The Grey Nuns at the Radium Institute

Our first night in our new abode was not very good; the noise of trolleys, trucks, etc. was somewhat bothersome. Let us hope that we will get used to it in time.

– Chronique des Sœurs Grises, September 20, 1927

In the first half of the 20th century, religious nursing communities played a central role in Québec’s medical sector. Nuns were often charged with running hospitals, working as “garde-malades” (that could be translated by “caregiver”).

Grey Nuns at the first Notre-Dame Hospital, 1923

Soon after the relocation of the Radium Institute to its new premises in Maisonneuve, the Grey Nuns were contacted by the Université de Montréal to take over the hospital’s internal management. We have learned from the Grey Nun’s records that the administration of the Radium Institute was entrusted to them to “correct a deficient situation within the group that created it […]” as well as eradicating fraudulent practices among some employees. Theft of resources like blankets or food was commonplace before their arrival.

Duplex formerly rented by the Grey Nuns, 2023

On September 19, 1927, it was with a heavy heart that Sisters Saint-Roch and Coderre left their peers at the Notre Dame Hospital for the Radium Institute. They began work that very morning, both motivated by a deep devotion towards the sick. Confronted from the outset with the deplorable sanitary conditions of the institute, the nuns started by eradicating a cockroach infestation and offering a decent meal service to patients.

First pages of the Grey Nuns’ journals, 1927

Listen to the audio clip (in french) with the translated transcript : Arrival of the Grey Nuns at the Radium Institute

The Grey Nuns also had to help with care, at times accompanying patients as nurses, at times working as pharmacists. Some radiation treatments were also administered by nuns, who made sure to provide spiritual care to patients of the Institute as well. Each Sunday, a priest officiated the mass in a small chapel, while a holy confessor gave last rites to incurable patients.

Listen to the audio clip (in french) with the translated transcript : The Grey Nuns and their Patients

Taking charge of the Institute’s management meant the Grey Nuns were also entrusted with assisting the institution’s radiologists, technicians and doctors for their daily tasks. This included buying food, equipment, furniture and all the supplies necessary for running the hospital, but also the hiring and managing of all secular personnel working at the institute (secretaries, nurses, drivers and cooks), with the exception of doctors and technicians.

Mosaic of the Radium Institute’s various Directors, date unknown