Firmly cemented in the building’s foundation, they hold secrets as old as the edifice itself. Yet people walk by them everyday and seldom glance at their inscriptions.  Cornerstones, that is, those marble or granite blocks of stone placed in prominent corners of each Providence building symbolizing Christ as foundation of the church. 


Cornerstone installation at St. Vincent Home for the Aged (now Providence Mount St. Vincent, Seattle) July 29, 1923

Cornerstones are inscribed with the name and erection date of the building and hollowed out to receive a small copper box filled with mementos—a time capsule.  In the Sisters of Providence tradition, such items can consist of medals and statuettes of Christ and saints; photographs of religious community leaders, the facility, personnel and the area; coins and current newspapers; letters written to future administrators; and other items limited only by imagination and space. The stones are blessed during the dedication ceremony.


Contents of the Mount’s 1923 cornerstone box examined by (l-r) Srs. Philias Denis, Joseph of Arimathea, Mary Dolorita, Beatrice Duval, Mary Priscilla Frank (1968)

Over time, as Providence facilities were divested or torn down, some cornerstones and their contents have been transferred to Providence Archives for indefinite storage or until they can be remounted elsewhere. Recently four cornerstones were relocated around the West Seattle campus of Providence Mount St. Vincent and Saint Joseph Residence.

At the east entrance of the long-term care complex (called “the Mount”) is the cornerstone for the House of Providence which was built on the grounds in 1924 to serve as provincial headquarters, novitiate, and infirmary. The House of Providence and its operations fully ceased in 1966 when Saint Joseph Residence was built.

Under a spruce tree on the western driveway is the cornerstone that belonged to the School of Nursing  at St. Vincent Hospital in Portland.  The school educated nurses from 1892 until its official transfer to the University of Portland in the early 1960s.  The building was razed in the late 1970s.

Mother Judith Lang with papal nuncio Bishop Egidio Vagnozzi, and other clergy at the blessing of Providence Heights cornerstone (1961)

Nestled under trees in the gardens of Saint Joseph Residence can be found the cornerstone for Providence Heights, College of Sister Formation, located in Issaquah, Wash.  The college offered advanced degree programs for women religious for nearly eight years until it closed in 1969.  Nearby another nursing school is represented by the cornerstone from Providence Hospital, Oakland, Calif., founded in 1904.

Removing cornerstone for the School of Nursing at Providence Hospital, Oakland, Calif., prior to demolition (1975)

Another cornerstone, in place for many years, rests in the upper garden behind Saint Joseph Residence. It is the original 1923 stone for the Mount, inscribed with its former name of St. Vincent Home for the Aged.

On your next stroll on the grounds of the Mount keep your eyes out for these new reminders of our past.—LG

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Formerly stored on the lower level of Providence Mount St. Vincent, Seattle, the bulk of priceless artifacts reflecting the “material culture” of Mother Joseph Province made its way this spring to the Archives’ repository at Mount St. Joseph in Spokane. An estimated 367 sq. feet of objects were packed and transported joining the artifact collection from the former St. Ignatius Province. Examples of relocated artifacts are liturgical objects, antique furniture, medical and nursing instruments, stained glass windows, and sisters’ memorabilia and works of art such as the bronze-and-wood crucifix carved by Sr. Bernard of Jesus at right.

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Mother Bernard Morin: To Give Unconditionally, 1832-1929 by Fernando Aliaga Rojas, translated by Lina Gaudette, S.P., Carte Blanche Editions, 2004.
The new biography immerses us into the life of Mother Bernard Morin, foundress of the Sisters of Providence in Chile. Rojas does not merely investigate her personal life and work within the religious congregation, but also the unique and influential role she played in the history of the Catholic Church of her adopted country. A worthy addition to the biographies of Providence founders.

A Century of Caring: A Pictorial History of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, 2005
The Sisters of Providence, considered “founding visionaries” of this East Bay, Calif., healthcare facility, figure prominently in the commemorative book celebrating over 100 years of service to the Oakland and Berkeley communities. Providence began its work in 1902 and lasted until 1992 when the facility became Summit. The book is an extended and detailed timeline that includes numerous archival photographs and historical facts and stories.

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Peter Schmid Seattle Area Archivists chairman

Seattle Area Archivists is a local group devoted to providing continuing education for archivists, offering opportunities for student involvement in archives, and sharing information and establishing connections as professionals. The organization is 20 years old this year and will celebrate its anniversary in the summer. It was launched when the first members that included provincial archivists Sr. Rita Bergamini and Loretta Greene met at Providence’s St. Joseph Residence in West Seattle. Since October the group has been chaired by our very own Peter Schmid. It is cosponsoring in May the workshop “Understanding Archives: An Introduction to Principles and Practices,” an educational program of the Society of American Archivists. Seattle Area Archivists is proud to have offered complimentary registration to a deserving member.

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A column highlighting archival photographs and other resources that provide visual documentation of the Sisters of Providence and sponsored institutions. Peter selects notable images from the collection of over 50,000 photographs and relates the stories behind them. He can be reached at 206-923-4012 or peter.schmid@providence.org.

From Panels to Pixels

For most women in the 19th and early 20th centuries, work outside the home and farm-much less a career-was an option that was very foreign. But as industrialization spread, immigration grew, education improved, and attitudes shifted, large numbers of them began entering the workplace. A profession that saw a spike in membership as it modernized was the field of nursing. The Sisters of Providence, many of them pioneering nurses themselves, paved the way for many would-be care givers by building schools of nursing affiliated with their hospitals.

Portrait panel from Providence Seattle’s School of Nursing, class 1936

The impact of these schools was felt in nursing education and practice and in the area’s health care. Likewise the impact on archival collecting of closed schools’ photographs and records has been abundant and wide-ranging. An excellent example is the student portrait collection from the School of Nursing at Providence Hospital, Seattle.

Ruth Marshall, 1913

Gail Parson, 1960

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