Congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart. (SSH)
The Congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart is an indigenous Religious Congregation for Women, is a Diocesan Congregation.
It is governed by the Common law of the Catholic Church, especially the code of canon Law, the Constitutions and Directives of the Congregation.
It is an apostolic community. It provides its members with a fixed rule of life.
By following this rule we will more easily attain the perfection of charity, which is the goal of human life.
Individually and as a Congregation we will in this way offer dedicated service to God and the Church.
The centre of our Congregation is Christ Jesus who was dead but who now lives (Rev. 1: 18) and having been glorified,
through the Spirit gives life to all who approach Him in faith (Jn. 7: 39).
The existence and well-being of the Congregation depend on the profession of the three evangelical counsels of Chastity, Poverty
and Obedience which each of us makes when we pronounce our vows in a spirit of consecration and live according to them in a spirit of reparation.
We interiorize more deeply God’s gift of familiar friendship and love and to go even beyond friendship to that point of union where Christ lives
in us, we use all the powers of body and soul and all the spiritual gifts God has given us. Our guide in this spiritual endeavour is the Holy
Spirit whose inspiration Jesus has promised.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has a special place in the life of our sisters and in
the devotional life of the community. Since the devotion to the Sacred Heart is devotion to the love by which, through Jesus, God loved us
and, at the same time, the practice of our love for God and for His people is a means of attaining that perfection of charity which religious
life aims at (PC, 1) and of becoming true disciples of the loving Jesus.
The Blessed Virgin Mary who responded to God’s call with unwavering faith, hope and love is the model for the members of this Congregation.
The Superior General is the highest authority in matters concerning the internal administration and discipline of the Congregation.
SSH is a religious and charitable society of a religious minority group within the purview of the Constitutions of India.
The Congregation is entitled to have all the rights, privileges and exemptions that the Indian Constitutions grants to religious minority groups,
to religious charitable organizations, institutions and to women. Its presence and activities can be extended to all the continents as per need.
Remaining obedient to the lawful superiors of the Congregation, its members spend themselves generously in the service of God and mankind, sacrificing all
their personal rights and gains and offering their labour and its fruits for the needs of the Congregation, for the integral growth and Christian formation
of the people, especially of women and children through the apostolate of education, caring for the sick and the destitute, orphans and the poor.
or our special way of life comes to us from the example of our Founder Bishop Louis Van Hoeck S.J. In the social needs of those times he recognized
God’s call and set on foot the means to fulfil the spiritual, corporal and social needs of the people, especially women, children, the needy and the orphans.
Having made his spirit our own we also serve all, especially the poor, the differently abled and the marginalized.
Our History
A Brief History of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart, Patna Archdiocese.
In 1921, Rev. Fr. Louise van Hoeck, S.J. was consecrated the first bishop of Patna Diocese. He began his ministry by touring the diocese to get firsthand
information about the various needs of the diocese of Patna. One thing that struck him most was the fact that women, especially those in villages, were
deprived of adequate spiritual as well as of secular education. The plight of women remained pathetic on account of oppressive social customs that kept them
subservient to men. Having in mind the important role that women play in Christian families he decided to do something substantial for women.
It was true that the zealous sisters of the Mercy of the Holy Cross were a big support to him. However due to their European background they lacked sufficient
knowledge of the local dialects and the social customs of the land. Therefore it was felt necessary to found a congregation of Indian sisters from the territory
of the diocese.
The plan to start a new congregation with indigenous women was the outcome of several rounds of conversation with Sister Angelica, the visitor sent to India in 1923
by the Superior General of the Holy Cross Sisters in Switzerland.
In a letter, dated April 26, 1925 Bishop Louise van Hoeck ,S.J. asked permission from the Prefect of the Propaganda Fide, Rome to begin two Indian Congregation
of sisters. In his letter, No 1436 of May 25, 1926 the Prefect of Propaganda Fide gave the required permission to begin the Congregation.
On June 11, 1926 on the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, 9 candidates were formally accepted as postulants for the new Indian Congregation of the Sisters
of the Sacred Heart. The nine candidates were namely Gilbertta, Natalia, Mary Maria, Anna, Veronica, Catherina, Cornelia, Lucrentia and Sebastiana.
In a ceremony, held in Bettiah on December 11, 1926 the first batch of the novices were welcomed to the new congregation. Bishop Louise van Hoeck was transferred
to Ranchi in February leaving the charge of the diocese in the hands of Rev. Fr. Bernard Sullivan, S.J.. The eight Sisters, who took their first vows in 1928, spent
their first year working in the school, knitting school, dispensary and in the house. Rev. Fr. Bernard Sullivan S.J. , the patron and guide of the congregation,
became the Bishop of Patna Diocese in January 1929 . He gave the sisters house of their own called Fakirana in Banuchaper , a village situated at the north – eastern
outskirts of Bettiah, in 1930.
In the early years of the congregation, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart worked along with the Sisters of the Holy Cross in the latter’s mission. They moved into their
first independent house in Chakhani in 1932. Thereafter, to Morpa mission in the following year and to Patna city in 1936.
Until 1950, the holy cross Sisters provided a Novice Mistress for the Congregation and the Superior of the Holy Cross convent in Bettiah acted as the administrator. Sr.
Stanislaus SSH became the first sacred Heart sister to hold the post of Novice Mistress 1950. In 1953 Sister Rita was appointed the first Vicar General of the congregation
by Rt. Rev. Augustine F. Wildermuth S.J.
The sisters had the challenging vision of providing spiritual leadership and growth in the Church at Bettiah. From the very beginning of the religious life in the congregation
was rooted in the Indian culture and Ignatian Spirituality. Being contemplative in action the members were engaged in such activities where by the uplifting of the women and
children were possible.
The sisters took up the challenge of educating women and children and labored for the spreading of the faith beginning in Bihar and then to the outside territory of Patna
Diocese. Since 1961 on, the sisters entered into a quite number of diocese in northern and southern parts of India where the Lord had called them to the service of the poor
and needy. The apostolate of the SSH congregation took a new dimension as mission areas were entrusted to it beyond the boundaries of Bihar.
The congregation took a new direction when the first General Chapter took place in October, 1969 at Bettiah Novitiate. This was indeed a milestone in the progress of the
SSH congregation as its becoming an independent and self-governing entity.
After the Vatican II all the religious congregation was asked to update their constitutions. After six years of experimentation and discernment, the new constitutions
and Directives of the congregation were approved in the third General Chapter. It was officially approved by Rt. Rev. Augustine F. Wildermuth, S.J.
Till December 28, 1987 the entire administration of the congregation was in the hands of the Superior General and her councilors. It was rather difficult for the Superior
General and her council to administer the whole congregation since the mission stations were scattered from Delhi to Kerala. During the 5th General Chapter in the year 1988,
four zones were formed in the Congregation with four zonal contact persons. In the sixth General Chapter, pondering over the report of the zonal contact persons, it took the
decision to have two zones and two zonal contact persons in the Congregation. After prayer, long discussion and much discernment, the Seventh General Chapter held in May 24th
2000, gave a new turning point to the Congregation and decided to have two provinces for the better administration. The provinces were named as Patna Province and Ranchi Province.
After many discussions, seminars, retreats and personal studies during the tenth Genera Chapter held in the year December 2018 the Constitutions and Directives of our
Congregation were revised and gave a new look and status.
The SSH congregation, with a prophetic vision was involved from its very beginning to spread the compassionate love of the Heart of Jesus through various ministries. There was lots of changes and liveliness where ever the sisters worked. The Congregation was taking great interest in taking care of the poor and downtrodden of the society by educating them. The Congregation is also actively involved in the integral development of the people irrespective of caste and creed. Through the deep rooted prayer life of the members of the congregation, the sisters always come forward to do people oriented activities.
