Academy of the Sacred Heart and Berchmans Academy

About Us

The Academy of the Sacred Heart

The Academy of the Sacred Heart, founded in 1821 in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, is an independent, Catholic school for girls in Pre-Kindergarten-3 through grade twelve, with residential accommodations for students in grades seven through twelve. It is operated independently within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette.

History

The Academy was established in 1821 and is the second oldest institution of learning west of the Mississippi. It is the oldest, continually running member of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools in the world. It is also the oldest independent school in the Acadiana region.

Berchmans Academy

Berchmans Academy of the Sacred Heart, founded in 2006, is an independent Catholic school enrolling boys in pre-primary through grade twelve.

As a member of the worldwide network of Sacred Heart schools, Berchmans Academy emphasizes the total development of mind, body, and spirit through an education rooted in the Catholic tradition. Students thrive in an environment characterized by seriousness of purpose, love of learning, creativity, and meaningful relationships. Berchmans is committed to educating young men to a lively sense of God’s action in their lives, to a serious understanding of the world, and to a courageous confidence that every person can make a difference.

The Sacred Heart mission seeks to develop within each student a personal & active faith in God.

Rooted in the Catholic tradition, Berchmans welcomes people of diverse beliefs and seeks to instill in its students a deep understanding and respect for people of different cultures and religions.

The goal at Berchmans is to develop life-long learners, with an emphasis on individual thought and experiential instruction, religious curriculum, active learning, small classes and a professional faculty committed to the learning styles of young men. A commitment to writing is also evident in the increased class time for language arts to include writing periods.

Founded under the direction of Saint Philippine Duchesne, the Academy has remained in continuous operation through fire, epidemics, and war. Although thousands of Federal troops were encamped in the fields surrounding the Academy during the Civil War, the school was not touched. Union General Nathaniel Banks had a daughter in a school in New York run by the Religious of the Sacred Heart, and he was asked to look after the Grand Coteau sisters and their students.

On campus is a small chapel honoring St. John Berchmans, a Jesuit. St. John Berchmans appeared to a novice, 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