Schools of the Sacred Heart is a complex of two

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

single-sex private schools for grades pre-kindergarten-3 through grade 12 in

Grand Coteau, Louisiana Grand Coteau is a town in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 947 at the 2010 census. Grand Coteau is on Interstate 49 south of Opelousas and is part of the Opelousas– Eunice Micropolitan Statistical Area. T ...

. It operates independently within the Diocese of Lafayette. The Academy of the Sacred Heart, is a PK3–12 girls' school founded in 1821 Its brother school, Berchmans Academy, is a PK3 through 12 boys' school founded in 2006. The campus also included the Normal College of the Sacred Heart from 1917 to 1939 and the College of the Sacred Heart from 1939 to 1956

History

The Academy of the Sacred Heart was established in 1821 and is the second oldest institution of learning west of the

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

. It was founded under the direction of Saint Philippine Duchesne. It officially opened on October 5, 1821. It had five boarding students. The school initially operated from a two-story frame building on property donated by Mrs. Charles Smith. As its enrollment grew, the school's facilities expanded. A three-story brick building was added in 1831 and a chapel was added in 1851. Sacred Heart has continuously operated since its founding, despite fire, epidemics, and the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. Although thousands of federal troops were encamped in the fields surrounding the academy during the

, the school was not touched. Union General

Nathaniel Banks Nathaniel Prentice (or Prentiss) Banks (January 30, 1816 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician from Massachusetts and a Union general during the Civil War. A millworker, Banks became prominent in local debating societies and entered ...

had a daughter in a school in New York run by the

Religious of the Sacred Heart The Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (; ), abbreviated RSCJ, is a Catholic centralized religious institute of consecrated life of pontifical right for women established in France by Madeleine Sophie Barat in 1800. History Madeleine Sophi ...

, and he was asked to look after the Grand Coteau sisters and their students. In 1914, the academy renewed and expanded its charter with the State of Louisiana, allowing it to grant college degrees. In 1916, its college received accreditation from the Louisiana State Board of Education. It started a two-year "normal" or teacher education program in 1917. In 1922, Sacred Heart was advertised as the Normal College and Academy of the Sacred Heart, having both an accredited high school and a board-certified college. The College of the Sacred Heart awarded its graduates with a Professional Elementary Certificate, allowing them to teach public schools in Louisiana. In 1938, the college campus was expanded to include an administrative building, an auditorium, classrooms, and a dormitory in the Louisiana Colonial style. Under the leadership of Sr. Marjory Erskine, superior of the Convent of the Sacred Heart, the normal school became a four-year College of the Sacred Heart in 1939. Erskine was the college's president. The college had a chapter of the

Delta Epsilon Sigma Delta Epsilon Sigma () is an American scholastic honor society that was established for students of Catholic universities and colleges. It was established at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa in 1939. Delta Epsilon Sigma has 119 chapters across th ...

Catholic honor society, of which, Erskine was active.Robson, John, ed. (1963). ''Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities'' (17th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: The Collegiate Press, George Banta Company, Inc. pp. 609-610. The college division closed in 1956. After

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

in 2005, the academy hosted the satellite location for Academy of the Sacred Heart of the Rosary in New Orleans, and its students housed many of the dislocated students from New Orleans. In 2006, Sacred Heart opened a boys division, Berchmans Academy, for boys in grades PK3 through 2nd grade. Berchmans Academy currently accommodates boys in PK3 through 12th grade. In 2006, the administration decided to rename the institution that runs both the Academy of the Sacred Heart and Berchmans Academy to Schools of the Sacred Heart, Grand Coteau. In 2016, Yvonne Sandoz Adler, Ph.D. became the new head of the schools. In 2025, the academy closed its boarding school program for girls. The school is the oldest, continually running member of the

Network of Sacred Heart Schools The School of the Sacred Heart is an international network of private Catholic schools that are run by or affiliated with the Society of the Sacred Heart, which was founded in France by Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat. Membership of the network exce ...

in the world. It is also the oldest independent school in the

Acadiana Acadiana (; French language, French and Cajun French language, Louisiana French: ''L'Acadiane'' or ''Acadiane''), also known as Cajun Country (Cajun French language, Louisiana French: ''Pays des Cadiens''), is the official name given to the ...

region.

Campus

The Schools of the Sacred Heart is located on 250 acres in Grand Coteau,

St. Landry Parish St. Landry Parish () is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 82,540. The parish seat is Opelousas. The parish was established in 1807. St. Landry Parish comprises the Opelousas, LA Micr ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

. The grounds feature formal gardens and an oak alley. The campus includes the Shrine of St. John Berchmans. St.

John Berchmans John Berchmans, SJ ( ; 13 March 1599 – 13 August 1621) was a Belgian Jesuit scholastic and is revered as a saint in the Catholic Church. In 1615, the Jesuits opened a college at Mechelen, Belgium and Berchmans was one of the first to enrol ...

appeared to a

novice A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession with no prior experience. Religion Buddhism ...

, Mary Wilson, and cured her of a fatal illness. This miracle eventually led to the canonization of John Berchmans. It is the only shrine at the exact location of a confirmed miracle in the United States. The campus was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

on February 18, 1975.

Academics

Curriculum

The Schools of the Sacred Heart follows the mission and charism of Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat and the Society of the Sacred Heart. Its educational program teaches "students to be individuals of faith, intellect, service, and justice". The academy offers a strong, diversified curriculum. The Lower School is divided into Primary (grades Pre-K3 through 4th) and Prep (grades 5th through 7th). Upper School includes grades 8 through 12. Lower and Prep School students study art studio, music, guidance, and art appreciation in addition to the more traditional subjects. Private music lessons are available. The Academy also hosts many international students (including Foreign Exchange students) in its boarding facilities and has an English as a Second Language Program.

Accreditation and memberships

The academy is accredited by the Louisiana State Department of Education

Independent Schools Association of the Southwest The Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit association of 89 independent schools located in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, states of Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and ...

(ISAS) and AdvencED. The Academy of the Sacred Heart is a member of the

National Association of Independent Schools The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1962, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, board ...

(NAIS) and the

. The academy is also a member of the

National Catholic Education Association The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) is a private, professional educational membership association. It represents over 150,000 educators in Catholic schools, universities, and religious education programs in the United States. ...

Student life

Upper-grade students participate in a wide variety of extracurricular activities including athletics, student community governance, performance art, clubs, and community service. The academy has an equestrian program with its Sacred Heart Stables, available for students wishing to bring their horses. The academy's athletics teams are called the Saints. The school colors are red and white.

Notable alumni

* Lucille May Grace (Class of 1919), Louisiana Register of the State Lands, 1931-1952; 1956-1957 *

Salma Hayek Salma Valgarma Hayek Pinault ( , ; ; born September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela ''Teresa (1989 TV series), Teresa'' (1989–1991) as well a ...

, actress

References

External links

* {{authority control Girls' schools in Louisiana Private K–12 schools in Louisiana Educational institutions established in 1821 Catholic secondary schools in Louisiana Catholic elementary schools in Louisiana Catholic boarding schools in the United States Sacred Heart schools in the United States Schools in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana Boarding schools in Louisiana Independent Schools Association of the Southwest Grand Coteau, Louisiana 1821 establishments in Louisiana Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana 2006 establishments in Louisiana Educational institutions established in 2006 Boys' schools in Louisiana