Saint Paul University receives a $2.5 million donation for its new Providence School of Transformative Leadership and Spirituality

Today, Saint Paul University (SPU) held a very special celebration to thank and recognize the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul of Kingston, Ontario, for their cornerstone gift, launching the new Providence School of Transformative Leadership and Spirituality.

The first of its kind in Canada, the Providence School of Transformative Leadership and Spirituality (the School) will be uniquely positioned to address a growing national and international need for preparing purposeful and committed leaders – whether they are from the not-for-profit, governmental or educational sectors – to integrate into their professional practice the values of social justice, enhanced human development, sustainability, diversity and inclusion.

"We sincerely wish to thank the entire congregation of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul for their generous donation to our University. The School will perpetuate the congregation’s mission by engaging transformative leaders, organizations, communities and institutions towards building a stronger, more inclusive and more humane global society.” said SPU Rector, Dr. Chantal Beauvais.

The Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul were founded in Kingston in 1861 to serve marginalized and highly impoverished persons. The congregation expanded across Canada, founding hospitals, schools, orphanages, long-term care homes and hostels, as well as ministries in Guatemala and Peru. Sharing their spiritual, human and financial resources, the Sisters continue to empower the vulnerable and promote justice and peace for all creation.

“The congregation in some way wanted to honour our Sisters, past and present, who through education ministry witnessed to our Charism over the 156 years of our existence. We came to the conclusion that all of us are educators, no matter what ministry we have been involved in. We are pleased to partner with Saint Paul University in this way.” said Sr. Sandra Shannon, General Superior of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul.

Saint Paul University is the founding college of the University of Ottawa (1848), with which it has maintained a federation since 1965. Bilingual and on a human scale, it offers programs in Social Communication, Counseling and Psychotherapy , Canon Law, Public Ethics, Conflict Studies, Social Innovation, Philosophy, Human Relations and Theology.

Saint Paul University receives a $2.5 million donation for its new Providence School of Transformative Leadership and Spirituality

From left to right
Manal Guirguis-Younger (Dean Faculties of Human Sciences and Philosophy), Sister Fatima, Miriam K Martin (Associate Professor, Director of the School of Transformative Leadership), Sister Sandra Shannon, SP (General Superior, Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul), Chantal Beauvais (Rector), The Honourable Catherine McKenna MP and Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Soeur Rachelle Watier, SCO (General Animator, Sisters of Charity of Ottawa).