Jan 24, 2013
In 1997, John Paul II called for consecrated life to be promoted throughout the universal Church. He declared February 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, to be observed as World Day for Consecrated Life (WDCL). The celebration of World Day for Consecrated Life invites all the Church to reflect on the role of Consecrated Life within the Christian community. Those who choose to live a consecrated life do so for the sake of the Gospel.
Some Christian women and men respond to God’s call to become followers of Jesus through profession of vows and a life dedicated to prayer and service. They live out the consecrated life in different ways. Religious sisters, nuns, brothers, religious priests, and monks consecrate their lives through their profession of the evangelical vows and live as part of a community. Single lay people may choose to be consecrated virgins and make private vows to the local bishop as they live out their vocation in various walks of life. Secular institutes are another form of living the consecrated life as single people. Those who become followers of Jesus through the consecrated life bless the Church.
As Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, we are an apostolic missionary community of priests and brothers. We work together to bring the message of God’s love to the world in the life we lead and the ministry we undertake. We usually live together, in a life marked by communal prayer, ministries of service and the vows of celibacy, obedience and poverty. We work in Ireland, England, South Africa, Venezuela, Namibia, Russia and the USA. Missionary work abroad is voluntary, but we support each other in what we do in all sorts of ways.
Some other groups and orders were set up to do one particular job, but we work wherever and however we’re needed. You could be serving the people of a parish, teaching at university or school, sitting with the sick as hospital chaplain, running a youth club, at development work in a mission country, guiding people through a retreat, helping people through the high of their wedding day or the low of a bereavement, and many other things in between.
Above all it’s about responding to God’s call, sharing His love with our brothers and sisters and being missionaries of His heart.
A lot of the time we can use jargon that can be difficult to understand, such as ‘postulant’ and ‘novice.’ Have a look at the short video below to help understand some of the terms we commonly use.
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Prayer for Vocations
Holy God,
during this Year of Faith,
With gratitude in our hearts,
we praise you for your love and your fidelity.
You have shown us the way to holiness
through Mary and Jesus
and many faithful witnesses.
You continue to call men and women
to dedicate their lives through the vows of
poverty, chastity, and obedience.
Give them courage to respond generously
to your call with “Here I am, send me!”
Blessed by your Spirit,
may we always proclaim your love
with our lives. Amen.
Nov 30, 2012
Exciting news! Today marks the beginning of the exploreAway vocation discernment programme. Six people have begun the five weekend course that looks at how God is moving in their lives and inviting them to follow him. It’s a gentle, relfective time that gives space and quiet to share, pray and discern. The course will be facilitated by myself and Sr Gabrielle O’Farrell OLA. There’ll be inputs from members of a number of different congregations on areas like vocation, life journey, prayer, the vows and religious life.
We’d ask for your prayers for all those taking part in the course and for all those discerning their vocation at this time. We all have a role to play today in promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Jul 17, 2012
Earlier this week on RTE, Ireland’s national broadcaster, John Creedon went behind the grille at the Poor Clare Convent in Galway. He was given a unique opportunity to see what happens in the convent and to chat with some of the community. It was a fascinating insight into the lives of the many sisters living lives of contemplation, coupled with creative outreach to the world around them.
It was wonderful to hear the vocation’s stories of the different women. They came from a wide variety of backgrounds and from all around the country. The University of Galway seemed to be an especially good place for vocations! What was most striking was the humanness of their individual stories. Whether they were working for the County Council or studying for a business degree before they entered they were united by a sense of God calling them to do something special. We tend to think that joining a religious congregation is counter cultural today, but it seems that it has always been the case. In an interview with one of the older sisters, John was informed that when she joined her family kept all her old clothes, because they assumed that she’d never last in the convent. You can watch the interview by clicking here. It runs from 36mins 56secs to 45mins 6secs.
Asking the sisters for their prayers and support has always been a strong tradition in the Poor Clares. Their community in Galway has taken it a step further, embracing the internet through the development of a new website. This initiative is in response to Pope John Paul II’s call that monasteries and convents should be schools of prayer and that they would continue to offer to today’s world an authentic experience of God. You can check out their website by clicking here. Judging by its popularity, as well as their Facebook page, it’s clear that people are open to their message and engaged by their spirituality and way of life – perhaps now more so than ever!
May 10, 2012
You’d be hard pressed to find a country which has been traditionally more Catholic than Spain. It’s been at the centre of the story of the Church for hundreds of years, but in recent times it has faced many of the same challenges we have in Ireland and England. There has been a falling off in attendance, an aging of the parish congregations and of course a dramatic drop in vocations. Times however seem to be changing, most especially on the last issue.
A still from one of the Bishops’ campaigns
The bishops of Spain have launched themselves into the world of social media and their work around vocations has gone viral. They’ve posted a number of videos on Youtube to mark the country’s Seminary Day on May 19th. Faces of different men appear on screen saying things like, “I can’t promise you a life of adventure, but I can promise you one that will be exciting.” As the camera pulls back we see that the men are priests. This year in Spain there has been a 4.2% increase in men coming forward for the priesthood. A modest increase, but when placed in the context of an almost continuous freefall over the past years it’s a significant result.
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Parishioners from our MSC Parish in England at WYD in Madrid
But where is this shift coming from. Is it a result of the economic downturn in Spain at the moment? Is it part of a wider spiritual awakening that may have been prompted by events like World Youth Day in Madrid last year? What is clear is that there is a need for people to come forward to devote themselves in a special way to following Christ. There is a need for people who have a passion of the Gospel message, a heart sustained by faith and compassion and courage to go out to the whole world.
For more information on the situation in Spain check out this week’s edition of The Tablet.
Apr 27, 2012
A modern take on Caravaggio's Call of St. Matthew
“God encounters us ever anew, in the men and women who reflect His presence, in His Word, in the Sacraments and in the Eucharist“. Pope Benedict XVI
This coming Sunday is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. It’s an annual event where the universal Church comes together to pray in a united way that men and women will be raised up by their communities to serve God in a special way as priests, sisters and brothers. It’s about a life of service, compassion and love. It’s about being open to hearing God’s call and resonding as best we can, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”
On Sunday I’ll be part of a group celebrating a vocations event in Killarney ( You’ll find all the details below of this and a number of other events around Ireland ). We’re planning an afternoon based on the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. It’s perhaps one of the best stories in the Bible to illustrate the call of God in our lives. It begins with two disciples leaving Jerusalem, after the events of Holy Week. They’re on their way home, but in reality they are truly lost. All their dreams, their hopes had come to nothing, ending in a violent and inexplicable death on a cross. It’s not long before they Jesus himself catches up to them and continues to journey with them. He listens to their story, he hears the pain of their loss, but he challenges them to open their heart to the real meaning of His life and death. It’s only when they stop for the night at Emmaus and during the breaking of the bread that they realise who He is. The two disciples who return to Jerusalem are fundamentally different from the ones who left it earlier that day.
A number of things strike me about that story. Firstly when the disciples meet Jesus on the road He has caught up with them and slows to their pace to hear their story. His revelation is gradual. He listens to what they have to say. He doesn’t reveal himself immediately, but using their experience he shows them how His life, death and resurrection were inextricably bound together. We’re told that their hearts burned within them as they walked along the road. How often has Christ journeyed at your side, particularly when you’ve felt lost, guiding you and watching over you? More often than not we haven’t been able to discern His presence until afterwards.
Next when they reach Emmaus Jesus makes as if to travel on, but at their invitation he stays for a meal. When we speak of vocation we are really talking about invitation. God first extends the invitation to us as His children, calling us to serve Him and one another in love. But this can only take effect when we accept it. God will never force us or coerce us in how we choose to live our lives, however in responding generously to Him we have the opportunity to make a real difference in our world. The Gospel message of compassion, forgiveness and faith has never been more relevant.
Finally we have that wonderful moment of revelation in the breaking of bread. Because of their openness to God, even in spite of their doubts, the two disciples finally recognise that Jesus had been with them all along. As soon as they realise it though He leaves them, because He has achieved what He set out to do. Their eyes have been opened and their faith has been restored. At the beginning of the story they didn’t know where they were going, but now the direction is clear and they immediately return to the other disciples to share the good news. As the disciples recognised Jesus in the breaking of the bread maybe we can open our eyes to recognising Him in one another. Maybe we can look at those around us with new eyes, seeing people who are called, who are beloved, who are touched by the divine.
Killarney Vocations Event
Join with us on this World Day of Prayer for Vocations for an Emmaus pilgrimage through the ground of the beautiful Muckross Park. We’ll begin at Muckross Abbey, at 1.00pm, with a short prayer service. We’ll then walk the three miles to the Franciscan Friary for Mass led by Fr. Alan Neville MSC. This will be followed by refreshements. (transport available from Railway Station car park to Muckross from 12.15 pm)
All are welcome
Enquiries: 086 7857955
Dublin Vocations Event – Clontarf
WHERE: At the statue of Our Lady of the Port of Dublin, Dollymount, Clontarf for an hour of prayer for vocations. All are welcome.
WHEN: Sunday 29th April 2012 3.00pm -4.00 pm
Dublin Vocations Event – Blackrock
On the 29th of April 2012 at 5pm, you are invited for a Hour of Prayer for Vocations in the Chapel of Adoration, Disciples of the Divine Master,White’s Cross, Blackrock, Co. Dublin.
Limerick Vocations Event
A Eucharistic celebration to mark World Day of Prayer for Vocations will take place in St. Michael’s Church Limerick at 4pm. All are welcome to attend.
Armagh Vocations Event – Mellifont Parish
There will be an hour of Eucharistic adoration from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Church of the Assumption, Tullyallen on this special day of prayer for vocations, Sunday April 29th.
In 1997, John Paul II called for consecrated life to be promoted throughout the universal Church. He declared February 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, to be observed as World Day for Consecrated Life (WDCL). The celebration of World Day for Consecrated Life invites all the Church to reflect on the role of Consecrated Life within the Christian community. Those who choose to live a consecrated life do so for the sake of the Gospel.
As Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, we are an apostolic missionary community of priests and brothers. We work together to bring the message of God’s love to the world in the life we lead and the ministry we undertake. We usually live together, in a life marked by communal prayer, ministries of service and the vows of celibacy, obedience and poverty. We work in Ireland, England, South Africa, Venezuela, Namibia, Russia and the USA. Missionary work abroad is voluntary, but we support each other in what we do in all sorts of ways.
