2010-2011

Mount Sacred Heart

The West main entrance to Mount Sacred Heart

The United States Provincialate for the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is located in Hamden, Connecticut on a wooded, 125-acre property known as Mount Sacred Heart. Formerly known as Cherry Hill, the property was purchased from the estate of Manley E. Chester, a prominent local businessman, in 1946. At that time, the Provincialate was still located on Greene Street in nearby New Haven. Under the direction of Provincial Superior Mother Celestine Rigo, ground was broken for The Sr. Antonine Signorelli Formation Housethe new Provincialate in 1950. Originally dedicated in 1953 and rededicated in 2005, the main building houses the Provincial offices as well as residential areas and the Caritas Christi Center. Connected to the building is Sacred Heart Academy. Also on the property is Sacred Heart Manor, the Apostles' retirement home, which itself houses the Clelian Adult Day Center and the Sacred Heart Manor Nursery and Kindergarten. Additionally, the original stone mansion on the property, built in the early 1900s, is home to the Apostles' formation community. The renovated and updated structure was rededicated in the summer of 2008 and is now known as the "Sr. Antonine Signorelli Formation House."

In residence at Mount Sacred Heart are, front row: Sr. Ann Maria Sforza, Manager of Buildings & Grounds and Sr. Paula Marie Pitruzzello, Pastoral Associate at Our Lady of Pompeii Parish; second row, Sr. Anne D'Alessio, Provincial Bursar & Councillor; Sr. Maria Lourdes Maranan, Registered Nurse at Sacred Heart Manor; and Sr. Patricia Cigrand, Director of the Caritas Christi Center; third row, Sr. Elaine Ann Lattanzi, Director of Sacred Heart Manor Nursery & Kindergarten and Sr. Maureen Martin, Provincial Superior; back row: Sr. Anne Walsh, Vice Provincial Superior; Sr. Lisa Retort, Provincial Secretary.

Sacred Heart Academy

Sacred Heart Academy

Established on Greene Street in New Haven in 1946 by Sr. M. Antonine Signorelli, Sacred Heart Academy is a college preparatory school for young women located at Mount Sacred Heart in Hamden, CT. SHA was dedicated at Mount Sacred Heart in 1956, three years after the dedication of the Provincialate. Over the course of its 60+ year history, SHA has graduated over 5,000 students.

 
The Apostles living in the Sacred Heart Academy community are (L-R)  Sr. Sheila O'Neill, President,  Sr. Judith Musco, Dean of Faculty; Sr. Lany Jo Smith, Director of Campus Ministry, Sr. Mary Jane Paolella, Assistant Principal; Sr. Maureen Flynn, Principal; and Sr. Mariette Moan, faculty member and Alumnae Director.

Sacred Heart Manor

Please visit this photo gallery of Sacred Heart Manor sisters.

Dedicated in 1976, Sacred Heart Manor, the Apostles' retirement home in Hamden on the Mount Sacred Heart property was the vision of Provincial Superior Sr. Anita Marie Giampetro. Because the retired sisters at that time had almost all been involved in education, Sr. Anita Marie also thought it was important to establish a nursery school and kindergarten as a lively reminder of the sisters' days in active ministry. The nursery was established first in the Provincialate building, but it moved to the Manor when construction was complete.

In addition to the Nursery & Kindergarten, the Clelian Adult Day Center has also been located at the Manor since its founding in 1988.

Sisters in residence at the Manor participate in the ministry of the province, Manor Sisters and friendswhether as active volunteers at the Clelian Center, by making sandwiches for the "Midnight Run", or through prayer as Apostle Adorers.

Read more about Sacred Heart Manor in the feature article of the Spring, 2006 issue of Caritas, the newsletter of the Apostles.

Mother Clelia Merloni Pre-Postulate/Postulate Community

The Pre-Postulate program helps a woman decide if she has the desire and prerequisites to begin a formative journey with the Apostles. The Pre-postulate runs from August 15 to November 15 and precedes formal entrance into the congregation. After returning from a trip home, the women will make their Act of Commitment and will be considered Postulants. As they continue in the initial stage of formation as Apostles, they spend their time in service at the various ministries on the Mount Sacred Heart property, as well as attend classes. The members of this formation community are (L-R) Maria Sciaroni, Reagan Robison, Christine Rattini, and Sr. Anne Walsh, Vice-Provincial Superior and Postulant Directress.

Guadalupe Community

The Apostles have a long history of service to the New Haven community, starting in 1906 when we came from Boston, just 4 years after first arriving from Italy. The establishmentof the Guadalupe Community in the Fair Haven section in 2008 marked the return of an Apostle convent to within the city limits for the first time in several years. At that time, we launched a new initiative: Apostle Immigrant Services. Sr. Mary Ellen Burns, an attorney with several years of experience serving a largely-immigrant community in New York City, leads the new ministry. Sr. Deborah Lopez joined AIS in 2010 as the Director of Educational Programming Development. Apostles from other area convents assist as tutors or wherever help is needed. In photo, (L-R) Sr. Mary Ellen Burns, Sr. Deborah Lopez, and Sr. Jeanne Marie Vonder Haar, who in addition to tutoring with AIS, is a Pastoral Associate at St. Aedan/St. Brendan Parish in New Haven.

Mary, Mother of the Church Convent

Mary, Mother of the Church Convent was established in 1994 on Denslow Hill Road on the property of Mount Sacred Heart in Hamden. This community has always supported a variety of ministries. Pictured, (L-R), Sr. Eleanor Perfetto is a Pastoral Associate at Our Lady of Pompeii Parish in East Haven, Sr. Maureen Fitzgerald is principal at St. Rita School, Hamden, Sr. Carolyn Severino is the Director of Faith Formation for St. Mary Parish, Branford, and  Sr. Lisa Florio teaches at St. Rita School in Hamden. 

 Sacred Heart on the Lake

Sr. Dominic Joseph

Located in Higganum, Connecticut, Sacred Heart on the Lake was established in 1964 through the efforts of Provincial Superior Mother Rosalia Sosso. Mother Rosalia sought to provide a place where Apostles could spend weekends or vacation time away from the busy schedules of daily ministry. The larger of two buildings on the beautiful 46-acre property is a renovated factory which is not only available to the Apostles, but also to groups wishing to use it for retreat days or workshops. In 1970 the congregation purchased an adjoining property with a house to be used as a convent. Since then, the Apostles in residence have served local parishes in the Norwich diocese.

The present community at Sacred Heart on the Lake includes (L-R) Sr. Emmanuel Shoaf, who manages the grounds, Sr. Eleanor Pozzo, who maintains the retreat center on the property; Sr. Dominic Joseph Valla, a pastoral associate at St. Patrick Parish in East Hampton, Sr. Janet Kofron, manager of The Book Stop at the Provincialate in Hamden.

Sacred Heart on the Lake, Higganum, CT
 

St. Raphael Convent

The mission at St. Raphael Parish in Bridgeport, CT was established in 1937 when the sisters were sent to help with catechetical and parish work for the Italian population of Bridgeport. In 1960 when St. Raphael School opened the sisters began serving as administrators and teachers in the parish school. Today St. Raphael School is an ethnically diverse diocesan school—one of the six Bridgeport schools in the "Cathedral Education Cluster." St. Raphael School has an excellent reputation and serves as a model for other schools, especially in the area of literacy.

Members of the Apostle community at St. Raphael Convent are (L-R) Sr. Mary Grace Walsh, Deputy Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Bridgeport Office for EducationSr. Nadine Alexander, Principal, St. Raphael School, Sr. Katherine Cecilia Thornburg, teacher's aid at St. Raphael School, and Sr. Mary Louise Bunnell.

St. Joseph Convent

The Apostles were invited to serve in St. Joseph Parish in Shelton in 2006 by the pastor, Fr. Chris Walsh. The community includes (L-R) Sr. Jerilyn Hunihan, a Chaplain with the Connecticut Department of Corrections; Sr. Ruth Aubrey, an Administrative Assistant in the Office of Clergy in the Diocese of Bridgeport; Sr. Rita Petrarca, Pastoral Associate for the Parish and Archivist for the Apostles' U.S. Province;Sr. Nancy Strillacci, Program Director in the Office of Clergy for the Diocese of Bridgeport; and Sr. Carolyn Carlisano, teacher at St. Joseph School.