Friday 9 May 2014

Lay Meeting at Lyon in April 2014


Lay Associate Meeting

Sr. Barbara represented the Tri-Generalate at the  bi-annual meeting of the International Lay Coordination Committee of the Chevalier Family held from April 4-6th in Lyon, France. Fr. Hans Kwakman, msc representing Cor Novum also attended the meeting.   Roland Douchin, the secretary of Cor Novum assisted with the French and English translation and also presented  a new design under construction for the Cor Novum website which will include a section for  the laity. Elisabeth Hartmann, coordinator of the laity in our German province and a member of the committee was present for the meeting. 

Representing the International Lay Coordinating Committee of the Chevalier Family, Rita Cleuren and Hannie Jansen recently visited Cameroon where they gained a better understanding and appreciation of the lay movement of the Chevalier Family there.  They shared their experience and the hopes, positive undertakings and concerns of the laity in Cameroon.  Hans Kwakman, msc recently was in Korea where he also met with the laity. 

Laity of the Chevalier Family

Sharing our Charism and Mission

The vision of Fr. Jules Chevalier, to make the Sacred Heart known and loved everywhere led him to a deep desire to form a separate branch of laity who would be formed in and share the same spirit, charism and mission of his congregation. 

It is nearly 25 years since our congregation first encouraged our provinces to initiate lay associate programs in their respective countries. Today we have small groups of Lay MSC who are part of the Laity of the Chevalier Family in several countries and a large group of over 200 members in Korea. Formation in the Spirituality of the Heart has been integral to the development of the laity.

An international group of the Laity in Europe has assumed the role of coordination of the laity and networking worldwide.  In 2008 they sponsored a Conference of the Laity of the Chevalier Family in the Dominican Republic which was attended by over 250 Chevalier Family lay and religious members. This tremendous undertaking was an enriching and unifying experience.  The participants left the conference motivated to make greater efforts in collaborating and networking among the three congregations and laity within their respective countries and on continental levels.  The Laity are working with the support of the religious to develop themselves as autonomous groups with their own lay formators who can direct and guide their members in the Spirituality of the Heart.