THE LAITY IN ACTION
   

History

The MSC must not forget this family ... The deputy, Dr HERTAULT du MEZ bought the Visitation property.
His daughter Blanche became the Viscountess du Quesne when she married Rear-admiral Lazare du Quesne .

 

SECOND SIGN.
It was the Viscountess who promised Fr CROZAT an allowance of 1000 francs for the 2 first MSC, which enabled Cardinal DUPONT to authorize the foundation, following upon Fr. CHEVALIER's visit to him after the 8 December 1854. The Cardinal confirmed that he had already received the money from Chamgrand, but that his condition for authorizing the foundation was that CHEVALIER and Maugenest must find a living allowance. CHEVALIER and Maugenest made a second novena which ended on the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, 28 January 1855. Madame Duchesne, at the request of Fr. Crozat, promised an annual donation of 1000 francs. When the Cardinal was informed he submitted the matter to his Council who refused to authorize the Foundation because of the inexperience of the 2 curates. He postponed his decision for a time. There was another Council meeting on 4 June 1855 and again the members refused. Then the Cardinal stood up and said : "Gentlemen, I have thought about it and prayed about it. I never hold out against your advice, but for the first time I am going to depart from my usual custom; I think it would be going counter to the designs of Providence if I accepted your judgement. Therefore, I am authorizing the two priests of Issoudun to begin their work. We can appoint their replacements today. "

Their daughter Marie married Viscount Ferdinand de BONNEVAL who bought the MSC property in 1907 in order to return it to them at the appropriate time. Fr. CHEVALIER preached the homily at the funeral of their daughter who was burnt during the fire of the charity bazaar in Paris in 1897.
The last descendant of the family was Count Bernard de BONNEVAL. His widow gave the property to the Little Sisters of the Assumption.

From the time of Fr. CHEVALIER

"Fr CHEVALIER believed that his Society could not fully accomplish its mission without the active collaboration of a group of secular priests and a group of lay-people. This vision of the three branches of the Society was an essential part of his experience of the Spirit" (Père Denis Murphy msc).

"Fr. CHEVALIER sees his total Institute as embracing 3 categories:
1 - Religious in the strict sense;
2 - A group of affiliated priests;
3 - Tertiaries." (Cuskelly p.36 ).

Fr CHEVALIER's Faith Journey.

"The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart must be truly religious in order to more closely resemble the One whose kingdom they wish to promote. At the same time they should maintain close relationships with the clergy so as to make known everywhere the divine influence of the Sacred Heart .. Finally, so as not to let anything escape the regenerative influence of this Heart, they will promote a tertiary order of lay-people who will go where the priest cannot go." (Jules CHEVALIER in "Les Missionnaires du Sacré-Coeur" en 1866)

How does this inspire us today ?

- How is this intuition of Fr. CHEVALIER being put into effect today ?
- What is my conviction and my commitment within the MSC Family ?