St. Philippine Duchesne
Following her heart’s desire
With each passing year, I recall distinct moments in the colorful life of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, RSCJ that have meant something to me: the time she pulled the unwilling cow to cross the Mississippi River in the freezing weather; the times she did the essential, but small, hidden things of daily life in the community like mending clothes for children in the boarding school and polishing the furniture; and the many times she prayed all through the night. With the annual celebration of her feast day each year, I appropriate her story in new ways, and, in that way, [...]
Putting Faith into Action
Streetcars along St. Charles Avenue announce it. Lawn signs declare it. Recent articles in the Clarion Herald discuss it. Tweets populate it. "Our girls change the world!" Many could assume that our audacious claim describes what happens after our students graduate. Many could assume that "changing the world" denotes some substantial contribution or at least a notable one. Recently, Sacred Heart students, along with their families, faculty and staff members, challenged these assumptions with evidence of something other, even paradoxical. How can something so big, so important, so significant seem so small? Almost "hidden"? Such is the paradox of servant [...]
Our Sacred Heart Roots
“I don’t really have any roots…,” a young woman recently shared with me while visiting the school. Listening quietly, I suspected that rather than having “no roots,” she was on an archetypal journey to find them. Does it surprise you that she has found her way to New Orleans? For us who live under the canopies of Live Oaks, whose tap roots extend both deep and wide, we value our roots as a source of identity and insight, character and culture. Looking deeply into our roots as a Sacred Heart school community, we discover that on this day, February 7th [...]
