Past Forward Spring 2005 1

PROVIDENCE ARCHIVES NEWSLETTERSisters of Providence, Mother Joseph Province • Providence Health System • Providence Services

Spring 2005Vol. 13 No. 1

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Past Forward

Firmly cemented in thebuilding’s foundation,they hold secrets as old

as the edifice itself. Yet peoplewalk by them everyday andseldom glance at their inscrip-

tions. Cornerstones, that is,those marble or granite blocksof stone placed in prominentcorners of each Providencebuilding symbolizing Christ asfoundation of the church.

Cornerstonesare inscribed withthe name anderection date of thebuilding andhollowed out toreceive a smallcopper box filledwith mementos—atime capsule. Inthe Sisters ofProvidencetradition, suchitems can consist ofmedals andstatuettes of Christand saints; photo-graphs of religiouscommunity leaders,the facility,personnel and thearea; coins andcurrent newspapers;letters written to

future administrators; andother items limited only byimagination and space. Thestones are blessed during thededication ceremony.

Over time, as Providencefacilities were divested or torndown, some cornerstones andtheir contents have beentransferred to ProvidenceArchives for indefinite storageor until they can be remountedelsewhere. Recently fourcornerstones were relocatedaround the West Seattlecampus of Providence MountSt. Vincent and Saint JosephResidence.

At the east entrance of thelong-term care complex (called“the Mount”) is the corner-stone for the House ofProvidence which was built onthe grounds in 1924 to serve asprovincial headquarters,novitiate, and infirmary. TheHouse of Providence and itsoperations fully ceased in 1966when Saint Joseph Residencewas built.

Formerly stored on thelower level of ProvidenceMount St. Vincent, Seattle, thebulk of priceless artifactsreflecting the “material culture”of Mother Joseph Provincemade its way this spring to theArchives’ repository at MountSt. Joseph in Spokane. Anestimated 367 sq. feet ofobjects were packed andtransported joining the artifact

Legacy in Stone

collection from the former St.Ignatius Province. Examples ofrelocated artifacts are liturgicalobjects, antique furniture,medical and nursing instru-ments, stained glass windows,and sisters’ memorabilia andworks of art such as thebronze-and-wood crucifixcarved by Sr. Bernard of Jesusat right.

A New Space for Artifacts

continued on p. 2

Cornerstone installation at St. Vincent Home for the Aged, now ProvidenceMount St. Vincent, in West Seattle, July 29, 1923

2 Past Forward Spring 2005

Under a spruce tree on thewestern driveway is thecornerstone that belonged tothe School of Nursing at St.Vincent Hospital in Portland.The school educated nursesfrom 1892 until its officialtransfer to the University ofPortland in the early 1960s.The building was razed in thelate 1970s.

Nestled under trees in thegardens of Saint Joseph

MMMMMother Bother Bother Bother Bother Bernarernarernarernarernard Md Md Md Md Morin: orin: orin: orin: orin: TTTTToooooGGGGGivivivivive Ue Ue Ue Ue Unconditionallynconditionallynconditionallynconditionallynconditionally, 1832-, 1832-, 1832-, 1832-, 1832-1929 1929 1929 1929 1929 by Fernando AliagaRojas, translated by LinaGaudette, S.P., Carte BlancheEditions, 2004.....

The new biographyimmerses us into the life ofMother Bernard Morin,foundress of the Sisters ofProvidence in Chile. Rojasdoes not merely investigate herpersonal life and work withinthe religious congregation, butalso the unique and influentialrole she played in the historyof the Catholic Church of heradopted country. A worthyaddition to the biographies ofProvidence founders.

ErratumIn the last issue (fall2004) the photocaption for the newLeadership Team andProvincial Councilfor Mother JosephProvince incorrectlystated the members’term as four years.The governing groupwill serve for fiveyears beginning thisyear.

Reader’s CornerA CenturA CenturA CenturA CenturA Century of Caring: Ay of Caring: Ay of Caring: Ay of Caring: Ay of Caring: APPPPPictorial Hictorial Hictorial Hictorial Hictorial Historistoristoristoristory of Altay of Altay of Altay of Altay of AltaBBBBBates Sates Sates Sates Sates Summit Mummit Mummit Mummit Mummit MedicaledicaledicaledicaledicalCenterCenterCenterCenterCenter, 2005

The Sisters of Providence,considered “founding visionar-ies” of this East Bay, Calif.,healthcare facility, figureprominently in the commemo-rative book celebrating over100 years of service to theOakland and Berkeleycommunities. Providencebegan its work in 1902 andlasted until 1992 when thefacility became Summit. Thebook is an extended anddetailed timeline that includesnumerous archival photo-graphs and historical facts andstories.

Legacy in SLegacy in SLegacy in SLegacy in SLegacy in Stonetonetonetonetonecontinued from p. 1

Contents of the Mount’s1923 cornerstone box wereexamined by (l-r) Srs. PhiliasDenis, Joseph of Arimathea,Mary Dolorita, BeatriceDuval, Mary Priscilla Frank(1968)

Residence can be found thecornerstone for Providence

Heights,College of SisterFormation,located inIssaquah, Wash.The collegeoffered ad-vanced degreeprograms forwomen religiousfor nearly eightyears until itclosed in 1969.Nearby anothernursing school

is represented by the corner-stone from Providence

New titles relating to thehistory of the Sisters ofProvidence:

Removing cornerstone for the Schoolof Nursing at Providence Oaklandprior to demolition (1975)

Mother Judith Lang with Bp. EgidioVagnozzi, Apostolic Delegate, andother clergy at the blessing of Provi-dence Heights cornerstone (1961)

Hospital, Oakland, Calif.,founded in 1904.

Another corner-stone, in place formany years, rests in theupper garden behindSaint Joseph Residence.It is the original 1923stone for the Mount,inscribed with itsformer name of St.Vincent Home for theAged.

On your next strollon the grounds of theMount keep your eyesout for these newreminders of ourpast.—LG

Past Forward Spring 2005 3

For most women in the19th and early 20thcenturies, work outside

the home and farm—muchless a career—was an optionthat was very foreign. But asindustrialization spread,immigration grew,education improved,and attitudes shifted,large numbers of thembegan entering theworkplace. A professionthat saw a spike inmembership as itmodernized was thefield of nursing. TheSisters of Providence,many of them pioneer-ing nurses themselves,

paved the way formany would-be caregivers by buildingschools of nursingaffiliated with theirhospitals.

The impact of theseschools was felt innursing education andpractice and in the

area’s health care. Likewisethe impact on archival

collecting of closed schools’photographs and records hasbeen abundant and wide-ranging. An excellent exampleis the student portrait collec-tion from the School of

Nursing at ProvidenceHospital, Seattle.

Numbering a total of1,057 photographs, portraitsof students from 1913 to 1960were glued on unwieldy woodpanels measuring three by twofeet and weighing about 20

Seattle Area Archivists is alocal group devoted to provid-ing continuing education forarchivists, offering opportuni-ties for student involvement inarchives, and sharing informa-tion and establishing connec-tions as professionals. Theorganization is 20 years old thisyear and will celebrate itsanniversary in the summer. Itwas launched when the firstmembers that included

PPPPPICTURINGICTURINGICTURINGICTURINGICTURING P P P P PRRRRROOOOOVIDENCEVIDENCEVIDENCEVIDENCEVIDENCEby Peter F. Schmid, C.A., Assistant Archivist for Visual Resources

provincial archivists Sr.Rita Bergamini andLoretta Greene met atProvidence’s St. JosephResidence in WestSeattle. Since Octoberthe group has beenchaired by our veryown Peter Schmid.

It is co-sponsoringin May the workshop“UnderstandingArchives: An Introduc-

tion to Principlesand Practices,” aneducational programof the Society ofAmerican Archivists.Seattle AreaArchivists is proudto have offeredcomplimentaryregistration to adeserving member.

Archivists Take Lead

From Panels to Pixels

A portrait panel from Providence Seattle’s School ofNursing. Bottom: Gail Parson, class of 1960. Top:Ruth Marshall, class of 1913

pounds each.Needless to sayreproducing thephotographswas extremelydifficult. Thus

digitalimagingand cataloging of eachphoto became necessary.The in-house projecttook two weeks tocomplete. As a resultstaff can now search forportraits by name or yearusing the Archives imagedatabase.

Digitization hasallowed us to provideportraits and otherinformation to research-ers, many havinggenealogical interest inrelatives who attended

the school. In fact, previousrequests for photos that werethought inaccessible have beenfulfilled much to the delight ofthe researcher. Through theseimages the progress of womenin nursing is made real andpersonal.

Peter Schmid,Seattle AreaArchivistschairman

A column highlighting archival photographs and other resources that provide visual documentation of theSisters of Providence. Peter selects notable materials from the collection of over 50,000 photographs and relatesor interprets the stories behind them. He can be reached at 206-923-4012 or peter.schmid@providence.org.

4 Past Forward Spring 2005

Providence Archives

4800 37th Ave SW

Seattle WA 98126-2793

ArchivistLoretta Greene, M.A., C.A.

Assistant ArchivistVisual ResourcesPeter Schmid, C.A.

Assistant ArchivistJ. Norman Dizon

Telephone: 206-937-4600Fax: 206-923-4001E-mail:archives@providence.orgInternet:www.providence.org/phs/archives

Past Forward is published inthe spring, summer and fall.Editing and design:J. Norman Dizon

Postage

2005: A Year of Providence AnniversariesCongratulations tofacilities and ministriescelebrating foundinganniversaries or anniversa-ries of sponsorship byMother Joseph Province.

125 yearsSSSSSt. Mt. Mt. Mt. Mt. Mararararary My My My My Medical Centeredical Centeredical Centeredical Centeredical Center,,,,,Walla Walla, Wash.

100 yearsPPPPPrrrrrooooovidence Evidence Evidence Evidence Evidence Evvvvverererererett Mett Mett Mett Mett MedicaledicaledicaledicaledicalCenterCenterCenterCenterCenter,Everett, Wash.

50 yearsPPPPPrrrrrooooovidence Hvidence Hvidence Hvidence Hvidence High Schooligh Schooligh Schooligh Schooligh School,Burbank, Calif.

20 yearsVVVVVincent Hincent Hincent Hincent Hincent Houseouseouseouseouse,Seattle, Wash.PPPPPrrrrrooooovidence Hvidence Hvidence Hvidence Hvidence Houseouseouseouseouse,Yakima, Wash.

15 yearsSSSSSt. Jt. Jt. Jt. Jt. Joseph Moseph Moseph Moseph Moseph Medical Centeredical Centeredical Centeredical Centeredical Center,Polson, Mont.HHHHHeritage Heritage Heritage Heritage Heritage House at theouse at theouse at theouse at theouse at theMMMMMarararararketketketketket,Seattle, Wash.

10 yearsLa PLa PLa PLa PLa Papalota Localapalota Localapalota Localapalota Localapalota LocalCommunityCommunityCommunityCommunityCommunity,El SalvadorVVVVVashon Community Carashon Community Carashon Community Carashon Community Carashon Community CareeeeeCenterCenterCenterCenterCenter,Vashon Island, Wash.PPPPPrrrrrooooovidence Hvidence Hvidence Hvidence Hvidence Houseouseouseouseouse,Portland, Ore.DDDDDeer Peer Peer Peer Peer Pararararark Hk Hk Hk Hk Hospitalospitalospitalospitalospital,Deer Park, Wash.PPPPPrrrrrooooovidence Hvidence Hvidence Hvidence Hvidence Horizorizorizorizorizon Hon Hon Hon Hon Houseouseouseouseouse,Anchorage, AlaskaPPPPPrrrrrooooovidence Evidence Evidence Evidence Evidence ElderPlderPlderPlderPlderPlacelacelacelacelace,Seattle, Wash.

5 yearsBBBBBrrrrrookside Mookside Mookside Mookside Mookside Manoranoranoranoranor,Hood River, Ore.

New facilities in 2005PPPPPrrrrrooooovidence vidence vidence vidence vidence VVVVValdealdealdealdealdez Mz Mz Mz Mz MedicaledicaledicaledicaledicalCenterCenterCenterCenterCenter,Valdez, AlaskaPPPPPrrrrrooooovidence Hvidence Hvidence Hvidence Hvidence Holy Coly Coly Coly Coly CrrrrrossossossossossHHHHHealth Centerealth Centerealth Centerealth Centerealth Center,Valencia, Calif.

The former Monte Cristo Hotel was the home of ProvidenceHospital, Everett, from 1905 to 1924.