Foundress Ven. Cornelia Connelly 1846

Foundress – Ven. Cornelia Connelly 1846

The Society of the Holy Child Jesus 1

“God has chosen to need women and men in every age to reveal God’s love..” (SHCJ Constitutions) Who We Are: The Society of the Holy Child Jesus is a relatively small international community of Catholic women religious who have dedicated their entire lives to loving and serving God in others, in the spirit of the Society founded by Venerable Cornelia Connelly in 1846. The Holy Child Sisters live and work in North and South America, Europe and Africa. The name Cornelia gave her society, ‘Society of the Holy Child Jesus’ is the wellspring of the spirit of the Society and a constant reminder that God became human being and a child. As such, the lives and works of Holy Child Sisters, are a contemporary expression of the Incarnational vision of Cornelia Connelly, our foundress. Members of the Society are called to trust, nurture, reverence and support the dignity of every human being and of the whole creation. In all the broad and very diverse ministries that we are engaged in, we strive always to help others believe that God lives and acts in them/us and through us in the world and through this belief, grow strong in their faith and live fully dignified and human lives.

This is our Mission Statement: “…to help others believe that God lives and acts in them and in our world, and to rejoice in the divine presence” (SHCJ Constitutions)

Our Motto: ACTION NOT WORDS- a constant reminder that we, Holy Child Sisters, are called to be women of action not words! We are joined in this belief by many women and men, some of whom have chosen a more formal relationship a Associates.

What We Do: Cornelia Connelly founded a religious group of women who would strive always to respond to the needs of the time and in Cornelia’s words “meet the wants of the age”. Today. Holy Child Sisters carry out their mission in many ways – as spiritual leaders, board members, health care providers, lawyers, social workers, pastoral care workers, in educational institutions and as parish administrators. We remain attentive to the many crying needs of our time and sponsor or work in partnership with other groups in our effort to respond to some of these pressing needs. Among them are: gender discrimination, women and men empowerment, ecological issues and welfare of the planet, ecumenical ventures that work to promote unity, refugees and immigrants, just to mention a few.

Across the four continents where we are present, Holy Child Sisters are deeply involved in works that create greater awareness of gender discrimination: they work to conscientize women and men on gender issues, with the aim of helping them realize their need to assume responsibility for their own liberation. We do this through our ministries in the following areas:

 Schools (from Nursery to Secondary) and Centers with Multifaceted Educational Projects  Seminaries and theological institutions for the education of priests, religious and laity  Other tertiary institutions  Parishes  Retreats and Renewal Centers and outreach programs  Empowerment Programs like Skills training at the Cornelia Connelly Centre in Chad, Summer programs in Bolgatanga, Ghana, Cardoso Catholic Community Multi-faceted Project in Ajegunle, Nigeria, Microlending scheme in the American province where some funds are invested in community development, housing and small business projects by providing low- interest loans to the less-privileged. Through this program, Holy Child Sisters have brought economic opportunities to more than 30,000 poor people around the globe since1994.In Europe, the Sisters work in partnership with different groups like CAFOD, Trocaire and Solidarity with Southern Sudan on Foundress – Ven. Cornelia Connelly 1846

acquisition of needed skills and women and men empowerment.  Fight for Human Rights, Refugees and Immigrants – Casa Cornelia Law Centre in San Diego, a 2 public interest law firm, founded and sponsored by Holy Child Sisters, continues to provide quality pro bono legal representations to thousands of victims of human and civil rights violation globally.  Care of the Earth and EcoSpirituality - .refers to finding God in all creation. Through this special ministry, Holy Child Sisters aim at helping people to learn more about and act in new understanding of the sacredness and interconnectedness of creation. This group offers retreat that is open to all. Anyone who wishes to receive ESG e-mailings, can join the list by sending an e-mail to Sr. Terri Mackenzie,SHCJ  The EcoSpirituality Group in the US, through Terri Mackenzie,SHCJ, has written a program “I Thirst: A Lenten Journey From Desert To Garden” a five-meeting program for individuals or groups during Lent. This program has been publicized by Sisters of the Earth, an informal organization of women concerned about creation. Different parishes in Chicago and beyond are using it, even in far away India..  In Europe, Holy Child Sisters are doing a lot on Caring for the Earth. Some of our Sisters work in partnership with the ‘Transition Community’ that aims at conserving energy. In the European Newsletter that is sent to all Holy Child Sisters on weekly basis, there is always the Planet Corner with some thought-provoking pictures and sayings like this:-  In Africa, Holy Child Sisters continue to encourage good practices in the face of Climate Change by teaching people to farm organically and to take good care of their environment.  The Sisters are deeply involved in different Ecumenical ventures that aim to promote unity both at local and global levels.

 In Europe, Holy Child Sisters work with and support the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility  A Holy Child Sister, Sr. Teresa Okure, represents the Catholic Church on the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC), an organ of the Pontifical Council for promoting Christian Unity  Also in Africa, some of the Sisters are actively involved with the Ecumenical Association Of Third World Theologians (EATWOT)  Holy Child Sisters work closely with COSUDOW, ( an NGO set up to fight against the trade of trafficking in persons by the Major Superiors Conference of Women Religious In Nigeria) at the national level, and Unanima International, at the global level,, in the fight to stop the 21st century modern slavery of trafficking in women and children and Child labour In all these diverse and varied ministries, Holy Child Sisters aspire to seek and find God living and acting in them, in every human being and in our world

The Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. Ps. 24 Skills Training, N’Djamena, Chad

The river never drinks its own water. The tree never tastes its own fruit. The field never consumes its own harvest. They selflessly strive for the wellbeing of all those around them. Proverb from Rajasthan Camp Cornelia in the City, USA