The John M. Kelly Library’s Exhibition Program engages the University community in active learning through primary sources. Curated by students, librarians, faculty, and staff, exhibitions feature items from the library’s rich collections, including rare books and archives. Supported by the University of St. Michael’s College and the Friends of the Kelly Library, exhibitions are displayed on the library’s ground floor, an accessible space open during regular hours.
Opening soon!
The Big Maps: The Sisters of Service as Canadian Trailblazers
Exhibition Opening and Reception
The John M. Kelly Library at the University of St. Michael’s College is pleased to present an exhibition on the Sisters of Service (SOS), a uniquely Canadian, untraditional women’s religious institute whose century of work spanned immigration services, teaching, nursing, social work, and more. Guided by the motto ‘Look at Big Maps,’ which co-founder Fr. George Daly, CSsR kept framed on his office wall, the SOS remained simple and flexible in their rules and customs, enabling them to adapt to the diverse communities they served across Canada.
The exhibition opens with a lecture by Mark McGowan, Professor Emeritus of History and Celtic Studies at the University of Toronto and Principal Emeritus of St. Michael’s College. He will discuss the founding of the Sisters of Service amid Canada’s early 20th-century immigration boom, highlighting Catherine Donnelly’s pioneering vision and the Sisters’ role in welcoming, housing, and teaching new Canadians from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Admission is free. RSVP required. Space is limited.
When and Where?
Thursday 23 October 2025 | 6 p.m.
Lecture: Alumni Hall Room 100 | 121 St. Joseph Street
Reception to follow at the John M. Kelly Library | 113 St. Joseph Street
Admission is free. RSVP required. Space is limited.
Please email james.roussain@utoronto.ca if you are experiencing difficulties registering for this event or if you have any accessibility requirements. We will work with you to make appropriate arrangements.
About the Exhibition
The John M. Kelly Library at the University of St. Michael’s College is pleased to mount an exhibition celebrating donation of the Sisters of Services records to the Library’s Special Collections: Archives and Rare Books. Curated by Francesca Rousselle, this exhibition explores the SOS and their contributions to Canadian social, religious, and women’s history. From their founding in 1922, to their century of work in immigration services, teaching, nursing, social work, and more, “The Big Maps” embodies the unconventional spirit of these trailblazing women.
About the Speaker
Mark G. McGowan is a Professor Emeritus of History and Celtic Studies at the University of Toronto and Principal Emeritus of St. Michael’s College. A renowned historian, he specializes in Canadian, Irish, religious, education, and immigration history. He has authored many award-winning books, including The Waning of the Green, Michael Power, Death or Canada, The Imperial Irish, and Finding Molly Johnson (2024). McGowan has received four university teaching awards and is widely recognized for his engaging scholarship. In 2024, he was elected to the Royal Society of Canada for his outstanding contributions to historical research and public understanding.
On now!
The Golden Rule: Social Justice and the Scarboro Foreign Mission Society
The John M. Kelly Library at the University of St. Michael’s College is pleased to mount an exhibition celebrating donation of the Scarboro Foreign Missions Society records to the Library’s Special Collections: Archives and Rare Books. Curated by Francesca Rousselle, this exhibition explores the evolution of justice-oriented mission work from the Society’s early efforts at poverty-alleviation, the anticipation and response to the Second Vatican Council, and the subsequent expansion of ministries focusing on economic, political, interfaith, and ecological justice.
Opening Lecture
On January 21, 2025, we welcomed Father Robert E. Carbonneau, C.P., Ph.D., Research Fellow of the Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History at Boston College and Archivist of the Passionist China Collection, for an opening lecture to mark the opening of the exhibition. His talk, Proclaiming the Gospel Truth- Reflections on History To Shape the Future, 1918- 2025: The Scarboro Mission Archives at St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto, was recorded and is available here.
Acknowledgements
The Golden Rule: Social Justice and the Scarboro Foreign Mission Society was curated and installed by Francesca Rousselle, Processing Archivist, John M. Kelly Library, USMC, with design and exhibition photography by Sheila Eaton, Digital and Graphic Design Manager, USMC. Exhibition mounts and artifact preparation were prepared by Malgorzata Zajkowska. This exhibition is supported, in part, by the Scarboro Foreign Missions Society and the Friends of the Kelly Library.
Ongoing Online Exhibitions
The Golden Rule: Social Justice and the Scarboro Foreign Mission Society
The John M. Kelly Library at the University of St. Michael’s College is pleased to mount an exhibition celebrating donation of the Scarboro Foreign Missions Society records to the Library’s Special Collections: Archives and Rare Books. Curated by Francesca Rousselle, this exhibition explores the evolution of justice-oriented mission work from the Society’s early efforts at poverty-alleviation, the anticipation and response to the Second Vatican Council, and the subsequent expansion of ministries focusing on economic, political, interfaith, and ecological justice.
The full exhibition can be viewed here.
Acknowledgements
The Golden Rule: Social Justice and the Scarboro Foreign Mission Society was curated and installed by Francesca Rousselle, Processing Archivist, John M. Kelly Library, USMC, with design and exhibition photography by Sheila Eaton, Digital and Graphic Design Manager, USMC. Exhibition mounts and artifact preparation were prepared by Malgorzata Zajkowska. This exhibition is supported, in part, by the Scarboro Foreign Missions Society and the Friends of the Kelly Library.
Celebrating L’Arche and Sr. Sue Mosteller, CSJ, OC: Online Exhibition
The John M. Kelly Library presents a commemorative online exhibition about L’Arche and Sr. Sue Mosteller, CSJ, OC, in celebration of the 55th anniversary of L’Arche Daybreak and the 60th anniversary of the first L’Arche community in Trosly, France.
This exhibition, co-curated by the library’s Special Collections team and the L’Arche Communities, will highlight the significance of Sr. Mosteller’s work in the growth and development of L’Arche. In addition, it will feature the result of ten years of Joe Egan’s long-term commitment volunteering with Special Collections that has enabled us to enrich the L’Arche Audiovisual Collection with detailed item-level descriptions to improve accessibility.
The full exhibition can be viewed here.
Acknowledgements
Celebrating L’Arche and Sr. Sue Mosteller, CSJ, OC: Online Exhibition, was curated by Teresa Wong, Simon Rogers, and Joe Egan (L’Arche) with website design by Sheila Eaton, Digital and Graphic Design Manager, USMC. We also acknowledge the support from various members of L’Arche Toronto and L’Arche Daybreak.
100 Years of Women’s Education at St. Michael’s College
For more than 100 years, women have made their mark at the University of St. Michael’s College. Whether as students, professors, or staff, women have offered deep and lasting contributions to St. Mike’s. Women’s religious communities opened the college doors for female students more than 100 years ago, with the arrival of the Loretto Sisters and the Sisters of St. Joseph as professors and advocates for women’s higher education. Through archival materials and historical accounts, this online exhibition celebrates how these two religious communities changed the face of St. Michael’s.
The full exhibition can be viewed here.
Acknowledgements
Materials for the 100 Years of Women’s Education at St. Michael’s College online exhibition, initially published in 2011, was coordinated by Michael Bramah, Head of Technical Services, and assisted by Connie Lewin, Cataloguing Technician, for the University of St. Michael’s College (USMC) archives. Text and images supplied by Linda Wicks, archivist for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto (CSJT), and Sr. Juliana Dusel, IBVM, along with Michelle Anitra Pariag, archivists for the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Loretto Sisters), Canadian Province. Website and graphic design by Sheila Eaton, Digital and Graphic Design Manager, USMC.