2003 Inductees: Sister Mary Edward Hodge R.S.M.
Category: Music
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Sister Edward was born in Lamaline in October, 1907, and at the age of 20 she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy at Littledale in St. John's. In 1930, she began various teaching assignments which took her to St. Edward's School on Bell Island, Mercy Convent, Holy Heart of Mary High School, and St. Joseph's School in St. John's. It was not until 1974, an astounding 44 years after she began, that she retired officially from the teaching profession.
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Even then, she continued for a further 10 years to voluntarily teach music at St. Joseph's, and to give private music lessons at St. Joseph's Convent.
As far as her formal education was concerned, Sister Edward studied Gregorian Chant, Orchestration, Choral and Orchestral Directing, Choral Singing, and various musical instruments in such diverse places as Toronto, Minnesota, Manhattanville, N.Y., Boston University, and the Gregorian Institute of America. She earned an LTCL in 1926, and a B. Ch. Music degree in 1954.
Sister Edward's musical endeavours extended beyond the confines of the various schools in which she taught. In addition, she was the Director of St. Clare's Mercy Hospital School of Nursing Glee Club, served on the Advisory Board of the Kiwanis Music Festival Association of St. John's from 1967 to 1971, and on the Festival's Syllabus Committee for an astounding 19 years, serving as its Chairperson in 1969. She was also the Vice President of the Music Council of the Newfoundland Teachers' Association in 1970-71, and directed St. Joseph's Church Choir from 1962 to 1974.
However, it was the many choirs from Mercy Convent School on Military Road and from St. Joseph's School on Signal Hill Road that she entered in competition in numerous Kiwanis Music Festivals in St. John's that caused her to be most widely known. She became a very familiar figure year after year as she directed these choirs, and motivated the thousands of children that came under her tutelage. Sister Edward died at McAuley Convent on Waterford Bridge Road in St. John's on March 18, 1992.
The Kiwanis Music Festival Association of St. John's is very pleased to honour her memory, her many accomplishments, and her varied contributions to the field of music in this city by inducting her into the Festival's HALL OF HONOUR in the Music Category.
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