By Lauren Brownlee, Associate, Washington, D.C. Among the most heartening expressions of solidarity that I have experienced in this painful period of following the murder of George Floyd were social media comments from the Stone Ridge community answering the call of the Society’s strong anti-racism statement. My former colleagues and students at Stone Ridge believe, as…
The Society of the Sacred Heart, United States – Canada Province Leadership Team stands in support of the following powerful “Red Record Statement” issued by the National Black Sisters’ Conference on “21st Century Lynchings in America.” Sheila Hammond, RSCJ Donna Collins, RSCJ Maureen Glavin, RSCJ Mary Theresa Moser, RSCJ Diane Roche, RSCJ 21st Century…
The Society of the Sacred Heart in the United States and Canada strongly condemns the gross violation of human dignity that we, along with millions of others, witnessed in the video of George Floyd’s last minutes. We are outraged at yet another killing of an unarmed African-American man, and stand in solidarity with all people…
During this unprecedented time in Sacred Heart education, all of our Network schools closed and offered virtual learning. The administration, faculty and staff found numerous and creative ways to share normal school activities with students at home. One example of an activity normally held in May at some of our schools is a “May crowning” celebration. Several schools…
By Lyn Osiek, RSCJ, Provincial Archivist for the Society of the Sacred Heart, United States – Canada Province In the world of the first Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ) in the United States, but also in their former lives in Europe, there was constant threat of cholera, and in tropical climates, of yellow fever….
By Sergio Vasquez, Associate, New Orleans On a gloomy Sunday, three groups of Associates – Chicago, Halifax and St. Louis – used Zoom to meet with their groups virtually. A new way of being connected is forming across our province and Associates are embracing it! I had a dream of a Sacred Heart “intranet,” a…
A message of solidarity to the communities affected by the shootings in Nova Scotia Montreal, April 23, 2020 – On Sunday, April 19, Nova Scotia became the scene of the worst mass shooting of our country’s history, with a toll of 22 victims and their shooter. Religious communities in Canada and all consecrated persons, though currently in confinement, unite…
By Juliet Mousseau, RSCJ My vocation as a Religious of the Sacred Heart shapes how I interact with people. As a teacher, this means that I share the love of God primarily with my students, and I see teaching as a relationship that is based on respect and honor for the unique individual in front…
By Peggy Gorman and Lori Wilson, Co-chairs, Associates Leadership Team Coronavirus knows no boundaries nor does the charism to live out of the Heart of Jesus in our wounded world. Our boundaries may now simply be our place of residence, unless we envision a bigger picture of relationship with others. Even then, this pandemic has removed…
By Michael Pera, Assistant Archivist Society of the Sacred Heart, United States – Canada Province In seeking to understand and grapple with the current outbreak of COVID-19, many have understandably reached for the worst pandemic of the 20th century, the 1918 Spanish Influenza. Given that interest, the Province Archives of the Society of the Sacred…
Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat said it is the relationships we build that sustain us through moments of joy and moments of challenge. These uncertain times surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have brought our province times of challenge, which we work through, each day, in order to meet the needs of our members, staff and Sacred Heart…
As we begin this holiest of weeks, let us pray together the Psalm for today’s liturgy. The Lord is my light and my salvation. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? When evildoers come at me to devour…
SOCIETÀ DEL SACRO CUORE CASA GENERALIZIA Rome, 23 March 2020 Greetings from Rome! We wanted to share with you that, faced with the magnitude of this pandemic and the possibility that travel to Italy would potentially become impossible, we decided to cut short our visits to Latin America and return to Rome. Daphne, Bodo, Marie-Jeanne…
By Sharon Karam, RSCJ I so look forward to the Kennedy Center Honors in December. They are awards to artists in many different areas, and I’m especially fond of the music awards. This year, I was geniunely touched by the award to Linda Ronstadt, who was honored for her lifetime of music, though she hasn’t…
Kim Lamberty has joined the staff of Society of the Sacred Heart, United States – Canada Province, as director of justice, peace and the integrity of creation (JPIC), as of March 16, 2020. In this position, Lamberty, in collaboration with other groups and networks, will focus on many aspects of social change and integrate the…
By Catherine Heaney, Associate, Chicago To shed and surrender The good Lord somehow has a great sense of humor when it comes to walking with me in my life. He has a way of following you, haunting you, making you move even when you are unsure of your path, not knowing where you are to…
By Bridget Bearss, RSCJ In 2016, the Society of the Sacred Heart held a General Chapter where four calls were identified for the shaping of our direction: To reach new frontiers To live more humanly To create silence To be and act as one Body Nearly simultaneous to experiencing the depth of these calls for…
The province welcomed and celebrated newly professed Juliet Mousseau, RSCJ, on Saturday, February 22, 2020, in St. Charles, Missouri. The following is Sister Mousseau’s reflection from her celebration Mass. First Reading: Jeremiah 8, 7-8 Second Reading: Romans 8, 28-39 Gospel Reading: John 4: 5-30, 39-42 This reading which tells of Jesus’s encounter with the Samaritan…
The Stuart Center in collaboration with ARISE, a nonprofit in Alamo, Texas, hosted a four-day border witness program to offer an enriching, educational and powerful experience of life on the Texas – Mexico border. Below is a recap of the program, which ran from February 16-20, 2020. February 17, 2020 Those participating in the Stuart Center’s border witness…
By Peggy Gorman, Associate, Halifax, Co-chair, Associates Leadership Team Recently, Anne-Marie Conn, RSCJ, facilitated a process with Associates, using Theory U and mental models as tools to help us identify who we are as Associates of the Society of the Sacred Heart, what is essential to that relationship, how we cultivate the relationship on a…
Since 1994, many RSCJ have served with the Indian people at the Soboba Reservation near Hemet, California. The last two RSCJ, Marianna Torrano and Adele Schroeder, acknowledge it is their time to leave this ministry to the care of others. They will end their ministry on February 1, 2020. The community hosted a farewell celebration…