It was standing room only Wednesday afternoon at the Antigonish Heritage Museum as the site played host to the opening of the Gospel Hospitality in Action exhibit, recognizing the 125 year history of the Sisters of St. Martha in Antigonish.
Part of the exhibit on the Sisters of St. Martha at the Antigonish Heritage Museum
Congregation leader Sister Brendalee Boisvert said the sisters were moved when they first heard about the exhibit. The museum was the first spot the original sisters landed in Antigonish as the building was the local train station, with Boisvert calling it a significant location for the congregation.
Boisvert called the afternoon event a soft launch, noting July 29 is the feast of St. Martha and marks the day they became a congregation.
Dr. Barry MacKenzie, curator for the museum, said there was a lot of work into setting up the exhibit, noting discussion started about seven months ago, adding he is glad everything came together. The exhibit focuses on work of the sisters of St. Martha in the development of Antigonish, from healthcare, to education, to social work, and other facets of life in the community. It also includes heritage artifacts from the sisters.
There is also an opportunity for members of the public to write messages as tributes of how the Sisters of St. Martha impacted their lives or the community. Following the event yesterday, some of the sisters travelled to STFX university, the first stop of the original sisters after landing at the train station.