Now that the new school year has begun, it won’t be long before our thoughts turn to the Fun Run, Bottle Booth, yummy chicken and beef dinners, the Marketplace, games and more. Plans are in the works for a fabulous day of fun October 12 at Country Fair!  [CLICK HERE] For more information, call the Advancement Office at 636-946-5632.

We were delighted to welcome French Archbishop Thierry Jordan, of the Diocese of Reims, to the Shrine of St. Philippine Duchesne and the Academy of the Sacred Heart while he was in St. Louis for liturgical celebrations of the 250th birthday of the City and the 800th birthday of St. Louis the King.

Archbishop Jordan has special ties to both St. Philippine and to St. Louis. He is a member of the Jordan and Perier families—cousins of Philippine Duchesne. (Many who met him see a family resemblance to the Saint.) In addition, St. Louis IX was crowned King of France in the Cathedral of Reims, where Archbishop Jordan serves.

The Archbishop, along with Prince Louis de Bourbon (a descendent of St. Louis) and his wife, the Princess Margaret, and Bishop Edward Rice of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, were all welcomed for a visit, a semi-private mass in the Shrine, and a tour of the historic portion of the school. Two French-speaking RSCJ, Sisters Fran Gimber and Carolyn Osiek, accompanied the Archbishop on his tour, and Sister Margaret Munch gave a tour to the English-speaking visitors. Our Fourth Class students helped us to greet these guests and participated in the French mass with their singing and their responses to the prayers during the liturgy. Afterward, the visitors enjoyed a luncheon in the Conference Room.

The Society, the Academy, the Shrine and the children at the Academy all presented gifts to the Archbishop to commemorate this special visit to his saint-cousin’s first and last American home.

On this day, we felt a strong connection to our French heritage!

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CLICK HERE for more photos of this and other Archdiocesan anniversary events.

The coming weekend will be book-ended with two special liturgical celebrations at the Academy.  At our annual Mass on the Grass on Saturday, August 23 at 6 p.m., school families will celebrate together the beginning of a new school year. It will be held between the Shrine and the White Center. The second mass, at 10:45 a.m. Monday in the Shrine, will be celebrated in French by Archbishop Thierry Jordan of the Diocese of Riems. A relative of St. Philippine Duchesne, Archbishop Jordan will be in St. Louis for celebrations recognizing the City’s 250th birthday, as well as the 800th birthday of St. Louis the King.

Click here for information about other liturgical celebrations August 23-25 in St. Louis.

We were so glad to welcome new and returning friends in grades 1-8 on their first day of school, August 20. Our Primary classes had half days August 21-22. Pre-Primary students rounded out our enrollment when they began on August 25. To each and every one, welcome! We are excited to begin another year of love and learning.

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We’re rolling out the red carpet for all of our school families at tonight’s Open House from 5-7 p.m. Teachers will be waiting in classrooms to meet their students! Be sure to either enter or depart through the White Center, where representatives from the Cafeteria, athletics, Scouts, Band, Chess Club, Bricks for Kidz, the Business Office, the school nurse, Mothers’ Club, apparel and more will be on hand to answer whatever questions you may have.

And don’t forget—food trucks from Slice of the Hill and Cose Dolci will be parked near the White Center steps. Slice of the Hill will offer salad and pizzas, and Cose Dolci will sell sweet treats such as cake pops, cupcakes and cookies.

NEW—Photos added. We welcomed visiting students, their two teachers, and headmistress Sr. Mami Ohara from Fuji Seishin Joshi Gakuin, a Sacred Heart school in Japan. As part of their two-week visit to the St. Louis area, the 16 students took English classes at the Academy. Their afternoons were filled with a variety of activities and sightseeing. Some Academy students and alums extended ASH hospitality to the Japanese students, spending time and conversing with them, and joining them for meals. In addition, several Academy families hosted visitors during weekend stays. We loved getting to know these international Sacred Heart friends!
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Alums will be gathering Saturday, June 14, in the Griesedieck Conference Room and front yard following Mass in the Shrine at 5 p.m. Click here for more information. We hope to see many of you back at your Sacred Heart home.

The Academy is sponsoring a sing-along version of Disney’s “Frozen”—the first movie in New Town’s outdoor summer movie series—on Friday, June 6. Kick off summer fun by singing along with all your favorite tunes in this summer classic!

A new two-minute spot about the Academy will air before the movie, which starts at dusk in the Amphitheater. Park anywhere you like; there are no reserved spaces. Admission is free, all are invited to attend. Don’t forget your blanket and bug spray…

Ms. Piggies Smokehouse Express will be open to sell BBQ, hotdogs, sodas, water, etc.; Bonnidell’s Ice Cream Shop will be selling ice cream, soda and water; and Triplets’ Treasure Trove, candy, juice, water and all kinds of balloons, bracelets, hula hoops, etc.

Also, check out the pre-movie event taking place at the New Town bridge from 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Graduation and alumni induction for the Academy Class of 2014 took place on Saturday, May 24. We are so proud of these 55 young men and women, and join their families and friends in wishing them success as they continue their educations at 14 area high schools in the fall. Trés bien, Class of 2014!

Thanks to our 2013-2014 Social Justice Leadership Council for a great year. These seventh and eighth graders took the lead in coordinating Advent and Lenten projects such as Adopt-a-Family and Christmas basket distribution, as well as food drives, soup kitchen decorating and Mission Day participation. Well done!