Our History
The Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts
We, the Missionaries of the Sacred
Hearts of Jesus and Mary, are a religious congregation of
priests and brothers, dedicated to serving the needs of
God's family while witnessing the great love present in
the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Our Founder:
His Life and Mission
Blessed Gaetano Errico, founder of the Missionaries of
the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, was ordained a secular
priest in Naples, Italy, in 1815.
Father Errico longed to share his burning love for the
Hearts of Jesus and Mary and to lead others to know of the
boundless love their precious hearts possessed for all mankind.
After a series of apparitions of St. Alphonsus, Father
Errico founded the Congregation of the Missionaries of the
Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in 1836 in Secondigliano,
Italy.
The new congregation, under the sign of Our Lady of Sorrows,
held to his mission of dedicating its work to the honor
and love of the Sacred Hearts.
In the introduction to the rules for his missionary congregation,
Father Errico writes, "The Eternal Father, in bestowing
His divine Love on the hearts of all, chose before all others
the most Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary... Therefore, the
first goal of the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts is to
toil to make known to all people the most ardent love of
the Sacred Hearts for us, and to kindle this holy and divine
Love in the hearts of all humanity."
After verification of a miracle healing granted through
his intercession, Father Errico was beatified by Pope John
Paul II on April 14, 2002.
His Mission Continues
Today, the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts live and work
in Italy, the United States, Argentina, India, Slovakia,
Nigeria, and the Philippines.
Although a small congregation, 100 worldwide, the consecrated
witness of the priests and brothers answers the needs of
contemporary Christianity. Our mission, spreading the love
of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary to all, especially
the poor and abandoned, continues to be as vital today as
it was in the 19th century. |