Sacred Heart Villa opened its doors January 3,1940, 83 years ago. We are proud to say we are the oldest Catholic independently operated early childhood center in the city of St. Louis and the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The Villa is not operated by the Archdiocese but by the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Sisters, whose congregation was founded in Italy and who spoke Italian better than English, choose the school’s location on "The Hill" in St. Louis so they could minister to Italian families.
In time, The Villa’s reputation as a premier private and independent Catholic Early Childhood Development Center began to spread. The ministry of the school expanded to families throughout the St. Louis region. The mission and ministry have remained the same for over 80 years—our commitment to provide a safe and nurturing environment and a developmentally-appropriate curriculum while fostering a positive self-image and a strong Catholic identity for young children. In the 1990’s to nurture our children spiritually, The Villa incorporated the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. This program has become the “heart’ of our school as it helps the children draw near to God. For about the past ten years, our staff has aspired to integrate outdoor education, Creative Curriculum, and a Reggio-inspired philosophy. We believe that all children have great value, can learn through play, can imagine, and create both indoors and outdoors. Every weekday our children enter a unique space designed for them to foster their individual potential. We currently have four classes for two year olds, three nursery classrooms for three year olds, two pre-K classrooms for 4-5 year olds, and one kindergarten classroom.
The Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus count on the support of operating Sacred Heart Villa’s mission with the assistance of our dedicated lay staff. These men and women who work alongside the five Sisters assigned to ministry here share the charism of Blessed Clelia daily: “Share the Love of the Heart of Christ.” We have been blessed and enriched by our lay coworkers as we minister together to be the hands and Heart of Christ to these little ones and their families. We look forward to continuing this unique legacy for many years to come.