'Finest Teacher' never let controversy 'take her off track': Sacred Heart Sr. Kathleen Hughes sat surrounded by men in a library at the Vatican. On the bookshelves were rows of binders marked with the brand name “Resisto,” which she noted with a raised eyebrow. How could they possibly make any progress discussing inclusive language in such a room? Especially when the representative from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith kept referring to “the angry, irritated and resentful women of the U.S.”? There he went again: “The angry, irritated and resentful women of the U.S. are trying to change the gender of God.”

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, 4389 West Pine Blvd, 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.

Kathleen Hughes, rscj, speaking at an award ceremony to honor her contributions to Catholic liturgy, cited problems in contemporary liturgical celebrations from her point of view. Sister Hughes, former professor at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and longtime member of the ICEL advisory council (International Commission on English in the Liturgy), received the Frederick R. McManus Award in Atlanta on October 15 from the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions.

Maureen Chicoine, rscj, was installed October 31 as pastoral coordinator of two parishes in San Bernardino, California. Some called it “the future of the church,” according to a report by Sally Furay, rscj, who attended the event. “This is the future of the church and we are on the cutting edge, “ said a Religious of the Sacred Heart who attended the installation ceremony on October 31, 2004, for Maureen Chicoine, rscj, as pastoral coordinator of Christ the King and Our Lady of Fatima parishes in San Bernardino, California.

Dear Mr. President, I am writing you as the national leader of a congregation of Roman Catholic sisters, the Society of the Sacred Heart. We are an international religious order of women with 3,500 sisters in 45 countries worldwide. Our sisters work in universities, secondary and elementary schools; with handicapped children and adults; in popular education centers in rural and urban areas; with migrants, indigenous people, and refugees; in parishes and retreat centers; in prisons; in advocacy work, especially with women and children; as teachers, administrators, lawyers, nurses, doctors, artists, writers, therapists, pastoral counselors, spiritual directors, and social workers. Our mission is to discover and reveal God's love in the heart of the world.

U.S. Veterans Day and the 147th birthday of Janet Stuart!
Dear Friends, Colleagues and Associates of the Society,  I want to provide for you a first hand account of what happened at the Society's Open Assembly November 3-7, though I am so aware that we actually had four different simultaneous gatherings with a lot of commonalities and a lot of differences. So this is a report of the whole colored by my participation with the Chicago, Omaha, Detroit, and St. Louis/St. Charles Area RSCJ.

Judith Garson, rscj, received the Spirit of Service Award from St. John's University at the annual President's Dinner, held at the Waldorf-Astoria in Manhattan on October 28. Sister Garson has serves as executive director of Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service in East Harlem since 1996. In presenting the award, the Rev. Donald J. Harrington, president of St. John's University, said, “Sister Judith has become a well-known and beloved figure in the East Harlem community, a beacon of hope to many, especially new immigrants and those marginalized by society, providing spiritual comfort and practical assistance in a broad spectrum of areas.”

Sister Kathleen Hughes has been named the recipient of the 2004 Frederick R. McManus Award for her contributions to Catholic liturgy. The award, which is given annually, will be presented October 15 in Orlando at the annual meeting of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions.

Sister Mary T. Clark received the distinguished alumna award from the Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, Bryn, Mawr, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 17. Further, a book of St. Augustine's letters has been dedicated to Sister Clark, “great friend, scholar and religious,” by Ronald Teske, S.J., of Marquette University.

Sister Sally Furay, rscj, is the 2004 recipient of the Bernard E. Witkin Award, given by the Law Library Justice Foundation of San Diego County. The award recognizes a member of the San Diego legal community “for civic leadership and excellence in the teaching, practice, enactment, or adjudication of the law.”

Sister Furay is a former law professor, academic vice president and provost and the University of San Diego and a consultant to academic institutions.