Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ) in the United States – Canada Province commit themselves to ministering to students and adults seeking retreat and spiritual education and formation opportunities. Keeping with this commitment, the United States – Canada Province offers year-round opportunities at two spiritual ministry centers as well as serves individuals seeking spiritual direction, Network of Sacred Heart schools, educators and province staff through the collaborative efforts of RSCJ and Sophie’s Well.
Barat Spirituality Centre
Barat Spirituality Centre is located in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Centre works in collaboration with RSCJ and other individuals and groups from within the Halifax-Yarmouth Archdiocese and beyond to offer a variety of enriching programs and opportunities. Most programming runs from September through June. Barat Spirituality Centre has facilities for group gatherings of different sizes, food prep and dining, and overnight accommodations for up to seven.
To learn more about resources and programs offered at Barat Spirituality Centre, visit the centre's website.
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The Spiritual Ministry Center
The Spiritual Ministry Center in San Diego, California, was founded by the Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ) in 1987. At this quiet, residential townhouses, RSCJ offer spiritual direction, short and long-form retreats, and various other programs such as in individual spiritual direction, directed retreats, the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
The Spiritual Ministry Center welcomes people of diverse faiths and cultures who seek to deepen their relationship with God and others. Its programs facilitate personal integration in the light of Gospel values and the insights of contemporary psychology and theology. Just one block from the Pacific Ocean, this home-like living arrangement is a respectful and peaceful environment for spiritual reflection and growth.
The staff is also available for off-site programs and retreats of various types. Contact the Spiritual Ministry Center at spiritmin@rscj.org or click below to visit their website.
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Sophie’s Well: A Center for Sacred Heart Spirituality is a collaborative center for spirituality programs, staffed by a core team of three RSCJ: Ann Jablonski, Jane O'Shaughnessy and Mary Pat White
Sophie’s Well also includes a collaborative group of about 40 spiritual companions – RSCJ, former RSCJ and Associates – who work with the core team on retreats and training in Sacred Heart schools, at the provincial office and internationally.
The core team members reside in different areas of the United States and meet virtually as team. The core team members and the other spiritual companions travel throughout the U.S. and Canada to help those in the Sacred Heart community to an encounter with God and to help them deepen their relationship with God. At this time, a primary work of Sophie’s Well is to provide Busy Person’s Retreats to the Network of Sacred Heart Schools and the Society of the Sacred Heart provincial office. These are week-long retreats, integrated into the flow of school or work, which involve daily prayer and meetings with a spiritual companion.
Monthly spiritual direction also is a regular ministry of Sophie's Well. Participants in programming include faculty, staff, parents, trustees, alumni, Associates of the Sacred Heart and other colleagues in mission.
Busy Person's Retreats
A Busy Person's Retreat is an on-campus, week-long, guided prayer retreat, usually made within the daily schedule at Sacred Heart schools. The retreat provides an opportunity for prayer and reflection in the midst of busy school activities. Participants commit to setting aside one hour a day for prayer and a meeting with their spiritual companion for support and encouragement and practical guidance. Rooted in Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat's ideal of being "Saintes Savantes" (wise saints, or, perhaps, holy educators), this retreat provides an opportunity to reflect deeply on the challenge Sacred Heart educators have to cultivate transformation in the lives of their students and, at the same time, foster in themselves a delicate attentiveness to the presence of God.
More than two dozen Religious of the Sacred Heart are trained to work in this ministry and travel to schools to guide the retreats. Busy Person Retreats are ecumenical and open to all staff and faculty, and they work around the faculty/staff member’s free time.
Want more information on Sophie's Well or Busy Person’s Retreats? Please contact Ann Jablonski, RSCJ; Jane O'Shaughnessy, RSCJ; or Mary Pat White, RSCJ.
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