Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto and the Orillia Community

We the Clergy, Staff and Parishioners of the Orillia Family of Catholic Churches extend our sincere gratitude to the Sisters of Saint Joseph for their dedicated service to our community. May the Good Lord continue to bless them all.

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto first came to Orillia in 1903 to establish a teaching mission. Guardian Angels’ late pastor, Archdeacon Kenneth Campbell, had left money in his will for the building of a convent and stipulated that the Sisters of St. Joseph be asked to take charge of Guardian Angels School. With the support of Dean Moyna, the current pastor at the time and Archbishop Denis O’Connor, the Sisters accepted this invitation and arrangements were made to build a convent beside the rectory.

A house was built on Penetang Street and in August 1903 Father Moyna and his parishioners welcomed six Sisters to Orillia including four school teachers and one music teacher. These women continued the splendid work of the many lay teachers who taught over the years and who had established Orillia’s first Catholic school in the 1850s.

The Sisters of St. Joseph taught at Guardian Angels School from 1903 to 1969 and at St. Bernard’s School in its first year of operation in 1957 and at Monsignor Lee School in 1965. In 1969, the Congregation decided to withdraw their sisters from the school and close the convent but their presence in Orillia continued with their Invermara property just off Atherley Road at 200 Invermara Court.

In October 1941 Invermara was purchased by the congregation as a summer residence for the then almost 500 members of the Toronto Congregation. Invermara, as a peaceful haven on the northern shores of Lake Simcoe, provided all the Sisters with needed rest and relaxation over the summer months. The Sisters appreciated the help of the women in the parish in those early days and are grateful for the ongoing support of the many parishioners who were in business in Orillia.

Beginning in the early 1970s, the property was used by the congregation as a place for spiritual enrichment and reflection throughout the year. From the 1980s to the present day, the congregation welcomed new groups to Invermara including high school students on retreat and the CSJ Associates, particularly the Orillia Lalemant group that was established in 1983. In recent years, the Sisters have been grateful to be a part of the worshipping community of Guardian Angels and St. Columbkille.

Sister Georgette Gregory, Congregational Leader, announced in June that “We are delighted that the Archdiocese of Toronto has purchased Invermara and will continue our longstanding tradition of hospitality, prayer and welcome in this tranquil setting. It is heartening to know this property will live on in a similar spirit for years to come.” The Archdiocese will take possession of the property on October 1, 2024.

Submitted by Linda Wicks

Congregational Archivist, Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto

John Mulhall [Archdiocese of Toronto] Sister Mary Anne McCarthy, Sister Pat Boucher, Sister Georgette Gregory, Archbishop Francis Leo in the Chapel at Invermara