Missionaries of the Sacred Heart

MISSIONARIES OF THE SACRED HEART. — Religious congregation founded at Issoudun, France, in 1854 by Fr. Jules Chevalier, with the specific aim of evangelizing the areas most afflicted by materialism and indifferentism, calling men back to love of the Heart of Jesus. Various factors contributed to its considerable growth after the difficulties and hardships of its beginnings: devotion to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, introduced by Fr. Chevalier in 1859; the founding of the first apostolic school, called the “Little Work of the Sacred Heart,” due to Fr. Jean Vandel, in 1868; the expulsion of the religious from France, which had the effect of spreading them throughout many regions of Europe and America; and finally the missions among non-believers, begun in 1881. From then on, growth was continuous and the works multiplied.

At present the M. of the S. H. are present on all five continents: they have 12 regular provinces, some of them flourishing greatly, while others are still being formed; more than a quarter of them work in mission lands, especially in Oceania. Two women’s congregations collaborated with them, the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Hiltrup, as well as three lay archconfraternities, dedicated to the Sacred Heart, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, and St. Joseph. They publish an official monthly bulletin, entitled Gli annali di Nostra Signora del S. Cuore, in ten languages and 12 editions, with a monthly circulation exceeding half a million copies.

Among the religious who distinguished themselves in scholarship and holiness, besides Frs. Chevalier and Vandel, are remembered: Fr. Charles Piperon, who died in the odor of sanctity; Msgr. André Navarre, first bishop of New Guinea; Msgr. Stanislao Enrico Verius, apostle of Papua, whose cause of beatification has been introduced; Fr. Edouard Bontemps, apostle of the Gilbert Islands; Fr. Matteo Rascher and his companions, martyred for the faith at Rabaul in 1904, whose cause of beatification is likewise in progress; Fr. Giovanni Genocchi and Fr. Giuseppe Bonaccorsi, distinguished biblical scholars; Fr. Léon Bourjade, the first ace

(courtesy of Msgr. A. P. Frutaz)
MISSIONARI DEL PREZIOSISSIMO SANGUE — Blessed Gaspare del Bufalo (watercolor). Anonymous, 19th century.
Rome, General Curia.
MISSIONARI DEL S. CUORE - MISSIONARI DI S. CARLO

of the French aviation and subsequently a skilled missionary pilot; mons. Pietro Benedetti, apostolic nuncio to Cuba; p. Giuseppe Vitali, a missionary in Papua for more than 60 years.

On 1 January 1945, the M. del S. C., in 118 houses, numbered approximately 2,525 members, including 16 bishops; more than 800 priests and laymen were working in 19 missionary jurisdictions.