Society of the Holy Child Jesus

What Society of the Holy Child Jesus does

The Society of the Holy Child Jesus (SHCJ) is an international Catholic religious congregation founded in 1846 in Derby, England, by Cornelia Connelly, an American-born convert whose motto "Actions Not Words" continues to define the order. The Society operates through three provinces — African, American, and European — with generalate offices at Casa Cornelia in Rome, Italy, and provincial offices in Lagos/Otukpo (Nigeria), Rosemont, Pennsylvania (USA), and Harrogate (England). Approximately 380 sisters serve across four continents (Africa, Europe, North America, and Latin/South America) in education, spiritual formation, social justice advocacy, and direct ministry to migrants, refugees, and marginalized communities. Core activities include operating Holy Child schools worldwide, running spiritual retreat and meditation programs, maintaining infirmaries for retired sisters in Rye NY, Rosemont PA, and Harrogate England, and partnering with Catholic and intergovernmental organizations on refugee services, climate advocacy (Laudato Si'), and justice/peace initiatives.

The Society has no proprietary technology products or commercial offerings. Its digital footprint consists of standard communications infrastructure: the shcj.org website, provincial sub-sites, the Cornelia Connelly Library (corneliaconnellylibrary.org), Vimeo-hosted monthly meditations, the RE-SOURCE virtual spiritual exploration platform, a Flickr photo archive, and a members-only intranet (Sisters' Connect). Governance is exercised through a Society Leadership Team of four elected leaders serving six-year terms (currently Pauline Darby as Society Leader, plus Gifty Abane, Susan Igelle, and Oyidu Okwori) and through periodic General Chapters, most recently adopting the Directions 2022-2028 strategic plan in 2022. Cornelia Connelly's canonization cause is active; she was declared Venerable in 1992.

The Society is funded primarily through donations, benefactor bequests, and educational ministry revenues. It is a registered charity in England and Wales (European Province CIO, charity number 1177555) and operates as an independent international religious congregation within the Catholic Church, with no parent company and no external ownership. No audited financials, IRS filings, or consolidated revenue figures are publicly disclosed in the source data. Recent strategic activity includes the 2024 European Province Archives website launch, the 2025 founding of the Holy Child Collaborative, and ongoing expansion of refugee/migrant ministry partnerships across continents.

Name

Society of the Holy Child Jesus

Legal name

Society of the Holy Child Jesus

Website

https://shcj.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1846

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Society of the Holy Child Jesus is an international Catholic religious congregation of approximately 380 sisters, founded in 1846 by Cornelia Connelly, operating across four continents through three provinces to deliver Catholic education, spiritual formation, and social justice ministry to students, migrants, refugees, and marginalized communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Education and Ministry Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE)

Keywords

• Catholic education services
• Religious order ministries
• Spiritual formation programs
• Migrant refugee services
• Vocational discernment

Headquarters

HQ city

Rome

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Bequests: The Society accepts donations from benefactors to support ministries and operations. They mention that benefactors have supported them since Cornelia Connelly's time, and they serve more than 10,000 people annually through education, social service programs, and partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Society of the Holy Child Jesus operates Holy Child schools and educational institutions worldwide, provides pastoral and spiritual guidance through retreats and meditation programs, and delivers social services to migrants, refugees, and marginalized communities. Its ministries are conducted through three provinces (African, American, European) across multiple continents and are supported by donations and benefactor contributions.

Product overview

The Society of the Holy Child Jesus is a Catholic religious congregation founded in 1846 by Cornelia Connelly. The organization operates a network of educational institutions and spiritual ministries across three provinces (African, American, and European) spanning four continents. The primary offerings include Holy Child schools, spiritual retreat programs (Retreat in Daily Life Together), monthly meditation resources, vocational discernment programs, associate programs for lay members, and various social justice initiatives. The society also maintains digital resources including the Cornelia Connelly Library (corneliaconnellylibrary.org), monthly meditation videos hosted on Vimeo, and the RE-SOURCE virtual spiritual exploration platform. The organization does not offer a commercial software product but rather provides educational, spiritual, and ministerial services rooted in Incarnational spirituality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Holy Child Schools and Educational Institutions Catholic K-12 schools and educational institutions founded and operated by the Society across four continents, serving students from diverse backgrounds with values-based education rooted in Catholic tradition and respect for human dignity.
• Retreat in Daily Life Together

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 10,000 people served annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• UNANIMA InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Society is a member of UNANIMA International, a non-governmental organization advocating on behalf of women and children (particularly those living in poverty), immigrants and refugees, and the environment.
• Catholic Climate CovenantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization working on Catholic responses to climate change; part of the Society's Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation initiatives
• Jesuit Refugee ServicesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization receiving support from the American Province's Wants of the Age Fund to support refugee work
• UISG's Migrant Project in SicilymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Catholic organization receiving funding from the Society for migrant support services
• International Catholic Migrant CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Catholic organization supporting migrants receiving contributions from the Society
• Annunciation House in El Paso, TXmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRefugee shelter and support organization in the US-Mexico border region receiving Society support
• Casa Cornelia Law CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw center in San Diego, CA providing overview and perspective on refugee crisis through presentations to the Society
• Revive (UK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK organization receiving funds from European Province sale of property in Preston to work with displaced people
• Cardinal Hume CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK charity receiving donation from European Province to support displaced people
• AndanteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization listed in Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation initiatives
• Intercommunity Peace and Justice CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in peace and justice work
• Global Catholic Climate MovementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Catholic movement addressing climate change; Society participates in Laudato Si initiatives

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sisters of Mercy of the Americas: Large Catholic women's congregation with extensive education, healthcare, and social service ministries across the Americas. Comparable in mission profile but significantly larger in scale (sisters, institutions, budgets).

Direct peers

• Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur: Catholic congregation of women founded in 1804, with parallel education-focused mission and schools serving low-income populations globally. Highly comparable structure (international congregation, education core, social justice advocacy).
• School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND): Catholic women's religious congregation with education-focused mission, international schools, and social justice advocacy. Comparable international structure and educational mission.
• Presentation Sisters: Catholic women's congregation founded in 1775, with parallel education and social justice mission across multiple countries. Similar scale and congregational structure.
• Sisters of the Holy Cross: Catholic women's religious congregation with international education, healthcare, and social service ministries. Direct peer in mission-driven Catholic women's congregation category.
• Maryknoll Sisters: Catholic women's religious congregation focused on overseas mission work, social justice, and education. Direct peer in mission-driven Catholic women's congregation with international presence.
• Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary (RSHM): Catholic women's religious congregation founded in 1849, with parallel international footprint focused on education, healthcare, and social justice. Strong operational and structural analog to SHCJ.
• Society of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ): International Catholic religious congregation of women founded in 1800, dedicated to education and the mission of revealing God's love. Operates schools across multiple continents and is structurally and missionally near-identical to SHCJ - direct peer.
• Ursuline Sisters: Oldest Catholic women's religious order dedicated to education, founded in 1535. Direct peer in Catholic women's education congregation category with comparable school-based mission.

Emerging players

• Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS): International Catholic organization serving refugees and forcibly displaced people. SHCJ is a JRS donor and partner; comparable in mission orientation toward migrant/refugee service.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HolyChild
• Xx.com/holychildsister
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/society-of-the-holy-child-jesus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Society of the Holy Child Jesus