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Fr Jules Chevalier (1824–1907) was a French Catholic priest whose life and ministry were shaped by a profound conviction: that the deepest suffering of the modern world – indifference, selfishness, and spiritual emptiness – could only be healed through the compassionate love of the Heart of Jesus.
As a young priest ministering in Issoudun, he believed that the Church needed a renewed missionary spirit rooted not in fear or legalism, but in the tenderness and mercy of Christ. This insight blossomed into what we now call a Spirituality of the Heart centred on the Sacred Heart of Jesus as the human face of God’s unconditional love, compassion and forgiveness.
Chevalier’s courageous vision led to him founding the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) in 1854 with the aim of making “the Heart of Jesus known and loved everywhere.” From a small town in the centre of France, the MSCs have spread to over fifty countries across six continents. Today, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart continue his vision worldwide, witnessing to a love that is tender, courageous, and unconditionally given. MSC priests and brothers live God’s call “to be on earth the heart of God” alongside members of the wider Chevalier Family: also comprising the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, and the Laity of the Chevalier Family.
Spirituality of the Heart has its foundation in and grows out of the vision of Jules Chevalier, a vision about a way of living the Gospel that has a particular emphasis on the compassionate heart of Jesus. For the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and the wider Chevalier Family, the heart of Jesus reveals a God who is love and who loves creation intimately and unreservedly.
Spirituality of the Heart reverences the human heart as loved by God unconditionally, and as the privileged place of encounter with God. Living such a spirituality involves making the journey into one’s own heart and into the heart of the human condition, open to encountering there the compassionate heart of Jesus.
It is this encounter that has the potential to open our hearts so we can live differently. Spirituality of the Heart invites us to be aware of the movements and responses and yearnings of our own hearts and the hearts of those around us and to be open to the presence of God. This way of living opens up enormous possibilities for life and love and offers a challenge to grow ever more deeply in kindness, compassion, humility, forgiveness, understanding, hospitality, simplicity and a sense of humour.
Understand more about the principles of MSC Education, and how the spirituality of the Sacred Heart shapes our faith, relationships and mission at Chevalier College.
Our Faith Formation team sets out to form our students in this spirituality. We provide our students with the language and relationships to nurture and foster a sense of what it truly means to live a spirituality in which we aspire “to be on earth the heart of God.” At the core of this ethos is the heart of Jesus. Our students and staff are part of a spiritual family and are invited to reflect upon the ethos and vision of the MSC as a way to live their lives. Families of all religious traditions and those who do not identify with a religious tradition are welcome at Chevalier College. Conscious that spirituality needs to be cared and attended to, our staff also appreciate a variety of formation opportunities to nurture their own hearts.
“A Spirituality of the Heart is a way of living – a way of being in the world…a journey to be travelled (with others) an energy that sustains and moves us, a dance in which we are participating… a way of being in the world, in relationship to self, others and God; a way of coming to rest within ourselves, at our deepest centre.”
James Maher, MSC
MSC schools exist to proclaim and witness to the love of God. They aim to make gospel values real in the lives of young people, their families and the staff who serve them.
With care, compassion and understanding as their hallmark qualities, MSC schools strive to build a community of faith among staff, parents and students. Great value is placed on commitment, trust and acceptance of others in fostering the growth of community. In the spirit of a loving and supportive family, members help one another grow in knowledge, faith and service.
While aiming for excellence in the search for truth, MSC schools recognise the importance of balanced human development and strive to help young people to achieve their full potential in all areas of life, and to be ready to show initiative in parish, religious and civic life. They are attentive to the aspirations and needs of individuals, especially of those who are disadvantaged or isolated: mentally, physically, financially, emotionally or geographically.
Staff relate to students with compassion and availability, creating a sense of family which permeates their attitude as professional teachers and caring adults. Staff also relate to each other with the same sense of understanding and care, ministering to each other in an atmosphere of friendship and collegiality.
Staff strive to improve their professional appreciation of their work by sharing in prayer and staff development exercises, and participate regularly in programs which enable them to collaborate with greater understanding in the MSC style of education at their school.
Founded on love and built on love, MSC schools offer a vision of hope for humankind, one to which all their members can contribute as they grow strong in faith.
Welcome to Chev
