Some Significant September Days for the Chevalier Family, 2024
Archbishop Andre Navarre MSC, PNG pioneer, has several mentions this month. Mother Marie Louise Hartzer appears quite a number of times this month, the death of her husband, memories of her two sons, her meeting with Jules Chevalier, her vows.
An observation: September seems a busy month for electing the MSC Superior General (and a caution about September 28th, the day of death for two of them), as well as a busy month for appointments and ordinations of Bishops. And of the erection of Provinces and Sections.
1 September, 1860
The first Roman pilgrimage of Father Chevalier.
1 September, 1881
The first missionaries for Melanesia leave from Barcelona.
1 September, 1897
The erection of the German MSC Province. Blessing of the first MSC house in Hiltrup, Germany.
1 September, 1899
First 8 candidates of the MSC Sisters are received as postulants in Hiltrup.
1 September, 1900
Erection of the Italian MSC Province.
2 September, 1920
Arrival of the first MSC in Manado, celebrities, Indonesia, including Msgr Vesters, later Bishop.
2 September, 1956
Death of Brother Robert South, first Brother of the Australian province.
3 September, 1901
The Congregation of Bishops and Regulars grants and indult authorising Father Chevalier to announce his position as Superior General.
4 September, 1861
Father Maugenest becomes the first MSC to be parish priest of St. Cyr, Issoudun. He remains in this position until 31 December, 1871.
4 September, 1882,
Father X. Deidier leaves Issoudun for Madeley, England, to open the first MSC house there, and Apostolic School.
4 September, 1923
Mission apostolate of MSC Sisters commences in New Ireland, PNG.
4 September, 1945
The missionaries imprisoned by the Japanese during WWII in Ramale Valley, Papua New Guinea, are set free. The movie, entitled Sisters of War, produced in 2010 by an Australian film company, tells part of this story.
5 September, 1907
This date commemorates the opening of a 'special' MSC General Chapter which revised the Constitutions in the spirit of the "Roman Norms" of 1901. This Chapter occurred only a few weeks before Father Chevalier's death. He could not be present at the Chapter.
6 September, 1962
Father Karel Verwilghen, from the Netherlands, is shot in San José Nueva Ecija, Philippines. He died on 8 September in Quezon City, Philippines.
6 September, 1985
Foundation of the MSC Mission in Curaçao, Santa Maria parish.
7 September, 1978
Father R.Paglia, appointed Prelate Nullius and Bishop of Pinheiro, ordained in the Chapel of Villa Formosa, San Paolo, Brazil, the first MSC Bishop from Brazil.
8 September, 1869
The Archbishop of Bourges, Monsignor de La Tour d'Auvergne blesses Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Chapel in Issoudun and consecrates the altar. The coronation of the statue of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart takes place this day in the name of Pope Pius IX.
8 September, 1876
Father Chevalier meets Marie-Louise Hartzer for the first time.
8 September, 1877
First profession of the first Irish MSC, John Mary Neenan.
8 September, 1908
First General Chapter of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Thuin, Belgium.
9 September, 1860
Father Chevalier’s first Roman pilgrimage: audience with Pope Pius IX.
9 September, 1884
Five Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart make their first vows. Marie-Louise Hartzer is among them.
9 September. 1911
Erection of the Australian FDNSC Province.
10 September, 1892
The MSC General Council accepts 16 scholastics for perpetual vows, among whom M.Rascher, killed in the Bainings in 1906; K.Offermans, the first Dutch provincial; and J.Wemmers, the first Dutch general assistant (1905-1911).
11 September, 1958,
A group of Irish FDNSC nursing Sisters take charge of the mining hospital at Mangula, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
11 September, 1961
Ikela (Zaire) becomes a diocese and is entrusted to the South German MSC province, Father Joseph Weigl MSC becomes its first Bishop.
11 September, 1969
Beginning of a special MSC General Chapter of Renewal (September 11-November 14), during which the Documents of Renewal were written.
12 September, 1855
L'abbé Caillaud, the General Vicar at the time, blesses the humble chapel (barns) in Issoudun and gives to the first two members of the society, Jules Chevalier and Emile Maugenest, the name Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was on this very day that Jules Chevalier thought, for the first time, of the title "Our Lady of the Sacred Heart".
12 September, 1869
Opening of the first MSC novitiate at Montlucon, France. Father Guyot is the first Novice Master.
13 September, 1884
Father Navarre leaves New Pomerania (New Britain, PNG) for Thursday Island, gateway to Papua New Guinea.
13 September, 1891
Departure of the first FDNSC for New Britain.
13 September, 1901
Mother Marie-Louise Hartzer makes her application to the French Government for the authorization of the Congregation as exacted by the law of 1 July, 1901. This fact prevents the local authorities at this time during the political-religious unrest from affixing seals to the FDNSC mother house in Issoudun.
13 September, 1912
Father Franciscus Maria Victor Jouët dies in Rome. He is buried in Marseilles in the south of France, in his original diocese. On 2 July, 2003, his remains are interred in the Crypt in the Basilica in Issoudun.
13 September, 1947
Father Patrick McCabe (Australia) is elected Superior General (1947-1958).
14 September, 1902
Departure of the first seven MSC Sisters from Hiltrup for New Pomerania, New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
14 September, 1989
Erection of the PNG Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
15 September 1925
A first group of Belgian FDNSC, together with five MSC, leave Antwerp as missionaries for the Belgian Congo (Zaire).
15 September, 1958
Father Joseph van Kerckhoven, Belgium, is elected Superior General (1958-1969).
15 September, 1970
The Dominican Republic becomes a provincial Administration of the MSC.
17 September, 1861
Father Maugenest is appointed Parish Priest of St Cyr, Issoudun.
17 September, 1932
Father Christian Jansen, Netherlands, is elected Superior General (1932-1947).
18 September, 1981
Father Kees Braun, Netherlands, is elected Superior General.
19 September, 1869
Victor Hartzer, husband of Marie-Louise Hartzer, dies in Vesoul, France, after being married 11 years. Together they had two sons: Marie Victor Fernand (born 1858) and Marie Léopold (born 1860). Both sons became MSC Priests.
20 September, 1900
The first MSC Superior, Father Field, arrives at Québec, to prepare for the arrival of the French scholastics.
20 September, 1905.
The Marshall Islands are erected as an independent Apostolic Vicariate separated from the Apostolic Vicariate New Pomerania, new Britain, PNG. They are entrusted to the MSC already working there.
21 September, 1886
Father Deidier and the Apostolic School moved from Madeley to Glastonbury, England. The English Annals will be published from there
21 September, 1930.
The first two Filipino MSC take their vows.
21 September, 1940
Father J.Vrakking MSC, Netherlands, appointed first Bishop of Surigao, Philippines, ordained Bishop at Cebu.
21 September, 1953,
Argentina erected as an MSC Section, entrusted to the Spanish Province.
21 September, 1987
Foundation in El Salvador by MSC of the Central American Region.
21 September, 1988
Father Luke Matlaterea MSC, PNG, appointed Bishop of Bereina, ordained by Bishop Bundevoert MSC.
22 September, 1889
Father Verius, appointed Vicar Apostolic of New Britain, ordained Bishop at Yule Island. On December 28 the appointment was changed to Episcopal Coadjutor to Msgr Navarre.
22 September, 1925
Translation of the remains of Msgr Navarre (1836-1912) to Yule Island.
23 September, 1924
The first Belgian MSC go to Belgian Congo (Zaire), leave Antwerp.
23 September, 1942
Death of Father Peter L’Esperance, Pro-Provincial of USA-Canada from 1910-1939.
24 September, 1881
The novices of Father Piperon, who arrived in the Netherlands, November 1880, after having been expulsed from France, make their first profession. Among them is Hubert Linckens, who will later become the historical founder of the MSC Sisters.
24 September, 1896
Brother Archibald Shaw (“ Brother Placid”, Australia) professed on Yule Island after Novitiate in the missions.
24 September, 1922
Last Spiritual Testament of the founder of the MSC sisters, Father H.Linckens MSC, for the members of the Congregation.
25 September, 1869
The first MSC General Chapter elects Father Chevalier as First Superior General. Fathers Piperon, Vandel, Bazire and Guyot are elected as his assistants.
26 September, 1864
Father Chevalier sends his booklet “Plan of the Society of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart “to Father LeBlanc.
26 September,
Mary Ryan, the sixth postulant and first Irish girl to enter the FDNSC Congregation, a teacher, arrives at Issouodun.
26 September, 1967
Venezuela is erected as MSC Section, entrusted to the Irish Province.
26 September, 1982
Father Joseph Tethool MSC (Indonesia) appointed auxiliary of Ambon, ordained at Ambon.
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26 September, 1889
Marie-Louise Hartzer makes her perpetual vows.
27 September, 1869
Jules Chevalier and his first companions make their perpetual vows at the end of a retreat preached by Father Ramière, SJ.
28 September, 1869
The house at Issoudun is canonically erected.
28 September, 1972
Father Patrick McCabe, Australia, dies at Sydney, Superior General from 1947-1958.
28 September, 1974
Death of Father Joseph van Kerckhoven, Belgium, Superior General from 1958-1969.
29 September, 1882
The first three MSC, with Father Navarre arrive at Matupit, New Britain, PNG, after travelling for 13 months.
29 September, 1936
Four Fathers and three Brothers, all from the community of Canet del Mar, killed, Spain, during the Civil War. Three other Fathers from Barcelona and one Brother were killed on other days.
30 September, 1927
The first three MSC leave Marseille for the mission of central Java, Indonesia.
