Discover & Make Known the Love of God
Recently, seven women from several countries, gathered at the Villa Lante in Rome to prepare for their final profession, and become professed members of the Society of the Sacred Heart. Several months of deepening their chosen pathway, led to preparation for this colourful, inclusive Mass of thanksgiving which took place on 31st Jan 2026.
Dear Sisters and Members of the Sacred Heart Family, The Charism and Mission committee sends you warm greetings as winter takes hold. We have chosen this year, as part of our JPIC Project, to look more closely at three recent key Society documents, and to share an overview and some thoughts with you on each of these. Our aim is to provide an awareness of some contemporary expressions of the mission of the Society, which speak to each of us in our many different lives. The first is Sophie’s Gift …Our Call to the Future. This document, produced by the International Education Commission of the Society, was distributed in December 2023
The recent Bondi Beach mass shooting attack in Australia, which targeted a peaceful Hanukkah celebration and hundreds of local families and friends has stunned the nation and the world. A message from our Provincial Team: Our thoughts and love go to tall who are affected by this terrible event. We are in deepest sympathy with our brothers and sisters in the Jewish Community. We are truly shocked and we give our sincerest assurance of our prayers. NEANZ Council: Anne, Sachiko, Lynette and Chang
The new logo of the NEANZ Province has been selected. We are grateful to Ms Sekiguchi Hiromi, a partner of mission in Japan, who designed the logo. She has incorporated the traditional elements of our heart and the cross and also introduced the diverse colours of our cultural backgrounds in this new province of NEANZ. The colours that brighten each letter symbolize our diversity, reflecting the many cultural backgrounds within our community. This diversity comes together to form a single heart.
Dear Sisters and Members of the Sacred Heart Family, The Charism and Mission committee sends you warm greetings. As mentioned in previous communications this year, as part of our JPIC project, we have been sharing information and thoughts on recent key Society documents. We have looked at Sophie’s Gift on the Philosophy of Sacred Heart Education, Being Artisans of Hope in Our Blessed and Broken World on our commitment to Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation and the Apostolic Priorities from the International Planning Commission in 2023. In this, our last contribution for the year, Sr Esmey Herscovitch examines ways in which these three documents intersect, creating guidelines for each of us, as members of
The Society of the Sacred Heart has been working for a long time to develop new structures that will assist and enable our mission and charism to flourish into the future. On August 31, 2025, the sisters from former provinces of Australia – New Zealand, Japan and Korea – Chinese, gathered on Zoom to celebrate our coming together as the new province of NEANZ, (North East Asia Australia New Zealand) Sr Anne Corry, RSCJ has recently been appointed Provincial of NEANZ. Anne’s address to the sisters of NEANZ, and a photo of her Team members, follow. “It is wonderful to see you all! I am honoured to thank our provincials
Social Justice Week begins on September 1st. This is an opportunity to stop and reflect on the myriad injustices that flood our news and media channels daily. It is a time for us to ponder our individual situation and decide if/how we can respond. Caritas New Zealand is offering several excellent resources to help guide our research and prayer. A few of these can be accessed via the link below. https://www.caritas.org.nz/schools/social-justice-week “This year’s theme – Let’s build peace together! – reminds us that peace-building is not a task for others; it is not something to be left to governments or leaders. It is the vocation of every Christian. Our world
New structures will emerge and support the life and mission of our international congregation into the future. On September 1st, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Chinese will become the new Province of NEANZ. Exciting beginnings are happening within the International Society of the Sacred Heart. We will share this all important moment with you in due course, after the event. Congratulations to the New Province of CEI. On June 27, 2025, the Provinces of Ireland-Scotland, England-Wales, Central Europe (Austria, Germany, Hungary) and Malta, joined to become the New Province of Central Europe and the Islands. Follow the link for much more on this celebration: https://www.rscjinternational.org Other new Provinces will emerge
RSCJ and companions gathered in Sydney on May 24th 2025, to honour the gift that Madeleine Sophie Barat, our foundress gifted to us. Her legacy has sustained and guided so many men and women and will continue to do so into the future. Attendee’s came from far and wide to celebrate a women of deep faith, vision and influence. A brief window of our celebration has been captured in the video below. Celebrating the Centennial of Madeleine Sophie’s Canonization in ANZ – RSCJ International
The Province Silent Retreat for 2025 took place at Mary McKillop Spirituality Centre, Baulkham Hills on 8th -10th August. The facilitator was Sr Cath Lloyd RSCJ from the UK. The 40 participants included Sisters, members of province, school boards, staff and Sancta Sophia college. The theme was ‘Returning to our Source and Centre – A contemporary retreat with Sophie’. This is a significant year for the Sacred Heart family, as important structural changes in the Society begin, and celebrations of the centenary of the canonisation of Madeleine Sophie Barat take place. The retreat offered a return to the roots and centre of the Society’s spirituality. Participants were invited to contemplate