Dominique Philibert, Director of Communications, poses in front of the new traveling exhibit.
Réseau Compassion Network (RCN) is celebrating 25 years of meeting needs in the community.
This special quarter-century anniversary will be marked throughout the year with many special projects and publications. A traveling exhibit will make the rounds of the health and social services agencies that make up the network, and when possible, to other community events or places like the Archdiocese, ataff appreciation days, and even hopefully the Legislative Building. It begins with the legacy of the Grey Nuns and follows the last 25 years as the organization has adapted and found new ways to serve community.
There will be a printed booklet, a special insert in La Liberté scheduled for the fall and an interactive website that’s already live. You can visit that exhibit by clicking here.
“The Sisters who transferred their missions over to us in the last 25 years entrusted us with their legacy,” shares Dominique Philibert, Director of Communications for RCN. “We’ve also, through the years, forged our own path, and the exhibit helps us to understand and celebrate that. When we look at our history, we see who we are and where we’re going.”
Two Grey Nuns from Montréal made the trip to Winnipeg so RCN could gather their testimonials, their recollection of how the transfer occured, and how the then-named Catholic Health Corporation of Manitoba was founded. They are featured in video interviews recorded for the project where they share their thoughts on their wishes then, and how they see the evolution of the work done by RCN over the last 25 years. “The interviews with the Sisters really give you the impression that the ways we’re meeting needs are above and beyond their expectations. Never did they think that we’d bring the mission and the network to this level of social inclusion and involvement.”
The work around the 25th anniversary will help to preserve the legacy of the Sisters, of RCN and all its network members. “Our organizations are incredibly busy working to serve the community,” explains Philibert. “Which means that maybe archival photos and preserving and sharing news isn’t the top of their list of priorities. It was really important for us to take the time to gathered these archives while we can and find a way to tell our collective story.”
Philibert is also looking forward to sharing the story of RCN in the broader community. “The idea of the travelling exhibit is to help educate the staff, patients, residents, participants, families and volunteers who are benefiting from the spirit of our mission,” she continues. “Many don’t know about the network itself or how it’s helped shape health and social services in Manitoba. In today’s vision of RCN, our members are working together more and more, are making important connections, are sharing best practices and knowledges.”
“I hope that people who see the traveling exhibition, read the souvenir booklet or newspaper insert, or visit the interactive 25th anniversary content on our website will learn something about our collective history and the hard work of the pioneering congregations of religious women”, wishes Philibert. “I hope they will be moved, proud, and possibly even inspired to get involved, to contribute more of their time and talents to serving the people who come through our doors in times of need. That is the work of Réseau Compassion Network: responding to people’s needs from the heart.”