Philippine once wrote to Sophie, “I carry in my heart a great fear of spoiling things wherever I may be, and this because of some words I think I heard in the depths of my heart: ‘You are destined to please me not so much by successes as by failure.’” She did indeed experience many failures, but because of her missionary spirit, the Society of the Sacred Heart spread around the world. Because of her loyalty to Madeleine Sophie Barat, the Society remained one congregation, its internationality one of its strongest characteristics.
Today, Religious of the Sacred Heart serve in 41 countries. In the spirit of Philippine, these educators prepare the young for today and tomorrow; they seek out the poor and those who have no voice in today’s society. Every frontier we face cries out for pioneers who have the courage to follow God’s call and the wisdom to pray always.
Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne died on November 18, 1852, at the age of 83. She is interred in a shrine built in her honor at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles, Missouri. She was beatified in 1940 and canonized July 3, 1988.
“We cultivate a very small field for Christ. But we love it, knowing that God does not require great achievements,but a heart that holds back nothing for self.”- Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne