Coady Institute welcomed members of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Martha to campus July 16. The visit was a part the Antigonish Heritage Museum’s launch of “Gospel Hospitality in Action: Sisters of St. Martha in the Antigonish Area.”
More than 20 Sisters, and 100 members of the community were on hand for the official opening at the museum. Afterwards many walked, or bused, to Coady which occupies the original Motherhouse of the Marthas who are celebrating their 125th anniversary this year. Once at Coady, all gathered in the Riley Lounge, the original Motherhouse Chapel, for lemonade and cookies.
Coady Institute Executive Director Eileen Alma spoke of the deep connections between Coady and the Sisters of St. Martha in her welcome. The Martha’s were an important part of the Antigonish Movement and the StFX Extension Department, Coady International Institute, and now Coady Institute.
Two members of the congregation, Sister Marie Michael MacKinnon and Sister Irene Doyle (Sister Mary Anselm) came to work at the Extension Department in the 1930s and various times afterwards.
Sister Marie Michael organized women’s study clubs and supplied them with information, editing the women’s page in the Extension Bulletin, writing and giving speeches, and assisting with the Extension Department library. She later became the first librarian at the Coady and today the library is named in her memory.
Sister Irene was an unofficial co-director of the Women and Work section of the Extension Department. Officially, she oversaw the promotion of handicrafts; the job required her to provide and distribute study materials, teach at short courses and conferences, and organize exhibits.
Coady Institute continues to partner with the Marthas on several initiatives including the Institute’s Peacebuilding program and the Coady Chair in Social Justice. Those in the Antigonish area can check out the Antigonish Heritage Museum’s exhibit, open now through Fall 2025.