Our founder
Founder of the Priests of the Sacred Heart
Leo Dehon was born on March 14th 1843, in La Capelle, France. From adolescence onwards he felt called to be a priest although it was against his father’s will. Following the wishes of his father he went and studied Civil Law in Paris and accepted the offer (again by his father) to go on a journey, to several regions, including the Holy Land, in an attempt to help him to forget the idea of becoming a priest.
He was a cultured priest, both spiritual and dynamic, yet something was disturbing him. So after a long period of discernment, he made the decision to found the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 28th, 1878, the day of his First Profession. The principle aim of the Congregation was to be devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to spread his Reign in the hearts of the faithful and in society.
His cultural formation and sensibility led him to work in the social and missionary fields, spreading the social doctrine of the Church through conferences, articles, magazines, newspapers and books. Of particular note is The Social Christian Manual. He has also the merit of opening the Congregation to missionary work by sending many religious to the Americas and Africa.
Sacrifice
"Without the spirit of love and sacrifice, the most spectacular and grandiose works lose their reason for being."
Father Dehon
Jubilee 100 years Father Dehon's death anniversary
"The ideal of my life is to conquer the world so that Jesus Christ can establish the Kingdom of the Sacred Heart."
Vocation
It is necessary to embrace one's own vocation and enter into the process of constant maturity through a daily yes! Vocational accompaniment consists of mutual knowledge. The Congregation knows the person with the vocation, even if superficially, and the person with the vocation knows the Congregation. Together, the person with the vocation and the Congregation listen to the voice of God, seeking to identify what His will is.
Come and Follow me!
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