Who is Jules Chevalier? Part 2
In 1846, Jules entered the Major Seminary of St. Walter. Here at St. Walter’s, he began to sense God’s calling. He wrote, “Reading the Annals of the Propagation of the Faith” awakened in me the desire for the missions.” He explained his desire to the seminary director but was discouraged from leaving. He also read the “Thesis on the “Devotion to the Sacred Heart”, The Treatise on the Incarnation, and The Life of St. Margaret Mary.” From his readings, Jules learned that Devotion to the Sacred Heart is a synthesis of all Catholic Doctrine, summed up in the love of Jesus Christ for us and our love for Jesus Christ.” He wrote, “My heart was touched, and the more deeply I penetrated this doctrine, the more attractive it became.” He thus desired to become an Apostle of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart. He envisioned a plan to bring some “holy and zealous confreres” who would accompany him from the beginning (Missionaries). He organized the “Knights of the Sacred Heart” with permission from his seminary director. On June 14, 1851, Jules received the sacrament of Ordination to the priesthood in the Cathedral St. Etienne, Bourges, France.
Comprehending Father Chevalier, in his historical context, and the responsibilities he entrusted to the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart is essential for understanding his vocation. Following his journey is crucial. He grew up in the wake of the French Revolution. For the French at that point in time, the rebellion was not distant from their recent history. Nor did its effects entirely vanish. Before the revolution, the Church possessed exclusive rights, accentuating the disparity between the affluent minority and the voiceless, impoverished majority. The Church was granted tax exemption. It governed educational establishments and matrimonial legislation. Ecclesiastical courts solely adjudicated clerics. The new administration eliminated these benefits to regulate governing the Catholic Church. In 1790, the government sacked Notre Dame Cathedral. An actress was presented at the church inappropriately attired, symbolizing the new reverence shown to the goddess of Reason. Monasteries were also shut down, and their properties were confiscated. No one was permitted to profess religious vows. Nevertheless, it is important to note that certain clergy members and religious figures, especially in areas catering to the underprivileged, supported the new French Republic.
Thus, the new French Republic implemented various governmental measures to suppress France’s Catholic faith. Pope Pius VII, in 1801, ratified a concordat with the French Republic to mitigate its persecution. The Concordat defined and established the Church’s role and position in France. It terminated the break between the Catholic Church and the French Republic. However, this contract did not make the anti-Catholic sentiments disappear. The revolutionary spirit permeated an attitude of indifference towards the Church in French society. The people did not necessarily reject the Church, but they just continued to live their lives as if the Church was not necessary to be integrated into their lives. Church attendance was quite low in numbers. Mostly women attended Church services.
Fr. Chevalier did not believe that the only social ill constituted the oppression of the Church. The Jansenist heresy cast a strong, negative spiritual shadow over many and further contributed to the people’s apathy towards the Church. Pre-destination marked this heresy. Its doctrine taught that everyone is doomed to either heaven or damnation. Jesus did not redeem all persons. Only a chosen few, not everyone, were saved by Jesus. The doctrine also held that individuals do not deserve holy communion. Fr. Chevalier considered Jansenism one of the evils of the time. The existence of great poverty, particularly in rural regions, and the exploitation of industrial workers were two further evils coupled with many more.
Father Chevalier identified all the evils of his era as the “mal modern” (modern evils). For him, the evils spread across the globe. The ills of his time came from severe crises with deeply ingrained causes that brought about long-lasting turmoil. They induced long-lasting unrest by creating enormous hurdles from serious crises with deep roots. Fr. Chevalier, however, had the cure for these. In his heart, he had “a true remedy to the evils of his times,” which characterized his calling and Mission. It served as a demonstration of God’s love for everyone in Jesus’ Sacred Heart. His Mission was to expand globally, not only to a certain, confined area. “May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be Loved Everywhere” was his motto.
After his ordination, Jules received three assignments. At the age of 30, the Archbishop of Bourge sent him to Issoudun, 300 kilometers (186 miles) from Paris. At this third assignment, his dream came true. He became the parochial vicar to St. Cyr’s parish. The pastor, Fr. Crozat, had an amiable personality and thus easily became a supportive friend of Fr. Chevalier. He wholeheartedly approved Jules’s dream of founding a community of Missionaries.
Residing with Fr. Emile Maugenest allowed Fr. Chevalier to discuss his plans with his friend, who enthusiastically agreed. First, they had to get permission from Archbishop Cardinal DuPont. The prelate was impressed by the idea but refused to permit it because of Fr. Chevalier’s way of obtaining funds for support. However, the Cardinal addressed his council’s disapproval of a house of missionaries by permitting Chevalier’s plan because of his hunch that it may be in “God’s design.” Cardinal DuPont thus permitted Jules and Emile to begin a religious house of Missionaries.
Meanwhile, the Catholic World was preparing for Pope Pius IX to proclaim the Immaculate Conception as a dogma on December 8, 1854. The two priests began a novena that would end on December 8. After celebrating the Mass on December 8, Fr. Chevalier went to the sacristy to put things away. A gentleman walked in and asked if he could speak with Fr. Chevalier. He informed Fr. Chevalier that someone wished to donate 20,000 francs for charitable work, preferably a house of missionaries. This news was the miracle of the intercession of the Virgin Mary. It was the day of the foundation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, the title of the new foundation.
By Br. Warren Perrotto, MSC