Today, August 30th, 150 years, Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

Below, the statement of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart - and an international photo celebration

Kiribati

We, the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, are an international, apostolic religious institute of pontifical right with a specific missionary orientation. Centred on the Heart of Jesus, ours is a Spirituality of the Heart with a special Maria dimension.  Our spirituality and mission are expressed in the motto given to us by our Founder: “May the Sacred Heart of Jesus Be Everywhere Loved”.  (FDNSC Constitutions No 1)

Philippines

We were founded in Issoudun (France) on 30 August 1874 by Fr Jules Chevalier, MSC who personally guided the congregation in its first years of existence.  In 1882, our first superior general, Mother Marie Louise Hartzer, FDNSC joined the young congregation and embarked on faithfully passing on to the early sisters the charism and spirituality of the founder.

Brazil

Today, we look back with gratitude over our 150 year history of making the Sacred Heart loved everywhere.  On the following pages, we will tell you more about Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, our patron; Fr Jules Chevalier, MSC, our founder; Mother Marie Louise Hartzer, FDNSC, our first superior general; and our Charism, Spirituality and Mission.

Indonesia

Our first Superior General, Mother Marie Louise Hartzer, was born in Alsace, France in 1837 and died in Thuin, Belgium in 1908.  She first married, had two sons, and later as a 45 year-old widow, joined the young congregation of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.  Her two sons became Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.  For 26 years (1882-1908), she led our congregation, faithfully passing on the founder’s charism and spirituality to the sisters.  She saw the congregation expand from Europe to the Pacific, becoming a truly international congregation.

Korea

“As Father Chevalier, by the exercise of his spiritual paternity, has given life to the Congregation, so Marie Louise Hartzer by the grace of spiritual maternity bestowed up her for the purpose of fostering that life, may be called and is its venerated Mother.” (Mary Venard, fdnsc, The Designs of His Heart)