Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Immaculata

IHM Catholic Education Newsletter

October 2024

Animated by the IHM Charism of love, creative hope & fidelity...

Joyful Bearers of God's Redeeming Love!

When I was in kindergarten, I came home from school one day with a brand-new blue plastic rosary. I was so thrilled, and I immediately asked my mother how to pray the rosary. She made it very simple and told me to pray a Hail Mary on the small beads and an Our Father on the large beads. I went right to my bedroom, knelt beside my bed and prayed my first rosary. When I finished, I ran to tell my mother, who looked at me with amusement in her eyes and asked me to show her how I prayed it. It was pretty easy for her to predict that my lightning speed rosary only included the two words on each bead: "Hail Mary" and "Our Father"! She was very sensitive to my sincerity in prayer and gently let me know my mistake. I can remember being a bit embarrassed, but in all honesty, I do not think I have ever prayed a more devoted and loving rosary than that one. Teaching our children to pray the rosary is one of the greatest gifts we can give. The rosary is a source of comfort and strength as we ask our Lady to place us with her Son while we recall the many mysteries of His life.



During the month of October, we recall our Lady with the title of Queen of the Holy Rosary. Why does Mary want us to pray the rosary? The answer is beautifully simple. She invites us to enter into Jesus's heart through her own. The Rosary allows us the opportunity to enter into contemplative prayer, as we reflect on the life of Jesus through every mystery of the Rosary.


Many schools celebrate the rosary in a special way through a Living Rosary. This prayer brings the rosary to life as the students represent each bead while the words are prayed together.


May Mary, Our Mother, intercede with her Son for peace throughout our world.


Blessings,

Sister Mary Sue

Did You Know?

Saint Alphonsus founded the Congregation of the Holy Redeemer, also known as the Redemptorists. Father Louis Florent Gillet, a Redemptorist, and Mother Teresa Maxis founded the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. St. Alphonsus was dedicated to teaching how dearly God loves each of us and desires a relationship with us. The IHM Charism of Love, Creative Hope and Fidelity, handed down through our founders, instills in each IHM a tremendous desire to follow the call of St. Alphonsus to make Our Father's presence known to those we meet each day as our lives proclaim God's faithful love and hope to all people.

Praying for Peace



October traditionally is considered the month of the Rosary! The Rosary holds a treasured place in the spirituality of the IHM Sisters. Join with us this month in praying the Rosary for peace in our nation and around the world! Please click to join our Sisters in our Nursing Home, Camilla Hall, as they pray the Rosary.

Click to Watch Camilla Hall Rosary - Joyful Mysteries

Archdiocesan Schools of Distinguished Instruction

After a thorough review of the Standardized testing data, The Archdiocese of Philadelphia congratulated this year’s Archdiocesan Schools of Distinguished Instruction at an Awards’ ceremony on September 5.  


Congratulations to all school administrators, teachers, parents and students for their efforts and accomplishments.

Growth and Potential

 

+Blessed Virgin Mary

+Cardinal John Foley

+Corpus Christi

+Good Shepherd

+Holy Cross, Collegeville

+Holy Cross, Springfield

+Holy Family, Aston

+Holy Family Phoenixville

+Holy Redeemer

+Holy Rosary

+Mother of Providence

+Our Lady of Hope

+Our Mother of

Consolation

+Presentation

+SS. Colman-John

Neumann

+SS. Peter and Paul

+SS. Philip and James

+SS. Simon and Jude

+St. Agnes

+St. Aloysius

+St. Anastasia

+St. Andrew, Newtown

+St. Anselm

+St. Bernadette

+St. Cecilia

+St. Dorothy

+St. Elizabeth

+St. Ephrem

+St. Eugene

+St. Genevieve

+St. Helena

+St. Isadore

+St. James

+St. Joseph

+St. Joseph-St. Robert

+St. Luke

+St. Margaret

+St. Mary Interparochial

+St. Mary Magdalen

+St. Matthew

+St. Pius X

+St. Thomas the Apostle

+Visitation 

Growth


+Assumption

+Holy Innocents

+Mater Dei

+Queen of Angels

+St. Jude

+St. Jerome

+St. Maximillian Kolbe

+St. Michael

Potential



+Immaculate Heart

+Mary, Mother of the

Redeemer

+Our Lady of Grace

+Our Lady of Mount

Carmel

+Pope John Paul

+Resurrection

+St. Anthony of Padua

+St. Charles

+St. Christopher

+St. Francis de Sales

+St. George

+St. Ignatius

+St. Laurence

+St. Mary

+St. Norbert

+St. Patrick

+St. Peter the Apostle

+St. Pio

The Sacredness of Life

Respect Life Month


Prayer to St. Joseph,

Defender of Life


Dearest St. Joseph, at the word of an angel, you lovingly took Mary into your home. As God’s humble servant, you guided the Holy Family on the road to Bethlehem, welcomed Jesus as your own son in the shelter of a manger, and fled far from your homeland for the safety of both Mother and Child. We praise God that as their faithful protector, you never hesitated to sacrifice for those entrusted to you. May your example inspire us also to welcome, cherish, and safeguard God’s most precious gift of life. Help us to faithfully commit ourselves to the service and defense of human life—especially where it is vulnerable or threatened. Obtain for us the grace to do the will of God in all things. Amen

Global Sisters Report

GSR in the Classroom shines light on the mission and ministry of Catholic women religious around the world. Each lesson connects articles about sisters or columns written by sisters to the good news found in scripture and church teaching. Action ideas and compelling prayer bring new learning alive. Teacher guides provide vital context and engaging activities to launch group discussions.


There's great value in these resources, yet they're free! Explore each subject area and discover content that responds to your needs, whether you're trying to inspire a big group or guiding just one learner to understand an issue better. Our target audience is high school and middle school students, but the resources can be used for retreats and other youth ministry settings.

Click to Access Lessons - Global Sisters Report

Care for Our Common Home

Learn more about Laudato Si here!

October

1 St. Therese, Little Flower


2 Guardian Angels Feast Day


4 St. Francis of Assisi

Pray for peace!

Be a peace agent!



6 Respect Life Sunday


7 Our Lady of the Rosary


11 Pope St. John XXIII


15 St. Teresa of Avila


31 Happy Halloween!

Immaculata University

CREATE BETTER!


"We’re here not just to become better, but to create better. Our success is measured in terms of the value we create. It arises when we go beyond ourselves to serve the people, the communities and the world around us. We’re proud to take our knowledge forward and use it to build new wisdom and new outcomes. At Immaculata, we know that knowledge has no end – and that there’s no end to its ability to change things for the better."

Click her to learn: Why Immaculata?
Click on the Image to Read the IHM EDNOTES!

IHM Virtue of the Month

Recollection


Recollection is not merely a practice; it is a transformative journey towards divine intimacy. By focusing our minds away from the chaos of the world, we can connect deeply with the presence of God within our souls. This spiritual virtue allows us to cultivate a profound sense of peace and solitude, regardless of our external circumstances. A prayer corner is one way to implement recollection in your daily classroom life and a quiet prayer experience for your students. Modeling the serenity that comes from being fully present with the Divine is a gift your students will always remember.

Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Proclaiming the Gospel Message in the Spirit of Jesus the Redeemer