Today, Sacred Heart Greenwich honors 214 years since the birth of Mother Mary Aloysia Hardey December 8, 1809. Mother Hardey founded this school in 1848 as the third Network school in North America and the first in the eastern United States (US). Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, foundress of the Society of the Sacred Heart religious order, called Mother Hardey her “first American daughter,” according to archive.org. Indeed, Mother Hardey spread St. Madeleine Sophie’s vision across North America, establishing 16 houses of the Sacred Heart from Canada to Cuba. She made 19 transatlantic ocean voyages, and her perseverance continues to inspire the Sacred Heart community. This Advent, the King Street Chronicle prepares for Christmas by reflecting on Mother Hardey’s life and call for service and silence.
As a child, Mother Hardey attended the Academy of the Sacred Heart at Grand Coteau, Louisiana. There, she met Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, the French-born pioneer who had opened the first Sacred Heart school in North America in 1818. After graduating in 1825, Mother Hardey became a Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (RSCJ). She took her first vows in 1827 and proceeded to manage a newly-opened school in St. Michael’s, Louisiana, according to sacredheartusc.education.
In 1840, she moved to New York City and established the Convent of the Sacred Heart, now Sacred Heart Greenwich, according to sacredheartusc.education. Today, Mother Hardey’s impact is easily recognized around campus, as she is the namesake of the Mary Aloysia Hardey Observatory, the Hardey House, and the Aloysia Hardey Society for philanthropic leaders. Mr. Michael Baber, President, resides in the Hardey House. He elaborated on his decision to name the building after this exemplary leader.
“I love the rootedness that naming can provide,” Mr. Baber said. “To be rooted is important, not only because of the stability and strength of the underground system that roots provide, but also and more importantly because ‘being rooted’ enables one to produce. Naming the House in honor of Mother Hardey is certainly a way to root us in who she was, but even more so for us to be inspired to emulate her in our day and time. […] Naming the House after Mother Hardey seemed natural for our campus community since we as Sacred Heart educators strive to form girls and young women to answer their call and share their gifts with the world in which they find themselves.”
Mother Hardey continued to spread the mission of the Society of the Sacred Heart across the continent, opening 16 houses of the Sacred Heart along the eastern seaboard, spanning from Halifax, Canada to Cuba. In 1871, Mother Hardey became Assistant General of the international Society of the Sacred Heart. She moved to Paris, France, and worked to build and strengthen European schools and convents. In this capacity, she helped update the Sacred Heart curriculum while advocating for the higher education of women, according to sacredheartusc.education. Mr. Baber spoke about Mother Hardey’s life of determination.
“I am personally inspired by Mother Hardey for her grit and perseverance–two virtues that I call on regularly,” Mr. Baber said. “Mother Hardey had a drive and determination that I admire–to launch the ‘start-up’ in a new market, from Halifax to Cuba, was no easy task, yet it seemed to be in her DNA. She was a gifted, nimble, and determined educational leader. In my work and ministry here, I, too, call on these virtues and her inspiration to move us forward.”
Mother Hardey passed away in Paris in 1886, according to sacredheartusc.education. She served as a lifelong educator, and her writings continue to offer lessons to current Sacred Heart community members. When reflecting on the story of Christmas, she encouraged recognition of the tendency to turn away from those in need.
“In Bethlehem, all was provided for the accommodation of the rich and the great, but no one thought of Joseph, of Mary, of the Incarnate Word,” Mother Hardey said, according to sacredheartusc.education. “There was no room for them. No room in His own city for the expected Messiah. Our hearts are moved with sorrow and indignation as we read these words; yet how often may they be applied to us. Jesus presents Himself at the door of our hearts, and our actions give answer, ‘there is no room.’”
Indeed, despite her talents and accomplishments, Mother Hardey dedicated her life to the service of God and others. Her writings emphasize the virtue of humility, and she asserts that, with humility, all actions work “for the Glory of God,” while “without it, they can do nothing,” according to sacredheartusc.education. December can be a busy time of shopping, decorating, and wrapping gifts, according to ncronline.org. In the midst of the holiday rush, Mother Hardey offered a message of Advent peace and prayer.
“Make your preparation for Christmas an active prayer, a prayer of fidelity, of silence, of mortification,” Mother Hardey said, according to sacredheartusc.education. “Be an angel of peace wherever you are.”
Featured Image by Avery Kim ’24
