Meet Mary Edmondstone, Companion of the Sisters of St.
Joseph of Hamilton
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Mary Edmondstone
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I am a wife, mother, parish minister and Companion of the
Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton.
A YOUNG GIRL
The Sisters of St. Joseph have always been a presence in
my life. As a young girl, I visited my great-aunt, Sister
Dominica Blake at Morrow Park. I remember over the years,
many Sisters coming in and taking my brother and me on tours
of Morrow Park or down the hall to get a cookie or a drink
while my parents visited. The hospitality of the Sisters nurtured
a desire to respond to the kindness shown to me. One day,
when I was seven, we were invited by Sister Dominica to stay
for lunch. After lunch, John and I decided that we would clear
the trays from the table at which we were sitting. The Sisters
at other tables noticed what we were doing and praised us,
so my brother began to clear their trays. They were so delighted
by this that they gave John all the loose change that they
had in their pockets – a few pennies or a nickel. I,
of course, wanted to get in on the action, and by the end
of lunch, we had taken away every tray and made 96 cents.
I was thrilled to have earned my first ‘wages’,
but the sense that I had done something for someone else that
was noticed and praised was a much bigger gift.
A UNIVERSITY STUDENT
While I was never taught by the Sisters in elementary or
high school, I was fortunate to be accepted into residence
at St. Joseph’s College, when I began to study nursing
at the University of Toronto. St. Joe’s became my home
away from home, and while I remember lots of fun and hard
work, some of my most vivid memories are of celebrating Mass
with the Sisters and other students. The sense of peace and
community was an important anchor for me in the midst of the
stress of exams and essays.
During the summers that I was at university, I worked at
St. Joseph’s Villa in Dundas, as a health care aide.
It was the best job that I ever had! I was encouraged to spend
time with the residents and to talk with them. I quickly discovered
that each conversation with a resident was really a gift,
for I always learned from their wisdom.
After graduation, I worked at St. Michael’s Hospital
in Toronto. Our patients came from all walks of life; many
were homeless. The sense of respect and the dignity of each
person was the philosophy that grounded the care that we gave
to each patient.
A PARISH MINISTER
In 1993, we moved to Burlington and became members of Holy
Rosary parish. One of the first people I met was the parish
minister, Sister Rosanne Logel. I was intrigued by the idea
that a lay woman could be involved in paid ministry in the
Church. Sister Rosanne saw my desire to take a more active
role in parish life and nurtured and encouraged it by asking
me to be a member of the RCIA team. My thirst to know more
and my experience with RCIA led me to Regis College and I
graduated in 2003 with a Masters of Divinity. I now work as
a parish minister at St. Matthew Parish in Oakville. My primary
areas of responsibility are ministry to the sick and RCIA.
During my years of study, I struggled with the concept of
forgiveness and the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph appealed
to me. My parents were Companions and they spoke in glowing
terms of their experience. When I was asked to think about
becoming a Companion, I immediately agreed. I have been a
Companion for three years and I am so grateful for the opportunity
to gather once a month to pray, to reflect, and to share our
stories and our wisdom as we try to apply the maxims and the
Gospel to our daily lives.
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