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Thursday, October 24, 2013

Sacred Heart Student and Olympic Gold Medalist Katie Ledecky Named Olympic Sportswoman of the Year

Katie Ledecky, ST'15 of the United States smiles as she holds her gold medal after winning the Women's 400m freestyle final at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, July 28, 2013. 
(AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
Congratulations to Katie Ledecky, Sacred Heart junior at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart who was recently named by the United States Olympic Committee's Olympic SportsWoman of the Year.  Katie will be honored on Tuesday, October 29 in New York.  Katie is the first female swimmer to win the USOC SportsWoman of the Year honors since Natalie Coughlin in 2008. 

We first learned of Katie Ledecky, the youngest member of the US Olympic Team who swam her way to her first gold medal in the London 2012 Olympic Games.   This past year at the 2013 World Championships, she won gold in 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle, as well as the 4x200-meter freestyle relay, setting two world records.  Read more here in The Washington Times.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Janet Erskine Stuart Centenary will be Launched Today



Dear Maureen Elizabeth,

Please join AASH and the Network of Sacred Heart Schools for a video conference kicking off the Janet Erskine Stuart Centenary at 2 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday, Oct. 21. The conference, originating from Stuart Hall High School in San Francisco, is free and available by clicking the link below.


 

Janet Erskine Stuart, RSCJ, was born November 11, 1857 in the Anglican Rectory of Cottesmore,  Rutland, England. As a child of thirteen, she set out on a solitary search for Truth, having been urged to this venture by a casual remark of one of her brothers that every rational creature must have a last end. The search for this last end took, she said, seven years and brought her to the Catholic Church at the age of twenty-one. In 1882, she entered the Society of the Sacred Heart at Roehampton, outside of London, where she was to spend 30 years of her religious life. Named Mistress of Novices soon after her profession, she became Superior in 1894, and 17 years later was elected the sixth Superior General of the Society of the Sacred Heart. Janet Stuart died a few months after the outbreak of World War I, on October 21, 1914.
 



From July 2013 through July 2014 the Society of the Sacred Heart and its affiliates celebrate the centenary of the death of Janet Erskine Stuart, RSCJ. The events will recognize her great intellectual and spiritual gifts made manifest in her writings and her leadership. 
 



Sunday, October 20, 2013

Sacred Heart Schools Chicago Celebrates the Feast of Mater Admirabilis with 8th Grade/Alumni Liturgy

Pictured above:  Fr. Mark Bosco, SJ and Hardey Prep 8th graders;
Joey Yao, SRAA President and Carolyn Hall Napelton, Alumni Relations;
Mary Ann Ligon, Head of Lower School and Stephen Puricelli, Head of Middle School
distributing Medals and Ties; smiling 8th graders.

Today, Sacred Heart alums all over the world celebrate the Feast of Mater Admirabilis.  I am grateful for the opportunity to live close enough to three of our Sacred Heart Schools - Sheridan Road, Josephinum and Woodlands.  So today I attended the 8th Grade/Alumni Liturgy hosted at Sacred Heart Schools in Chicago.  

What a treat to witness the 8th grade boys receive their Ties emblazoned with the Hardey Prep crest and the 8th grade girls from the Academy receive their Sacred Heart Medals with red ribbons during mass.  

Prior to mass beginning Nat Wilburn, Head of Schools welcomed Mary Bernstein, RSCJ who serves as a Trustee for the school and  Zhang Yuemin, RSCJ who is visiting from China and currently studying at DePaul University.   Nat then briefly spoke of Pauline Perdrau, the young postulant who painted the fresco of Mater Admirabilis in Rome in 1844.  He remarked at not only the significant number of people who have been touched by Pauline Perdrau's fresco of Mater Admirabilis but more importantly how much devotion has grown from this beautiful image of our Mother Mary over the last two centuries.  

Nat then asked the 8th grade class of 2014 to "leave a trace and do something this year that will distinguish each of you as individuals and your class from all the other eight grade classes that have graduated from Sacred Heart.  Ask yourself as you are wearing your Medals and Ties this year - how am I leaving a trace? Let Pauline Perdrau inspire you!" 

Fr. Mark Bosco, SJ gave a wonderful and upbeat homily based on the Gospel reading "The Parable of the Persistent Widow".  He spoke of the importance of perseverance and having high hopes. Fr. Bosco even used modern technology to get his message across by playing the song "High Hopes" from his iPod!

For me it was truly a wonderful way to celebrate the Feast of Mater!  For your inspiration below is a YouTube video of Frank Sinatra accompanied by young boys and girls singing the song "High Hopes". It is sure to lift your spirits! 




Saturday, October 19, 2013

Sacred Heart Alums and Friends Volunteer at Feed My Starving Children

Our day of "Stuartship" began this morning at
Feed My Starving Children (FMSC)


Last April 2013, when alums gathered in Omaha, Nebraska at the 39th Biennial AASH Conference resolutions were adopted from each region. 

Central Region Resolution:  Resolved, That an AASH Annual Day of Service shall be established, in order to foster a deeper commitment to the goal of a social awareness that impels to action, which could be accomplished in a variety of ways, such as partnering with our schools in providing service in our local communities, supporting the existing ministries of the RSCJ, making a financial contribution to our schools or a service organization, or joining together in prayer; and 
Resolved, That we shall educate ourselves to the idea of service as “Stuartship,” and join the RSCJ in learning about the life and ministry of Janet Erskine Stuart, and honor her legacy by dedicating the Annual Day of Service in her name.

With the resolutions adopted in mind, today Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart organized an Alumnae Volunteer Day at  Feed My Starving Children in Libertyville, Illinois.  Marguerite Clohisy Vitulski, WA’81, WAAA Board member and Chair of the Day of Service at Feed My Starving Children along with WAAA Past President, Maureen Hogan Lang, WA'56 and WAAA Vice-President, Kamy Moorman Daddono, WA'80 were on hand to greet those that signed up to volunteer.  

Sacred Heart Alums from Barat College and Woodlands, as well as, current Students, Parents and Friends of Woodlands gathered before 9 a.m. at FMSC in Libertyville, IL to take a group photo and learn how their help will go a long way to feed those that do not have access to food.  

This is what we learned about FMSC:
  • Of 600 million meals shipped, 99.90% have reached the hungry children it was meant for.
  • Meals are just 22 cents each and just $80 feeds a child for a year!
  • The three meal formulas are packed with soy protein, dried vegetables, 20 vitamins and minerals - everything needed for a malnourished child to recover. 
There are several ways one can support the mission of Feed My Starving Children:
  • Pray for the millions of starving children around the world and FMSC's ability to serve them
  • Volunteer to package meals
  • Donate online 
  • Purchase FMSC merchandise from the Online MarketPlace 

It was very gratifying to learn that collectively the group of volunteers had prepared over 135 boxes of MannaPack Rice.  After cleaning up our work stations for the next group of volunteers we gathered in the warehouse for a blessing of the boxes that were ready to be shipped.  

Friday, October 18, 2013

Celebrating the Feast of Mater Admirabilis with A Play

The learn more about the original Mater Admirabilis
at the Trinita in Rome click here.

This darling Play was preformed last year at the Academy of the Sacred Heart (Bloomfield, MI) by  Ms. Spicer's 2nd grade class.  I so enjoyed watching the young girls and boys tell the story of Pauline Perdrau a young postulant and know you will too! 



To learn more about Mater Admirabilis and the artist Pauline Perdrau go to www.rscj.org