Bishop Thomas Ryan had paid $16,000.00 for the property and had coordinated all of the needed renovations and expenses to house the Sisters of St. Joseph at this location. Residents in the area had always referred to this portion of the river as ‘the lake’, so when it came time to rename the property, Bishop Ryan named it ‘’St. Joseph’s-on-the-Lake”. Forty acres were under cultivation at the time but the house on the property was an ancient structure, too small for a Motherhouse. By September 14, 1921 four Sisters had moved into the renovated farmhouse on this site. Within a week, twelve postulants were received. In the years to follow, many more Sisters would join the Congregation at the Pembroke site. In 1953, construction began on the large Motherhouse that was located at 1127 Pembroke Street West (part of the initial 147 acres). The local Congregation’s community membership numbered 215 at its highest peak in the 1960s.
This original farm was fully functional with horses, cattle, hens, and pigs. The novices and postulants were very much involved in its day-to-day activities while the professed Sisters were teaching within the local community. Gathering the eggs, plucking the chickens, milking the cows, churning the butter, washing the milk and cream separator, and weeding the gardens were regular duties. What a challenge for those young Sisters who had never lived on a farm! One Sister recalled laundry days – using a hand-turning object inside tubs to clean the laundry, and then the irons were heated on a wood stove. This same Sister recalled the ‘roothouse’ and retreating to it to enjoy the coolness and singing amongst the vegetables. She continued this ministry of music and song for the Congregation with her beautiful voice throughout her life with the Sisters of St. Joseph.
For many of these Sisters, the Pembroke Motherhouse was their first home away from home. After a discernment process of prayer, they felt called to dedicate their lives to God as religious Sisters.
One of the many stories that have been passed down is about a Sister from England who was sent out by the cook to gather the eggs from the hen house. After what must have seemed a disproportionate amount of time, the Sister returned empty-handed. When asked to explain, she said that she had knocked repeatedly on the hen house and that no one was answering!
Bishop Ryan, who presided over the destiny of the Pembroke Diocese from 1916-1937, had a dream that every child in the Diocese would have access to a Catholic education, no matter how small and remote the area might be. Consequently, many Sisters were dispatched daily to Catholic schools in the area. These schools were located in Pembroke, Petawawa, Deep River, Renfrew, Barry’s Bay, Douglas, and small Quebec locations, to name a few, providing a vital service and access to a valuable religious education. Many Sisters had long and full teaching careers in Renfrew County. A later article will fully cover the many places that our Sisters taught.
Alongside the teaching profession, our Sisters provided nursing, counseling, administration, and various other ministries within our community and beyond.
