Greetings, and welcome to the website of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools. Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, founder of the Society of the Sacred Heart, said “Times change, and we must change too, and modify our views.” Hence, it is with great enthusiasm that we invite you to explore the 21st century Network of Sacred Heart Schools via www.sofie.org.
We strive to support the leadership of our schools as they make God’s love known to our students and to our world. Our goal is to strengthen relationships and enhance delivery of programs.
Our schools form an international community of Catholic schools with a proud history of achievement and service. Since 1800, when Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat founded the first Sacred Heart school in France, Sacred Heart education has continued to inspire young hearts and minds to excel, to lead lives of integrity, and to serve.
Madeleine Sophie Barat was a courageous woman whose formation and transformation took place in chaotic times, not unlike those of today. She established a progressive educational system that, from its inception, has been committed to educating young people of all faiths. The mission of our schools is inspired by the spiritual ideal and work of Sophie Barat. Not only did she aim at giving youth an exceptional academic foundation, but also it was her goal that the education in her schools would be profound enough to inspire students to rebuild, renew, and transform society wherever they lived.
There are currently twenty-two full member schools in the Network of Sacred Heart Schools in the United States. Our students are boys and girls from early childhood to twelfth grade. There are over 12,000 students guided by over 2 000 Sacred Heart educators nation-wide.
The Network was born of the belief that unity brings strength; that together Sacred Heart schools can achieve more than they can alone; that each school is energized by the collective presence of the others. Today, this mission continues in all Sacred Heart Network schools across the United States as well as many more around the world.
With Sophie’s vision as our guide, we take steps into the future with this new website. . We are striving through our website to give the viewer a true glimpse of the resources that showcase our values and our varied programs in a user-friendly way. I invite you to visit our website and share in the Sacred Heart experience. I look forward to hearing from you as you utilize the resources found here to support your work and a life-long way of living.
The Network of Sacred Heart Schools is a nonprofit corporation and is governed by a board of trustees that includes the provincial of the United States Province of the Society of the Sacred Heart and the executive director of the Network. The members of the board of trustees are present or former heads of school and present or former trustees of Network schools. The national office is in St. Charles, Missouri.
Madeleine S. Ortman
Executive Director