DOHENIAN FATHERS CELEBRATE 125TH ANNIVERSARY

VATICAN CITY, JUN 10, 2003 (VIS) - This morning in the Clementine Hall, the Pope welcomed 130 participants in the General Chapter of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, also known as the Dohenian Fathers, as they celebrate the 125th anniversary of the beginning of their congregation, founded by Venerable Fr. Leo Dehon in St. Quentin, France.

The Pope highlighted the Dohenian charism, noting it is "marked by a constant contemplation of the Heart of Jesus, a conscious participation in His reparatory oblation and by a zealous dedication to spreading the Kingdom of the Lord in souls and in societies, because the refusal of God's love is the deepest cause of the world's evils."

"As the theme of your Chapter suggests," he said, "you are 'Dohenians in mission; with open hearts and in solidarity', ready to face the needs of our times and to re-qualify your apostolate in the spheres of spirituality, of the mission 'ad gentes', of the presence in society and a singular attention to culture."

"Your activity in the field of information and religious documentation is also well known," the Holy Father added. "Attentive to watching the 'signs of the times', never allow your fidelity to Catholic doctrine and the Magisterium of the Church to weaken, so that you might render, even with your publications, an indispensable service of truth, the first form of charity."

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