Sister Loretta Gaffney was born in Saskatoon but grew up on the shores of Stocco Lake near Tweed, Ontario. She made her first profession with the Religious Hospitallers of St Joseph in Kingston on November 17, 1940. Following her studies at Notre Dame High School in Kingston, Sister received a diploma in nursing from the St Joseph’s School of Nursing, Hotel Dieu Hospital, Kingston, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Education from the University of Ottawa.

She served in many areas including Kingston, ON; Chatham, NB; and St Catharines, ON, in the fields of nursing, laboratory technology, and pastoral care, served on numerous boards and committees, and as moderator for the Volunteer Services of the Hotel Dieu Hospital, Kingston.

Sister Gaffney served her congregation as the Provincial/Regional Archivist for the St Joseph Province/Region from 1978 until 2008. In this capacity, she, with the assistance of an archivist, preserved the documentary and cultural heritage of the Religious Hospitallers of St Joseph Province/Region and their institutions.

The memory I hold dear of Sister Loretta brings together her religious life, her membership in the CCHA, and her concern for the Pastoral Care of the Sick. In the fall of 2013 Sister became a patient at St Mary’s of the Lake Hospital where I celebrated Mass on Sunday Mornings. Sister Loretta died peacefully at the Sisters of Providence Motherhouse, Kingston, Ontario on Friday, January 17, 2014. The Lord has blessed her life and her good works.

Father Daniel Ryan, Archdiocese of Kingston