Some Significant March Days for the Chevalier Family, 2025

March 25th has many entries, a significant day., including the foundation and some mission outreaches. This year is the 125th anniversary of the MSC Sisters.

It includes the foundation of the Handmaids of the Lord in 1918 by Archbishop Alain de Boismenu MSC.

MSC Sister have quite a number of signif

1 March, 1893

First edition of the Dutch Annals of OLSH

1 March, 1968

Opening of St Pauls National Seminary for Late Vocations at Kensington, Australia.

1 March, 1976

Archbishop Virgil Copas resigns as Apostolic Administrator Bereina, PNG, and Bishop Louis Vangeke is transferred to the see.

1 March, 1985

MSC house canonically erected in Fiji. Father Kevin Barr is the first Superior.

2 March, 1965

First profession of a number of first MSC members: the first from Alotau, Eastern Papua, the first two from Kavieng diocese, New Ireland, the first from the Archdiocese of Port Moresby, in the first three from Kiribati, Pacific Union.           

3 March, 1877

During his visit to Rome, Father Chevalier, Jouet and Miniot are received in audience by Pope Pius IX at 18:30. The Pope signs two requests, the second which is an apostolic blessing the Daughters of Our lady of the Sacred Heart.

4 March, 1973

Father John Durkin MSC, Ireland, appointed Bishop of Louis Trichardt/Tzaneen, ordained at Dwars River, South Africa.

5 March, 1869

Pope Pius IX grants the Decretum Laudis to the MSC Congregation.

5 March, 1877

During a stay in Rome, Father Chevalier met Don Daniel Comboni, founder of the Combonian Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus  and pro-Vicar of the mission of Central Africa, who had consecrated his large Vicariate to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart on 8 December, 1875.

5 March, 1898

The Vicariate of New Pomerania, PNG, interested to the MSC, is now entrusted to the German MSC Province.

6 March, 1974

Father Paskalis Harjasoemarta MSC, Indonesia, appointed Bishop of Purwokerto, ordained at Purwokerto.

7 March, 1888

Opening of the first MSC House in Austria, and Salzburg-Liefering

8 March, 1869

The Decree of Praise of the MSC Congregation is signed by the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars.

9 March, 1906

The first Superior General of the MSC Sisters is elected. She is Sister M. Franziska Fleige.

10 March, 1865

The 'Pious Union', a movement centred on devotion to the Sacred Heart and founded by Blessed Louise Thérèse de Montaignac de Chauvance (1820-1885), becomes a Third Order of the MSC Congregation. It is a Third Order for women without vows and is associated with the MSC Congrégation until March, 1874.

10 March, 1933

Death of Father Jules Vandel, first Novice Master and first superior at Kensington, Australia.

10 March, 1989

The first three Peruvian Daughters of our lady of the Sacred Heart take their first vows.

11 March, 1942

World War II: Kabuna, Papua: “many aeroplanes in the air this morning. Brother Jean Koewiede is very sick; in the valley there is no more hope for the Carmelite Sister Marie de la Croix.) (To buy a menu, Notebook)

12 March, 1965

The first two German MSC Sisters leave Hiltrup, Germany, to establish a foundation in Korea. They arrive on the 24 March, 1965 and the next day, 25 March, 1965, is the Foundation Day of the Korean Mission of the MSC Sisters.

14 March, 1987

Erection of the South Korean MSC Section, entrusted to the Philippine Province.

15 March, 1824

Jules Chevalier is born in Richelieu, France. The following day he is baptized in the parish church, "Notre Dame", at Richelieu.

15 March, 1886

Father Charles Piperon rents the property at Terloohof at Borgerhout, Belgium.

15 March, 1928

Foundation of the first FDNSC see community in Italy, at Narni.

15 March, 1980

Erection of the Philippine MSC Province. All Dutch confreres working there join the new province.

16 March, 1950

The Irish MSC accept a mission in the Abbatia Nullius of Pietersburg, South Africa. In the same year, the first three Irish MSC arrive there.

16 March, 1966

The first two Brazilian FDNSC leave for Papua.

17 March, 1935

MSC Sisters and a Third Reich injustice story: Mother M. Electa, Superior General of the MSC Sisters, and the Procurator General, Sr. M. Gerberga are arrested by the Gestapo in Hiltrup. They are falsely accused of trafficking foreign currencies by Joseph Goebbels, Minister of the Propaganda of the German Third Reich. Mother M. Electa will be released from prison one year later, on the 18 March, 1936.

17 March, 1943

Three FDNSC, three MSC from Manus, PNG, eight MSC from New Ireland, PNG,
together with 39 SVD missionaries and Holy Spirit Sisters, are killed at sea between Kavieng and Rabaul, PNG, during the Japanese war in the Pacific.

18 March, 1878

Public audience of Pope Leo the XIII who talks from moment to Father Chevalier personally.

18 March, 1900

Father Alain de Boismenu, appointed coadjutor to Bishop Navarre, is ordained Bishop in Montmartre, Paris.

18 March, 1936

19th March, St Joseph

19 March, 1866

Father J-M.Vandel starts his year of MSC “novitiate”.

19 March, 1964

First canonical erection of an MSC House in Indonesia, at Jakarta.

19 March, 1967

Erection of an MSC Section Texas and in the Southern States of the USA, entrusted to the Irish Province.

20 March, 1886

Father Hubert Linckens, MSC, who becomes historical founder of the MSC Sisters,
is ordained at s'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

21 March, 1892

Fathers Chevalier and Piperon visit Barcelona and Canet del Mar.

22 March, 1932

The Apostolic Prefecture of Coquilhatville, Zaire, becomes an Apostolic Vicariate, Msgr E. Van Goethem MSC appointed Apostolic Vicar.

23 March, 1932

Shiquian, China, becomes a ‘Mission sui iuris:, entrusted to the German MSC.

24 March, 1965

The first MSC Sisters arrive in Korea.

25 March, 1859

Construction commences on the Basilica in Issoudun.

25 March, 1874

Approbation of the Archconfraternity of Perpetual Worship.

25 March, 1881

The Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith officially offers the MSC the two Vicariates of Melanesia and Micronesia.

25 March, 1882

Marie Louise Hartzer enters the FDNSC Congregation in Issoudun after a lengthy period of discernment.
The once thriving new community established in 1874, by 1882 does not show signs of growth, in fact, quite the opposite!
However, Marie Louise is very much attracted by the charism of Jules Chevalier so she decides to enter the small community.
She becomes the First Superior General.

25 March, 1901

First Profession ceremony of 11 MSC Sisters in Hiltrup, Bishop Louis Coupe presiding.

25 March, 1918

Foundation of the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Lord in Papua New Guinea by Monsignor Alain de Boismenu.

25 March, 1977

Foundation Day of the Indian Mission of the MSC Sisters.

25 March, 1955

Archbishop Carboni opens new Regional Junior Seminary for the eight vicariates apostolic of PNG. Australian staff, Father Kevin English MSC, first Rector.

25 March, 1967

Arrival of the first two MSC, island, in Venezuela: Fathers Donohoe and Moran arrive at Caracas.

25 March, 1977

Foundation Day of Indian Mission of MSC Sisters.

27 March, 1878

Father Chevalier is present at a meeting of the Roman Archconfraternity of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. He leaves Rome for Issoudun that same day.

27 March, 1949

Father Alfonso Ungerelli MSC, Italy, appointed first Prelate Nullius off Pinheiro, ordained Bishop at San Paolo, Brazil.

28 March, 1898

From March 22 to April 6, Father de Boismenu makes a dangerous journey from Yule Island to Thursday Island via Cooktown: rough sea, the main sails are lowered, water enters the ship, the captain is terrified. On March 28, he writes: “terrible night. We pass the coral reef at 2 p.m..”

28 March, 1937

Father Heinrich Kellner, MSC, from the North German Province dies in captivity in China.

29 March, 1922

Rome: the MSC Generalate moves from Porta Pinciana to Via Balbo 1.

29 March, 1938

The name of the diocese of Victoria-Palmerston, Australia, is changed to diocese of Darwin.

29 March, 1940.

The Prelature of Pinheiro, Brazil, his entrusted to the Italian MSC Province.

30 March, 1904.

Father M.Neijens becomes the first MSC to enter Dutch New Guinea, Irian Jaya, Indonesia.

30 March, 1911

The first FDNSC Sisters establish themselves in the Netherlands at Waalwijk.

31 March, 1902

Mission appointment of first 12 MSC Sisters by Father H. Linckens MSC to the Marshall Islands and New Pomerania, New Britain, PNG.

31 March, 1933

Arrival of the first MSC sisters in Shiquian,, China.

31 March, 1950.

Agreement signed between Father Provincial Aidan Breene, Australia, and Monsignor Matsuoco, Bishop of Nagoya, concerning Mission in Japan.

31 March, 1968

The first FDNSC Sisters arrive in the Philippines, after a few days, establishing themselves in Munoz, Neuva Ecija.