The Sisters of Charity – Halifax, numbering approximately 750 members, currently serve in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maryland, Kentucky, Maine, as well as Peru, Dominican Republic and Bermuda. Established in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1849, the Sisters of Charity began their ministry in teaching but soon spread into other areas. They taught in both public and parochial schools, cared for orphans, and later established a hospital…the first of several across Canada. By the late 1800s the Sisters had spread their wings throughout Nova Scotia, to Massachusetts and to Bermuda. They came to British Columbia in the 1920s, founding Seton Academy, Vancouver (1923); Our Lady of Perpetual Help Convent, Ladysmith (1923); St. Joseph's Convent, Vancouver (1924); Our Lady of Sorrows Convent, Vancouver (1926); Our Lady's Convent, Point Grey (1927); Kootenay Indian Residential School, Cranbrook (1936); Immaculate Conception Convent, Kelowna (1938); Sacred Heart Convent, Kimberley (1938).
The diverse ministries of the Sisters today grow from the traditional focus in education, health care and social service. In the Archdiocese of Vancouver, that diversity includes Sisters who minister in education and psychology, pastoral works, catechetics, spiritual direction, ecological ministries, programs for youth, elderly and people with handicaps, and patients with cancer. Throughout the Congregation, Sisters of Charity continue to work in healthcare—whether in medicine, nursing, clinical specialties, or pastoral care volunteers in hospitals. Many Sisters also serve the poor and disadvantaged through social service, both in direct casework and in administration. Several Sisters are involved in administration of colleges, institutions, and projects for the disadvantaged. Teaching, from kindergarten to university, continues.
Approximately 320 of the Congregation’s members live in retirement centers in Canada and the U.S.A. The works of those in active ministry are supported by these members whose primary ministry is that of volunteer service, hospitality and prayer. If you have a desire to make the love of God visible in today's world, please contact us.
For more information, contact:
Sr. Nancy Brown
(604) 876-0831
247 East 28th Avenue Vancouver, BC V5V 2M5