Everywhere: A Heart That Welcomes All: Inclusive Education at Sacred Heart College of Lada II

As we prepare to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Sacred Heart Bilingual Catholic College of Lada II, inaugurated on September 16, 2016, Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic exhortation Dilexi te (“I have loved you”) resonates deeply with our educational mission.

Our educational project rests on two fundamental pillars: education of the heart and academic excellence. These two dimensions are not opposed; they complement each other. True excellence cannot exist without a heart open to all, particularly to the most vulnerable.

Inspired by the papal message that calls us to recognize Christ’s love in the poor and suffering, we have made a choice for truly inclusive education. Our college welcomes all social classes: underprivileged families, students with physical or mental disabilities, albino children, and all those who might be marginalized elsewhere.

This preferential option for the excluded does not weaken our pursuit of excellence; on the contrary, it enriches it. Our students learn that true greatness is measured by the capacity to love and welcome difference. They discover that excellence of the heart precedes and nourishes academic excellence. As Pope Leo XIV emphasizes in Dilexi te, “education is the first act of justice, because it frees people from spiritual poverty and prepares them for social responsibility.” On this approaching tenth anniversary, we reaffirm our commitment: to be a place where every child, regardless of their condition, can hear Christ’s words: “I have loved you.”

Charles BILOA, MSC. UAF