisters of Providence, Kingston, since its foundation in 1861. She was BORN August 17, 1874 on Howe Island. When she DIED on December 23, 1971 she was 97 years and 5 months.

Sister Mary Mildred formerly Teresa Welsh
I.H.M., USA

Sister Mary Jane formerly Marie Prior
Sisters of Providence, Kingston, Ont.
B. 1898 D. 1967.
Note: Howe Island clearly stated as place of birth
in Providence records.

Sister Mary Helen formerly Alice Welsh
Ursulines of Chatham.

Sister Mary Fidelma formerly Elizabeth (Lily?) Pickett
Sisters of Providence, Kingston, Ont.
B.1901 D. 1988
Note: Howe Island clearly stated as place of birth
in Providence records.
Daughter of John Pickett and Bridget Etta nee Foley.
Sister of Helen Pickett (below)

Mother St. Helen of the Savior formerly Helen Pickett
Congregation of Notre Dame, Kingston, Ont.
Daughter of John Pickett and Bridget Etta nee Foley.
Sister of Lily Pickett (above)
Born about 1906.

Mother Jean Baptiste formerly Genevieve Lachance
Ursulines of Chatham
Deceased.

Mother St. Anne formerly Gertrude Lachance
Ursulines of Chatham
Deceased.

Sister Mary Paul formerly Dorothy Lachance
Monastery of the Precious Blood, Toronto, Ont.

Sister Angela of the Eucharist formerly Lois MacDonald
Monastery of the Precious Blood, Toronto, Ont.

Sister Mary Eulalia formerly Margaret Somers
Sisters of Providence, Kingston, Ont.
B. 1871 D. 1953.
Note: Providence records show from Gananoque.
Note: There are 2 Margaret Somers in Wallers Howe
Island Connections that were born in 1871.

Sister Barbara formerly a Prior
C.N.D., Ottawa, Ont.

Sister Mary Blanch formerly a Byrne
Sisters of Martha, P.E.I.

Links

Sisters of Providence
Ursuline Sisters of Chatham, Ontario

Sources:

-They Blazed the Trail by Sister Mary Faustina (Elizabeth Mattimoe)
-Howe Island 19th Century Families by Russ Waller
-Sister Gayle Desarmia, Archivist at Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul Kingston, Ontario

The Islands: Howe Island: Women in Religious Orders