The Sisters of St. Martha
Pictured above: St. Mary’s Hospital in Inverness, ca. 1925
After 97 years in this village, the last of Inverness’ Sisters of St. Martha will depart in the coming days to join their order’s presence in Antigonish. With this significant chapter in our local history drawing close, it’s worth looking back upon the rich and storied past of the Sisters of St. Martha.
The story of the Marthas begins in earnest. On July 16, 1900, the first Marthas arrived in Antigonish, leaving the Sisters of Charity in Halifax. They quickly established their congregation on the campus of what was then known as St. Francis Xavier College. The Motherhouse is now a part of the Coady Institute at St.FX University. Realizing the rising need for healthcare services in the region, the Marthas began to focus their efforts on nursing and hospital care when they began their first mission in Glace Bay at the St. Joseph’s Hospital in 1902 and then opened the St. Martha’s Hospital in Antigonish in 1906.
After several decades of expanding their work across the province and the country, the Marthas began diversifying their efforts towards educational needs, as they accepted their first teaching post in the Margaree Forks School in 1925. Meanwhile, the need for medical expertise was quickly growing nearby in the fledgling community of Inverness. As such, on March 25, 1925, Father J.B. Kyte, under the direction of Pastor Rev. Alex Mac Donald, wrote to Mother M. Stanislaus, congregational leader from 1922-1925, requesting the Sisters of St. Martha take charge of the newly constructed St. Mary’s hospital in Inverness. He boasts in his letter that it was one of the finest of its size in Eastern Canada. The previously mentioned St. Mary’s had 40 beds in a 3-story structure, costing $50,000 to build ($850,000 today when adjusted for inflation). On April 4, 1925, Mother Stanislaus responded to Fr. Kyte’s request with a unanimous decision to take charge of St. Mary’s Hospital in the coal mining town on the western shores of Cape Breton. The community had a population of approximately 3000 and growing. The population was 70% Scots and staunch Roman Catholics.
After accepting the invitation to run and administer St. Mary’s, Mother Stanislaus, her council, and Bishop Morrison put the Inverness brigade to work and, by spring, was ready for operation. Their group included Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart MacKinnon Superintendent, Sister Bernardine (Viola) Livingstone, Sister M. Chrisostom (Philomena Loretta) Bates, and Sister M. Veronica (Caroline) Campbell. The Sisters formally opened St. Mary’s Hospital on May 24, 1925, and Bishop James Morrison dedicated it. Since the inception of the nursing sisters, seven members of Stella Maris have joined the order, and 5 sisters from St. Margaret’s. In total, some 67 women from the County answered the call to serve and become part of the fabric of the order.
Funds for the construction of the new hospital were contributed almost entirely by miners of the district, who were deducted $1.00 per pay cheque. The balance came from donations and subscriptions in the county. The first convent for the Marthas was a building on Maple Street, purchased by Fr. Alex Mac Donald with his own funds and now owned by Kevin and Angela Deagle. On May 24, 1932, a staff house for sisters and staff nurses was opened. They would move into this more spacious building, which was the former home of Dr. D.J. Mac Master, and was re-positioned to be adjacent to the St. Mary’s Hospital. By 1937, the hospital saw the beginning of a service contract whereby a subscriber paid $12.00 a year for the following services; hospital accommodation in a public ward for 3 months in one year, and this covered himself, his wife and his dependents under 21 years of age; a reduction of 50% for a private room as well as a 50% charge for x-rays and operating room. Also, from 1939-1943 a Social Service Center was established in the hospital.
In 2000, the Marthas celebrated 100 years as a congregation and 75 years in Inverness. Father Alex Mac Lellan, the former Pastor of Stella Maris and St. Margaret’s, said in his homily that the sisters were called to serve and enjoyed the freedom of serving Jesus in the same manner that St. Martha served, as recorded in the Gospel. “We are all here to serve God… It’s a great privilege to serve the Lord, isn’t it, sisters?” he said.
This year, 122 years after their formation and 97 years of contributions to Inverness, the Marthas will soon disembark from our village. The final two of Inverness’ Marthas, Sister Stella and Sister Lucy, have carried the torch for their order and faith for many years. Their humility, graciousness, hospitality, and selflessness accurately reflect the broader service that many former Marthas in Inverness have given our people. The community will soon gather to bid adieu to the Sisters of St. Martha and wish them Godspeed as they leave us to join many of their fellow sisters in Antigonish. Thanksgiving Mass will be celebrated at Stella Maris on September 18th at 3pm. A reception at the Inverness Firehall will follow this. We wish Sister Lucy, Sister Stella, and all the Marthas nothing but the best in all the days that lie ahead, and may they continue to inspire us all by leading life the Martha Way.
Authored by Terry MacDonald & Ben MacKay
Researched by Jim MacDonald