Society of the Holy Child Jesus

The Society of the Holy Child Jesus is an international community of nuns that was founded in England in 1846 by Philadelphia-born Cornelia Connelly. Cornelia converted to the Roman Catholic Church in 1835. The Society was approved in 1887 by Pope Leo XIII, and the rules and constitutions were confirmed and ratified by him in 1893. The constitutions are founded on those of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus.

The Society is composed of three provinces: an , , and . There are 415 Holy Child Sisters serving throughout the world. Since the Society's founding, education has always been at the heart of its mission. Today, the Holy Child Sisters continue to serve as educators in the broadest sense of the word through their ministries in spirituality, health care, social work, pastoral care and administration, law, and teaching.

The Society is led by a superior general whose ordinary residence is at the mother-house in Mayfield, East Sussex, England. The superior general is elected by a chapter consisting of representatives of the whole order and her term of office lasts six years.

In the U.S., the Society sponsors 15 schools, one college, and several social service organizations. One of the programmes sponsored by the American Province is Response-Ability, volunteer service program for lay people that trains, coaches, and inspires volunteers as teachers working in inner-city Catholic schools in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., as well as missioners in the......
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