Sr. Emiline Pena, SGM, retires from the Catholic hospital established in Saskatoon by the Grey Nuns of Montreal
By Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News
At a noon-hour celebration in the cafeteria of St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon Oct. 17, 2024, staff member Sr. Emiline Pena, SGM, was honoured on her retirement.
Pena, who has a degree in theology from St. Paul’s University in Ottawa, arrived from Edmonton in 2014 to work at St. Paul’s Hospital as a Spiritual Care associate. In the 1990s, she also worked in information services at the hospital. With her retirement, the staff of St. Paul’s Hospital no longer includes any consecrated religious women from her order, the Grey Nuns of Montreal.
Sr. Emiline Pena, SGM (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
St. Paul’s Hospital was originally established and then operated for many years by the Grey Nuns of Montreal, the order founded by St. Marguerite d’Youville, whose feast day Oct. 16 is marked each year during St. Paul’s Hospital’s annual Mission Week.
Special guests at the celebration Oct. 17 included representatives of the Grey Nuns from across Canada, who were honoured with several presentations.
The program also marked the centennial of the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue at St. Paul’s Hospital. Over the past 100 years, the statue has moved from the roof of the hospital building to its front entrance, with plans for its placement in a new prominent location once renovations at the hospital’s entrance are complete.
Dr. Mary Heilman presented a slide show about the history of the statue of Jesus, which arrived at St. Paul’s Hospital in 1924. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News) NOTE: see slides posted below
History of St. Paul’s Hospital:
St. Paul’s Hospital has its roots in 18th-century Montreal when the young widow Marguerite d’Youville began caring for the sick and homeless in her area. Other compassionate women joined her, eventually becoming the “Grey Nuns of Montreal,” who set up and operated hospitals across Canada.
In 1907 two Grey Nuns — Sr. Guay and Sr. Phaneuf — travelled from St. Boniface, Manitoba to raise funds, stopping in Saskatoon, which was experiencing a typhoid epidemic. Oblate priests who were struggling to care for the sick convinced them to stay. The house of local physician Dr. Willoughby (situated at what is now the entrance to the hospital visitor’s parking lot), served as the first St. Paul’s Hospital building in 1907. Five years later, a permanent hospital was built.
In 1931 a residence for nurses in training was built and served that purpose until 1969. Today, the former residence is home to hospital administration, including offices for Saskatoon Health Region, and several community-based service groups.
In 1995, St. Paul’s Hospital entered an affiliation agreement with Saskatoon District Health (incorporated into the Saskatoon Regional Health Authority which transitioned to the Saskatchewan Health Authority in 2017).
In 1999, the Grey Nuns transferred ownership of St. Paul’s Hospital to the Saskatchewan Catholic Health Corporation to Emmanuel Health, which is owned by the Catholic bishops of Saskatchewan. Emmanuel Health Inc., a Saskatchewan Catholic health organization that governs 12 publicly funded non-profit Catholic Health Care facilities across the province.
Excerpts from St. Paul’s Hospital website: www.stpaulshospital.org/about/history
Photos:
Gathering in the hospital cafeteria before the Oct. 17, 2024 celebration. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
(Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
(Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
(Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
(Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
Painting of St. Marguerite D’Youville, who founded the Grey Nuns of Montreal religious order of consecrated women. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
A program was held in the hospital cafeteria to mark several milestones during St. Paul’s Hospital Mission Week 2024. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
(Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
The iconic statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that arrived at St. Paul’s Hospital in 1924 is featured on a cake served during the Oct. 17 celebration. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
Cutting the cake for the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the statue of Jesus at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
Members of the religious order that founded St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon, the Grey Nuns of Montreal (SGM). (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
Consecrated women from other religious orders also attended the celebration Oct. 17 at St. Paul’s Hospital. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
Blake Sittler of the St. Paul’s Hospital Mission Office. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
(Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
Dr. Corey Miller, President of Emmanuel Health spoke via video. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
(Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
Presentation to Sr. Emiline Pena, SGM. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
Flowers representing the Prairie Lily symbol of Saskatchewan were presented to all the Grey Nuns of Montreal present at the Oct. 17 celebration at St. Paul’s Hospital. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
Gratitude for the Grey Nuns of Montreal and their charism of Catholic health care that continues at St. Paul’s Hospital was expressed during the program Oct. 17. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
Lecina Hicke, St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation CEO, (left) announced the establishment of a new “Grey Nuns Award for Community Building and Advocacy” named in honour of the Grey Nuns of Montreal, with a certificate accepted by Sr. Carol Boreson, SGM. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
(Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
Sr. Emiline Pena, SGM, is the last Grey Nun to serve on the staff at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
Fr. Marvin Lishchynsky, Vicar General for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon, brought greetings on behalf of Bishop Mark Hagemoen to the Oct. 17 event at St. Paul’s Hospital. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
Slides – the 100th anniversary of the Sacred Heart statue:
(Images courtesy of St. Paul’s Hospital
Drawing showing the planned placement of the Statue of the Sacred Heart at St. Paul’s Hospital (red circle) upon completion of renovations to the front entrance. (Images courtesy of St. Paul’s Hospital)
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Kiply Lukan Yaworski is the coordinator of Communications for the Roman Catholic Dicoese of Saskatoon: rcdos.ca
Communications and Catholic Saskatoon News are s upported by donations to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal: dscf.ca//baa