Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Ragusa Back to List
description: S.S.C.
Superior: Sr. Margherita Ianni, S.S.C.
We are an institute of Religious women who strive to live the vows of Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience according to the Spirit of the Gospel and according to the Rules and Constitutions of our Congregation. This with the help of God's grace.
We are currently in Italy, United States, Canada, Madagascar, Philippines, Nigeria, Romania, India and in Panama. United in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, distance is not a hindrance to our union as one family. We live a community life as religious sisters.
We believe that Prayer Life and the Eucharist are the source of our strength and nourishment of our spirit.
We understand the fact that a religious habit does not make anyone holy, yet we strongly believe that it does reminds us of our consecration to God while it serves as a sign and reminder of God's presence in the world and among the faithful.
“United we stand, divided we fall”, hence our charism and spirituality bind us as one.
Our period of formation are as follows:
Aspirancy - six months or more
Postulancy - a year or more
Novitiate - two to two and six months
After novitiate the candidate will make the first profession, which will be renewed for nine years.
This period is called Juniorate. The junior sisters have the right and duty as that of perpetually professed sisters, although they are still in on-going formation.
After nine years the candidate will make her Perpetual Profession . Sisters of perpetual profession become permanent members of the congregation. This is comparable to a lifelong commitment between husband and wife. A religious commits herself to Christ.
Charism
Our Charism is Love and Service to the Poor. What our Mother Foundress meant by this is not only material poverty but also spiritual poverty. The kind of poverty that exist in every place or country defers in definition. Thus our task as Sisters of the Sacred Heart is to enculturate ourselves wherever we are, in order to be able to deal with the kind of poverty present in the area.
Spirituality
Our Spirituality is Love and Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We ought to bring the Heart of Jesus to the people and the heart of the people to Jesus. Witnessing to God's love and mercy through our life and consecration.
Contact
Sr. Mary Margherita Ianni, SSC
1 Edward Street Welland, ON Canada
Telephone: (905) 732-4542
sacredhe@hotmail.com
www.sacredheartsisters.ca
---- Also ----
Sacred Heart Nursery School
Days and Time of Operation:
Children program: Monday to Friday, from 8:00am to 4:30 pm
Office: open until 5:00pm
Established on March 1959, the Sacred Heart Nursery School is non-profit and privately run by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart.
Address:
Sisters of the Sacred Heart,
1 Edward Street, Welland, Ontario, Canada, L3C 5H2
Email: sacredhe@hotmail.com "
Telephone: 905-732-4542
A Brief History of The Sisters of the Sacred Heart
The Congregation of The Sisters of the Sacred Heart was founded by Blessed Maria Schinina in Ragusa, Sicily in 1889. On August 22nd, 1958, Mother Alba Puglia and seven other sisters arrived in Welland at the request of Monsignor Vincent Ferrando. Three of the sisters were assigned to the community in Lewiston, New York, while the other five sisters remained to provide spiritual and moral support to the Italian community of Saint Mary's parish. The sisters lived in a small house purchased for them on Hellems Avenue.
The Day Care was opened in February 1959 at St. Mary's Parish Centre. It began with only one child, but soon after, a mother from the neighbourhood brought her child to the Day Care and it began to flourish.
With an increase in religious vocations and children in the Day Care, the sisters purchased a large residence on Edward Street in December, 1962. With the help of community volunteers, the sisters worked tirelessly to clean and upgrade part of the facility, leaving the rest of the residence as a challenge for the future. The Day Care moved from the Parish Centre to the new convent in June, 1963. To support the finances of the convent, two of the sisters began teaching at St. Mary's School and another sister began working at the Welland General Hospital in the mid 1960's.
Becoming firmly established in the community, the number of children and families, elderly and hospital patients being touched by the sisters' apostolic work was ever expanding.
In 1978, the sisters began to update the unused area of the convent. Two wings were knocked down, leaving the central area of the building to be remodeled to include more space for the Day Care.
The Sisters of the Sacred Heart currently provide a faith based day care to 2 and 3 years olds and a full day Junior and Senior Kindergarten program to 4 and 5 year olds. Presently six sisters oversee daily programs for 45 students under their care. Many former students who were in the care of the Sisters now entrust the Sisters with the care of their own children.
The Sisters of the Sacred Heart in Welland have been instrumental in establishing missions in different parts of the world. On August 15, 1988, Mother Alba Puglia with Sister Caroline Sneek left Welland to go to the Philippines to establish a community in Manila. Here the sisters are involved in parish pastoral activities. They also teach young children and run an orphanage for abandoned children. In 2004, the sisters, under the leadership of Sister Lourdes Maminta, arrived in Jharsuguda, India to establish a mission there. Here the sisters work in a leper clinic caring for the sick. They also have a house of formation for young candidates to religious life.
The Sisters continue in their pastoral work, visiting the sick and elderly and providing educational and religious instruction to the children they serve.