Educational Philosophy
As Sacred Heart Educators, we are primarily concerned with the development of the whole person.
Saint Madeleine Sophie's Vision for Education
As a French woman who also read Greek and Latin, Sophie understood the word spirit as esprit, which comes from the Latin word spiritus (courage, vigor, breath)
Innate to all of us, spirituality speaks to our intuition that there is more to life than what we encounter on the surface, to our urgency to connect with a larger universe or truth, and to our intuition that this connection for which we long is with mystery or transcendence. It is a way of expressing our search for meaning and encounter with Beauty, with Ultimate Truth, with Mystery.
Sophie experienced her spirituality, and relationship with Mystery as the Risen Christ. Her quest for meaning and truth became anchored in her relationship with Christ in and through whom she experienced the tenderness and warmth of God. The image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus best conveyed to her the depth of God’s love for all.
Sacred Heart Educators intend to instill in young people the skills and attitudes that enhance critical consciousness and compassionate action. The charism of the Society of the Sacred Heart, Sophie’s vision of education, and the values articulated in the Goals and Criteria guide the educators as they cultivate the virtues essential for students to embark on a path of discernment and realize their full potential as socially aware empathetic thinkers committed to compassion and justice.
From Sophie's Gift
“Responding from the depths of our relationship with Christ and attentive to the urging of the Spirit, (Sacred Heart education responds) to the reality in which we live. Our experience points to a deeper truth, that of solidarity. Our spirituality impels us toward transformation through our contemplation of the pierced Heart of Jesus in the fractures and potentiality of our world…. Through education we hope to help to humanize the social fabric, and thus contribute to global transformation.
We see education as a process of humanization, rooted in the Gospel and in the educational intuitions of Madeleine Sophie Barat. Education is an intentional practice of generating learning through experience, encouragement and mutual discovery. This process of pursuing the truth is inherently relational, dynamic, dialogical and reciprocal. Education leads to freedom because it is an integral formation process that responds to the urgency for meaning and encourages people to seek justice and peace.
As Sacred Heart educators, religious and lay, we root our practice in the vision of Madeleine Sophie Barat. We know that her quest for meaning and truth became anchored in her relationship with Christ in and through whom she experienced the tenderness and warmth of God…. Inspired by Sophie and the spirit of the Society of the Sacred Heart…, we desire to demonstrate a contemplative sensitivity and regard for the human dignity of each person. the quality of relationships is central to our vision and educational practice because through the dynamic of mutual respect one experiences being honored as a human being in whom the Spirit dwells.
…we design our methodological process around a critical vision of the world and the conviction that a transformative education responds to the urgency of life. We set out to work for the transformation of our world into a community of justice and peace, reflecting Christ’s vision and love for humanity and creation. In the twenty-first century, this work translates into an educational practice centered on each person within a community, in which educators accompany people in the development of attitudes essential for a life with meaning.
- Sophie’s Gift… pg. 5
Integral is our view of education as:
~ a process of humanization ~ a path towards transformation ~ a practice rooted in silence ~ the art of contemplation ~ formation in thought and critical consciousness ~ an intentional practice ~ seeking a common horizon ~ going beyond borders to serve all.
- Sophie’s Gift, pg. 6-7