About Us
The Laity of the Chevalier Family sits alongside the professed members from the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (FDNSC/OLSH Sisters), the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC), and the Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (MSC Sisters) to form the Chevalier Family.
At the international level, the International Council of the Laity of the Chevalier Family serves alongside the governing bodies (Generalates) of the professed. This vision is mirrored at the national and local levels. The professed and laity are interconnected, each with its own autonomy - synodality in practice.
The Laity of the Chevalier Family fulfils a need in people called to a lay vocation. This need arises from a desire to deepen their spirituality as Catholics and to live their lives committed to following Jesus by living a Spirituality of the Heart as expressed by Father Jules Chevalier.
Laity of the Chevalier Family
The Laity of the Chevalier Family, as envisioned by Father Jules Chevalier from the beginning, is an emerging movement led by an International Council that guides the shared vision for lay life.
The Laity are called to live the Chevalier Spirituality of the Heart in their daily lives - in families, communities, workplaces, and wherever they might go.
FDNSC / OLSH Sisters
The Congregation of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (Filiae Dominae Nostrae Sacro Corde, FDNSC) was founded in 1874 by Father Jules Chevalier.
The OLSH Sisters were called to live the Chevalier Spirituality of the Heart with a Marian dimension - living and loving like Jesus and Mary (the first disciple).
MSC
The Congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (Missionarii Sacratissimi Cordis, MSC) was founded in 1854 by Father Jules Chevalier.
The Chevalier Spirituality of the Heart was a spirituality of compassion, love, and mission inspired by the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
MSC Sisters
The Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (MSC Sisters) was founded in 1899 by Father Hubert Linckens (MSC).
The MSC Sisters were placed at the service of the Church and the world with a missionary dimension inspired by the Chevalier Spirituality of the Heart.
Spirituality of the Heart is a Catholic spirituality as expressed by Father Jules Chevalier and lived by the Chevalier Family.
It's the belief that Jesus’ compassionate Heart reveals God’s unconditional love for every human being and all Creation. God’s unconditional love, which is the remedy for the ills of society, transforms our own hearts and enables us to participate in the healing of Creation.
In Australia, Spirituality of the Heart is shaped by the connection to Country we feel through our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage, the multicultural society in which we live, and the events and experiences that have formed our Australian identity. God’s love is encountered and lived in a way that recognises this unique perspective yet remains universal.
Within Australia, the Laity of the Chevalier Family includes people associated with the Chevalier Family (through parishes, schools, missions and ministries, lay associations, and youth and young adults gatherings) and people who identify as and are recognised by others as living Spirituality of the Heart.
To learn more, visit the Australian Council, History, Locations, Missions and Ministries, and Lay Associations pages.
