![Pope Francis wants a mess after WYD 2013]()
by admin | Jul 26, 2013 | Inspiring Others, Latest News, Prophetic
We all suspected something different was happening when the newly elected Pope first knelt down and asked for the people’s prayers before he gave his first blessing. It seems however that Pope Francis has exceeded those expectations and as his papacy continues he challenges the young people of the world at World Youth Day to be agents of the Holy Spirit. When asked about his hopes for World Youth Day Pope Francis replied:
“What is it that I expect as a consequence of World Youth Day? I want a mess. We knew that in Rio there would be great disorder, but I want trouble in the dioceses! […] I want to see the church get closer to the people. I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off within ourselves, in our parishes, schools or structures. Because these need to get out!” (more…)
by admin | Jul 22, 2013 | Festivals, Latest News, World Youth Day
Okay, so the title is a little misleading, but the event itself is spectacular! MSC Vocations is over in Rio for World Youth Day 2013. The weather is perfect! We’re right next to Copacabana Beach! Pope Francis is en route! The atmosphere is AMAZING! Over the week you can follow our blog to keep up to date with all that’s happening in Brazil for the largest youth gathering on the planet!
Fr. Alan and Francis in Rio
Day 1 Next Stop Rio (more…)
by admin | Jul 11, 2013 | Africa, Communal Work, Compassion, Latest News, Overseas Volunteering, Solidarity, Volunteering
Kevin Murphy is an electrician from Scotland. He arrived in the Holy Family Centre at the beginning of July. In addition to teaching the older teenagers about basic construction skills Kevin will introduce the kids to the wonder of Celtic FC! He’ll also be running football games, organising crafts afternoons, taking part in days out and fixing broken lights. With over seventy children in Holy Family a handyman is always in demand!
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Kevin writes …
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My time with the MSCs and in the Holy Family Centre has been an amazing experience so far. The training weekends in the MSC house in Western Road were fantastic and very well organised. Myself and the other volunteers were welcomed with great hospitality and a lot of humour. Both training weekends took in all the rules and regulations, but also had great fun coming up with children’s games, activities and group building exercises for the volunteers to get to know each other. (more…)
by admin | Jul 4, 2013 | Latest News, Openness, Pilgrimage, Solidarity, Spirituality
How to describe our first few days on the Camino de Santiago. Well it rained. Then it rained some more and then for good measure it kept on raining. Being from Ireland there’s very little I haven’t seen when it comes to precipitation, but I saw every type possible over those first few days. I felt like Forrest Gump in Vietnam: “One day it started raining, and it didn’t quit for four months. We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin’ rain… and big ol’ fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath. Shoot, it even rained at night…”
However our spirits were undimmed, even if our clothing was more than slightly damp. We had a great group of people on the Way. All told we started with seven, but the Camino, being the Camino that number soon grew. It’s a pilgrimage that seems to attract a certain type of person, who is looking for something, even though they’d struggle to say what it was. There are easier ways to spend a week, but the beauty of the countryside, the camaraderie of the pilgrims and the sense of solitude you carry with you make it an unforgettable journey. (more…)
by admin | Jun 17, 2013 | Belonging, Ireland, Latest News, Pilgrimage, UK, Uncategorized
Tomorrow we’re off along the Camino, beginning the first week of a 500 mile journey that finishes at the shrine of St. James in Santiago de Compostella. The Camino, or the Way as it is sometimes known, has been walked by pilgrims from around Europe for well over a thousand years. The route we’re taking begins just inside the boarder of France, crosses through a stunningly beautiful pass in the Pyrenees, before heading into the Navarre region of Spain. We’ll wind our way along roadside, forest path and river bank on our way through pilgrim towns like Roncesvalles, Estella and Pamplona.
But the Camino is more concerned with the journey within than without. The beauty and the slowness of the Way invite the pilgrim to clam their soul, move to a different rhythm of life, and listen to still small voice of God. The Camino has become increasingly popular over the years among a wide variety of people. It’s called people of all religious creeds and none. But most importantly it succeeded in engaging many who are looking for something new or seeking something that was lost. It’s a journey of discovery where the way is as important, if not more so, as the destination. It about the times of solitude and silence walking by yourself, taking in all the life around you. It’s also about sharing the Way with others; listening to their stories and offering some of your own.
Over the next week we’ll be posting photos on our Facebook page so keep an eye out and you’ll be able to track our progress as peregrinos del Camino de Santiago de Compostella!
by admin | Jun 7, 2013 | Africa, America, Belonging, Communal Work, Compassion, Ireland, Latest News, Prophetic, UK, What we do
“You are authentic disciples of Jesus Christ,” said Pope Francis when he was the Archbishop of Buenos Aires.
Speaking about the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, he spoke of their ministry, saying “only a priest in love with the Lord can renew a parish. But at the same time he must be a missionary who lives the constant desire of looking for those who are separated and who is not content with just administration.” (more…)
We all suspected something different was happening when the newly elected Pope first knelt down and asked for the people’s prayers before he gave his first blessing. It seems however that Pope Francis has exceeded those expectations and as his papacy continues he challenges the young people of the world at World Youth Day to be agents of the Holy Spirit. When asked about his hopes for World Youth Day Pope Francis replied:
