Holy Union Sisters

The Holy Union Sisters, officially known as the Sisters of the Holy Union of the Sacred Hearts (Sœurs de la Sainte Union des Sacrés Coeurs), are a religious congregation of women in the Roman Catholic Church founded at Douai, France, in 1842, by Jean Baptiste Debrabant (1801 - 1889).

History
The congregation has its roots in the 1820s, with four young women who earned their livelihood as dressmakers, but shared a strong religious faith. In the chaotic social situation of post-Revolutionary France, they soon decided to live together to support each other in their commitment and to share a life of prayer and service. The women began to teach the faith to the local children.

In 1826 a young priest, Jean Baptiste Debrabant (1801-1880), was sent as a vicar to their town. Impressed by this small community of dedicated women, Debrabant saw in them a vehicle to help educate the children of the region. He encouraged and guided them in their way of life, which began to draw many young women to join the original four. In addition to their catechetical work, they begin to train young girls housed in a shelter they had opened in their craft of dressmaking. In 1841 Debrabant approached his bishop, Pierre Giraud, the Archbishop of Cambrai, seeking recognition of the women as a religious congregation.

Permission was received and in 1842 over one hundred woman were admitted to a canonical noviatiate as an Institute of diocesan right. (This group, however, included only one of the original four members of the community.) The new congregation was then given its current name and a Rule of Life based primarily on that of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, founded by Francis of Sales and Louise de Marillac. The Sisters professed religious vows a year later.

The congregation quickly spread in answer to appeals for teachers in Catholic schools worldwide. It was approved by the Holy See and elevated to one of pontifical right in 1877. By the end of the century, they had come to administer schools in France, Belgium, England, Ireland, Argentina and the United States.

Current status
Today the Sisters also serve in Italy, Cameroon, Haiti and Tanzania.

Education
The Sisters devote themselves to the education of youth and have founded schools in multiple countries. Some of these schools are still run by the Sisters today.