Rediscovering Sister Mary Evelyn Connor: A Poet’s Voice from the Past
Sister Mary Evelyn (Marie Noella), was a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton. Beyond her dedication to education and healthcare, she was also a gifted poet. Her poems offer a glimpse into her spiritual journey and the contemplative life she led.
In a rare archival recording, Sister Mary Evelyn recites two of her poems, providing a personal and intimate connection to her work. This audio, preserved from an oral history interview, allows us to hear her voice and experience her poetry as she intended.
Here, she recites some of her poetry:
Last Times, July 1930
When I sew on a lace for the last time
When the postulate dress I doff
Then I'll wear the habit forever, never to put it off
When Miss Connor I'm called for the last time
When Evelyn I'll hear no more
Then I'll have a new name forever, till I reach the eternal shore
When I leave my class for the last time
When I give up teaching at last
Then I'll rest from my labors forever
Death will become in Christ
When I receive my God for the last time
When he comes midst faced chimes
Then I’ll rest (audio recording ends, but the remainder of the poem is:)
Then I’ll rest in His Bosom forever
And then there’ll be no more last times.
Novitiate ABC, September 1930
A for the Angelus, three times a day
B for the bell, when you hear it, don't stay
C for canonicals, five of us here
D for our duties, to each of us, dear
E for eternity, a model you'll find
F for the furniture, ours, not mine
G for good, which we try to be
H for holy and happy are we
I for “I mustn't!” I sometimes hear
J for St. Joseph, our patron so dear
K for the kitchen, a place to have bees
L for lecture, don't fall asleep, please
M for our Mother in heaven above
N for Novenas, they make many of
O for the orphans, there are quite a few
P for permission and penances too
Q for questions they must not ask
R, recreation, a real pleasant task
S for sewing, we each have some
T for tomorrow, which may never come
U, it's unnecessary, then we turn
To V for the virtues, we all must learn
W, the waiting to the floor we do
X, the unknown which may happen to you
Y, we all yearn for our heavenly home
And Z, is the zenith of glory will come
This audio recording was able to be digitized in part thanks to the Library and Archives Canada’s Documentary Heritage Communities Program.
