United States and Canadian Provinces of the Society of the Sacred Heart join today in Cor Unum

Photo taken October 21, 2007 at CASHA  hosted at Sacred Heart School
in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

In her Provincial Report given at the 39th AASH Biennial Conference hosted last April in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. Provincial, Sr. Barbara Dawson, RSCJ reported that on July 8, 2013 the Society of the Sacred Heart in Canada and the United States will become one province.

So today was a special day for our RSCJ in Canada as they hosted their final assembly as a Province and have officially joined the United States province to become one new entity. The Province of the United States - Canada will have 330 members and will be based in St. Louis, Missouri.

"A province does not 'become' a province only on the day it officially begins, said Superior General Kathleen Conan, RSCJ.  "We look forward to how we grow into that reality, live the vision, adapt it where needed and continue to let it be created by the Spirit and by the hearts and hopes of those on the journey."  

I took the above photo in 2007 when Srs. Clare Pratt, RSCJ, Superior General of the Society of the Sacred Heart (2000-2008) and Jane Maltby, RSCJ of England (one of the five members of the International Leadership team) were in Canada attending the CASHA Conference.

To read more about the significance of today's merger and the history of the Religious of the Sacred Heart go to www.rscj.org or click here.

Our New Pope Francis I

St. Francis Assisi

How befitting that yesterday amidst all the excitement of the news of our New Pope that I should receive an email with a link to the following poem by Vashel Lindsay - American Poems.

St. Francis of Assisi

Would I might wake St. Francis in you all,

Brother of birds and trees, God's Troubadour,

Blinded with weeping for the sad and poor;

Our wealth undone, all strict Franciscan men,

Come, let us chant the canticle again

Of mother earth and the enduring sun.

God make each soul the lonely leper's slave;

God make us saints, and brave.

- A poem by Vachel Lindsay - American Poems

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, SJ was born on December 17, 1936. He is the first Jesuit and the first from his country to be elected Pope on March 13, 2013. Taking the regnal name of Francis, after St. Francis Assisi. Pope Francis I is the first Pope born in the Americas and the first non-European Pope in history.

Of special note is that St. Madeleine Sophie Barat's brother Louis was a Jesuit priest. It is well known that her older brother Louis had a positive influence and served as her mentor.  He taught Sophie as a young girl and prepared her for religious life.  To read more about St. Madeleine Sophie - click here.

It was an honor to listen to Sr. Clare Pratt, RSCJ former Superior General of the Society of the Sacred Heart give commentary during the ABC News broadcast as we awaited the news of our New Pope. Last evening on the late news Cokie Roberts an alumna of Stone Ridge and ABC Correspondent was recapping the events on Nightline. So very proud of our Sacred Heart family!

Clare Pratt, RSCJ - Commentator on ABC News During Papal Conclave in Rome

Clare Pratt, RSCJ
Former Superior General 2000-2008

News from U.S. Provincial Team....

The U.S. Provincial Team asked me to share with you that Clare Pratt, RSCJ has been asked to be live on air with Diane Sawyer as a commentator throughout the papal conclave. We are not sure when the commentary will begin, who else will be commenting or how often it will be on, but we thought that you would want to know in order to tune in to ABC, particularly for their morning coverage.  Obviously, this opportunity is both an honor and a huge responsibility.

The following was posted to the RSCJ.org website this morning. 

Friends of the Society of the Sacred Heart might recognize one or more of the people providing commentary for ABC News during the papal conclave this week. Clare Pratt, RSCJ, will occasionally be on air with Diane Sawyer throughout the time the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church are sequestered to elect a new leader of the worldwide Church. She will also be available to provide information and perspective during the days following the announcement of the next Pope.

As with so many details about the conclave, it is unclear at this time how often Sister Pratt will appear, or for how long. She is one of several experts that ABC News has available for commentary. Sacred Heart alumna Cokie Roberts is an ABC News Contributor and will be involved in the coverage from Rome.

A native of Washington, DC, Sister Clare Pratt was the first American to lead the international Society of the Sacred Heart as superior general, 2000-2008. She also served as a member of the U.S. provincial leadership team, 1988-93. Currently, she serves as the community director for Oakwood Retirement Center in Atherton, California, where many Religious of the Sacred Heart in prayer ministry live. Sister Pratt is a graduate of Sacred Heart schools: Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, in Bethesda, Maryland, as well as Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart, Purchase, New York and Newton College of the Sacred Heart, Newton, Massachusetts. Her masters in religious education came from LaSalle College, Philadelphia.

The U.S. provincial team invites prayer for this historic and important moment in the life of the Church.

For further info on the ABC News Special Coverage "The Papal Conclave Choosing the New Pope" click here.