Kenwood Order marks 200 years

Two hundred years ago, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat founded the Society of the Sacred Heart to educate women. Over the years, while the mission of this order remains the same, its methods have evolved.

According to Sister Gabrielle Husson, RSCJ, who resides at the Kenwood Convent of the Sacred Heart in Albany, education still is central, but the order is not limited to formal schooling.

"The order was founded to meet the needs for the education of women in France after the French Revolution," Sister Gabrielle explained. "The mission has evolved. Education has come to mean things other than formal education -- like spiritual direction, retreats and working with the poor."

Educating all

Some may be surprised that the order works with the poor, said Sister Gabrielle. Over the years, the order developed the reputation for ministering to girls from upper-class families only, she said, but that's a misconception.

St. Madeleine Sophie was encouraged by a priest to found the order to educate women. The idea was to begin a company of women parallel to the then-suppressed Society of Jesus and whose work would be to revitalize Christian life in France.

"St. Madeleine Sophie wanted us to establish a free school each place we had a boarding school," said Sister Gabrielle. In some places, the boarding school educated 50 or 60 girls while the free school enrolled hundreds.

Up until the Second Vatican Council, the order was semi-cloistered; that meant the work of the order was confined to their own houses and their students had to come to them. Eventually, parishes began educating the poor. With the Society of the Sacred Heart confined to their convents, they were no longer able to work with the disadvantaged. But that changed after Vatican II.

Global ministry

According to Catherine Taft, director of development at Kenwood, more than 3,500 members of the order now minister in 45 countries, including Russia, China, Indonesia, Haiti and Egypt.

While the ministry of the order is varied, it is best known for education. Sister Gabrielle served as president of Newton College of Sacred Heart in Newton, Massachusetts, for example, and as headmistress and teacher in schools run by her order.

The order's method of education is unique. "One thing we've tried to keep are high standards of education," said Sister Gabrielle. "We've always insisted on a certain decorum of the girls, in studies, manners and the order of the school."

Today, while lay people run many of the schools founded by the order, its spirit is still present. "A great effort has been made to help [the laity] understand the charism," Sister Gabrielle said.

In Diocese

The order came to Albany in 1852 and established the Academy of the Sacred Heart at Kenwood in 1859. Five members of the order purchased the Westerlo Mansion and 55 acres of a 1,200-acre estate.

In 1975, Kenwood Academy merged with St. Agnes School, an Episcopal school, to form Doane Stuart, the only coeducational, interfaith school in the country to offer classes from pre-K through 12th grade.

The Kenwood convent also served as the novitiate for the order for 103 years. It is now a retirement/infirmary center, with 80 members of the order living at Kenwood.

(To celebrate the order's bicentennial, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard will celebrate Mass in the newly restored 130-year-old chapel at Kenwood on Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. For information, call 465-3341, ext. 112.)

(11-16-00)