Historically, the Sisters of St. Martha of Antigonish began their life with the Sisters of Charity of Halifax and can trace their roots in the same traditions.
The Sisters of St. Martha were formally established as a religious congregation in 1900 after a providential beginning six years earlier. The first members came from a group of women who had responded to a call from Bishop John Cameron of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, in 1894. They were to be part of an auxiliary congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Halifax, and prepared for the ministry of household management at St. Francis Xavier College. A surprising change of direction occurred in July, 1900, when, in the silence of a retreat, the sisters were invited to establish themselves as a new and separate religious congregation, and to indicate their choice by standing. One by one, fifteen women stood and together they marked the beginning of an incredible journey into history.
During their centennial celebrations in 2002, we were invited to become members of the Federation and in 2003 we applied and were accepted.
Wherever they are present, they are known as The Marthas. Ministry engages them in concrete service that flows from the Mission of Jesus. Service can be expressed in many forms, such as prayer, suffering, pastoral, spiritual, educational and social, to name some. Some of their current ministries include: retreat work, parish ministries, music ministry, and systemic change initiatives.
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