Sophia Education Ministries 

From 2013, the sisters of the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (the Society) began the journey to plan for how a Sacred Heart Education could be continued as the numbers of RSCJ in the Australia-New Zealand (ANZ) Province diminished. 

This congregational reality led the Society to undertake a discernment to develop the model of a Pontifical Public Juridic Person (PPJP).

This visionary planning led to the formation of Sophia Education Ministries (Sophia). Sophia is a PPJP which reports annually to the ANZ Province of the Society and to the Vatican. Sophia is an entity with both church/canonical and civil responsibilities.

These responsibilities were formally handed to Sophia by the Society on 19 February 2019. From this moment on, the Sophia Board carries the same responsibilities as were held by the Society for their apostolic works (their Schools and University College) in Australia and New Zealand. Sophia has canonical and civil responsibilities for the three Australian Schools (Sacré Cœur in Melbourne, Kincoppal-Rose Bay in Sydney, and Stuartholme in Brisbane), and canonical responsibilities only for Duchesne University College at the University of Queensland, and Baradene College in Auckland, New Zealand.

The Sophia Board is made up of Directors, all of whom have been through an extended period of formation to better understand and live the Mission/philosophy of the Society. The current Directors and their background information can be found at the Sophia Education Ministries website (see the link below). 

Sophia appoints the Australian School Board Chairs and Directors, and approves the appointment of the Australian School Principals. Sophia also oversees all the civil responsibilities to which the schools must adhere, supporting our School boards who have day to day responsibility for the governance of our Sacred Heart Schools in Australia.

Sophia’s main responsibility however is to ensure that the Mission of the Society and the Five Goals of Sacred Heart Education remain true to the vision of Madeleine Sophie Barat throughout the ANZ Province. This responsibility is achieved through continuing formation to mission of Sophia Directors, School Board Chairs and Directors, Principals and senior leadership personnel. Without this formation it would be very easy for our understanding of the Society’s mission to drift off course, and in 20, 50 or 100 years for our schools to no longer be true Sacred Heart Schools.

Liz Vinning (Hoy Class of 1969)

Sophia Board Chair and Canonical Steward