Sister M. Joseph Fox is remembered as one of the most outstanding educators in our Newfoundland Mercy history.
Irish-born Jane Fox arrived in St. John’s on October 21, 1881 to join the Sisters of Mercy, was received as Sister M. Joseph in March of 1882 and made profession of vows in April of 1884. She spent most of her religious life at Mercy Convent on Military Road, first teaching at Angels’ Guardian School and then at Our Lady of Mercy School, later known as Our Lady of Mercy Academy. Her reputation as an excellent teacher spread far and wide.
In 1898 Sister M. Joseph opened Newfoundland’s first commercial school with only one typewriter and five students. Despite the doubts expressed by many people about the wisdom of this venture, she was convinced that the need was there and that the time was right. Her astute business sense, her connections with the local business community and her firm belief that women had a place in the world of business gave her the drive to forge ahead. Her commercial school flourished, attracting students from all over the island. In a relatively short time, banks, offices and other business establishments in and outside St. John’s were looking for graduates of Sister M. Joseph’s school.
Sister M. Joseph was director of the commercial department of Our Lady of Mercy Academy until her sudden death on September 1, 1930. She was eulogized by all the newspapers of the day and tributes poured in from all sectors of the population.
The Daily News of September 4, 1930 spoke of her thus:
The passing of Sister Mary Joseph Fox removes an educationalist
of more than usual note from our midst, one whom the commercial
life of the city owes a great deal …
After her death, a stained-glass window of St. Jospeh was placed in the chapel of
our former Mercy Convent, a gift from a group of Sister M. Joseph’s former students honoring their teacher and mentor.
More about the contribution of Sisters to business education in the province can be read here
- Read more Sisters stories documenting our Newfoundland Mercy Story
La Hermana M. Joseph Fox es recordada como una de las educadoras más destacadas de la historia de la Misericordia de Terranova.
John’s el 21 de octubre de 1881 para unirse a las Hermanas de la Misericordia, fue recibida como Hermana M. Joseph en marzo de 1882 e hizo la profesión de votos en abril de 1884. Pasó la mayor parte de su vida religiosa en el Convento de la Misericordia en Military Road, primero enseñando en la Escuela de los Ángeles Guardianes y luego en la Escuela de Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia, más tarde conocida como Academia de Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia. Su reputación de excelente profesora se extendió por todas partes.
En 1898, la hermana M. Joseph abrió la primera escuela comercial de Terranova con una sola máquina de escribir y cinco alumnas. A pesar de las dudas expresadas por muchas personas sobre la conveniencia de esta empresa, ella estaba convencida de que existía la necesidad y de que era el momento adecuado. Su astuto olfato para los negocios, sus conexiones con la comunidad empresarial local y su firme convicción de que las mujeres tenían un lugar en el mundo de los negocios le dieron el impulso necesario para seguir adelante. Su escuela de comercio floreció y atrajo a estudiantes de toda la isla. En relativamente poco tiempo, bancos, oficinas y otros establecimientos comerciales dentro y fuera de St. John’s buscaban graduadas de la escuela de la hermana M. Joseph.
La Hermana M. Joseph fue directora del departamento comercial de la Academia de Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia hasta su repentina muerte el 1 de septiembre de 1930. Fue elogiada por todos los periódicos de la época y le llovieron homenajes de todos los sectores de la población.
El Daily News del 4 de septiembre de 1930 hablaba así de ella:
El fallecimiento de la Hermana Mary Joseph Fox elimina a una educadora…
a la que la vida comercial de la ciudad debe mucho…
comercial de la ciudad le debe mucho…
Después de su muerte, se colocó una vidriera de San José en la capilla de nuestro antiguo Convento de la Misericordia.
Jospeh en la capilla del antiguo Convento de la Misericordia, regalo de un grupo de antiguas alumnas de la Hermana M. Joseph en honor de su maestra y mentora.
Puede leer más sobre la contribución de las Hermanas a la educación empresarial en la provincia aquí
- Lea más historias de Hermanas que documentan nuestra Historia de Misericordia de Terranova
The Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland have just completed an Assembly, August 21- 23. The theme of the Assembly was “Mercying Together into the Future.” 
Although she denies it, Sister Elizabeth Davis, a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland and Labrador, is becoming a Canadian icon: in education, in healthcare, in leadership development, in social policy and in religious studies, in Canada and abroad. With teaching appointments and participation on many boards and commissions, she leaves a trail of wisdom, quiet successes and vocal fans in her wake. In 2001, she won the Catholic Health Care Association of Canada’s Performance Citation Award and the Canadian Healthcare Association’s Award for Excellence in Distinguished Service. Those were followed by an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Memorial University of Newfoundland, induction into the Alpha Sigma Nu Honour Society of Jesuit Educational Institutions and an appointment as a Member of the Order of Canada in 2004. Recently, the University of Toronto’s Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation selected Sister Elizabeth as Leader of the Year for 2006. Ken Tremblay caught up with Sister Elizabeth at St. Augustine’s Seminary in Toronto, where she is currently teaching a course titled Introduction to the Old Testament.
Each Sunday in Advent, Sr. Elizabeth Davis and her fellow Mercy sisters light a candle on their cosmic Advent wreath adorned with shells, pinecones, rocks and colorful ribbons. 
Her love for all humanity was not confined to her choral work. She has been a tireless advocate of the dignity of the homeless, the poor, and the physically and mentally frail. She initiated a multi-faith committee that crossed denominational boundaries to spearhead the distribution of food and clothes to the less fortunate in the City of St. John’s.
The purpose of this study was to trace the work of the sisters of Mercy in Newfoundland in the field of business education. The Sisters began their work in the late 1800’s, when they first introduced business education courses into the curriculum of their convent schools. Their work continued until the mid-1900’s, when they began phasing out the formal business education programs which they had developed over the years in their schools. Their activities in this area constitute an important and lasting contribution to the field of business education. There has been no previous in-depth scholarly investigation into this aspect of the Sisters’ work. Therefore, a study of the Sisters’ contribution to this field is long overdue.
Since 1842, the Sisters of Mercy had been ministering to the sick, poor and needy of St. John’s, thus when this established tradition of care was redirected toward hospital patients it was not difficult for St. Clare’s to live up to the motto “Mercy Above All.” Accordingly, St. Clare’s became home to Newfoundland’s first alcohol and detoxification centre and its first palliative care unit, and absorbed the chronic care of tuberculosis patients following closure of the city’s sanatorium; from 1922 until the obstetrics unit closed 70 years later, 83 000 babies were delivered…”
The Pope was expressing his appreciation for the attorneys’ commitment to developing a legal framework aimed at protecting the environment.
El Papa estaba expresando su aprecio por el compromiso de los abogados para desarrollar un marco jurídico destinado a proteger el medio ambiente.