This year’s Mission & Heritage week theme, “Reclaiming the Vision” was perfectly timed for Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School. With nearly 60 new students from recently closed area high schools, and the hybrid/virtual learning schedule which limits student attendance on campus, Mission Leader Jeff Hulbert knew it would be challenging to plan a week of activities that would effectively share the Felician Core Values and mission of the school. “Blessed Angela’s writings helped me with this difficult task,” reflected Hulbert. “She reminds us in her writing about how difficult it was for children during her time. Many were homeless and lost their parents due to the oppressiveness of the government. It was a good reminder that we are to serve everyone, transforming the world in which we live.”
During Mission and Heritage Week, students were greeted by a display of the “Felician Stars” as they entered the building. The images of St. Francis, St. Felix, St. Claire, Fr. Honorat, Fr. Dabrowski, Blessed Angela, and the 5 Sisters who first came to the United States, were arranged to form the Big Dipper Constellation. Some smaller stars were labeled with the different Felician ministries in North America. Additional stars represented all of the members of the Felician community who live out the Felician values.
Throughout the week, the OLSH community heard stories about the lives of these iconic Felician figures, shared with us by FSI. The students viewed a video presentation of the service opportunities available at OLSH, and non-perishable and cash donations were collected for Our Lady’s Pantry. Over 300 items and $550 were collected to fill the shelves. The Coraopolis Sisters took up their own collection and presented Hulbert with an additional $156.37 donation for the pantry!
Other activities during the week featured pausing together as a school to pray the Rosary in honor of the Felician Sisters of North America, and the presentation of a banner to the Coraopolis Sisters, thanking them for their years of service and support of our school. “While the pandemic caused the week to look a little different than in years past, the message of Mission and Heritage Week remained strong, aiding us in the transformation of our students and of our world,” concluded Hulbert.