May the Good news of Christ's birth Fill your heart with peace, joy and gladness Throughout this season of Christmas and Every day of the coming New Year.

When I was 13 years old and in the 8th grade at the Rosary, a Catholic priest asked me to teach a class in religious education to a group of “20 or so” first-graders on Saturday mornings. There were no desks, no classroom, no instructional materials, and no supplies: Just me, and them — and a few church pews and a concrete yard. Total chaos in the beginning led me to an immediate self-revelation: I did not know what or how to teach! I turned for guidance to Tootsie Torian, RSCJ, who had an incredible Christ-like way with children that [...]

Yesterday, Sacred Heart communities celebrated the Feast of Mater Admirabilis, Mother Most Admirable. To her, we turn in prayer knowing that she is guiding us to peace, serenity, hope and joy through her Son, Jesus. Here is a prayer that strikes me as timely and timeless: Prayer to Mater - Marie-Therese de Lescure, rscj (Ninth Superior General Society of the Sacred Heart) Under the pressure of over activity which at times consumes us, disturbs us, or scatters our energies in doing what is visible and accidental, let us come to our "Mater". She is the Mother of the Invisible, and the Mother of [...]

A very special custom-tradition in the Society of the Sacred Heart is for a member of our religious leadership team to send us to a new ministry.  A member of our Provincial leadership team, Sister Sheila Hammond, RSCJ, came to New Orleans last week from St. Louis to formally send me to ministry at the Academy of the Sacred Heart. This special commissioning ritual was held after the homily at the Opening of School Liturgy. The text of this ceremony is shared here with you.INTRODUCTION: In today’s celebration, we take part in a long standing practice within our religious community and within [...]

  http://www.ashrosary.org/“First, you should know that you are not here by your own design. You were led here, step by step, on different roads, through many apparent accidents: but, always, it was the finger of God that beckoned you. You are not the only educators thus brought together. There are many others, all over the world ... in places you would never dream. They are all different, because children's needs and cultures are different. Yet, they are all the same because they have followed the same beckoning finger, and have chosen to unite for the sake of the world's children. They [...]