This week all the Catholic schools throughout the country are celebrating Catholic Schools week. We at the Academy have some special reasons to celebrate, given our unique role in the history of Catholic education in St. Louis. I am sure most of you already know this, but, we the Academy of the Sacred Heart, St. Charles can claim to be the:
• First Catholic School in what is now the Archdiocese of St. Louis
• First free school west of the Mississippi
• First place which provided formal education to girls in St. Louis.
• First to bring educational opportunity to poor girls in St. Louis.
• Oldest currently operating Catholic school in the St. Louis metropolitan area
As faculty and staff, we have been reflecting on the charism or gift which the Society of the Sacred Heart has brought to Catholic education. The following writings from the Society’s constitution provide a tiny window into that charism:
“We are sent by the Church to communicate
the love of the Heart of Jesus.”
#10, Constitutions of the Society of the Sacred Heart, 1982
“Our service of education is carried out in a
genuine relationship of mutual interaction,
where each person both receives and gives
so that all may grow together.”
#14, Constitutions of the Society of the Sacred Heart, 1982
“(Our service of education) asks of us generous commitment, serious ongoing
formation and a broad critical vision of the world, enlightened by faith.”
#14, Constitutions of the Society of the Sacred Heart, 1982
As a grand way to culminate this week, I am excited to share with you that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, in designating a different American Saint for each month of this Year of Faith, have proclaimed that February is the “Month of Philippine.” To contribute to the celebration, members of the Sacred Heart family from around the country are sharing reflections, homilies, poems and prayers― something different for each day of the month. I invite you to join in the fun by visiting the Society of the Sacred Heart website, www.rscj.org. Or, if you wish, you can even choose to receive an e-mail of each daily reflection. (See rscj website for details.)
We at this Academy are prouder than ever to be the stewards of Philippine’s first and last American school, stewards of her inspirational story, stewards of her saintly remains and stewards of her holy example through our lives and our loves. Thus faithfully living our educational mission, may we continue to serve our children, our Church and our world!
United in the Heart of Jesus,
Maureen Glavin, rscj
