A group from Newton Country Day School recently traveled to Chicago, Illinois for the inaugural Sacred Heart Schools Summit, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools. Attendees included Upper School students Maggie Crowley ‘25, Avery Grover ‘25, Brenda Borges ‘26, Lauren Cantwell ‘26, Katherine Mackey ‘26, Makayla Rodrigues ‘26, Erin Bourque ‘27, Helen Carey ‘27, May May Condlin ‘28, Jael Farmer ‘28 and faculty members Jessica Hooper P ‘28, Erin Regan, and Lindsey Tonge.
The summit, an intergenerational learning and action conference for the global Sacred Heart family, brought together Sacred Heart educators, students in grades 8-12, and alumni, along with several Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJs), and mission partners to celebrate the 50th anniversary milestone. The summit explored global issues of inequality and sustainable features under the guiding theme of “Hearts Rooted in Change: How Reflection, Analysis, and Transformative Action are Critical to Our Future.” Centered around four main tracks–Call to Family, Community, and Participation; Integrity of Creation; Our Common Humanity; and Solidarity and Action–participants engaged in purposeful learning, analysis, and contemplation that promotes informed, transformative action rooted in the love of Jesus Christ and the sense of community. By coming together as one community, the Network hopes to set forth on a common path of transformative action in their pursuit of a world characterized by compassion, hope, justice, and solidarity.
Lauren Cantwell ‘26 reflected on her experience at the summit: “Listening to different speakers who are alums of the Sacred Heart Network… was very inspiring and helped reassure me that through a Sacred Heart education, many doors are opened for our futures.”
Keynote speakers included Suzanne Cooke, RSCJ, who currently serves as Provincial for the Society of the Sacred Heart in United States and Canada; Sheila Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Partners in Health, a global social justice organization providing high-quality health care to those who need it most; Emmy nominee Alexandra Codina, a documentary filmmaker and alumna of Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in Miami, Florida; and Betty Ogiel, a transformational leadership and career coach and graduate of two Sacred Heart Schools in Uganda: Kangole Girls Senior Secondary School and St. Charles Lwanga Girls Training Center.
“Being blessed with this opportunity, it opened my eyes to how special it is to be a part of the Sacred Heart Network,” shared Katherine Mackey ‘26. She expressed her gratitude for being able to speak to Nancy Kehoe, RSCJ, and for getting to know many of the RSCJs at the conference. “One of my favorite parts of the trip was being able to interact with the RSCJs on a personal level, hearing their stories and life advice, and learning how to live out the Sacred Heart Goals and Criteria every day. Sister Kehoe made such an impact on my well-being, and I will forever remember our conversation.” When asked about what she learned during the summit, Mackey said: “One thing I learned is to never take anything for granted. Sometimes, I forget about the larger community around me and the things I have been blessed with.”
The Summit was created to deepen participants' understanding of the call to Sacred Heart Family members to act as agents of change rooted in the mission of Sacred Heart education and the charism of the Society of the Sacred Heart. It also seeks to foster a commitment to serving the common good and honoring the dignity of all people on a global scale. Erin Bourque ‘27 reflected on her time at the summit, saying, “It was an eye-opening and inspiring experience where I not only became more informed about current social justice issues, but also learned how I could take action to combat them.” Bourque also spoke about the joy of being surrounded by fellow Sacred Heart Network students. “I created new friendships with my Sacred Heart sisters from around the world and was reminded of the gift that it is to be a part of the Sacred Heart Network.”