Sacred Hearts Congregation’s Secular Branch leaders pose for photo after the final Mass of their Sept. 25-27 conference at St. Anthony Retreat Center. (Courtesy photo)
With blessings from Sacred Hearts Congregation provincials Father Johnathan Hurrell and Sister Regina Mary Jenkins, the Secular Branch of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary convened its annual leadership conference at St. Anthony’s Retreat Center Sept. 25-27.
The U.S. Sectors — East (Massachusetts), West (California, Idaho and Florida) and Hawaii (Kauai, Oahu and Molokai) — were represented by their respective coordinators, community leaders, members, candidates and congregational religious mentors.
The Secular Branch reported that the lay communities continue to make weekly adoration, support the community’s seminarians in Fiji and the missions in the Philippines, India, and elsewhere, and are involved in church ministries.
The conference also prepared for the 2017 Secular Branch Meeting in Spain by developing a plan for the U.S. team to facilitate a session in which each country makes a presentation on its prayer life, communal life, apostolic life, formation and financial solidarity.
They also identified key points of their vision of the Sacred Hearts charism in the church and their mission to share on a panel of representatives from the U.S., Latin America, Africa and Europe.
Finally, the Secular Branch made a firm commitment to share God’s love with the youth as its highest priority.