Education
Currently, education is carried on in a variety
of ways.
Little Flower Academy in Vancouver, B.C.,
a school with an enrollment of about 460 girls, (grades eight to
twelve), is owned and operated by the Sisters of Saint Ann.
Campus ministry is another area of education where
the Sisters are involved. Presently, Sisters effectively minister at St.
Mark's College on the campus of the University of British Columbia (Vancouver)
and at Saint Paul's University (Ottawa).
Education also enters closely into parish ministry.
This includes teaching adults and children in preparation for the sacraments,
instructing those interested in the Catholic faith, and sharing in various
responsibilities being taken over by lay people since the Second Vatican
Council.
Education was the primary focus of our Venerable
Foundress when she began her Congregation in 1850. Even today, education
is still the primary focus but is often carried out in other than classroom
situations. In all the ministries of the Sisters of Saint Ann, "doors are
opened" to bring people to new threshholds of life. Education in one or
other of its many forms is the key that "opens these doors." We invite
you to explore some of these forms.
Teaching ESL (English as a Second Language)
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A Drop-In Centre on East Cordova Street, Vancouver
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An RCIA class celebrates
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Parish Planning for
the Sunday Liturgy
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Health Care
Owned and operated by the Sisters of Saint Ann,
Mount Saint Mary in Victoria is an extended care facility that opened in
1941, as an adjunct to Saint Joseph's Hospital.
Presently, the Mount cares for about 150 residents.
Deconstruction at the site of the former Saint Joseph's Hospital is underway
in preparation for a new 200 bed Mount Saint Mary to be built there.
The Mount exemplifies wholistic, human and ethical values in today's world
which does not always respect or value life, especially that of the elderly.
Special emphasis is given to Palliative Care for those on their final journey.
Health care values are voiced by those Sisters
who are Board members, lecturers, or writers.
Pastoral Care, through the visiting of the elderly
and shut-ins, emphasizes the uniqueness and value of each person. Pastoral
Care provides spiritual comfort. It is another way of educating people
and encouraging compassion and concern.
Saint Ann's Residence, Victoria, is the
home of our elderly and infirm Sisters. (Click
on photograph to come in for a visit.)
Here they continue their minstry of prayer and
community service. By facilitating animation and outreach, other
Sisters on staff "open doors" for each Sister's personal growth.
Environmental
Promoting ecological responsibility is always
a priority for a Sister of Saint Ann. We strive to live in Right
Relationship with God, with self, with one another, with others and
the
cosmos ... . Currently, of particular concern is environmental
protection for the 460 acres at Providence Farm, formerly the site of St.
Ann's School, Duncan. (See link) A Sister of St. Ann is a voice for the
community in protecting coastal property in East Sooke, near Victoria.
Sponsorship
Any Institution in a faith tradition needs to draw from something deeper
than itself to be able to sustain its identity through various periods
of transition. Changes occurring in religious life have promoted
a search for new models of maintaining congregational ministries in the
spirit of their founders/foundresses. One effective way is that of sponsorship.
Sponsorship means handing over the management and daily functioning of
an established ministry to devoted Boards, Administrators and staff, who
commit themselves to continue the ministry according to its expressed mission.
For the Sisters of Saint Ann in Saint Joseph’s Province, sponsorship
is effectively being used in three different ministries:
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in education at Little Flower Academy
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in health care at Mount Saint Mary
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in outreach and ecology at Providence Farm
Sponsorship achieves two purposes:
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the mission and ministry of the Institution continues
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the Sisters are freed to initiate other works.
The Sisters of Saint Ann see in sponsorship a powerful new way to hand
on their charism and traditions to future generations.
Retreats/Workshops
Queenswood, Victoria, situated near Cadboro Bay,
is the primary centre for retreats and workshops. Built on spacious, treed
property, Queenswood provides a quiet and peaceful setting for a variety
of educational and retreat experinces.
Welcome to Queenswood!
(Click on door to enter.)
The beautiful surroundings are a haven of peace
and contemplation. A recently installed labyrinth, an ancient Christian
sacred path, is available to walk and thus experience a sacred moment.
The staff at Queenswood offers retreats of many types which vary in length
from one day to thirty or more. Private and directed retreats are available
throughout the year upon request. The facility also houses a library featuring
books on theology, spirituality, scripture and liturgy. These are
accessible for retreatants and other clients, many of whom are from the
near-by University of Victoria.
Queenswood supports a culture of non-violence
and reaches out to all, but especially to women.
Individual Sisters in other locations also offer
retreats and workshops of various kinds. Many of these gatherings are held
at Glenairley, formerly a country resort in East Sooke.
All this beauty ... and heaven, too!
(Click on door to enter.)
Wholistic Christian Healing
Spiritual Direction is offered by the staff at
Queenswood as well as by many Sisters living elsewhere. Individual
psychological counselling is also offered by a few. Enneagram, Learning
From Conflict and Reiki are some of the workshops that bring about healing
and emphasize Christian values.
Administration Centre
After Saint Ann's Academy in Victoria closed its
doors in 1974, a new administration centre was needed. One was found at
1550
Begbie Street. close to the downtown area.
Administration work is as necessary to a Congregation
as a tap root is to a tree. Leadership is vital for effective ministry
and support groups are necessary for effective leadership. At the Administration
Centre, leadership and support staff work together. From this centre, communications
link the province to the congregation as a whole and to the individual
Sisters.
Hospitality
Although hospitality is a Christian virtue practised
by everyone, it is a special ministry for those living at Mount
Saint Angela. Both active and semi-retired Sisters minister there.
Originally an Anglican girls' school, Mount Saint Angela was purchased
by the Sisters of Saint Ann for an infirmary. When Saint Ann's Residence
was completed in 1983, the infirmary Sisters were moved there. Today, the
set-up of Mount Saint Angela allows for limited bed and breakfast service
and other hospitality ventures.
Social Issues
The Sisters of Saint Joseph's Province have always
supported First Nations people. Presently, this is being done through the
Kateri Tekakwitha Centre, Vancouver, B.C. and the Tekakwitha Conference
National Centre, Great Falls, Montana. In the Kootenays, one Sister
interacts with people on several reserves. Since the 1980's, the Sisters
of Saint Ann have minstered in the Canadian North. Besides these mainline
ministries, several Sisters have contacts with First Nations friends whom
they have met over the years.
Welcome to Kateri Centre!
(Click on door to enter.)
Prison Chaplaincy
Acting as Chaplain at a minimal security prison,
a Sister, with a support group, teaches about restorative justice. Prison
chaplaincy is a ministry that has grown from basic visitations to networking
with law enforcement agencies, Parole Boards, half-way houses, repeat offenders,
pedophiles, etc. In conjunction with this work, education in non-violence
is promoted.
Advocacy
In today's world the voiceless need a voice. The
Sisters join in advocacy movements, such as School of the Americas, Citizens
for Public Justice, Amnesty International, The Church Council on
Justice and Corrections, etc. Our Social Justice Committee keeps the Sisters
informed about critical issues and suggest appropriate actions. Women's
issues always receive priority as do environmental concerns.
Literacy
Venerable Marie Anne Blondin, herself illiterate
until a young adult, is an encouraging model for Sisters who teach people
stuggling with literacy problems. Assisting refugees and other immigrants
"opens doors" to a literate future thus enabling them to fit into their
new Canadian culture. Even the work of one person in this ministry
improves the lives of many people.
Archives
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The ministry of the Archives entails living in
the past, present and future. The Sisters of Saint Ann Archives for Saint
Joseph's Province, are located at the Administraiton Centre. Interaction
with researchers of many categories is a precious opportunity for on-going
education. |
Arts/Crafts/Music
The ministry of writing and publishing is an authentic
ministry, especially in this technological age. Several of our Sisters
have publications to their credit. Each of these publications has been
a means of outreach to many people.
Right from the beginning, art and music were an
integral part of the school curriculum or taught through private lessons.
To do so, Sisters fostered their gifts. Today, Sisters are still encouraged
to use their gifts for personal fulfillment and minisry enrichment.
