We are the United States – Canada (USC) Province of the Society of the Sacred Heart, part of an international congregation of Catholic women. Founded in 1800 by Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, the Society of the Sacred Heart has more than 1,400 members (Religious of the Sacred Heart) in 43 countries. In the United States and Canada, we have 183 members in a wide variety of ministries.
Currently, the USC Province is one of 28 provinces, or established regions, that make up the international Society of the Sacred Heart.
Out of the international Society of the Sacred Heart Special Chapter of 2021 came the call to reorganize for life and mission and to find ways to share resources across boundaries. The provinces of the Society are in the process of coming together to form eight new provinces. Our future province is the combination of three provinces: United States – Canada, Mexico and Antilles (Puerto Rico, Cuba and Haiti).
Members of the Society, Sisters who have taken vows, are known as Religious of the Sacred Heart, or RSCJ (Religieuses du Sacré-Cœur de Jésus, the name in French.)
Our mission
The mission of the Society of the Sacred Heart is to discover and reveal God’s love in the heart of the world through the service of education.
Our charism
Charism is a theological term for the extraordinary graces given to an individual for the good of others. Religious congregations refer to their "charism" as the animating spirit behind their mission. Our charism comes from our founder Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, who desired nothing more than to share God' love with students and, through them, the world.
Thus, from our charism comes our mission to discover and reveal God’s love in the heart of the world through the service of education.
Our Internationality
The Society of the Sacred Heart has a presence in 43 countries around the world. You can find a map of these locations on the RSCJ international website.
Sacred Heart at the UN
The international Society of the Sacred Heart has been present at the United Nations as a non-governmental organization (NGO) since 2003, when we became associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI).
In 2014, we were also granted consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This means that our presence at the United Nations has two principal aims: 1) to share information with our religious members, Associates, educators and the wider Sacred Heart community about critical world issues (DPI), and 2) to give our religious members the opportunity to contribute their experience, reflection and analysis to the international policy debate (ECOSOC).
The Society’s NGO representative, Margaret Mwarili, RSCJ, is based in the United States – Canada Province in New York City, New York, and the Sacred Heart network she serves spans 43 countries. She represents and serves the international Society of the Sacred Heart.
Our way of life
As RSCJ, we are called to live lives that are both wholly contemplative, and wholly apostolic, to be women of prayer and of action. Our actions are shaped by our prayer and vice versa.