May 4, 2016
After twenty minutes of pushing and pulling wet suits we’re ready to go!
There are moments in your life when youâre certain youâve made a terrible mistake. You donât need anyone to tell you. You just know. I had one of those experiences earlier this year on a Saturday morning when I looked out the window of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart retreat house in Myross Woods and saw a wet, grey, cold day. Time for a good fire and a cup of tea. Definitely not the day to go surfing with a group of young people from Cork as part of our Surf, Son, and Sand Retreat!
Lesson 1 Surfing is easy on sand
So it was, with a smiling face and a heavy heart, I joined our team and our young people on Inchydoney Strand. It had taken us the better part of fifteen minutes to put on our wetsuits, boots, hoods, and gloves. It wasnât looking good. Once we were in however everything changed. We all had a great morning. Some of the young people even managed to stay up on the board. I ended up with an extra wide board for those fledgling surfers who need âsome extra support.â (more…)
Oct 18, 2015
In 2015 we have been called in a special way to celebrate the Year of Consecrated Life. Itâs an opportunity to give thanks for the men and women who have worked so selflessly to serve the people of God at home and abroad. It has led the priests and brothers of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) to minister in over fifty countries around the world, working with some of the most marginalised communities. However itâs not just about the past. This is a story that is ongoing and that today moves us into areas that are both challenging and prophetic. The call to mission, wherever it may lead, is as important now as it ever was before.
Henry, one of our students, at the Spirit in the City Festival
On the Way
The Holy Spirit continues to inspire people to follow their vocation as a religious sister, brother, or priest. Some may question if such a way of life has anything to offer our world today. However itâs clear that in a society that esteems money, sex, and power as all-important, perhaps the gentle witness of the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience may call us to a more genuine living out of our human dignity.
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Courage for Mission
Living out your vocation is less about certainty and more about having the courage to explore the possibilities. Many feel that they are not strong enough, not holy enough, or not prayerful enough to serve God as a priest, a sister or a brother. There must be so many others better suited to the task. However, itâs striking that Jesus didnât go directly to the Temple or to the synagogue to call his first disciples. He invited fishermen and tax collectors. As it says in 1 Samuel 16:7 âPeople judge by outward appearances, but God looks at the heart.â He looked for those who felt a call to be part of something great; who had a sense of commitment beyond themselves; and above all had an openness of heart for God and others.
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Some of the Youth from the MSC Croatian Festival
We are, each of us, called to be part of Godâs great mission, to be bearers of Good News and witnesses to hope, truth, and compassion. According to Shaw âThis is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. … Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.â
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Creating Space to Listen
This rejoicing in life is part of the underlying mission of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. Each year our Vocations Team creates opportunities for discernment, where people can find the time and space to listen to the still small voice of God in their lives. This summer alone we have led young adult groups along the ancient pilgrimage routes of the Camino de Santiago de Compostella. Weâve also been part of several youth festivals at home and abroad where people have celebrated life and grown in faith.
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Working hard on the MSC Volunteering Programme
In addition this coming year once again weâll be running our MSC Volunteering Project. Participants will be trained and sent to work with our sisters in South Africa who care for children who have been orphaned by HIV / AIDS and TB. 2016 is also going to be the year of World Youth Day. We had an incredible trip to WYD in Rio 2013 with a group of young people from Ireland and England. Next year weâll be travelling to Krakow to join over 4,000,000 other pilgrims to meet Pope Francis and rejoice in hope together.
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Discernment Road Trip
If youâre interested in getting involved in pilgrimage along the Camino, volunteering in South Africa, Catholic youth festivals or World Youth Day 2016 we would be happy to hear from you. There are so many different opportunities now for people to explore Godâs call for them, wherever it may lead.
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Feeling the heat at the FLAME II Festival
In addition for those who are exploring the possibility of a vocation to religious life or priesthood we have our Road Trip. Over a weekend weâre going to be travelling to a number of different MSC communities in Dublin and Galway. You will have an experience of the richness of religious life and the breadth of MSC ministries, including our parishes, student community, hospitals, prison chaplaincy, and our retreat spirituality centre. The Road Trip takes place this coming November.
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If you would like to know more you can contact me by email fralan@mscvocations.com or by phoning (086) 7857955. You can find further information about the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart on our website www.mscvocations.ie
Oct 5, 2015
The NET Team, along with some of the MSC students, help with the youth programme in Knock for the Eucharistic Congress
During the Rio World Youth Day celebrations two years ago Pope Francis called for a new culture of evangelisation in our Church. He said that the greatest evangelisers of young people were other young people. He called them to go out, be courageous, spread the Good News and ‘make a mess.’ Sarah, one of the Cork NET team, tells us about the mess she has been making.
“Hello from the NET Team! We are so excited to be here! We are a group of five young adults that have come from four different countries, America, Canada, Australia, and Ireland to be a part of NET Ministries of Ireland. NET stands for National Evangelisation Teams. Our mission is to encourage young people to love Jesus and embrace the life of the Church. (more…)
Sep 9, 2015
The atmosphere is amazing!
Every year well over a thousand young people gather in Walsingham for the Youth 2000 Festival at the end of August. It’s an amazing gathering of people from all over England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales for five days of music, prayer, workshops, and especially great fun. The atmosphere there is noticeable straight away, from the moment you arrive in the door of the welcome tent and Barbara gives you a big hello. It’s a sign of things to come!
Is there anything to be said for a cup of tea?
I arrived on the Friday and it was like coming home again. It’s only my second year, but everyone is so open and friendly it’s like I’ve never been away. We had a beautiful reconciliation service in the evening. There were dozens of priest helping people to put aside the mistakes of the past and to move on in life assured of God’s love and understanding. (more…)
Aug 18, 2015
There’s something amazing about the pilgrims on the Way
Buen Camino!’ It’s a familiar phrase that pilgrims say as they meet one another on the Way. It’s both a greeting and a blessing for those who walk to Santiago de Compostella across the north of Spain. There is a strange sense of community out here, where people of all religious backgrounds and none undertake a journey of faith.
I was watching a documentary recently about the Church in Ireland. One of the contributors pointed out that in Irish the word for church translated literally was ‘teach an phobail’ or simply ‘the house of the people.’ It’s with this understanding in mind that I’ve joined a group of people on the Camino, welcoming pilgrims on the Way. Some of the team are working in Santiago de Compostella. I’m based halfway along the Camino Frances in the little town of Moratinos, where I live with the wonderful Rebekah Scott, her husband Patrick, five dogs, two cats, and a budgie. (more…)
Aug 11, 2015
We had the opportunity to embrace Croatain culture
It’s a hard knock life really. This summer a group of thirteen young people and four adult leaders had the opportunity to leave behind the clouds and rain for a five day youth festival in Croatia with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. There we joined other MSCs and young people from Germany, France, Austria, and of course Croatia.
We celebrate Mass with the Bishop of Krk
It was a wonderful celebration that brought together really engaging catechesis with great craic. We looked at what it meant to be part of God’s family in the morning and then headed to the beach for canoeing and water volleyball in the afternoon. There were days away, where we had the opportunity to experience some of Croatia’s fascinating history, food and culture. We also sailed around one of the national parks and swam in some of the bluest water we had ever seen.
Back home exhausted by happy!
Above all the festival was about exploring our faith in the light of the spirituality of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. It’s no accident the importance of community and the need for a good sense of humour are deliberately included in our MSC Constitutions. This was evident throughout the festival as great fun was had and good friends were made. It’s all part of being MSC!
