Beneath this very ground lies a history interwoven with faith education and transformation. We’re standing before the site of what was once the Convent of the Sacred Heart. Its story began far away in France. The Society of the Sacred Heart was founded in 1800.
Now let’s journey back to 1874. The Society of the Sacred Heart established a training college for Roman Catholic women teachers here. Before the convent this land was called The Orchards. It was a gentleman’s residence with gardens. The Society adapted the house to accommodate nuns and students.
By the 1890s the Convent of the Sacred Heart expanded. A school was attached to the training college. However in 1904 the teacher training college moved. It relocated to St Charles Square. But the Convent continued to run primary and secondary schools. Later the Convent buildings became a Home Economics annexe. This was for students from Digby Stuart College. Digby Stuart College is now part of the University of Roehampton.
In the 20th century a large chapel was built. The sisters acquired houses in Santos Road. They were used as a hostel for college attendees. If you look closely you might notice something interesting. There is a blocked-up doorway in the brick wall. This doorway once connected the Convent’s grounds to the house’s garden.
But times change. In 1975 Wandsworth Borough Council bought the estate. They wanted to build housing. The Convent buildings were demolished in 1977. This made way for a new housing estate. Yet St. Joseph’s school remained for a while. It stood where the Convent Co-Op Office is now. Later it moved to Oakhill Road. The houses in Santos Road were kept. They became a smaller convent and hostel. But they were sold to a developer in 2005-6.
The Convent Co-operative was founded in 1984. It aimed to protect residents’ interests. It gave them a voice in running the estate. This legacy continues through hard work. The Convent Co-Op committee members and volunteers keep it alive.
The Society of the Sacred Heart had spread far. It reached across Europe North Africa and North and South America. The Society came to England in 1842.
Madeleine Sophie Barat had a clear goal. She desired to make the devotion to the Heart of Jesus known. She wanted to help society heal after war. She believed that educating girls was a good way to do that.
Janet Erskine Stuart joined the Society of the Sacred Heart at Roehampton in 1882. By 1911 she became Superior General. She worked to improve Catholic secondary education for girls. Janet died in 1914. She is buried in the Sacred Heart chapel at Roehampton.
World War II brought changes. The school at Roehampton was evacuated. It then moved to Woldingham in 1946.
The sisters found new ways to bring the Heart of Jesus into people’s lives. Some helped marginalized groups. Others offered spiritual guidance. Smaller communities replaced the larger houses. This allowed sisters to live closer to those they served.
So as we stand here remember the Convent of the Sacred Heart. It was a place of learning faith and community. Its story continues to shape this area today.