Reflecting over the 2023 school year, one of the blessings that the students at the Sacred Heart School in Sapporo, Japan is most grateful for is the ten-day "Study Tour to the Roots of Sister Schools in the US". The tour, which took place at the end of March 2023, was planned and organized by Sr. Donna Collins rscj. Twelve students from the eighth and ninth grades participated in the trip. Here is their account of the experience:
We were welcomed at the Sacred Heart Academy in St. Charles, Missouri, founded in 1818 by St. Philippe Duchesne. We stayed there to visit classes and interact with students under the guidance of Sister Collins, while also visiting Villa Duchesne in St. Louis.
“Our accommodations were located near the room where St. Philippe Duchesne spent the last days of her life. The school was filled with a sense of preservation of St. Philippe Duchesne's sanctuary, and the teachers and students were truly warm and so welcoming. We were so grateful.
“We feel that the Sacred Heart Family is spreading throughout the world. Not only the students and teachers of Sacred Heart, but also the alumni, parents, and almost everyone connected to the Sacred Heart cares about members of the Sacred Heart Family. When I think of the many Sacred Heart families around the world, I feel that they are very precious and important. Just as many graduates continue to contribute to the world in various ways, we will continue to contribute to and be members of the Sacred Heart Family.
We prayed together every morning and evening, sharing reflections and lighting candles in the Shrine of St. Philippine Duchesne, where her remains rest in a marble sarcophagus. In order to receive the saint's message, Sister Collins and other teachers explained the life and the words of the saint to us. We are grateful for Sister Donna Collins who organized this trip, everyone in the school community of St. Charles, the Shrine of St. Philippine Duchesne, and the school community of Villa Duchesne. May St. Philippine Duchesne bless them!
Middle School Students
Sapporo Sacred Heart School
Sapporo, Japan