A beloved statue finds a lasting new home in Old Ottawa East
From convent garden to school quad: Mary finds her place at “Mac”
JOHN DANCE
After a decade of transition and many decades of gracing Old Ottawa East at the former convent of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on des Oblats Avenue, the lovely statue of the Madonna is standing atop a pedestal and a very large concrete base in the centre of Immaculata High School’s quad.
At the end of September, the Most Reverend Yvan Mathieu, S.M. Auxiliary Bishop of Ottawa-Cornwall, led the ritual of the blessing of the statue, which culminated with his sprinkling holy water on the stone sculpture.
Many Immaculata students attended the event along with several Sisters who formerly lived in the convent.
“I hope the statue will be your inspiration and protection for many years,” Sister Andrée Guindon, coordinator of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart, concluded.
“This statue carries a rich history in Old Ottawa East, having stood for decades as a beacon of faith for the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” commented principal Linda Meulenbroek. The new location at “Mac” is particularly fitting because, as the principal said, Mary, “the Blessed Mother,” is the patroness of the high school.
Student Anabella Cornejo outlined the history of the statue, noting that originally it was in front of the convent and then, after the property was sold in 2018, it was relocated to a well-landscaped garden for the Sisters’ use until they moved to new homes in Gatineau and Casselman.
When the portion of the property with the convent and relocated statue was sold again, the new owners began the process to convert the convent to a multi-unit residential development that required the space where the statue had been initially relocated. So, the question became, “where could she go?”
Local residents, the Sisters, and the City of Ottawa wanted the statue to remain in Old Ottawa East, so the new owners, Forum Asset Management, sought a suitable location. When the statue was offered to Immaculata, former principal Bob Garnett happily accepted the offer.
“We’re grateful it’s staying in the neighbourhood, out in the open, where anyone can come and visit,” noted Vimal Lad, senior director at Forum, which covered all of the costs of the relocation.
“Many Corners on Main residents have long held a deep appreciation of the statue of Mary located on the Springhurst side of the convent site,” Peter Tobin, one of the condo’s residents, noted. “For some perhaps there was a faith connection, for others the appreciation was based on a respect for the Sisters of the Sacred Heart, a number of whom were still living in the convent.”
The relocated statue with its large base provides a great meeting and sitting space for Mac students and, during non-school hours, a visit to Mary’s peaceful grace is well worthwhile for residents. An important piece of the OOE community’s history has been preserved and should endure for at least as long as the ever-growing Immaculata High School remains.