Some Significant February Days for the Chevalier Family

Juan Alonso Fernande MSC, see February 15th

2 February, 1892

The title of Saint Joseph "Friend of the Sacred Heart" is changed to "Saint Joseph, patron and model of those of love the Sacred Heart".

5 February, 1900
Canonical Erection of the Congregation of MSC Sisters and approbation of the Statutes for five years.

6 February, 1855
Chevalier and Maugenest finish their second novena to the Blessed Virgin.
Their prayer is answered. They are promised 1000 francs, per year, from a generous benefactor, for their living expenses.

10 February, 1885
Fr. Verjus and three Italian Brothers leave Sydney for Thursday Island.

15 February, 1981
Fr. Juan Alonso Fernandez, MSC, of the Spanish Province, is violently assassinated in Guatemala.

                 Juan Alonso Fernandez.

                 The commander of the post, told him that "it was disgusting for him to have a priest in front of him, that's why he spat on him, because

                 it made him nauseous to see a priest." The Asturian Juan Alonso Fernandez endured a cruel torture that night. He said that "what

                 they wanted was to kill me and I don't know how, they refrained from doing it, because I feel that they would have better killed me

                 and not done what they did to me. In spite of everything, Juan did not give up. He celebrated the Eucharist in the village and went out

                 to celebrate it in a neighboring village. There they waited for him, kidnapped him, tortured him again and shot him three times in the

                head. Days before, he had said, taking the crucifix that he always carried in his chest: "I became a priest because of this one, and if I

                have  to die because of this one, here I am". It was February 15, 1981. He was 47 years old.

16 February, 1915
Fr. Charles Piperon dies in Thuin, Belgium. He was longtime companion and confidant of Jules Chevalier.
         

22 February, 1908
Marie Louise Hartzer, first Superior General of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, dies in Thuin, Belgium. She is buried four days later. Marie Louise had left France due to the expulsions of religious by the French Government.


23 February, 1945
29 Dutch MSC are freed form the concentration camp at Los Baños, Philippines.

Prisoners released

24 February, 1985
Fr. Henri Verjus arrives at Thursday Island after having left Sydney earlier in the month.
  

25 February, 1875
The Vatican orders that, in future, all new images of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
must represent the Child Jesus on the arms of his mother, and not standing before her. 

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