In 1857, Bishop Bernard Donald MacDonald asked the Sisters of the Congrégation de Notre Dame to open a school for girls in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. David Brennan, a generous benefactor of the parish, offered a piece of land and a house in which to hold classes and lodge the founding Sisters: Sister Sainte-Eulalie (Marie-Héloïse Bélanger), Superior, Sister Sainte-Pulchérie (Marguerite Begley), Sister Sainte-Félicité (Marie-Angèle-Marguerite Denis) and Sister Sainte-Claire (Catherine Erly). Brennan also bequeathed part of his fortune for the creation of scholarships. On October 12, 1857, 26 students attended the first day of school at Notre Dame Convent. In the following years, the convent was renovated to meet the needs of an ever-increasing number of students and boarders. In 1866, Sainte-Anne Residence, which included a student’s dormitory, was built near the convent. In 1870, thanks to the generosity and dedication of the people, a new convent was built at 246 Sydney Street. Forty years later, a new wing, which incorporated Sainte-Anne Residence, was built, on Weymouth Street. Notre Dame Convent now included a spacious chapel, a large dormitory, a recreation and reception hall and a modern laundry room. The dormitory also received boarders from Prince of Wales College, where a number of students were pursuing higher education. A former student distinguished herself after her studies at Notre Dame Convent. Indeed, Catherine Hughes became, at the beginning of the 20th century, a well-known teacher, journalist, author, civil servant and militant for the cause of the Irish.

In addition to offering academic instruction, the Sisters also taught piano, singing, arts and crafts, domestic science, crochet, pottery and sewing. On February 22, 1927, a fire began in the convent’s laundry room, but the Sisters were able to quickly and successfully extinguish it. On October 12, 1927, the 70th anniversary of the convent’s foundation was celebrated. Seven classes were comprised of 65 boarders and 209 day students who attended the boarding school. Also, the Sisters gave business classes to eighteen students. In 1955, new classrooms, science and home economics laboratories as well as a new auditorium, which also served as a gymnasium, were built. During the mid-1960’s, many classes were closed and in 1971 the convent no longer served as a school. The Sisters continued to teach at Birchwood Junior High School; several taught or studied at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) while others worked in the parish. In 1979, part of the convent was sold to the Knights of Columbus. Notre Dame Convent’s 150th anniversary was celebrated in 2007 with numerous events and activities. The convent on Sydney Street is still a residence for the Sisters who work in different ministries throughout Prince Edward Island.

NB: This text was written using documents found in the archival holdings in our possession and does not constitute a complete administrative history of the teaching establishment.

In 1863, Notre-Dame Convent, founded by the Congrégation de Notre-Dame six years prior and located in the eastern part of the city, was the only Catholic school in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The newly appointed Bishop Peter McIntyre, asked the Sisters of the Congregation to teach the children in the western part. Sisters Sainte-Eulalie (Marie-Héloïse Bélanger) and Sainte-Mathilde (Anna Murphy) were temporarily sent to teach in the church’s sacristy. Bishop McIntyre purchased a piece of land on Pownal Street. One of the houses on the property was renovated to become Saint Joseph Convent, which opened its doors on September 29, 1863. That same year an event took place that marked the history of Saint Joseph Convent and its neighbouring parishes. Saint Andrew’s Chapel, built in 1805 and the first Roman Catholic Church on Prince Edward Island, was moved from Saint Andrew to Charlottetown. However, this was not an easy undertaking. Because the ice was too thin to allow for the safe transport of the chapel, it was decided that, with the help of the parishioners it would be moved across fields over a distance of thirty miles (about fifty kilometers). Unfortunately, because of the muddy terrain, the chapel sunk so deep that it could not be dislodged. Finally, two-hundred men with about one-hundred horses, succeeded in pulling the building out of the soft ground! The chapel arrived at its final destination at Pownal Street. It was a three-storey building, two of which were occupied by the convent school and one was reserved for Saint Andrew’s Hall, a gathering place for parishioners. Sisters Sainte-Marie-Alfred (Marie-Luce Beaubien) and Saint Eliza (Mary Ann Deane) were the first to teach over one hundred students at Saint Joseph Convent. Since the school was not big enough for the Sisters’ living quarters, they had to travel morning and night to and from Notre-Dame Convent. In 1871, a house adjacent to the school was built for them. In 1885, a new wing was built on the left side of the school, on Kent Street. It included five classrooms, one of which was a music room equipped with several pianos. Also, Saint Andrew’s Chapel was reserved for the sole use of the Sisters.

In 1916, responsibility for the school was transferred to the School Commission. It was renamed Rochford Square School. The Sisters received compensation for teaching about four hundred students. Around 1928, the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation built a second wing on the right side of the school. It included an auditorium and eight new classrooms. In 1951, the “Brown House” on the corner of Pownal and Grafton Streets was renovated to house a library, a laboratory and a large teaching hall. In 1958 the school had its highest number of students: 686 from Grades 1 to 11. On June 22, 1963, the centennial of the convent of the Congregation was celebrated.Rochford Square School ceased being an educational establishment in 1975. The Sisters were guided to other schools of the city and founded two residences, one on Beasley Avenue and another one on Edinburgh Drive.

NB: This text was written using documents found in the archival holdings in our possession and does not constitute a complete administrative history of the teaching establishment.