BELLAIRE • MEMORIAL • RIVER OAKS • TANGLEWOOD • WEST UNIVERSITY

The Falling of the Sacred Heart Oak Tree at Duchesne

By Andie Chilson, Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, School Buzz Editor | October 15, 2014

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Fallen Sacred Heart Oak Tree. Photo Credit: Alexis Pullen

Recently, Duchesne Academy lost a valued member of the community. The Sacred Heart Oak had been a central point of the campus since the founding of the school in 1960 where students have found refuge from the sometimes unbearable temperatures of Houston and a calm place to retreat to for peace of mind.

While our stalwart emblem of the Sacred Heart stood firmly for over 50 years, a raging thunderstorm is ultimately what resulted in its downfall (literally).

Upon hearing the rumbling thud of the tree, students from lower, middle and upper school all congregated in front of the broad glass window overlooking the White House lawn to catch a glimpse of our fallen hero for themselvesThe following Monday, an all-school mass was held in remembrance of the Oak and all that it provided for our little community.

For the entirety of my high school career at Duchesne, I have walked past the Oak tree and looked to it in awe of its unwavering strength and beauty. It was a true embodiment of the Sacred Heart spirit.