This week, Maureen Glavin, RSCJ returned to campus to spend time with students. Sister Glavin made her first vows as a Religious of the Sacred Heart in the Shrine of St. Philippine Duchesne and taught Seventh Class math and science for four years. In 2004, she returned to the Academy as Head of School until 2017. She then served on the Provincial Team (the leadership team for the Society of the Sacred Heart — United States and Canada). Last summer, Sister Glavin returned to the U.S. after serving in Indonesia and is again a member of the Provincial Team. Below, she shares about her time with Academy students this week.
On Monday I had the joy of attending the Third Class Little Glimpses and the All Saints Day Mass. Subsequent to Mass I met the Seventh and Eighth Class students for a short assembly. On Wednesday I met with the Third and Fourth Class students for their assembly and tomorrow I will be meeting with Fifth and Sixth Class students. What is abundantly clear to me is that the current administration, adroitly led by Mr. Horner and Mrs. Reepmeyer, are doing a marvelous job creating the space in which faculty, staff, and students are living the essence of Sacred Heart education by nurturing an authentic relationship with and understanding of Love’s Very Self (i.e. God), fostering an engaging learning environment, and encouraging choices and actions which reflect God’s Spirit.
Given that this is National Vocations Week and the week of the All Saints Day Mass, I used my visit here to chat with your children about two things: their biggest goal in life and the paths to get there. In essence, my message is this:
- While we have many goals, our ultimate goal on this planet is to be the most loving person we can be. There are different ways to say this (get to heaven / reflect God’s love in our lives).
- Being loving (as in the Greek agape love) is to think more of the ‘other’ and less of ‘oneself.’
- There are different paths to reach this goal. Another way to say this is there are different vocational options. In my brief time with students, I focused on the following two:
- Being married and having children calls us to think about the ‘other’ and is the perfect path to being a loving person for most people.
- Being a religious sister or brother or a priest also calls us think about ‘others’ and is the perfect path to being a loving person for some people. This has been my path and I spent some time explaining this path with the younger students.
With the Seventh and Eighth Class, I reminded them that they are already and always loved by God. I encouraged them to stay connected to that Love through their adolescence. Staying connected to that love (Love’s Very Self) helps us stay healthy and happy as we travel our path.
ALL the students I have spoken to and seen so far could not have been more open-hearted in listening to me, could not have been more courageous and confident in asking questions, and could not have been more kind and compassionate in what I saw in their interactions with each other and with me.
This place has always held a special place in my heart so to be at the Academy this week has been a blessing, a joy, and an inspiration. God’s Heart is clearly and vibrantly alive and well at this school named after God’s Heart! Thank you for allowing me to visit and may each of your paths to becoming your most loving self be filled with joy in the journey!
Sister Glavin with current Eighth Class students who were in Pre-Primary during her last year as Head of School: Sophia Weeks, Fynnlee White, Allison Setser, Jackson Valle, Alexander Piper, and Daniel York.
