It is not what the Priests of the Sacred Heart – Dehonians – do that defines who we are but how we live and what we believe in: the love of the Heart of Jesus. We are found in parishes and schools, social services, and in missions at home and overseas.
Our diversity of ministry reflects our founding vision: to be wherever God’s love is most needed.
Established in 1878 by the Venerable Leo John Dehon, SCJ, the Priests of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic religious congregation rooted in the love of the Heart of Jesus.
Moved by the poverty and social neglect that he witnessed in the factory town of St. Quentin, France, Father Dehon envisioned a community dedicated to continuing Christ’s work of building God’s kingdom of justice and love.
For the Priests of the Sacred Heart, it is not merely what they do, but how they live that defines them. Making known God’s profound love for every person by being present wherever that love is most needed is the heart of their apostolate. Serving in more than 40 countries across five continents, they carry out this calling through prayer, service, Catholic education, social action, and compassionate outreach to the poor and neglected.
