RSCJ @ Oakwood
Opened in 1971 on the SHS campus, Oakwood Retirement Center is one of two facilities in the U.S. caring for retired women of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (RSCJ), and currently houses the largest contingent of elderly Sisters. As such, Oakwood is both a serene refuge and powerful resource for the entire Sacred Heart school community.
Currently there are 52 RSCJ residents, and daily visits from SHS students, faculty and staff, alumni, and past and current parents are common. Daily morning Mass in the chapel is open to all, and Oakwood hosts most of the Feast Day gatherings for the entire area.
The School Connection
Throughout the year, SHS students of all ages can be seen visiting the Oakwood community, and there are a number of planned special activities that connect both the old and young, such as the preschool and kindergarten students' holiday concert, the third grade's "Reading with the Sisters" program, the high school drama program’s oral history project, and the annual alumni reunion day, among others.
A small number of Oakwood residents volunteer at SHS and various other schools and organizations in the wider community, while many active RSCJ living locally in the Bay Area volunteer in some way at Oakwood. Frequently, the Sisters are seen walking the SHS campus, visiting the animals residing on the SHS Farm, attending alumni events, and cheering at Gator athletic games.