#OnThisDay in 1882: THE MEANING BEHIND "BLUE HYACINTH DAY"

"Then and there standing beside a bed of blue hyacinths,
the word of God came to me and I saw it all."

Today, the Society of the Sacred Heart and schools all over the world refer to this day as Blue Hyacinth Day.  It was on this day, 140 years ago that after much discernment Janet Erskine Stuart made a life changing decision to enter the Society of the Sacred Heart at Roehampton. 

 

Janet, born in 1857, was the youngest child of the Reverend Andrew Godfrey Stuart, the Rector in Cottesmore, Rutland, England, and a priest of the Church of England.  At the age of 21, Janet had converted to Catholicism and considering her father’s reputation this decision was most likely not well received.  The 1881 census records show Janet as a “visitor” living in the civil parish of St. George at 27 Curzon St., London, England, with William Ross, a flax spinner, and his wife Harriet.

 

The above image entitled "Regent's Park" depicts the site where, on May 6, 1882, Janet felt the presence of God and her decision to enter the Society of the Sacred Heart became clear to her. Regent's Park was abloom at this time of year with tulips, daffodils, and fragrant hyacinths.  This was her aha moment as she exclaimed, "then and there standing beside a bed of blue hyacinths, the word of God came to me, and I saw it all."

 

In London, Janet had met a Jesuit priest, Father Gallwey who suggested that she spend time in prayerful reflection with the Religious of the Sacred Heart in Roehampton. Father Gallwey would later write to the nuns that “If Miss Stuart should offer herself for the Society, she should not be refused. She is the most complete person I have ever known.”  

 

On September 16, 1882, Janet Erskine Stuart entered the noviceship, and soon after taking her final vows of profession in 1889, Mother Stuart was named Mistress of Novices; in 1894 she became Superior Vicar.  On August 27, 1911, after the death of Mabel Digby, RSCJ, Mother Stuart was elected the Sixth Superior General of the Society of the Sacred Heart. 

 

The 20^th Century offered Reverend Mother Stuart the ability to see the RSCJ communities modernized with electricity and the telephone.  Despite being cloistered she traveled the world incognito becoming acquainted with many of the RSCJ in their communities. Her personal visits had a long and lasting impact on the religious sisters she met.  In the late summer of 1914, as the German occupation of Brussels began Mother Stuart left her administrative offices in Ixelles, Brussels and traveled back to Roehampton where she arrived in poor health.  Janet Erskine Stuart died on October 21, 1914 and is buried in the Sacred Heart Chapel in Roehampton. 

 

Over a century since her death, Janet Erskine Stuart’s essays, poems, and published works, continue to inspire to this day.  So, on May 6^th, Blue Hyacinth Day was established by the Society of the Sacred Heart to commemorate Janet Erskine Stuart’s experience in Regent’s Park. 

Janet Erskine Stuart, RSCJ
(1857-1914)