Sister Simone Batte CSJ
Florence Leona (Sister Simone) was born on November 7, 1932, in Walkerton, Ontario. She worked as a secretary at the Royal Bank of Canada in Calgary, General Motors in Detroit, and Labatt’s in London before entering the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph on February 2, 1960, when she was given the name Sister Simone.
Sister Simone continued in administrative roles at St. Joseph’s Hospitals in Sarnia and Chatham and at Mount St. Joseph Academy in London. In 1972, she moved into pastoral care at St. Pius X Parish in London and Holy Rosary Parish in Windsor, where her presence was a source of comfort and encouragement. In 1981, Sister Simone began chaplaincy ministry at University Hospital, serving in the Heart/Lung Transplant and Cardiac Care units. There, she accompanied patients, families, and staff through moments of hope, uncertainty, and sorrow. She often described those years as the most life-giving of her ministry—and among the best of her life. In retirement, Sister Simone served as a pastoral visitor at St. Michael’s Parish and St. Mary’s Hospital in London, offering a prayerful presence and support.
A lover of the arts, she was a member of the Grand Theatre Ushers’ Club and an alumna of the Earle Terry Singers. A devoted gardener, Sister Simone revered the earth as sacred.
In her later years, she found her deepest peace among growing things, tending “her meadow” with loving care. It was there, close to creation, that her spirit felt most at home—and it is there that her spirit continues to dwell, gently reminding us of God’s presence in all living things.
Expressions of sympathy or donations to the works of the Congregation in memory of Sister Simone Batte may be made at www.csjcanada.org.