Term begins in August 2005. Kathleen Conan rscj, has been named provincial of the United States Province, succeeding Kathleen Hughes rscj, who has served as provincial since 1999. Sister Conan, presently of Chicago, was appointed by the General Council of the Society of the Sacred Heart in Rome, based on extensive consultation with members of the U.S. Province.

Friends and alumnae/I of the Society of the Sacred Heart, U.S. Province, are invited to donate to the relief effort in Indonesia, one of the hardest-hit countries by the recent tsunami, by mailing contributions to the province's Finance Office. Persons wishing to participate in this effort may either donate online or mail a check to the Society of the Sacred Heart, 4100 Forest Park Avenue, Suite A, St. Louis, MO, 63108.

Living Wages, an educational program in Washington D.C. founded by Betsy Hartson rscj, and Robert Crittenden, was featured in the latest issue of St. Anthony Messenger in an article titled "D.C.'s Children: Poverty in Our Nation's Capital." Living Wages provides educational programs and services to adults seeking high school equivalency diplomas. Classes are offered in two inner-city areas: Washington Highlands and Anacostia.

Six hundred fans of Cokie Roberts, journalist, author and Sacred Heart alum, turned out on the evening December 13 in St. Louis to hear her speak about her most recent book at a public event sponsored by the Religious of the Sacred Heart, Associated Alumnae/i of the Sacred Heart, the Missouri Historical Society, and Left Bank Books, an independent bookstore in St. Louis. The talk, on Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation, which Roberts dedicated to the Religious of the Sacred Heart, was held at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park, followed by a book signing.

Sprout Creek Farm, an educational ministry of the Society of the Sacred Heart, U.S. Province, was awarded the 2004 Business Excellence Award in the agriculture business category by the Duchess County Economic Development Corp. The farm is in LaGrange, New York, near Poughkeepsie.

Carolyn Osiek, rscj, received an award for “Outstanding Service in Mentoring” at the Society of Biblical Literature, where she was also installed as the organization's president for the coming year. The Society of Biblical Literature, a 123-year-old organization of biblical scholars from the United States and Canada, has 6,000 members.