About the Priests of the Sacred Heart
Established in 1878 by the Venerable Leo John Dehon, SCJ, our religious community is committed to continuing Christ's work of rebuilding our world into God's kingdom of justice and love. We are pastors in urban and rural parishes, involved in teaching, counseling, chaplaincies and works of social justice.
What does SCJ stand for?
SCJ is derived from the Latin words for our Congregation’s official title: Sacerdotum Corde Jesu. This is translated as "Priests of the Sacred Heart." The three letters appear after the names of our community members, and we call ourselves SCJs. In some parts of the world, we are also known as Dehonians in reference to our founder, Fr. Leo John Dehon.
Mission
Our community's mission is to make known the profound love that Jesus has for all people through prayer, service, social action and outreach among the poor and neglected. We are "prophets of love and servants of reconciliation," offering ourselves with Christ to a world which hungers for justice and peace.
