Sister Charlotte celebrated on Thursday, September 17, with the residents at Windsor Court in Fredericton, NB. Outsiders were not permitted to join her for the festive afternoon tea. A few friends gathered outside, on the back patio, to greet Sister in the early evening, after supper. Charlotte enjoyed her special day. She is grateful for the cards and good wishes she received. Someday, after COVID-19, we may be able to have a real party, a big one, to properly mark today’s milestone.
Recently, I had the opportunity to have lunch at The Convent. For those of you who may not know, that is the new name given to the New Dawn Centre for Arts and Culture, the former Holy Angels Convent in Sydney. No, I was not downstairs in the old kitchen; I was upstairs in the new Better Bite Café, in the space that once was the sisters’ community room. This café is but one of the many projects operating out of our former Congregation de Notre-Dame convent. It is a venture whose profits go back into funding some of New Dawn’s valued community undertakings, many of which would be dear to the heart of former Congregation de Notre-Dame residents, and very much in keeping with our continued mission of liberating education. New Dawn’s mission of creating a culture of self-reliance through social innovation translates into creating an environment in The Convent for the development of music, art, and drama, not to mention providing culinary education and training for the healthy “meals on wheels” program and other socially conscious endeavours.
Following the announcement, last May, of the passing of Sister Louise Côté (S.S.-Claire-des-Anges), the sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame had to postpone the funeral due to the health measures imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The ceremony in memory of Sister Louise is therefore taking place on September 17, 2020.
