A Brief History of the Secular Order

The earliest recorded Promises in English Canada were professed on June 29, 1966. Rima Carver made her Definitive Promises in the hands of Fr. Philip Foley OCD. The ceremony took place in the new monastery of St. Joseph in St. Agatha. Yet, the earliest record of an American OCDS Provincial Delegate helping English Canada was Fr. Brian Hennigan OCD, who was at Peterborough, New Hampshire. Fr. William Healey succeeded Father Hennigan as OCDS Provincial Delegate in the Eastern Jurisdiction of the USA in 1984.

In the early 1980’s the first OCDS communities in Ontario were St. Teresa of Jesus in Toronto (1986) and St. Therese of the Child Jesus in Brampton (1986). The former was founded by Clara Rendeiro and the latter by Heduina Ferreira. Initially these Portuguese-speaking communities were looked after by Fr. Jeremias C. Vechina OCD of Portugal. Eventually they came under the care of Father Healy.

In 1989 there were five OCDS communities canonically established in Ontario, and a study group in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Besides the two communities mentioned in the previous paragraph, there were the community of St Joseph in Toronto (1989), the community of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Mississauga (1987), and the community of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Brampton (1986). In 1987 there were also two study groups: Mary, Queen of Peace in Kingston and Our Lady of Victory in Cambridge.

Today there are 26 OCDS communities in Central-Eastern Canada.

See O.C.D.S. Addresses
See O.C.D.S. Secretariat