Today we celebrate the 224th Birthday of the Society of the Sacred Heart, founded by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat in Paris in 1800. As we begin the season of gratitude, this week reminds us of how much we have to be thankful for. From our founding mothers and the Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ), to celebrating the Feast of St. Philippine Duchesne with Grandfriends to the extraordinary dedication of our faculty and staff, we are grateful. We give thanks for the mission of the Society of the Sacred Heart, the courage and confidence of Philippine to establish our school, the love and support of our families, and the commitment of our faculty.
Below are notes that were received this week from afar that illustrate a deep connection to Philippine and our beloved school as we follow in her footsteps.
While TS (Fourth Class 2023-24) was only a student for a short time before he and and his parents, Jeremy and former English and Language Arts teacher Nagehan Hill, moved to Canada last summer, he was inspired by Philippine. Mrs. Hill writes:
For TS’ religion class, students were asked to pick a saint and write about the things that represented their saint. Of course, TS chose St. Rose Philippine Duchesne and wrote about how she traveled on a boat from France and founded the Academy of the Sacred Heart. Philippine is ever present in TS’ life thanks to the beautiful experience he had at the Academy family. We miss everyone dearly.
Matthew Stauder ’14, uncle of Julia ’31 and Dominic ’33, sent Feast Day wishes from Washington, D.C.
I attended Mass this afternoon at St. Patrick’s Parish — the oldest Catholic Church in D.C. — which features mosaics of American Saints and Blesseds above the altar. I am sharing the photo of Philippine’s mosaic. Our pastor talked about Philippine in his homily and how we can emulate her evangelism in our daily lives.
Today, as always, I am grateful for the tremendous gift of a Sacred Heart education made possible through Philippine’s boldness and zeal two centuries ago. May God continue to bless the students, faculty, and staff of the Academy and all Sacred Heart Schools around the world!
