Some Significant April Days for the Chevalier Family, 2023
Henri Verius features twice this month
NOTE:
this is an amplified version of Significant Days, combining the list made originally by Cor Novum, Issoudun, now with the addition of dates from Father Jan Bovenmars MSC’s book, Jules Chevalier, Daily Readings. His book was published in 1993 – so, more recent just from all around the congregation and the Chevalier family would be most welcome.
26 new Significant Days have been added.
April 2, 1867
The first student for the Apostolic School, Lucien Cottin, arrives it is again. He brings “588 sous (pennies) from 588 people.) He later became a Jesuit, founded the mission of the Levant in Lebanon on.
3 April, 1857
First meeting of the "Oeuvre des Campagnes" ("Work of the Countryside") arranged by Father Vandel, held in the house of Madam de la Rochejaquelin. This was a social and spiritual outreach to diocesan priests working in isolated areas. This groups continues to the present day, and meets in Issoudun once a year.
4 April, 1928
Definitive approval of the Constitutions of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
5 April, 1925
Arrival of the first three MSC Sisters from Hiltrup, in Vunapope (PNG), after World War I.
6 April, 1864
Bishop de la Tour d'Auvergne (of Bourges) presents the Statutes of the Fraternity of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Issoudun and signs as first member. To make membership in the Fraternity possible for everyone,
Father Chevalier stipulates that the only requirement is to pray daily: "Our Lady of the Sacred Heart pray for us".
6 April, 1904
Death of the first Superior General of the MSC Sisters, Sister Servatia Rath, Congregation of the Sisters of Divine Providence.
6 April, 1982
The two General Councils of the MSC and the FDNSC meet together for the first time. They approve the transfer of the remains of Mother Marie Louise Hartzer from the Crypt of the Motherhouse to that of the Issoudun Basilica.
7 April, 1872
Official installation of Father Chevalier as parish priest of St. Cyr parish, in Issoudun.
7 April, 1882
Brother William Neenan MSC (Ireland), dies in Rome on Good Friday.
7 April, 1892
Bishop Verius leaves Yule island for France. He will not see the mission again.
7 April, 1949.
Father Harry Reid, Australia, given mandate by Provincial Council to examine the possibility of an MSC Mission in Japan.
8 April, 1850
Jules Chevalier is ordained sub-deacon in the seminary chapel in Bourges. "On the very day of his ordination, he showed himself completely renewed, from silent and severe to affable and gentle." (Piperon)
9 April, 1866
Fathers Chevalier and Vandel planned the foundation of an "apostolic" school, which did officially open in Chezal-Benoît on 10 October the following year, about 17 kilometers from Issoudun.
This was an apostolic school for boys interested in becoming missionaries in the MSC's. In order to meet the cost of this work, an appeal was made to give a a penny a year - thus the name the "Petite Oeuvre" (the "Little Work").
10 April, 1921
Fr. P.Benedetti (Italy), appointed Apostolic Delegate for Cuba and Porto Rico, ordained Bishop at Lungotevere, Rome
11 April, 1868
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is opened in Issoudun.
12 April, 2012
Feast of Saint Jules, (Pope Jules I, who protected Saint Athanasius from the Arians), name day of Father Founder.
12 April, 1914
First Provincial Chapter of the Australian FDNSC Province.
13 April, 1927
First MSC Sisters leave Hiltrup for South West Africa.
13 April, 1937
The prefecture of Celebes, Indonesia, divided into the Prefecture of Manado, entrusted to the MSC (since 1919) and the Prefecture of Makassar, entrusted to CICM
15 April, 1895
A decree from Rome from orders the replacement of the original statue of OLSH with a new one, but an exception is made for the statue in the Basilica of Issoudun.
16 April, 1881
Chevalier accepts the two Vicariates of Melanesia and Micronesia offered by the Congregation of the propagation of the Faith.
17 April, 1872
From an ebay ad for relics
Henri Verius enters the petite oeuvre at Chezal Benoit.
17 April, 1909
Canonical direction of the first MSC house in Cork, Ireland. Father Michael Tierney is the first pro-Superior.
18 April, 1895
Parish of Botany, Australia, given to the MSC.
19 April, 1877
V.Casas, first Spanish novice for vows, together with French companions, including Ferdinand Hartzer.
20 April, 1876
First mission departure ceremony in MSC history:
Father Durin and two scholastics are sent from Issoudun to Watertown, in New York State, USA. They arrive in Watertown on 6 May, 1876.
The previous General of the MSC's, Father Mark McDonald, was from Watertown!
20 April, 1895,
First Belgian MSC, Fr. Joseph Lebeau, leaves for the Gilbert Islands mission, Kiribati.
21 April, 1961
Appointment of Father Joseph Weigel MSC (South German Province, first Bishop of the Kayla (as a year)
22 April, 1932
Father Frank Lyons, Australia, takes up residence for the first time at Sideia, Eastern Papua.
23 April, 1906.
Fr F.X Gsell is appointed Apostolic Administrator of Victoria-Palmerston, later called Darwin, Australia.
24 April, 1879
Canonical erection of the first MSC House in Rome, at Piazza Navona.
25 April, 1882
Fr Piperon buys an empty factory at Veldhoven, Tilburg, Netherlands, to transform it into a house of formation.
25 April, 1932,
Direction of the Apostolic Prefecture of Purwokerto, Indonesia, entrusted to the Dutch MSC, Fr. B.Visser being its first Prefect.
25 April, 1933
Fr Ed van Goethem appointed Apostolic Vicar of Coquilhatville, Belgian Congo, Zaire, ordained Bishop.
26 April, 1877
Father Jean Marie Vandel, founder of the Apostolic Schools, dies in Issoudun. Chevalier said of him: "His life ... is that of a saint."
26 April, 1879
The Archconfraternity of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Directed in Rome, August 5, 1873, transferred to the MSC church in Piazza Navona.
27 April, 1960
Fr. Virgil Copas, Australia, appointed first Vicar Apostolic of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, ordained Bishop in Toowoomba.
28 April, 1975
The name of the Sideia/Samurai diocese, Papua New Guinea, change to the diocese of Alotau.
28 April, 1988
The Central Pacific Region of the PNG Pro-Province becomes the MSC Pacific Union.
28 April, 1988
Canonical erection of religious house for MSC in India in the Vivekanagar suburb of Bangalore, directly under the General Superior.
29 April, 1839
Birth of Victor Jouet at Nuoro, Sardegna, Italy. “Tell me: who has worked as much for the success of our works?” – Father Chevalier to father gi oh, 28 January 1891.
30 April, 1907
Sale by auction of the confiscated property of the MSC and FDNSC in Issoudun. Count de Bonneval buys the MSC property for 100,000 francs; ten minutes later Madame de Lapparent buys the house of the Sisters for 40,000. The property is thus saved for both the MSC and FDNSC.
