Our official name is Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (RSCJ) and that name tells you what we are, what we are called to be.

The heart is a symbol in every culture. It stands for the core, the centre, the deepest meaning of a person or an event. So you often hear, "Let us get to the heart of the matter." 

We are dedicated to the Heart of Jesus, to the deepest meaning of him, to the core, the centre that gives his life meaning. That meaning is love, love that drove him to lay down his life for us, not only in his passion and death but all during his life on earth and after his resurrection and now, in his Body, the Church, the People of God. To lay down your life does not mean just a violent death. It means spending your energy day after day caring for those you are with until your life ends.

We Sacred Heart Sisters are called to contemplate Christ's Heart every day in prayer and to discover his love in everyday life, in people who are Christ-like, even if they don't know it.

We are called to make his love visible to others by our words and deeds, by spending our lives for them.

But behold a wonder! He does not pay back evil for evil as we often do. His pierced Heart pours out love, pours out forgiveness, pours out compassion and new life, so that once God makes us aware of what we have done, our sin becomes our salvation.

As Sacred Heart Sisters we make a vow of education and it is precious to us. It is not the same as a vow to teach. Whatever we do we are educators, for to educate means in its Latin root to lead forth (educere) and it is connected with the heart. We try to lead forth, to draw out of the person we are with, be it student, patient, client or retreatant, the gifts, the talents, God has placed in their hearts, the potential for good they possess within them and help them to develop into women (especially) and men who pour out their lives for others, above all for those who are most neglected and in need.

"By our charism, we are consecrated to GLORIFYING THE HEART OF JESUS: we answer His call to discover and reveal His love letting ourselves be transformed by His Spirit so as to live united and conformed to Him, and through our love and service to radiate the very love of His Heart." (#4)

"The pierced Heart of Jesus opens our being to the depths of God and to the anguish of humankind. Jesus draws us into His movement of adoration of the Father and love for all, especially those who are poor." (#8)

"We are sent by the Church to communicate the love of the Heart of Jesus. In Him all find their true growth as persons and the way towards reconciliation with one another. This we believe; this we want to proclaim. Saint Madeleine Sophie chose to express this conviction through the service of education, especially of the young. Faithful to her inspiration, and, like her, open to new situations, we make her desire our own: that people become ever more aware of truth, of love and of freedom; that they discover the significance of their lives, and devote themselves to others; that they take part creatively in the common effort to transform the world; that they be enabled to encounter the love of Jesus; that they let their lives be shaped by an active faith." (#10 and 11)

"..............In the work of teaching and formation, in other activities for human development and the promotion of justice, in pastoral work and guidance in the faith............... Wherever we are sent, whatever our work may be, our lives will be inspired by the love of the Heart of Jesus and the desire of making Him known, expressed in: a concern for the growth of the whole person; a thirst for working towards justice and peace in the world in response to the cry of the poor; a passion to proclaim the Gospel." (#13)