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Holy Union Sisters

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Sisters of the Holy Union of the Sacred Hearts
AbbreviationS.U.S.C.
Formation1842; 182 years ago (1842)
FounderJean Baptiste Debrabant
TypeFemale Catholic religious congregation
HeadquartersRome, Italy
Websitehttps://www.holyunionsisters.org

The Holy Union Sisters, officially known as the Sisters of the Holy Union of the Sacred Hearts (French: Sœurs de la Sainte Union des Sacrés Coeurs), are a religious congregation of women in the Roman Catholic Church founded at Douai, France, in 1842, by Jean Baptiste Debrabant (1801 - 1889).[1]

History

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The congregation has its roots in the 1820s, with four young women who earned their livelihood as dressmakers, but shared a strong religious faith. In the chaotic social situation of post-Revolutionary France, they soon decided to live together to support each other in their commitment and to share a life of prayer and service. The women began to teach the faith to the local children.

In 1826 a young priest, Jean Baptiste Debrabant (1801-1880), was sent as a to their town. Impressed by this small community of dedicated women, Debrabant saw in them a vehicle to help educate the children of the region. He encouraged and guided them in their way of life, which began to draw many young women to join the original four. In addition to their catechetical work, they begin to train young girls housed in a shelter they had opened in their craft of dressmaking. In 1841 Debrabant approached his bishop, Pierre Giraud, the Archbishop of Cambrai, seeking recognition of the women as a religious congregation.

Permission was received and in 1842 over one hundred woman were admitted to a canonical noviatiate as an Institute of diocesan right. (This group, however, included only one of the original four members of the community.) The new congregation was then given its current name and a Rule of Life based primarily on that of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, founded by Francis of Sales and Louise de Marillac. The Sisters professed religious vows a year later.

The congregation quickly spread in answer to appeals for teachers in Catholic schools worldwide. It was approved by the Holy See and elevated to one of pontifical right in 1877. By the end of the century, they had come to administer schools in France, Belgium, England, Ireland, Argentina and the United States.

Current status

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Today the Sisters also serve in Italy, Cameroon, Haiti and Tanzania.

Education

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A gravestone dedicated to Sisters Melina and Theodula, two of the three Holy Union Sisters who founded Grays Convent High School, Grays, England

The Sisters devote themselves to the education of youth and have founded schools in multiple countries. Some of these schools are still run by the Sisters today.

Date founded School Location
1858 Saint Gregory's Catholic College Bath, England[2]
1861 La Sainte Union Catholic School Highgate, England[3]
1863 Banagher College Banagher, Ireland[4]
1887 Sacred Heart School Fall River, United States[5]
1899 Grays Convent High School Grays Thurrock, England[6]
1904 St Anne’s Catholic School Southampton, England[7]
1905 Sacred Heart School Lawrence, MA, United States[8][9]
1923 St. Mary-Sacred Heart School North Attleborough, MA, United States[10]
1947 Sacred Heart School Mount Ephraim, NJ, United States[11]
1949 Country Day School of the Holy Union Groton, MA, United States[12]
1953 St Catherine’s Catholic School Bexleyheath, England[13]
1956 Holy Cross Catholic Primary School South Ockendon, England[14]
1959 Holy Name School Fall River, MA, United States[15]
2008 Debrabant Secondary School Dar es Salaam, Tanzania[16]
2018 Holy Union Primary School Dar es Salaam, Tanzania[16]

References

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  1. ^ "La congrégation de la Sainte Union". www.institution-sainte-odile.org. Archived from the original on 2010-12-31.
  2. ^ "La Sainte Union". Saint Gregory's Bath. 2014-11-07. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  3. ^ "La Sainte Union - History of the School". www.lasainteunion.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  4. ^ "History | Banagher College, Coláiste Na Sionna". 2016-02-10. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  5. ^ "History". 2012-03-12. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  6. ^ "Our History". Grays Convent High School. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  7. ^ "Welcome to St Anne's Catholic School". www.st-annes.uk.com. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  8. ^ "Sacred Heart School (Lawrence, MA)". Queen City Massachusetts. 2015-10-09. Retrieved 2022-04-22.
  9. ^ "Sr. Claire Bergeron". Holy Union Sisters. 2018-09-21. Retrieved 2022-04-22.
  10. ^ "History & Mission". SMSH. 2017-10-04. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  11. ^ "Sister Virginia O'Hare, former Principal of the Sacred Heart School, Mt. Ephraim". CNBNews. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  12. ^ "History". Holy Union Sisters. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  13. ^ "History, Ethos & Values". St Catherine's Catholic School.
  14. ^ "Our School | Holy Cross Catholic Primary School". www.holycrossprimary.com. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  15. ^ "Mission & Philosophy - Holy Name School (Holy Name School)". www.hnsfr.org. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  16. ^ a b "TIDINGS from TANZANIA" (PDF). Retrieved 2022-01-28.
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