On December 8, 1856, our pioneering Sisters arrived in the Washington Territory, after venturing west from Montreal.
That year, Sister Joseph called upon all of her gifts and skills, and her deep faith, as she led a group of four Sisters of Providence to the Washington Territory. Their mandate and desire was to care for the poor and the sick, to educate the children, and bring the light of Christ into the lives of all they met.
Bishop Bourget dedicated the new mission to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and bestowed the new name of its young superior; from this time on, she was known as Mother Joseph of the Sacred Heart.
On December 8, after a month of arduous travel by land and sea, the Sisters stepped off a steamboat onto the banks of the Columbia River at Fort Vancouver. Although their arrival was eagerly anticipated, no preparations had been made to house them. A one-room attic in the bishop’s home became the first “convent” for the Sisters.
Women dedicated
The Sisters faced many challenges, including primitive living conditions, treacherous travel and scarce financial resources. Even communicating with their new neighbors was difficult. The French-speaking Mother Joseph had to rely on the translation abilities of two bilingual Sisters in the group until she learned enough English to communicate.
But the pioneer Sisters quickly demonstrated their tenacity and determination, as well as their adaptability. Taking their cue from the interests of the people of Vancouver, the siters opened a boarding school, later known as the Providence Academy. “Schools are needed first of all,” Mother Joseph reported to the Sisters in Montreal.
She also responded the community’s request for a hospital, converting a small building that she had planned to use as a laundry and bakery. In exchange, the women of the town promised to support the care of poor patients, and on June 7, 1858, the Sisters opened St. Joseph Hospital, the first permanent hospital in the Northwest.
Under her leadership 30 facilities to include hospitals, orphanages, homes for the elderly and schools across British Columbia, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon, were established.
A reflection for this historic day
“My dear Sisters, allow me to recommend to you the care of the poor in our houses, as well as those without. Take good care of them; have no fear of them; assist them and receive them. Then, you will have no regrets. Do not say: “Ah! this does not concern me, let others see to them… My sisters, whatever concerns the poor is always our affair.”
– Mother Joseph of the Sacred Heart, Sisters of Providence