In anticipation of the international World Youth Day (WYD) Lisbon 2023 with Pope Francis, 24 young people connected to the Society of the Sacred Heart and five Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ) arrived in Rome to begin the inaugural SacredHeartDNA program: “Belong and Act as One: Discovering Our SacredHeartDNA.”
SacredHeartDNA is an initiative born out of the Society of the Sacred Heart United States – Canada Province Young Adult and Vocation Ministry Office. The initiative focuses on bringing together an intergenerational group of young adults and RSCJ, and creating opportunities such as the “Belong and Act as One” program for these respective groups to connect, grow in faith, build community and, ultimately, take action.
The SacredHeartDNA core team—led by Director of Young Adult and Vocation Ministry Reyna González, RSCJ, and who is responsible for planning the “Belong and Act as One” program—shares that the aim of this program is for young people to experience the mission and charism of the Society of the Sacred Heart through a pilgrimage rooted in history, active citizenship and informed faith.
The program begins in Rome where participants will stay at the historic Villa Lante—on whose grounds Society founder Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat once walked, and which currently houses the Society’s general archives. Participants will explore and deepen their understanding of the history and roots of the Society of the Sacred Heart in an effort to develop a strong sense of belonging and community within the Society of the Sacred Heart.
Then, on August 1, the group will journey together to WYD in Lisbon, Portugal, joining young people from around the world in a celebration of youth and an expression of the universal Church engaged in evangelization with young people.
The SacredHeartDNA “Belong and Act as One” participants represent four countries—Chile, Mexico, Poland and the United States. Additionally, among the participants, five are high school students or recent graduates from schools in the Network of Sacred Heart Schools—representing member schools are: Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart in Omaha, Nebraska; Sacred Heart Academy Bryn Mawr in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania; Villa Duchesne School of the Sacred Heart in St. Louis, Missouri; and Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart in Lake Forest, Illinois.
During the program SacredHeartDNA will be posting daily updates and reflections from various participants on their social media pages. You can find SacredHeartDNA on Instagram (@sacredheartdna_) and Facebook (@sacredheartdna).
