​Mount Sacred Heart School to continue, Mother Cabrini Center to be established there

Mount Sacred Heart School to continue, Mother Cabrini Center to be established there

The Archdiocese of San Antonio, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and The Renee Benson Family Foundation have recently finalized an agreement to continue the legacy of Mount Sacred Heart School.

As the school continues its mission, the new Mother Cabrini Center there will endeavor to bring back a robust presence of religious Sisters in Catholic Schools through an innovative international formation program. It is an effort that is hoped will be expanded to other Catholic schools in the archdiocese.

The agreement honors the rich history of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as they depart from an administrative role at the school. They are an important part of the city’s story and the lives of many San Antonians.

Renee Benson of the Renee Benson Family Foundation stated, “I am so happy to help the Sisters of the Sacred Heart in their retirement and for Mount Sacred Heart School to continue. We are here to stay!”

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, called the new agreement a clear statement about the importance of young Catholics in the church’s life and mission today.

“I am grateful for the generosity of the Renee Benson Family Foundation in partnering with us to ensure the continued success of Mount Sacred Heart,” he said. “I also offer my profound gratitude to the Department of Catholic Schools and Superintendent Marti West for re-imagining Mount Sacred Heart so that it can continue its legacy as a strong Catholic school that forms future leaders for our city, and for her role in developing the Mother Cabrini Center.”

The archbishop emphasized that these new developments will most assuredly accelerate the transformation of the school while it continues to stay grounded in traditional Catholic values and formation. “It is my hope that the Mount Sacred Heart parents and families will continue to work with us to allow the school to move forward in this new model,” he stated. “Our schools must always be ‘Catholic first’ and form young people in the faith. It is most important that we take great care to nurture the faith.”

Archbishop Gustavo touted the unique opportunity to introduce innovative programs, while also making the best use of resources. He described how, “Recent challenges provided us with an opportunity to move forward and accelerate plans for the long-term: to innovate, to grow and to meet future needs.”

Sister Cornelia Knezek, SSCJ, provincial superior of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, stressed that while the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus have completed their mission at Mount Sacred Heart School, the mission of Mount Sacred Heart is not complete, but is taking on new life as it continues to unfold as a gift to the local church.

She said the years of work and energy given have been blessed and helped to prepare well for the future. Sister Cornelia expressed her thanks to the Renee Benson Family Foundation and the cooperation of the Archdiocese of San Antonio to ensure that Mount Sacred Heart will continue to form young people in the Catholic faith.

“This moment is the answer to a multitude of prayer and discernment meetings,” she added. “We gratefully pass the baton to the foundation and the archdiocese. The school will continue to collaborate with our friends, benefactors, church authorities, partners in mission, and alumni to further the Catholic education of the growing population of San Antonio. By adding the Mother Cabrini Center to its present ministries, Mount Sacred Heart School is here to stay.”

The archbishop also expressed his joy in working together with so many faithful church and lay leaders on the new agreement regarding Mount Sacred Heart, especially the Growing the Legacy Campaign Committee and its supporters.

Chris Martinez of the Growing the Legacy Campaign Committee at Mount Sacred Heart shared: “These are tough times right now and there is very little good news out there. We hope this will bring a smile to everyone. We’re alive. This is awesome. We made it. We can only continue to grow from here after 90 years. Hashtag ‘Here to stay.’”

Archbishop Gustavo concluded, “Join with us as we seek to equip our youth for their unique and vital role in society, to be holy men and women and community leaders as well as missionary disciples of Jesus Christ.”