OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART, DAUGHTERS OF
(FDNSC) 1885
This Congregation was founded in 1882 at Issoudun, France, by Mère Marie Louise Hartzer and Père Jules Chevalier. The object, besides the personal sanctification of its members, is to offer Love, Honour and Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The spiritual exercises included two hours every morning spent in meditation, Mass and the recitation of the Office of the Blessed Sacrament; the Rosary, a daily half-hour of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (with frequent Benediction), examinations of conscience and spiritual reading. The active works carried on by the Sisters include the education of youth, the care of hospitals, both at home and on the Foreign Missions.1
In 1884 five Sisters set out from France to bring the love of the Heart of Jesus to Papua New Guinea. They spent some time in Sydney where they established their headquarters at Kensington. Their apostolate encompassed missionary work in central and northern Australia, Papua New Guinea, visiting the sick, taking charge of hospitals and orphanages, a leprosarium, and teaching. With the onset of Australian vocations schools were further established in Sydney and in other parts of the State, in Tasmania and in 1908 the Sisters arrived in Darwin where they conducted a successful day and boarding school.2
Further Suggested Reading:
Anonymous Red grew the harvest. Sydney: Pellegrini, 1947.
Goodman, Aubrey John Who are the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart?
Sydney: Pellegrini, 1946.
Hartzer, Fernand Fire upon the earth: Life of Mother Marie-Louise Hartzer.
Sydney:Dwyer, 1948.
Petitt M.V. The designs of His Heart: Marie Louise Hartzer and the Congregation of
the Daughters of our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Cork, 1966.
Petitt M.V. & J. Baker, 1974 History of the Australian Province of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Sydney 1974.
If further information is required about individual Sisters the following address is given:
The Archivist
Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Provincial House
2 Kensington Road
KENSINGTON NSW 2033
In writing to the Archivist, it would be appropriate that a financial contribution be made for the Archivist’s time and expertise.
Religious Orders or Congregations have released the details on their members. It is understood that the copyright of any material (including the listing of the names of the Sisters) relevant to a particular Order or Congregation in this publication remains with the relevant Order or Congregation.