AASH End of Fiscal Year Appeal

Dear Sacred Heart Alumnae and Alumni,

Last month in Omaha we celebrated the 80th Anniversary of AASH at the 39th Biennial Conference.  The conference theme Celebrating our Legacy in the Heartland was aptly presented with an array of activities and speakers that left us feeling intellectually and spiritually fulfilled.  Eighty years is truly a milestone in our history of uniting alumnae and alumni in “federation, spirit and service.”  In the past your generous support has helped us to remain connected and to grow this wonderful organization.   I am writing to ask for your support as our fiscal year ends May 31st.  All gifts will be recognized in the summer issue of Esprit de Coeur, which will highlight the 39th Biennial Conference hosted inOmaha. 

Please know that your contribution allows us to meet our commitment to alumnae and alumni throughout the nation.  That commitment includes networking through our national website and our publication, Esprit de Coeur, and assisting alumnae and alumni associations around the country.  Your gift also enables us to continue our support of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools and the very important ministries of the Religious of the Sacred Heart.

We count on your financial support to help us stay financially strong and continue to improve the services we offer as an association so that we will flourish for the next 80 years.  I’d like to suggest that in honor of this momentous and special anniversary year, please consider a gift to AASH, either in honor or memory of a loved one: someone you wish to recognize, to show your appreciation and gratitude – a parent, a friend, a sibling, RSCJ, or mentor.

This month is special in many ways as we mark the end of our fiscal year, celebrate Mother’s Day, the Feast of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, and welcome graduates from twenty-two Sacred Heart schools throughout the United States as the newest members of AASH.  The tribute video Sacred Heart: Mothers, Daughters, Sisters and RSCJ is a photo compilation of Sacred Heart Alums, as well as, the many RSCJ who taught us. The video is meant to pay homage to these wonderful woman and St. Madeleine Sophie Barat foundress of the Society of the Sacred Heart.

Please know that AASH is grateful for your gift in any amount. You can save time and postage by donating online now (click here) - our website www.aashnet.org.  You will notice a matching gift tab listing thousands of companies that will double or even triple your gift!  If you prefer to send a check, make it payable to "AASH" and mail to: AASH National Office, 801 S. Spoede Road, St. Louis, MO 63131. 

On behalf of the AASH 2011-2013 Board of Directors, I thank you for your support!

Warm regards in the Heart,

     Maureen Elizabeth

Maureen Elizabeth Ryan

AASH President 2011-2013

Enjoy the You Tube Video - Sacred Heart: Mothers, Daughters, Sisters and RSCJ

And the video Legacy in the Heartland... shown at the 39th Biennial AASH Conference in Omaha can be viewed if you click here.

Betsy Stahler Fallon WA'94 Receives St. Philippine Duchesne Outstanding Alumna Award at Induction Ceremony

Betsy Stahler Fallon '94 ~  recipient of the
St. Philippine Duchesne Outstanding Alumna Award

The Induction Ceremony began with a warm welcome by Woodlands Academy Alumnae Association President, Marni Soderland Mans, '90  and then fellow WAAA Board members: Pat Colbert, '60; Kamy Moorman Daddono '80 and Molly Keating '95 distributed AASH Passports to Forty-Two young ladies who now become part of their local alumna association, as well as, National (AASH) and International (AMASC) Sacred Heart Alum Associations.

Junior Class President Anne Kotlarz, offered the following tribute "Sisterhood…. by being a part of the Woodlands community, we have been given the grandest sisterhood a young woman can have. This sisterhood started the day we walked into Woodlands freshman year, and will continue for the rest of our lives. Seniors, after today you will have the support of one of the most profound alumnae associations. We have been fortunate enough to hear from numerous alumnae in previous years and each alumna evokes awe and gives us a glimpse of what we all dream to become in the future. The alumnae are also perfect examples of how our Woodlands experiences and the Sacred Heart Network will guide us for the rest of our lives." 

Above top right photo: Past Philippine Duchesne Outstanding Alumna Award recipients M. Julie McKinley, '74 (2012) and  Helen Bruns Ryan, '50 (2009) joined Betsy in front of the Triptych of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat by Mother Margaret Mary Nealis.  

From the WAAA website - 

Betsy Stahler Fallon graduated from Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart in 1994 and went on to St. Norbert College in Wisconsin and received her Master’s Degree from St. Xavier University in 2005. Betsy lives with her husband, Sean in Chicago. She has taught for nine years in an all-boy classroom at Sheridan Road and was nominated for a Golden Apple in 2011.

Betsy has dedicated herself to Woodlands Academy by serving on the Woodlands Academy Alumnae Association Board for seven years. During her years of dedication to the Alumnae Board, Betsy organized and launched an Alumnae Networking event for young professional alums to connect in Chicago. This event gathered alums in the heart of the city in the middle of February to support each other and Woodlands. This is now an annual event which continues to reconnect Woodlands alums to their Alma Mater. Betsy’s enthusiasm to gather Woodlands alums on campus, in her home, for dinner downtown, at Conge or Reunion is an example of her love of the Sacred Heart mission. Betsy is passionate about single-sex education and speaks nationally and in Canada at workshops about the best strategies for “reaching the male brain in the classroom.”



Betsy has dedicated herself to additional philanthropic activities at Sheridan Road. She has a hands on approach to getting her students involved in service. Her attitude of “many hands make light work” allows her students to understand that though they are young they can make a world of difference. She has her first graders bring in toys they no longer play with to donate to local shelters. Her students also work together to bring in supplies and make lunches for the homeless in the Roger’s Park neighborhood of Chicago.



Betsy’s dedication and commitment to Sacred Heart specifically exemplifies the second and third of the goals and criteria of the Sacred Heart “a deep respect for intellectual values” and “a social awareness which impels to action."

Betsy currently teaches first grade at Hardey Prep.  Betsy said that she and her first grade boys begin each day with the following prayer ~

Dear God, 

Today I will do my best to...

love you,

have fun learning, 

help others, 

be a good friend 

and make wise choices.

To read more of Betsy's inspiring remarks upon receiving the Philippine Duchesne Outstanding Alumnae Award - click here

Above lower left photo:  Nancy Scott Considine, SR'44 was all smiles surrounded by five of her seven daughters and two granddaughters.

Sacred Heart: Mothers, Daughters, Sisters and RSCJ

Wishing all a very Happy Mother's Day!  

Sacred Heart: Mothers, Daughters, Sisters and RSCJ is a collection of photos featuring the many RSCJ known in the 20th century as Mother and now as Sister, as well as, Sacred Heart alums with their Mothers, Godmothers, Daughters, Sisters, Brothers and Sons. On this special day we celebrate and honor the Mother that gave us life. There is no stronger bond than that of a Mother and her Child and the relationship we hold with our Sisters is very special too.  The compilation of photos recognizes the many RSCJ "Mothers" who taught us and most especially St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, Foundress of the Society of the Sacred Heart.  Once a Child of the Sacred Heart always a Child of the Sacred Heart... I hope you will enjoy seeing the many smiles on these Sacred Heart faces as much as I do! To all my Sacred Heart Sisters, I wish you a very Happy Mother's Day!

Photo credits:  MER; Mary Schumacher, RSCJ; Ada Stevens with SnapHappy Photos and Archives

Sacred Heart Alumna President Park of South Korea Addresses Joint Meeting of Congress

Sacred Heart Alumna Park Geun-hye
South Korea's First Woman President

Sacred Heart alumna and recently elected President Park Geun-Hye of South Korea was in Washington, D.C. this week and addressed a Joint Meeting of Congress on May 7, 2013 after a summit meeting with President Obama.

Park Geun-Hye was elected president of the Republic of Korea on Dec. 19 2012. She is the first woman president in the history of Korea. Park attended middle school from 1965 to 1967 and continued on to high school graduating in 1970. She is remembered by fellow classmates as academically outstanding, frugal and compassionate. President of KASH (South Korea Alumni of the Sacred Heart), Young-Soon Change sent the following news to AMASC.  "Throughout the presidential campaign, the alumni created a strong bond. Everyday groups were formed to travel to different cities campaigning from morning till midnight. Although our graduates are small in numbers compared to other schools, we realized the influence of one graduate was enormous. We became confident our Sacred Heart education will bring about change in our society.  KASH organized a lecture twice a year to increase participation in various activities among college and high school graduates. The subject of the lecture was opera. This became very popular last year and many requested it again. This year we will invite a famous expert on the lecture subject. The alumni living abroad have formed an organization in various countries. They send news of their activities to Korea. Through this, we are planning to make an effort to find and contact more alumnae. As always, we are seeking ways to make our younger alumni participate."

The AMASC XV World Congress will be hosted in Scottsdale, Arizona from November 6-9, 2014, the theme for the Congress: 'Listening with One Heart'.  For further info on the AMASC XV Congress click here.

Honoring Mothers with Healthy Waters

This year we celebrate Mother's Day on May 12th.  How do you plan to honor or remember your Mother?  For Sacred Heart alums of yesteryear we remember our educational "Mothers" ... the many RSCJ who touched our lives in so many ways.  

Sacred Heart alums are taught to live out St. Madeleine Sophie Barat’s vision of “social awareness that impels to action”.  If you have not had a chance to browse the new RSCJ website I encourage you to do so.  You will see that the RSCJ continue to educate us with a powerful group called Healthy Waters and Coastal Restoration Group.  To read an update and/ or if you wish to join the group - click here. 

And, Just in time for Mother’s Day, Water.org has released a powerful and inspirational video called “Three Mothers, Three Stories", narrated by Jodie Foster.  The link to the short video was forwarded to me by Melanie Guste, RSCJ.  It is meant to inspire us and I think it will!  

Info below is taken from www.rscj.org

RSCJ .... Our Mission Lived

The Healthy Waters and Coastal Restoration Interest Group formed in 2009 in response to the continuing environmental crisis in the New Orleans area following Hurricane Katrina four years earlier. Group members participate in advocacy networks, sign petitions, and share information, resources and prayer. The group’s goal is to live the priority for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation of the General Chapter of 2008:

Journeying with peoples of different contexts, races, and cultures, and listening profoundly to the joys and suffering of humanity have allowed us to be touched by the poverty, inequality, exclusion, violence, and environmental destruction that are present in today’s world. We recognize with greater clarity the interconnectedness of global realities and the impact these have on our local situations. We are more aware of the marginalizing effects of globalization and of cultures of dominance and exclusion. (Chapter 2008)

Members of the Society of the Sacred Heart believe that “to educate is in itself an act of justice,” (Letter of the General Council, June, 2006) so they educate themselves and others as citizens of God’s world and of creation. An important dimension to their activities is conscientious living, that is, making small daily choices in their lifestyle to reflect respect for creation.

The Healthy Waters and Coastal Restoration Group has a Facebook group, open to anyone interested in learning more about living in harmony with the environment. Please visit the page and click the “ask to join” button. All members of the Sacred Heart family and friends are also invited to join the Healthy Waters Group and learn more about this critical issue. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Sister Melanie Guste at mguste@rscj.org.

AASH Announces Joan Lueder Coffey Service Award with IVC and BEF

Sr. Marguerite Green, RSCJ (BC'43) and
Joan Lueder Coffey (BC'65)

    AASH BOARD ANNOUNCES NEW

JOAN LUEDER COFFEY SERVICE AWARD

                                                                                                                                                                                                   
The Board of Directors of the Associated Alumnae & Alumni of the Sacred Heart (AASH) announces the inauguration of The Joan Lueder Coffey Service Award.  The award establishes a new partnership with the Barat Education Foundation (BEF) and the Ignatian Volunteer Corps-Chicago (IVC).

The Award will be publicly announced at the IVC ‘Madonna Della Strada Awards’ at Loyola University-Lakeshore Campus on May 8, 2013, 5 -7 pm.  All Sacred Heart alums are invited to attend the event.  For more info click here.

The award is named in honor of a Sacred Heart alumna of Barat College, Class of 1965.   Joan Coffey believed deeply in the values of education and service to the poor.  She passed away in 2003.

Dr. Coffey was a life-long educator and student. She was born in Chicago, and received her Bachelor of Arts Degree. from Barat College and her Ph.D. in History from the University of Colorado.

She taught for many years in public and private secondary schools including Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart, Lake Forest. IL. Dr. Coffey joined the faculty at Sam Houston State University in 1990, where she was Associate Professor of History at the time of her death.

She is author of Leon Harmel: Entrepreneur on Catholic Social Reform, published posthumously by Notre Dame Press.

The Ignatian Volunteer Corps is a national organization that provides retired and semi-retired individuals, aged 50 and older, opportunities to volunteer in poor and marginalized communities. IVC volunteers commit two days per week, 10 months per year – generally September-June – in direct
service to those in need.  Volunteers also participate in a comprehensive faith formation program in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. It is a one-year commitment with the option for renewal.

The JLC Service Award will support the placement of an IVC-Sacred Heart alum in the Chicago region who volunteers at a school that promotes educational opportunities for students of limited means and/or at an IVC partner agency servicing the materially poor.


        IVC Chicago is a vibrant, growing program with 50+ volunteers serving across four counties and three dioceses in the Chicagoland area.  IVC members volunteer in diverse capacities from tutoring/mentoring at all levels of education; working at food pantries/soup kitchens; immigration advocacy; social service; hospital chaplaincy; prison ministry and beyond.

Volunteers meet monthly as a Christian faith community from September to June and participate in days of reflection and an annual retreat. Each member is matched with a spiritual reflector with whom he/she meets monthly to reflect on his/her service experience.

AASH is proud to promote the Joan Lueder Coffey Service Award and the Ignatian Volunteer Corps as a unique opportunity for retired Sacred Heart alums to continue living out St. Madeleine Sophie Barat’s vision of “social awareness that impels to action” and her commitment to ongoing personal faith development.

AASH, BEF, and IVC Chicago anticipate that this award will be a model for the establishment of other endowed “named” service awards in regions where AASH and IVC alums are working with the underserved.  AASH, a 501 (c) 3 organization, serves more than 60,000 Sacred Heart alumnae/I in the United States and Canada.

For more information on the Ignatian Volunteer Corps, please visit the IVC website at www.ivcusa.org  (click on ‘Chicago’). To attend an IVC information session in your area, register to attend the May 8 Madonna Della Strada Award reception, or inquire about endowing a named service award, please contact Christine Curran, IVC Regional Director, at 773-865-9810 or ccurran@ivcusa.org

The Barat Education Foundation is an independent 501(c) 3 organization, established in 2000 prior to the sale of Barat College to DePaul University. At that time, the Foundation was charged with the development and support of innovative educational programs and services that reflected the values and educational tradition of Barat College.

When DePaul University closed Barat College in June 2005, the Board of Directors voted
to perpetuate and build upon the Barat legacy of education, leadership and advocacy.  Today, the Barat Education Foundation is committed to continuing and adapting the heritage and legacy of Barat College to the 21st-century world.

For more information about the Barat Education Foundation, visit the BEF website at
http://www.thebaratfoundation.org.  ##

Happiness - A Poem by April O'Leary, RSCJ

The Happy Faces of Sacred Heart Schools Chicago -  "Brownie Troop"

Happiness

The mad philosopher


nibbling peanuts, feeding


lettuce to his


tortoise, chocolate


beans


to children button-eyed


with wonder,


burrowing into skies


like velvet


with a telescope


once used


at Trafalgar



is happy


to advance the cause


of happiness


by being


happy

April O'Leary , RSCJ (1922-2012)

Province of England - Wales

As we end National Poetry Month and enter the Merry Month of May how providential that I should discover this evening a lovely poem written by Sr. April O'Leary. The photo above is taken from Sacred Heart Schools Chicago and shows the very happy faces of the Brownie Troop. 

More about Sr. April O'Leary taken from the Society of the Sacred Heart England & Wales website is below. 

Born in 1922, April was one of 34 cousins to be educated at Sacred Heart schools, like their mothers and grandmother. During the Second World War she worked on farms as a "land girl", then in a NAAFI canteen and an aircraft factory before joining the Society in 1946. She made her first vows in September 1948 - 65 years ago - and was finally professed in 1955.

April read English Literature at Oxford, and taught this for many years at our schools  in Hove, Tunbridge Wells and St Julian's in Malta, and at Digby Stuart College. She later moved into spirituality work, spending seven years as part of our community at Llannerchwen, near Brecon, and then at Marden Lodge, in the grounds of Woldingham School. Both were rural locations, which the former "land girl" enjoyed immensely. In 2010 ill health meant a move to Duchesne House, where she died after a short illness.

Among other things April was a gifted writer and poet, and it is fitting that she should express herself in her own words. You can read her account of her vocation here, and some of her poetry here and here.

Several years ago, when a young sister made her first vows, April sent her a quote, from Julian of Norwich, which meant a lot to her. We can be sure that when April arrived in the fullness of God's presence, she heard these words once more:

My darling I am glad that thou art come to me, in all thy woe I have been ever with thee, now seest thou my loving, and we be oned in bliss.