Messenger of the Sacred Heart
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The ''Messenger of the Sacred Heart'' is a
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
periodical; the print organ of the
Apostleship of Prayer The Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network is a Pontifical Society of the Catholic Church, which encourages Catholics to prayer and action as part of the church's universal mission. The Network provides monthly prayer intentions determined by the Pope. It ...
, a pious association founded in nineteenth century France by the Jesuits. There are many editions in various languages, promoting devotion to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This dev ...
. In the late 1940s, The Messenger was banned in many Soviet Block countries.


History

The ''Messenger of the Sacred Heart'' was originally founded in France as the print organ of the
Apostleship of Prayer The Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network is a Pontifical Society of the Catholic Church, which encourages Catholics to prayer and action as part of the church's universal mission. The Network provides monthly prayer intentions determined by the Pope. It ...
, a pious association founded in 1844 by Francois-Xavier Gautrelet, S.J. The first ''Messenger of the Sacred Heart'' was published in 1861. The Apostleship of Prayer has always operated under the auspices of the Society of Jesus. By 1941, there were seventy-two Messengers around the world published in forty-four different languages. The English and the Australian Jesuits prepared their own editions. A children's edition was also produced.


English Messenger

William Maher SJ (1823-1877) translated and composed the words and music to the hymn ''Soul of My Saviour'', among other hymns. Maher served as the editor of the English Messenger until his death in 1877. Henry James Coleridge then added the Messenger to his other duties as editor of ''The Month''. In 1884, Coleridge was able to pass the editorship of "The Messenger" to Augustus Dignam SJ, who also happened to be spiritual adviser to
Frances Margaret Taylor Frances Margaret Taylor, whose religious name was Mother Magdalen of the Sacred Heart (20 January 1832 – 9 June 1900) was an English nurse, editor and writer, nun, and Superior General and founder of the Roman Catholic religious congregation th ...
, the former publisher of '' The Lamp''. Taylor was by then Mother Magdalen of the Sacred Heart and head of the Congregation of the
Poor Servants of the Mother of God The Poor Servants of the Mother of God are a religious congregation founded in 1869 by Mary Magdalen of the Sacred Heart, Frances Margaret Taylor. She was closely assisted by her friend and benefactor Lady Georgiana Fullerton, and following her de ...
. A writer, in her own right, with her experience in publishing, she helped Dignam with "The Messenger".


Irish Messenger

Generally known simply as ''The Messenger'', it was founded by Irish priest, Fr. James Cullen SJ in 1888. In November 1887, Cullen was appointed director for Ireland of the
Apostleship of Prayer The Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network is a Pontifical Society of the Catholic Church, which encourages Catholics to prayer and action as part of the church's universal mission. The Network provides monthly prayer intentions determined by the Pope. It ...
, to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart. Cullen had earlier served as a curate in
Enniscorthy Enniscorthy () is the second-largest town in County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. At the 2016 census, the population of the town and environs was 11,381. The town is located on the picturesque River Slaney and in close proximity to the ...
. The boatmen who carried goods between Enniscorthy and Wexford worked hard; it was there, Cullen first became concerned with men spending their money on drink.Kennedy, Fionnula. "The remarkable legacy of the Pioneers'', ''The Irish Catholic'', December 27, 2018
/ref> In 1888, he founded the ''Irish Messenger of the Sacred Heart'' which he saw as a means to promote temperance, by presenting temperance as an expression of one's devotion to the Sacred Heart. Though primarily a vehicle for the promotion of devotion to the Sacred Heart, Fr. Cullen also utilized the Messenger for the propagation of devotion to Mary. Helpful articles in the early days offered advice ranging from how to iron a blouse to the good rearing of hens. It is printed in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
. With sales of The Messenger around 52,000, it is still one of the largest-selling magazines in Ireland. ''Messenger Publications'' publishes the Journal Studies for the Irish Jesuit province.


Canadian Messenger

A Canadian version was launched in 1891 and published at the Jesuit seminary in Montreal until 1925, and thereafter in Toronto. The Canadian Messenger was a member of a family of Messengers published around the world by the Jesuits. The ''Messager Canadien du Sacre Coeur'' was published for French-speaking Canadians. Due to increased costs and declining subscribers, it ceased publication in June 2014. In 1947, The Messenger was banned in Yugoslavia, Albania, Austria, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Bohemia and Ruthenia in Czechoslovakia"CATHOLIC MAGAZINE IS WIDELY BANNED; Messenger of Sacred Heart Outlawed in Some Countries Under Russian Domination", ''The New York Times'', August 25, 1947
/ref>


References


External links


Home page for ''The Sacred Heart Messenger''

''Sacred heart Messenger'' (Canada and USA)
{{Authority control Catholic magazines