To our religious sisters and brothers MSC, FDNSC, MSC Sisters

To our lay sisters and brothers.

 

We, lay missionaries of the Sacred Heart, from 22 countries of the whole world, have come back to the source of the Chevalier family at Issoudun. We are happy to share with you what we have experienced during our second international meeting from 19th to 25th July, 1999.

We had the joy of renewing old friendships, of sharing, of deepening our MSC charism as well as having moments of festivity, of prayer and of celebration to praise the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to pray to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

Our desire to deepen the unity among us led us to propose the creation of organisms of communion on the continental level and to set up an instrument of international communion with the task of coordinating and sharing information among all the groups of lay people and to reflect on possibilities for formation.

These coordinating efforts will have as their point of reference the community of Miribel, in relation with Issoudun.

To permit everyone to be recognized as a lay Missionary of the Sacred Heart of the Chevalier Family in the world, we have worked out the basis of an international charter whose text follows:

The Association of " Lay Missionaries of the Sacred Heart " is a communion of lay people, open to priests and deacons, animated by a spirituality that has its roots and concrete expression in the charism of Fr. Jules Chevalier, Founder of the Missionary of the Sacred Heart and the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

Purpose.

The members of the " Lay Missionaries of the Sacred Heart " share the mission of the Chevalier family which has as its purpose:

Spirit.

The spirit is linked to the grace which is distinctive to the religious family of Father Chevalier, which invites its members to follow Christ by imitating his Love, to be the Heart of Jesus in all circumstances of their life, sharing his sentiments and contemplating the loving person of Christ through the visible sign of his Heart.

Requirements.

To live this vocation it is obvious that each brother and sister needs to be supported by a life of personal and community prayer.

Bonds with the religious family of Fr. Jules Chevalier.

The " Lay Missionaries of the Sacred Heart " are composed of different groups of laity in the world, who are united in the same spirit and the same mission through their sharing the charism of Fr. Jules Chevalier.

Each group will define its own structure in function of its mission and its bonds with the Religious Chevalier Family " MSC, FDNSC, MSC Sisters " respecting the present Charter.

This charter is a common working document. Each organization of communion on the continental level should, in the future, flesh it out and change it according to the different cultures of each country.                                                  

                                                                                                          Issoudun, July 25th, 1999.