The Sisters of Charity of Ottawa


Meet the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa!


Sisters of Charity of Ottawa in prayer


Welcome, dear friends who will pray with us —the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa—, throughout the month of February 2026, as we conclude the celebration of the 180th anniversary of our foundation. With deep joy, we welcome you and assure you of our prayerful solidarity. Together, we will place your heartfelt intentions in the loving heart of the Eternal Father, who is compassion and providence. Let us pray for one another through the intercession of our foundress, the Venerable Élisabeth Bruyère. Let us draw closer to her and discover some highlights of our shared “family history.”

Story of the Foundress, Élisabeth Bruyère

Mother Élisabeth Bruyère

Élisabeth Bruyère was born and baptized on March 19, 1818, in L’Assomption, Quebec. She lost her father at the age of six and was raised by a determined, courageous, and deeply faithful mother who cared for her and her two brothers. It was from her mother that Élisabeth learned the meaning of self-giving love and concern for others. At the age of sixteen, she became a teacher in a rural school, an experience that would later serve her well in her educational mission in Bytown. From an early age, she showed a strong inclination toward works of charity among the poor and the marginalized. In 1839, she entered the Grey Nuns of Montreal, where she deepened her love for the poor and her trust in Divine Providence, the spiritual legacy of Saint Marguerite d’Youville. On February 8, 1845, at only twenty-six years of age, Élisabeth Bruyère was appointed Superior of the mission in Bytown, now Ottawa. Her charity knew no limits. She offered compassion and tenderness to all in need, without distinction of age, nationality, gender, or religion. From the very beginning, the mission was marked by a profound respect for cultural diversity and religious pluralism. She died on April 5, 1876, at the age of fifty-eight. The cause for her canonization was opened in 1978; the nihil obstat was granted in 1983, and the decree recognizing her as Venerable was signed on April 14, 2018, by Pope Francis.


Chapel of the Sisters of Charity (Ottawa)

History of the community

The charism of compassion entrusted to Saint Marguerite d’Youville was passed on to six sister communities, including the one founded in Bytown in 1845. Very quickly, the Sisters’ house became a crossroads of suffering and hope. The poor found refuge, comfort, and care in the hearts of Mother Bruyère and her companions.

From the day after their arrival in the Outaouais region, Élisabeth Bruyère and her three companions began serving children, the sick, the elderly, and orphans. At the time, Bytown had no social infrastructure of its own. Home visits to the sick and the poor were soon organized. On March 3, 1845, the first French-English Catholic school not only in Bytown but in all of Upper Canada east of Detroit opened its doors, welcoming about one hundred children.

Only a few weeks later, on May 10, 1845, Mother Bruyère inaugurated the town’s first Catholic hospital. The Sisters constantly placed themselves at the heart of human misery, even at risk to their own lives. During the typhus epidemic of 1847–1848, the community of twenty-three Sisters courageously cared for more than six hundred Irish immigrants. Seventeen Sisters fell ill, yet none lost their life.


Sketches of the first constructions of the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa

Sarcophagus and urn, Élisabeth Bruyère 1818-1876


Charism and Mission

A charism is a particular spiritual gift, freely given by the Holy Spirit to an individual or a community for the good of the Church and its mission. The charism entrusted to the Venerable Élisabeth Bruyère, and handed down to the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa, can be described as the revelation of the Father’s compassion through education and through service to the poor, in response to the needs of the Church and the world.

This compassion flows from the heart of God and is expressed through concrete love for our most vulnerable brothers and sisters. It is sustained by hope and by a deep trust in Divine Providence.

Three urgent priorities, clearly stated in the official mission promulgated on February 12, 1845, remain the foundation of the Congregation’s mission to this day: health care, education, and the alleviation of poverty—both spiritual and material. These commitments continue to guide the Sisters’ work, while adapting to available resources and to the changing needs of each time and place.


Stained-glass window at the Oratory

Contact Information


Address: 27 Bruyère, Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 5C9



Phone: 613 241-2710

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