Ursuline Sisters of Louisville Transferred $4.2 Million Chapel Preservation Fund to Sacred Heart Schools
THANK YOU TO OUR WONDERFUL DONORS!
Following the Mass to celebrate St. Angela Merici’s feast day on January 27, 2022, the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville officially transferred the $4.2 million Chapel Preservation Fund to Sacred Heart Schools, which are sponsored by the Ursuline Sisters. Ursuline President Sister Jean Anne Zappa presented Dr. Karen McNay Sacred Heart Schools president, a check for the full amount of the fund, which is donor restricted.
Sister Jean Anne Zappa reflected, “Saint Angela called us to ‘build community wherever we go.’ We see this gift to Sacred Heart Schools as not just preserving a beautiful and sacred space but living out Angela’s words and charism. Our hearts are nourished as we celebrate and give glory to God together in this chapel, and it leads us to build community with others when we go out to serve in the world.”
A $3.5 million preservation campaign was started in 2017 to celebrate the centennial of the Ursuline Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, also known as the Motherhouse Chapel, which was dedicated on December 8, 1917. In addition to being a sacred space for the Ursuline Sisters and Sacred Heart Schools, since 1997 the chapel has served the homebound by providing a location where “Mass of the Air” is video recorded.
This gift builds on the one that the Ursulines gave to Sacred Heart Schools in June 2019: the lease transfer of all buildings and land on the 48-acre Ursuline Campus. Dr. McNay stated that, “Sacred Heart Schools is blessed to carry on the tradition of the Ursuline Sisters and honor their legacy by caring for this sacred place. We are grateful to our Sisters for this gift that ensures our students, faculty, alumnae, and community can worship and celebrate in the Chapel for years to come.”
The transfer of the fund will allow Sacred Heart Schools to preserve the Motherhouse chapel on the Ursuline campus into perpetuity.
Something Fun for Saint Angela’s Feast Day!
Sacred Heart Schools staff, the Board of Trustees, Sacred Heart Academy seniors, and Ursuline Sisters and staff received a gift of Saint Angela Merici socks on January 27 to celebrate her feast day. It looks like everyone had fun “building community” with their socks!
Sacred Heart Model School Dedicates The Sister Dominica Hettinger, OSU, Science Lab
On October 28, 2021, Sacred Heart Model School (SHMS) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new state-of-the-art science lab donated by an anonymous donor for junior high students. The lab was dedicated as the Sister Dominica Hettinger, OSU, Science Lab.
Ursuline Sister of Louisville Dominica Hettinger, OSU, held a Ph.D. in biology. As the first dean of Ursuline College, she played a major role in strengthening Sacred Heart Junior College and establishing Sacred Heart Model School. In 1920, she was appointed community supervisor of Ursuline Schools. Sister Dominica organized and administered Sacred Heart Model School, was the dean and directress of education at Ursuline College, and later headed the Science department there.
Dr. Karen McNay, president of Sacred Heart Schools, and Tricia Forde, assistant principal, spoke to the importance of the new space for “hands-on, Middle Years Programme (MYP) science curriculum.” Two level eight students, Savanah Dunaway and Truman Needham, also spoke on what the new lab means to them and the future of science at SHMS.
Ursuline President Sister Jean Anne Zappa, OSU, provided the blessing for the new lab on behalf of the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, who sponsor Sacred Heart Schools. Sister Jean Anne said, “Today, we ask God’s blessing on this center of seeking, discovering, and learning of what is true. We ask for God’s blessing on the donor whose generous heart made this possible. We ask God’s blessings on the teachers and students of this space to come to the realization of whatever is taught, the final learning is about love of God and neighbor and witnessing to the gospel of love and justice.”
Louisville Ursulines hold prayer service with Associates to celebrate 7-year commitment to Laudato Si’ Action Platform
Our Commitment:
The Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, in solidarity with the global Laudato Si’ Action Platform, and consonant with our 2020 Chapter Resolution to emphasize the importance of collaboration to maximize our capacity to be in mission and have an impact in the responding to the Cry of Earth and the Cry of Humanity, commit as a Congregation to a seven-year journey towards integral ecology.
In fidelity to our charism of a contemplative love of God and a resulting openness and eagerness to serve the needs of others, by engaging our mission of teaching Christian living by assisting others in living more fully and developing a personal relationship with God, we accept the responsibility to:
- examine our congregational policies and priorities in view of Laudato Si,
- discern the call to ecological conversion,
- develop an integral transition towards greater equity and sustainability,
- promote the common good and uphold the dignity of every creature, and
- collaborate with others in our care for creation.
May the Lover of us all enlighten us, the Holy Spirit inspire us, and Jesus Christ teach us to build community and live together in harmony in this world God so loves.
Soli Deo Gloria.
Signed on: Monday, October 4, 2021
A Personal Connection to Mayfield, Kentucky, Compels Ursuline Sisters of Louisville to Donate to Tornado Victims
Ginny Schaeffer, director of the Angela Merici Center for Spirituality, a ministry of the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, is a native of Mayfield, Kentucky. Ginny has friends and family there who were displaced by the tornado on December 10 that hit western Kentucky and surrounding areas. With a donation from the Ursuline Sisters, she was able to purchase much-needed items for the people of Mayfield. Staff, Sisters and Associates of the Ursuline Sisters also brought in donations of items such as toiletries, blankets, coats, and baby supplies. “The outpouring of love has been overwhelming, and I cannot thank everyone enough for their generosity,” Ginny said.
Sacred Heart Academy (SHA), one of the schools on the Ursuline campus sponsored by the Ursulines, led a donation drive as well, and generously offered space for the items from the Ursulines on a truck that they drove to Mayfield. Ursuline President Sister Jean Anne Zappa, OSU, stated that, “This effort is spirit-driven, and we are so thankful for our close partnership with the schools on our campus.”
The truck was blessed by Sister Jean Anne and the collected items were loaded on the truck and taken to Mayfield on Friday, December 16.
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