Byward Market - Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Mother Marie Thomas D'Aquin 1877-1963
Mère Marie Thomas D'Aquin, 1877-1963
Photographed by Robert Rusaw, June 11, 2026
1. Mother Marie Thomas D'Aquin 1877-1963 Marker - English
Inscription.
Jeanne Lydia Branda grew up near Bordeaux, France. From a young age, she felt called to become a nun and teacher. In 1899, she joined the Dominican Sisters of Nancy, where she would teach and take the name Sister Marie Thomas d'Aquin. She left France and settled in Maine where she was deeply influenced by the freedom and openness of America. While visiting Ottawa in 1914, she agreed to head the Jeanne d'Arc Institute, a home and haven for young women who were looking for employment, working or studying. Under her leadership, the Institute underwent unprecedented growth, moving to a larger complex on Sussex Street. The Institute offered classes, companionship and, above all, community. Sister Marie Thomas d'Aquin created a new order in 1919 the Sisters of the Jeanne d'Arc Institute - that embraced openness without distinction for race, language, nationality, social status or religion, a progressive initiative blending the religious and secular that contributed to the evolution of the status of women. As head of this new congregation, she would now be called Mother. A gifted writer, her published poems, under pen name Marie Sylvia, earned many literary awards. Mother Marie Thomas d'Aquin was a forward-thinking visionary, whose mission of service and charity extended to the broader community.,
Jeanne Lydia Branda grew up near Bordeaux, France. From a young age, she felt
called to become a nun and teacher. In 1899, she joined the Dominican Sisters of
Nancy, where she would teach and take the name Sister Marie Thomas d'Aquin.
She left France and settled in Maine where she was deeply influenced by the
freedom and openness of America. While visiting Ottawa in 1914, she agreed to
head the Jeanne d'Arc Institute, a home and haven for young women who were
looking for employment, working or studying. Under her leadership, the Institute
underwent unprecedented growth, moving to a larger complex on Sussex Street.
The Institute offered classes, companionship and, above all, community. Sister
Marie Thomas d'Aquin created a new order in 1919 the Sisters of the Jeanne
d'Arc Institute - that embraced openness without distinction for race, language,
nationality, social status or religion, a progressive initiative blending the religious
and secular that contributed to the evolution of the status of women. As head of
this new congregation, she would now be called Mother. A gifted writer, her
published poems, under pen name Marie Sylvia, earned many literary awards.
Mother Marie Thomas d'Aquin was a forward-thinking visionary, whose mission of
service and charity extended to the broader community.
Jeanne Lydia Branda grandit près de Bordeaux, en France. Dès son jeune âge, elle
s'est sentie appelée à devenir religieuse et enseignante. En 1899, elle s'est jointe aux
Soeurs dominicaines de Nancy; elle se consacra à l'enseignement et prit le nom de
Soeur Marie Thomas d'Aquin. Elle quitta la France et s'installa dans l'État du
Maine, où elle a été profondément influencée par l'esprit de liberté et d'ouverture
de l'Amérique. Lors de sa visite à Ottawa en 1914, elle a accepté de diriger
l'Institut Jeanne d'Arc, une maison de famille pour jeunes femmes à la recherche
d'un emploi, au travail ou aux études. Sous sa direction, l'Institut a connu une
croissance sans précédent et a déménagé dans un plus grand complexe de la rue
Sussex. L'Institut offrait des cours, de la camaraderie, et surtout un sentiment de
communauté. Soeur Marie Thomas d'Aquin a créé une nouvelle communauté
religieuse en 1919 les Sœurs de l'Institut Jeanne d'Arc - qui a fait sien l'ouverture
sans distinction de race, de langue, de nationalité, de statut social ou de religion,
une initiative progressiste combinant le religieux et le laïc qui a contribué à
l'évolution de la condition féminine. À la tête de cette nouvelle congrégation, elle
se ferait désormais appeler Mère. Écrivaine douée, ses poèmes publiés, sous le nom
de plume Marie Sylvia, lui ont valu de nombreux prix littéraires. Mère Marie
Thomas d'Aquin était une visionnaire avant-gardiste dont la mission de service et
de bienfaisance s'étendait à l'ensemble de la communauté.
Location. 45° 25.667′ N, 75° 41.687′ W. Marker is in Ottawa, Ontario. It is in Byward Market - Parliament Hill. It can be reached from Jeanne d’Arc Court. This marker is located in Jeanne D'Arc Court. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 11 York Street, Ottawa ON K1N 5P3, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Eastern Ontario. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 14, 2026, by Robert Rusaw of Massena, New York. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos:1, 2. submitted on June 14, 2026, by Robert Rusaw of Massena, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
