Reflecting over the 2023 school year, one of the blessings we are grateful for is the 10-day “Study Tour to the Roots of Sister Schools in the U.S.” The tour was planned and organized by Donna Collins, RSCJ. At the end of March 2023, 12 students from the eighth and ninth grade classes participated in the trip. The following is their account and reflection on the experience:
We were welcomed at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles, Missouri, founded in 1818 by Saint Philippine Duchesne, and stayed there to visit classes and interact with students under the guidance of Sister Collins. We also visited Villa Duchesne in St. Louis.
Our accommodations were located near the room where Saint Philippine Duchesne spent the last days of her life. The school was filled with a sense of preservation of Saint Philippine Duchesne's sanctuary, and the teachers and students were truly warm and so welcoming. We were so grateful.
We felt that the Sacred Heart Family is spreading throughout the world. Not only do the students and teachers of Sacred Heart care, but also the alumni, parents, and everyone connected to Sacred Heart cares about members of the Sacred Heart Family.
"When I think of the many Sacred Heart families around the world, I feel that they are very precious and important," shared one student.
Like many graduates continue to contribute to the world in various ways, we will continue to contribute to and be members of the Sacred Heart Family.
We prayed together every morning and evening, sharing reflections, lighting candles in the Shrine of Saint Philippine Duchesne, where her remains rest in a marble sarcophagus. In order to receive the Saint's message, Sister Collins and other teachers explained the life and the words of the Saint to us. We are grateful for Sister Collins who organized this trip, everyone in the school community of St. Charles, the Shrine of Saint Philippine Duchesne, and the school community of Villa Duchesne. May Saint Philippine Duchesne bless them!
