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Janet Erskine Stuart (1857-1914) |
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Written by RSCJ.org Admin
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Janet Erskine Stuart
was born November 11, 1857 in the Anglican Rectory of Cottesmore,
Rutland, England. As a child of thirteen, she set out on a solitary
search for Truth, having been urged to this venture by a casual remark
of one of her brothers that every rational creature must have a last
end. The search for this last end took, she said, seven years and
brought her to the Catholic Church at the age of twenty-one. In 1882,
she entered the Society of the Sacred Heart at Roehampton, outside of
London, where she was to spend 30 years of her religious life. Named
Mistress of Novices soon after her profession, she became Superior in
1894, and 17 years later was elected the sixth Superior General of the
Society of the Sacred Heart. While Superior General, Janet Stuart set
as a goal to know all the religious personally and visited every
community in the Society throughout the world.
Janet
Stuart's influence extends throughout the world primarily through her
writings. Religious of the Sacred Heart as well as many other
congregations and individuals committed to spiritual growth and
educational excellence have been inspired by her conferences, essays,
and poetry. Among Stuart's best known works are Highways and Byways of the Spiritual Life, (1909) and The Education of Catholic Girls (1912).
Janet Stuart died a few months after the outbreak of World War I, on October 21, 1914.
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Mission Statement of the Society of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus,
United States Province
The
Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is an international community of
women in the Catholic Church, founded in 1800 by St. Madeleine Sophie
Barat. Sharing her vision and mission, we are convinced of the
centrality of prayer and contemplation in our lives. We are committed
to discover, live and announce God’s love through the service of
education for transformation, in diverse ministries, particularly
addressing the needs of children, young people, women and those in
society who are marginalized.
What the Mission Entails
The love of Christ impels us:
- to work for justice and reconciliation, especially in the face of racism, sexism and violence of every kind;
- to join the struggle of the poor for the resources and conditions essential for human well-being;
- to build community;
- to be challenged and broadened by other cultures;
- to live in interdependence with others and with all of creation.
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