The Society of the Sacred Heart in the United States and Canada began – as did so many American institutions – with an immigrant. St. Rose Philippine Duchesne left her home in France in 1818 with a desire to educate the poor, especially the indigenous people of America. The schools she founded served a diverse population which included immigrants, as well as Native American and African American children.
In 2008, the international Society of the Sacred Heart reaffirmed its commitment to the economically poor and disenfranchised:
“Journeying with peoples of different races and cultures, and listening profoundly to the joys and suffering of humanity have allowed us to be touched by the poverty, inequality, exclusion, violence and environmental destruction that are present in today’s world. … From our contemplation of the Pierced Heart of Jesus in the heart of wounded humanity flows the desire to commit ourselves with greater passion and compassion to justice, peace and the integrity of creation.”
Religious of the Sacred Heart of the United States – Canada Province find our countries’ immigration policies fall short of recognizing the dignity of the individual. We see an extreme lack of compassion in these laws as applied to immigrants. The increase in the number of deportations and the inhumane treatment shown to immigrants in detention are alarming and deplorable. The decision to end the DACA program, which protected 800,000 young people brought to the US as children, is both counterproductive and cruel. We commit to responding to the needs of our world thoughtfully, prayerfully and with the same zeal as if our own lives were on the perilous journey to freedom, justice and dignity.
