Mandate
The Archives' mandate is to identify, collect, organize, preserve, and make available to the administration, the sisters, and others, records and materials which pertain to the origin, history, spirit, ministry, and growth of the Sisters of Charity, Halifax from 1849 to the present day. These include not only the official papers of past administrative officers but also material reflective of the life and works of the Sisters as individuals.
History of the Archives
The first Mount Saint Vincent Motherhouse was destroyed by fire on January 31, 1951. Sister Emmanuel Sullivan carefully reconstructed many of the documents that were lost in the fire using various archives including the Archives of the Propagation of the Faith, the Archives of the Sacred Congregation of Religious, and the Public Archives of Canada.
Sister Francis d'Assisi was appointed Congregational Historian (Archivist) in 1965, a position she held until 1978. Like Sister Emmanuel, she concentrated on the reconstruction and copying of important documents that had been lost in the fire.
Sister Margaret Flahiff assumed the duties of Archivist in 1978. Sister Frances Teresa Martin joined her 1986, and became Archivist in 1990.
The organizational structure of the congregation's heritage facilities changed in 2000. When Sister Frances Teresa retired, Sister Marie Gillen became the Director of Heritage, overseeing the work of both the Archives and the History Room. Joanna Andow, MAS, joined the staff as Archivist. Sister Mary Palardy became Heritage Coordinator when Sister Marguerite Keenan retired in 2001.
Contact Information
Patti Bannister
Congregational Archivist
Email: archives@schalifax.ca
902-406-8136
Mary Palardy, SC
Heritage Coordinator
Email: mpalardy@schalifax.ca
902-406-8138
Mail:
Archives
215 Seton Road
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3M 0C9
Hours of Operation
PLEASE NOTE:
The Archives are located on are open from 8:30 to 4:30, Monday thru Friday.
Access Policy
For access to the documents in the archives, researchers must submit a written proposal to the Archivist either by mail, email, or fax.
The proposal must include:
Who - Name and contact information
What - A brief description of the intended research
Why - Purpose of the research including dissemination
How - Records that are needed (some records are closed to the public)
In some cases, proposals will be submitted to the Congregational Secretary for review. The researcher will be notified of this fact prior to the review.
If you are unable to visit the Archives but wish to request information over the telephone, fax, or email, please provide your name and contact information, and state the nature of your request. A staff member will respond to your request, ordinarily within five work days
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