Society of the Holy Child Jesus
Encyclopedia
The Society of the Holy Child Jesus is an international community of nun
s that was founded in England in 1846 by Philadelphia-born Cornelia Connelly
. Cornelia converted to the Roman Catholic Church
in 1835. The Society was approved in 1887 by Pope Leo XIII
, and the rules and constitutions were confirmed and ratified by him in 1893. The constitutions are founded on those of Saint
Ignatius of Loyola
, the founder of the Society of Jesus
.
The Society is composed of three provinces: an American, African, and European. There are 415 Holy Child Sisters serving throughout the world. Since the Society's founding, education has always been at the heart of its mission. Today, the Holy Child Sisters continue to serve as educators in the broadest sense of the word through their ministries in spirituality, health care, social work, pastoral care and administration, law, and teaching.
The Society is led by a superior general
whose ordinary residence is at the mother-house in Mayfield, East Sussex, England. The superior general is elected by a chapter consisting of representatives of the whole order and her term of office lasts six years.
In the U.S., the Society sponsors 15 schools, one college, and several social service organizations. One of the programmes sponsored by the American Province is Response-Ability
, volunteer service program for lay people that trains, coaches, and inspires volunteers as teachers working in inner-city Catholic school
s in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
, as well as missioners in the Dominican Republic
.
The School also used to run The Sacred Heart Convent in Harrogate (England) which has since changed to Saint John Fisher Catholic High School. However the nuns still occupy the Victorian manor house opposite the school.
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s that was founded in England in 1846 by Philadelphia-born Cornelia Connelly
Cornelia Connelly
Cornelia Connelly , born Cornelia Peacock, was the born founder of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order...
. Cornelia converted to the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in 1835. The Society was approved in 1887 by Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
, and the rules and constitutions were confirmed and ratified by him in 1893. The constitutions are founded on those of Saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish knight from a Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus and was its first Superior General. Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation...
, the founder of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
.
The Society is composed of three provinces: an American, African, and European. There are 415 Holy Child Sisters serving throughout the world. Since the Society's founding, education has always been at the heart of its mission. Today, the Holy Child Sisters continue to serve as educators in the broadest sense of the word through their ministries in spirituality, health care, social work, pastoral care and administration, law, and teaching.
The Society is led by a superior general
Superior general
A Superior General, or General Superior, is the Superior at the head of a whole religious order or congregation.The term is mainly used as a generic term, while many orders and congregations use other specific titles, notably:* Abbot general...
whose ordinary residence is at the mother-house in Mayfield, East Sussex, England. The superior general is elected by a chapter consisting of representatives of the whole order and her term of office lasts six years.
In the U.S., the Society sponsors 15 schools, one college, and several social service organizations. One of the programmes sponsored by the American Province is Response-Ability
Response-Ability
Response-Ability is a non-profit volunteer service program that places college graduates in inner-city Catholic schools in the US and in other international sites across the United States...
, volunteer service program for lay people that trains, coaches, and inspires volunteers as teachers working in inner-city Catholic school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
s in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, as well as missioners in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
.
Schools
- Connelly School of the Holy ChildConnelly School of the Holy ChildConnelly School of the Holy Child is a Catholic, independent, college-preparatory school for girls, grades 6-12 located in Potomac, Maryland, USA...
(PotomacPotomac, MarylandPotomac is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named for the nearby Potomac River. The population was 44,822 at the 2000 census. The Potomac area is known for its very affluent and highly-educated residents. In 2009 CNNMoney.com listed Potomac as the fourth...
, MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
) - Cornelia Connelly High SchoolCornelia Connelly High SchoolCornelia Connelly High School is a Catholic college preparatory high school for girls in Anaheim, California. Established in 1961 by the Sisters of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, it is named after Cornelia Connelly, founder of that order. Although located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of...
(Anaheim, California) - Cornelia Connelly Center for Education (New York, New York)
- Holy Child Academy (Drexel Hill, PennsylvaniaDrexel Hill, PennsylvaniaDrexel Hill is a census-designated place in Upper Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Drexel Hill is located southwest of Center City, Philadelphia and is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area...
) - http://www.holychildacademy.org/Holy Child Academy (Old Westbury, New YorkOld Westbury, New YorkOld Westbury is a village in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the 2010 United States Census, the village population was 4,671....
)] - Holy Child Community School (SallynogginSallynogginSallynoggin -Location and boundaries:On early 20th century maps Sallynoggin and Glenageary are indicated as being the same place, however, with the development of the local authority housing estate on the Townlands of Honeypark and Thomastown, Sallynoggin became a distinct area.Most of the...
, IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
) - Mayfield Junior School of the Holy Child (Pasadena, California)
- Mayfield Senior SchoolMayfield Senior SchoolMayfield Senior School is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school founded in 1931 for young women grades 9-12, sponsored by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus and a member of the Holy Child Network of Schools and guided by the educational philosophy of the Society's foundress, Cornelia...
(PasadenaPasadena, CaliforniaPasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) - Oak Knoll School of the Holy ChildOak Knoll School of the Holy ChildOak Knoll School of the Holy Child is a Catholic independent school in Summit, New Jersey, United States. It is coeducational from kindergarten to grade 6 and for young women in grades 7 to 12. The school operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark...
(Summit, New JerseySummit, New JerseySummit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 21,457. Summit had the 16th-highest per capita income in the state as of the 2000 Census....
) - Rosemont School of the Holy Child (RosemontRosemont, PennsylvaniaRosemont is a community in Pennsylvania on the Pennsylvania Main Line lying partly in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania and partly in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania.Part of the geographic area is served by the Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, ZIP code...
, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
) - School of the Holy ChildSchool of the Holy ChildSchool of the Holy Child is an independent, college-preparatory, Roman Catholic school for girls in Rye, New York in Westchester County. It is located within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. Founder of the order of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus and its schools, Cornelia Connelly...
(Rye, New YorkRye (city), New YorkRye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the town of Rye, which is larger than the city. Rye city, formerly the village of Rye, was part of the town until 1942, when it received its charter as a city, the most recent to be issued in New York...
) - Holy Child School Killiney (Ireland)
- St Leonards-Mayfield SchoolSt Leonards-Mayfield SchoolSt Leonards-Mayfield School is an independent Roman Catholic boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18. It is situated in the village of Mayfield in East Sussex. The current headmistress is Miss Antonia Beary...
, East Sussex (England) - Holy Child High School Waukegan, Illinois 1921-1976
- Holy Child Academy (Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania) (1864-1973)
The School also used to run The Sacred Heart Convent in Harrogate (England) which has since changed to Saint John Fisher Catholic High School. However the nuns still occupy the Victorian manor house opposite the school.
Sponsored ministries
- Casa Cornelia Law Center (San Diego, California)
- Centro Cornelia Connelly (Santiago, Chile)
- Fe y Alegria (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)
- Los Angeles Ministry Project (Los Angeles, California)
- Providence Center (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
- Response-AbilityResponse-AbilityResponse-Ability is a non-profit volunteer service program that places college graduates in inner-city Catholic schools in the US and in other international sites across the United States...
(Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania)