Sacred Heart schools across North America commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the formation of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools in the United States (US)-Canada Province. Through a Network-wide virtual prayer service, an inaugural summit, conferences, and workshops, the schools across North America have deepened their understanding of the history of the Network and the mission of a Sacred Heart education. These efforts underscore the Goals and Criteria and highlight the principles and values instilled in all Sacred Heart Schools across the US-Canada Province, according to sacredheartusc.education.
The Network stems from the educational mission of The Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat founded this religious order in 1800 in France, according to britannica.com. She envisioned the society as an organization devoted to educating girls through the Catholic faith. St. Madeleine Sophie Barat established the first Sacred Heart school in Amiens, France, in 1801. In 1818, Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne brought the mission to the US and founded the Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles, Missouri, according to sacredheartusc.education. The Network recognizes the two Saints as founding mothers of the Society, and their advocacy for girls’ education with Catholic principles serves as a foundation for the schools.
Ms. Amanda Codina, Director of Student Programs & Special Initiatives for the Network of Sacred Heart Schools, strives to foster meaningful connections between students, educators, Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ), alumni, and mission partners. She hopes to build excitement for this year, expand Network-wide efforts, and make the Network more robust. Ms. Codina reflected on the significance of the 50th anniversary of the Network and the schools’ enthusiasm surrounding it.
“Our 50th celebration is the perfect example of a new, vital way to remind us of our shared history and unite us as one larger Sacred Heart Community,” Ms. Codina said. “The enthusiasm behind our celebration honoring 50 years has been palpable and a testimony to the strength of our Network of Schools. The response and eagerness to participate or help expand this effort have been both humbling and exciting to witness.”
Today, Network Schools have spread to 41 countries across six continents. The US-Canada Province consists of 25 schools and belongs to the US-Canada Province of the Society of the Sacred Heart, according to sacredheartusc.education. There are 23 schools in the US in Missouri, Louisiana, Michigan, Florida, New York, California, Texas, Nebraska, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Washington. The Sacred Heart School of Halifax in Nova Scotia and Sacred Heart School of Montreal in Quebec comprise the schools in Canada.
A group of Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ) and educators established the Network in 1974, formally initiating the core of a Sacred Heart education through the Goals and Criteria, according to ash1818.org. Over the next two centuries, the Network inducted each Sacred Heart school in the US-Canada Province. Schools within the Network have opportunities to collaborate with national and international schools through Network Exchange programs, workshops, seminars, and summer service programs. Ms. Codina shared how she believes the larger Network enriches the Sacred Heart experience.
“Sacred Heart is much bigger than the individual schools and our Network of 25 schools in the United States and Canada,” Ms. Codina said. “Being part of the Sacred Heart family means understanding that we are much bigger than just one school or organization. We are part of a global Sacred Heart community that is rooted in St. Madeleine Sophie’s vision for education and guided by the charism of the Society of the Sacred Heart. In addition to our shared mission as articulated in the Goals and Criteria, we share a unique, rich, and deep history that binds us together. The unique nature of our Network in the US [and] Canada and the global Sacred Heart family is, I believe, incredibly powerful and empowering and cannot be replicated.”
The US-Canada Province, along with the global Network, has hosted multiple conferences over the past three years. These engaging and Network-driven events include the annual “Living Our Mission” conference held in Florissant, Missouri, and the first global Network Summit in Chicago, Illinois, this past September. The Network has also commemorated the 50-year legacy with the 50th Anniversary Prayer Service September 18. This service took place at the Shrine of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, located on the campus of the Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles, Missouri. The celebration featured a video highlighting all 25 schools in the US-Canada Province. Sister Suzanne Cooke, RSCJ, Provincial of the US-Canada Province, expressed her joy in uniting all 25 schools for the 50th anniversary and reflected on her role as provincial.
“The words from our 25 school communities just captured in the video remind us of the sheer joy of being gathered here today to share in 50 years of shared vision and shared mission,” Sr. Cooke said, according to rscj.org. “I never thought as a student of the Sacred Heart that I’d be here for this grand celebration as provincial. That is my honor and privilege.”
Looking back, Sr. Cooke spoke about how St. Madeleine Sophie Barat gave the Sacred Heart charism to the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1800. She also acknowledged Sister Catherine “Kit” Collins, RSCJ, who drafted the language that eventually became the Goals and Criteria, as well as Sacred Heart educators and RSCJ who were central in establishing the Network, according to rscj.org. Sr. Cooke reflected on the last 50 years since the formation of the Network and shared her hope for the future of Sacred Heart education.
“Sister Collins and all the educators who worked together, 50 years ago, to imagine Sacred Heart education in light of Sophie’s gift understood that joy springs from the depths of our heart, and a relationship with Christ rooted in the sensitivity to the Spirit,” Sr. Cooke said, according to rscj.org. “So let’s pray for that, and that the Goals and Criteria, more importantly, Sacred Heart education will live on.”
Featured Image by Caroline Gammon ’26
