HOSPITALITY, FRIENDSHIP AND FAREWELLS

The Toronto community of Our Lady's Missionaries

By Sr. Therese MacDonald, O.L.M.
Summer 2002

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Members of the Toronto community of Our Lady’s Missionaries in this year, 2002, are still welcoming into their hearts many friends, old and new. These include our Sisters from afar, coming home for a holiday, or tired or sick and in need of a well-earned rest.

Adding flavour to our mission in Toronto in the past year have been our missionaries returning for renewal. Sr. Doris MacDonell was inspiring by her acceptance of her illness and her hope of returning to Guyana—a hope that has since been fulfilled. Sr. Myra Trainor added a Philippine colour as she did volunteer work in several spots in the city. Sr. Myra has now returned to the Philippines.

The Sisters returning for shorter visits have been Pauline Doherty from Brazil, Cecile Turner from Guyana, Rosemarie Donovan and Mary Deighan from Nigeria, Christine Gebel, Margaret Walsh and Norma Samar from the Philippines, to say nothing of Rosemary Hughes from her work among Native communities in Le Pas, Manitoba.

Family members, lay helpers, lifelong friends or newly-formed ones daily come to our homes in the Toronto area, on Leander Court, Robina Avenue, the Maryglen residence or Balmoral Avenue.

The telephone rings at the central house on Leander Court and it may change the day. It may be a homeless person asking where he may find a bed for the night on a severe winter evening. Or a new friend whose life’s burdens have become too difficult, may call in the hope that someone will boost his downcast spirits. The list goes on as the outside world expresses the needs of society to our missionary community here in Toronto.

If you see a book, Zen Contemplation, in your local bookstore, it was written by Sr. Elaine Maclnnes. She calls Leander Court her home, but flies around the world quite frequently to visit her Zen followers in the Philippines and England. These people also frequently phone her from overseas. She is interested to begin prison ministry in Canada, as she did in England. Elaine in her 78th year was just made an Officer in the Order of Canada. Not only is she the world’s first female Zen Master, but she also does her share in making our central house a home.

Studying is not just for the young as we discovered when Sr. Noreen Kearns set off for Cleveland for a year’s sabbatical. Noreen, in her 52 years as an Our Lady’s Missionary, still likes to entertain. Her home base is the Robina House where she rests on her holidays as well as visits with her family and her missionary Sisters.

The Maryglen Residence has been a home away from home for nearly 40 years. Thousands of young women studying or working in Toronto’s inner city have lived there. Sr. Joan Missiaen not only administers but also helps create the homey touch to the 60 or so residents. As a member of our community’s leadership team, Joan attends many meetings and visits our Sisters in other mission areas.

In Canada now after a lifetime on several missions, Sr. Catherine Peco, is like the rest of the world, finding ‘the golden age’ not so golden. Yet, Cath, a natural homemaker, puts her gifts to good use at the Robina Avenue house, soon to be closed for a new location in July. She loves to shop and pick up treats for her Sisters. Once a week she hops on the bus to do volunteer work at St. Michael’s Hospital.

Out of The Cold, a program offering meals and overnight housing to the homeless, has become a dream and vision fulfilled for Sr. Susan Moran. Because of this ministry, her face and name appear frequently in the press and on TV. She now lives in a house on Balmoral Avenue where she has welcomed an immigrant family as well as others in need of a home.

A demonstration for social justice in downtown Toronto nearly always sees the smiling face of Sr. Mary Gauthier. Besides serving on our Leadership Team, Mary likes to gather us together for shared prayer. She is the general treasurer for the community and visits schools and parishes to make us better known. When she goes to bed at night she often dreams of new ways she can do fundraising. She takes her turn visiting and helping to renew our Sisters in the developing world.

Toronto East General Hospital’s patients and their families suffering from life-threatening diseases, find a comforting ear in Sr. Marie Clarkson. She gives them inspiration to live ‘til they die. Marie also has other duties as she fills in at our Maryglen residence, puts together our issue of Scarboro Missions magazine and coordinates our mission awareness in the churches of various dioceses of Ontario.

Our community asked Sr. Frances Brady to be on the Leadership Team with Sr. Mary Gauthier and Sr. Joan Missiaen in 1999. These three were instrumental in buying and renovating our new central house on Leander and are now working on a similar project to sell and replace the Robina Avenue house.

But leadership involves more than real estate, contractors’ calls and visits to furniture stores. Frances can be called at any hour for assistance from our Sisters in such interesting places as East Timor, the Philippines, Brazil, Guyana or Nigeria. Her duties also involve visiting these countries and being the main contact person in Canada. Her special interest is ecology.

Always with the dream of returning to Nigeria, which became a reality at the end of January, Sr. Rosemary Williamson had been part of the community at Leander House since its first livable day. She worked hard shopping for all the things needed for a new house. She volunteered on a leadership group for new Canadians. Being in Canada gave her the opportunity of keeping in touch with her 92-year old widowed mother, Rosemary, and visiting her frequently in London, Ontario.

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