Aug 7, 2025
Summer has brought wonderful celebrations to the MSC mission in Mozambique, with a beautiful ceremony honouring Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in May, and a special Pentecost Vigil in June.Â
The parish of Santa Marta hosted both events, with all its customary enthusiasm and joy! Fr JosĂ© Eduardo presided over a celebration of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at the end of May, the Month of Mary, and the ceremony was one of âgreat joy and faithâ, âenriched by songs, prayers, and expressions of deep spiritualityâ.Â
The community gathered to pray together to Our Lady, âwho welcomes us with tenderness and leads us to the Heart of her Son Jesusâ. âThis was a time of renewal of faith, trust and surrender,â writes the Facebook page for MSC Mozambique â a sentiment that resonates with us here as we prepare for our own Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road at the end of August.Â
On Saturday, June 7th, the Pentecost Vigil Mass âbrought together youth from the parishes of Vigararia East in the Diocese of Pembaâ. Participants were joined by the MSC students on the mission, for an evening of âprayer, reflection, and brotherly sharing, in a true breath of the Spirit that renewed hearts and strengthened the fellowship and missionary fervor of the participantsâ.Â
The following morning, a Pentecost Mass brought an end to the celebrations, âwhere everyone gathered as a living Church invoked the Holy Spirit to illuminate and guide the path of youth and missionâ.Â
These pictures shared on the Facebook page for MSC Mozambique perfectly embody the wonderful spirit of community and faith in the parish of Santa Marta and beyond, as we continue to keep our MSC brothers and the communities they serve in the Diocese of Pemba in our prayers.Â
Images via the Facebook page for MSC MozambiqueÂ
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Sep 5, 2024
At the end of July, a group of 26 pilgrims walked the Camino InglĂ©s in order to raise funds to help care for sick and abandoned children at the Holy Family Care Centre in Ofcolaco, South Africa. With Fr Tony Horgan MSC at the helm, the group covered 116km in six days, and raised over âŹ20,000 for the Holy Family Team. Mary Morrish, one of the MSC Missions Office team here in Cork, took part in this year’s Camino walk, and shares her daily diary with us.
Fr Tony Horgan MSC (left) and MSC Missions Office team member Mary Morrish (second from right), with pilgrims Nisha and John.
Day 1:Â Ferrol â Neda (15.5km)
We began the first day of our Camino pilgrimage on a gentle note, with a reflection by our group leader, Fr Tony Horgan MSC. During the reflection, the clouds parted to reveal beams of sunshine â a promising beginning to the day, and to the trip! We started our journey in Ferrol, walking through the nautical city until we reached the beautiful estuary. From there, we walked through the surrounding woodlands and glades, until we reached the outskirts of Neda, where we went for a cooling paddle. We clapped and cheered as each member of our pilgrimage arrived at the meeting point. Fr Tony then said a beautiful Mass, where we took the body and blood of Christ in our magnificent surroundings. Everyone who had an intention spoke, and we prayed for each of them. We also prayed for the children of the Holy Family Care Centre in South Africa, who will benefit from this fundraising trip, and all who supported our fundraising appeal.
We ended Day 1 with a gorgeous pilgrimsâ dinner of fish, potatoes, and wine, while the evening was rounded off with a rapturous sing-song. âTil Day 2!
Day 2: Neda â Pontedueme (16km)
Our second day started off with a reflection by Fr Tony, where we all joined in and spoke about sharing our stories.
Then began our climb from Neda. The day started off overcast, which was a welcome relief from the heat, and we walked the heights and marvelled at the gorgeous views. We stopped at a modesty box along the way, and collected some shells for our journey.
We then continued on our journey, amazed by the beauty that we passed on our way. It was so lovely to meet other pilgrims from all nationalities as we walked. Stopping for lunch, we had great fun recounting the journey so far, and we started our walk again with much enthusiasm. We passed beautiful country farmhouses, with their terracotta roofs baking in the sun. Eventually, we saw a glimpse of sea glistening on the horizon, and soon we were looking down over Pontedueme, a thriving town. We swam, we ate, and we found that we had many talented singers amongst us! We ended our day with a sing-song, with Liam, one of our pilgrims, on guitar. We gathered quite a crowd!
Fr Tony said Mass for us â one of our pilgrims was a Jesuit, who actually helped Pope Francis with his English many years ago. We celebrated Mass with music and singing, before going to share our pilgrimsâ meal of chicken and potatoes. A very special day indeed!
Day 3: Pontedueme â Betanzos (20km)
As Day 3 of our journey began, we feasted on our breakfast knowing that we had a 20km walk ahead of us. We were all on a high as the sing-song the night before had been so much fun. Boarding the bus, we were dismayed to be see heavy rain pouring down outside the windows; however, we soon cheered up as we listened to Fr Tonyâs inspiring reflection, which took us all beyond any concerns about the weather!
Heading for the 12th-century seaside town of Betanzos, we walked a steep climb of 1km through Pontedeume. The views here were dominated by the magnificent landscape of the old mountains that make up Galicia, blanketed in reforestation trees including pines and eucalyptus.
Our walk today took us through Mifio and Paderne, eventually bringing us to the medieval city of Betanzos.
Betanzos is a gorgeous city, and one I would love to visit again. It boasts wonderful architecture and charming cobbled streets, and is a city that just has a lovely colourful atmosphere.
Arriving back at the hotel at the dayâs end, we were a very hungry band of pilgrims and were more than ready to eat! Another beautiful dinner of fresh fish awaited us, and a much-needed early night was enjoyed by all. We were undeniably tired after the 20km walk, but nonetheless, it had been a great day. Tomorrow, we will pack up our bags and move to our hotel in Santiago for the last part of our pilgrimage.
Day 4: Betanzos â Bruma (25km)
What an absolutely gorgeous day! We began our morning with our daily reflection, which really is a sacred time for all of us and a very special way to start the day.
Some of our group carry a stone for a loved one who has passed away, or for someone who needs healing in their life. They feel that the stone represents their loved on accompanying them on their journey. When they feel content and at peace, and are ready to walk on their own, they will leave their stone along The Way.
Fr Tony also asked us to pick up one of the many stones that we saw on the various Camino stone markers that we passed along the way. We could then carry the burden on the person that left it for the day, and keep them in our prayers.
The scenery today was beautiful. Our walk took us through lush forests of pine and eucalyptus trees, and it was just breathtaking. We walked as far as Trevsas, where we came to a cafĂ©. Here, we were greeted by a lovely lady named Carmen, who will sit you down and place a wonderful selection of biscuits and meats in front of you to enjoy at no charge. She also did us the great honour of opening up the tiny church that sits across from her cafĂ©. It is a very special space, where she has actually crocheted the flowers that decorate the interior herself. She told us it was very important that we hug the tree outside, which we gladly did. (Iâm not quite sure what the significance of this was, but it was a lovely moment!)
Our journey then took us to the enchanting hamlet of Hospital is Brua, which dates back to 1175 and is named for the hospital that would provide care for pilgrims here. We enjoyed our now-traditional sing-song over some refreshments, and then went to see our new home for the next few nights in Santiago, the Hotel Gelmirez.
The check-in process was an easy one, and after we had all settled in, we went downstairs to have Mass with Fr Tony. Again, it was a beautiful ceremony with singing and meaningful readings, while our friends in the group presented some of the stones they had found along the way, and spoke about how they made them feel. After a delicious dinner, some of us went out to explore Santiago â what an amazing city!
Day 5: Bruma â Siguerio (26km)
Todayâs walk began in Bruma, and we were once again well set up for the day ahead after our morning reflection with Fr Tony. We passed the most amazing sculpture park by the Azul bar, which was certainly worth a look! Our walk took us through a beautiful wooded area, taking in the Fonte de InglĂ©s, and brought us to Igrexa de San Paio de BuscĂĄs in A RĂșa, where we saw the 18th-century statue of San Paio, a child martyr. The remainder of the dayâs walk continued through farm and woodland, and I wonât deny that the last 6km of the day were tough going! As you enter Siguerio, you walk parallel to a motorway, and I was very happy when we arrived into Siguerio itself â and very tempted to jump straight into the municipal swimming pool!
We are now only 16km from Santiago, so we were back in our hotel in no time at all. Fr Tony ended the day with Mass, and we all reflected on what a lovely, if demanding, day it had been.
Day 6: Siguerio â Santiago (16km)
The last leg! We began the day early as we all wanted to get a head-start on the midday sun and the rising temperatures. Starting off in Siguerio, we crossed the medieval bridge and continued on our way through the forest, heading for Santiago. We stopped at an old inn that has been there for many years, and also spotted a pre-Roman hill fort. In keeping with tradition, we lay our stones on the existing pile, marking our own personal moment along The Way.
Walking along the outskirts of the city of Santiago, we passed several parks, and many fascinating buildings connected to the University of Santiago are dotted around the city. We followed our yellow shell stone markings for the final time â although at this stage, we didnât need them anymore! Before us appeared the spires of the Cathedral, rising high in the summer sky. The sense of appreciation and gratitude you feel when you enter the square by the Cathedral for the first time is something very special. Two of us, myself and one of the other pilgrims, Mary, began saying the Rosary. Two of our companions had tears rolling down their faces, prompted by the sheer emotion of the journey and the fact that we had made it here. It was an incredibly special feeling, and a moment that I think will stay with us all for a long time.
After a well-deserved lunch, we went to visit the Cathedral, where we saw the tomb of St James and lit some candles for our personal intentions. We had a pilgrim Mass to attend, and we were only thrilled to hear that our very own Fr Tony was concelebrating Mass in the Cathedral! The church was jam-packed, with standing room only. I sat at the base of an ancient pillar, and took a moment to think about how many others would have sat here before me in times past. Fr Tony wore a green vestment decorated with the symbol of the Camino, the seashell, in a fitting tribute to our shared journey.
We were each presented with a Compostella passport â proof that we had completed all 116km of the English Way! After a lovely dinner, we all went out for drinks as a group. We were 26 strangers who had become friends on this incomparable journey.
Day 7: Homeward bound!
Our final day â after one last delicious breakfast, many of our group took in the English Mass in Santiago. Some essential last-minute shopping was done, and I took the tourist train around the city, to see as much of Santiago as I could before we had to leave. All too soon, it was time to take our final trip, to Santigo airport and homeward bound to Ireland. What a simply amazing journey.
We are so sincerely thankful to each and every person who joined us on our 2024 Camino Pilgrimage. Not only did they complete the great achievement of walking the Camino InglĂ©s, but they also raised over âŹ20,000 for the Holy Family Care Centre in South Africa â a staggering amount that will guarantee that the children at the centre will receive the nourishment and care they need for at least six months. Their support is quite literally invaluable, and it is with grateful hearts that we thank them for their compassion and their friendship, on the Camino and beyond! Until next year â go raibh mile maith agaibh, agus Dia dhaoibh go lĂ©ir!
    
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Aug 29, 2024
A New Academic Year
Itâs all go as usual in the Catholic University of South Sudan, Rumbek Campus. As we are approaching the end of one year, we are already in full swing getting organised for the next. The University is small but growing, and we are committed to seeing it flourish. Earlier this month, we launched a promotion programme for our new intake. We arranged a series of Facebook ads, printed flyers, put posters up around town, made Church announcements, and hosted two radio talk shows with our students.
Without a doubt, our students are our best adverts and promotors. Many of our new applicants have come through their personal recommendation. Their collaboration is essential and invaluable. However, we are faced with two significant challenges right now. The first is that the basic educational attainment level remains low. There is still a great deal of investment needed in primary and secondary education. According to the UN, South Sudan has the lowest expected school attendance in the world at just 5.6 years on average. This is why the work of the University in training professional, qualified teachers is so imperative. In addition, there has been significant inflation since the beginning of the year, reaching 320% since January. This means that finding money for University fees is especially difficult. To this end, we have worked to make them as low as possible and continue to offer a partial scholarship to women. For many, it is still not enough.
Fostering Body and Mind
It is not enough to just educate our students, we also need to attend to their complete wellbeing. Here, that means addressing issues like Hepatitis B. Seventy percent of all new global infections of viral hepatitis B and C occur in sub-Saharan Africa due to insufficient interventions, and the rate in South Sudan is a real problem. Hepatitis mortality remains high due to low treatment coverage. To this end, we have been working with the Mary Ward Primary Health Care Centre to test and vaccinate all of our students and staff who wish to take part. Those who are found to be Hep. B carriers are referred onwards for further treatment. Three out of four students and staff have already received their first dose, with second due later this month, and the third in September.
Get that Job!
As mentioned already, the South Sudanese economy is struggling and opportunities for employment are few and far between. Any time there is a job posting, the response is immediate and overwhelming, with many not even being shortlisted, let alone interviewed! To support our students, we arranged a workshop on interview technique with a member of Caritas, one of the largest organisations working in South Sudan. He worked with them on the essentials of best practice, good preparation, effective communication, and strong presentation. The attendance by students was enthusiastic, with standing room only for late comers. If given half the chance, they have the drive and creativity to really shape and change the economy and their community for the better. Such sustainable economic development by South Sudanese themselves is at the heart of our vision for the University.
Full House
This week our end-of-year exams began and will continue until the end of the month. Around the campus, student study groups are running as they prepare for tests in managerial accounting, African literature, computer literacy, entrepreneurship and innovation, economics, and ethics. All our first and second years sat my Church history exam yesterday and the stack of their uncorrected scripts are staring at me balefully from across the office. Itâs perhaps the only aspect of lecturing I do not enjoy⊠to put it mildly!
While the exams continue, we are also welcoming our new first-year students. They will begin their bridging course tomorrow, which is comprised of eight weeks of intensive maths and English to help them as they start their third-level studies. All going well, they will be ready to begin their first courses by the middle of October.
Nhialic ke yin (God bless you as they say here),
Fr Alan
Director,
CUSS Rumbek
Read more from Fr Alanâs missionary journey in South Sudan:
Jul 18, 2024
It has been a busy few months in the Catholic University of South Sudan, Rumbek and, as always, life is filled with activity. The economic crisis has deepened, due to the war in Sudan and runaway inflation here. Teachers, nurses, policemen, and civil servants have now not been paid since last October. How people manage to survive at all is one of the enduring mysteries. However, the South Sudanese are a courageous and resilient people and life has to go on.
Joyful Graduations
We are a new Catholic third-level institution, so this year marked the graduations of our first class. Our four Diploma in Business Administration and two Diploma in Accounting and Finance students joined us in our mother campus of Catholic University in Juba. In addition to our Diploma class, thirteen more Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Education students will graduate later this year.
For many of them, they will be the first member of their family to have earned a third level qualification. It is a source of tremendous excitement for all involved. More importantly, after decades of deliberate underinvestment in the south before independence by the Sudanese government, these men and women are among the first groups of South Sudanese men and women to be graduate as local teachers and business people. Our Bishop, Christian Carlassare, was the guest of honour on the day, and spoke with pride about the difference the graduates would make in creating a stronger, most sustainable future for South Sudan.
We have also established a group for these new alumni, so that they can continue to avail of the resources of the University as they begin their careers. Access to the internet here is among some of the most expensive globally due to our isolated location. However, with the support of the MSC Mission Office Australia, all of our computers are online, allowing them to search for employment, carry out research, and prepare CVs and applications. For our current students, it has opened up an entirely new dimension, giving them access to textbooks, videos and online software that previously they could only have wished for.
Creative Collaboration
Resources here are few and we are always looking for innovative ways to support the professional development of our students. To this end we are collaborating closely with the Department of Human Sciences in the University of Salerno. Every three weeks, our Bachelor of Education students have a special input delivered online by a senior member of the faculty. They focus on some of the latest techniques and methodologies that will help develop their teaching practice. To date we have studied cognitive difficulties in youth, the design of classrooms to facilitate greater participation, and Universal Design for Learning.
All of our students speak English as a second, sometimes third language and the demands of academia can present a significant challenge. To tackle this issue, we currently offer advanced English classes for our first and second years. In an exciting new partnership with the Loreto Education Centre, we are also setting up small group classes for students who need extra support, along with classes in English for business professionals.
New Beginnings
While these last months have been a time of saying goodbye to some, we are getting ready to welcome others. Earlier this week we launched our admissions programme for new students. While our Bachelor of Business Administration remains popular, the two Bachelor of Education degrees are our main focus. The development of well-trained local secondary school teachers is our central goal, and we see it as an essential component in the continued development of South Sudan.
As part our admissions drive, we will have students involved in talk shows on two different local radio stations, use social media advertising, put up posters around town, make announcements after Masses, distribute flyers, and most importantly encouraging our students to spread the news by word of mouth. As ambassadors for the University, their recommendation is the most effective way of engaging new students and they have been enthusiastic in their mission. As always, we endeavour to encourage as many women as possible to study with the help of our partial scholarship programme and along with our measures to facilitate mothers with young children. We are also one of the few institutions nationally that have a wheelchair toilet and a fully accessible campus. Here, education is for everyone.
Nhialic ke yin (or God bless you),
Fr Alan
Read more from Fr Alanâs missionary journey in South Sudan:
Jul 3, 2024
The month of June saw great celebrations in the MSC Missions Office in Cork, as we marked the outstanding dedication and loyalty of our Missions Office team with long-service awards for six of our staff members.
Fr John Fitzgerald and Fr Joe McGee celebrate the long-service awards of Anne, Patricia, Mary, Fiona, and Ann – not forgetting Maura, who wasn’t able to be with us on the day.
Our Missions Office on the Western Road, Cork, is manned by a small but mighty team of long-serving staff members whose commitment and enthusiasm is second to none, and has only grown stronger throughout the years. Patricia and Ann both celebrated 45 years of working with our MSC Missions, Mary and Fiona each hit the 35-year milestone, and Maura and Anne marked 10 years of service each â a combined total of 180 years!
Irish Provincial Leader Fr Joe McGee and Missions Office Director Fr John Fitzgerald were on hand to lead the celebrations, and to present each of the team with a token of appreciation to commemorate their outstanding contribution throughout the years. We often speak of our extended Sacred Heart family, which is made up of our religious members and lay friends alike; it is only with our combined efforts that we have the power to generate positive change, and it is in unity that we have strength. Our six long-standing ladies have each played an invaluable role during their time to date with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, and we would like to thank them sincerely for their hard work, their unwavering reliability, and their positive energy as they keep things running smoothly behind the scenes. We look forward many more years on our shared journey as we work together to bring the love of the Sacred Heart to life across the world.
Sincere congratulations and a heartfelt thank you
to Patricia, Ann, Mary, Fiona, Maura, and Anne!
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Jul 17, 2020
Here we want to share with you our story since we moved to Ireland to our wedding: it is the story of two young lovers who, thanks the tireless guidance and help of God, are building up the foundations of their family.
We were both at the final year of our degree when we first met. We were going to spend a weekend with some friends in Bagolino, a place in the mountain in the province of Brescia, Italy. It was immediately clear to both of us that we were done one for the other. After that weekend, we decided to know each other a bit better after that weekend, and we ended up spending the last six months of our degrees more or less always together. It has been such a beautiful and intense period!
Since that time, God has started building up the pieces of our relationships.
Immediately after the graduation none of us had a job. As a nurse, Paola was highly requested all over the world, whereas for Luca, a philosopher, things were a bit more complicated. The most obvious choice for his was to look for a PhD and this is what he ended up doing. Luca was offered a position at University College Dublin: he accepted and Paola decided to follow him. It was not an easy choice for Paola: it would have been definitely easier to find a job in Italy, to stay close to her family and friends instead of following a guy after only six months of relationship. She decided to do so anyway, and so we moved to Dublin in January 2017.
The first months were really hard for both of us: Luca had no scholarship and Paola had no job. She eventually found one in June and Luca took up a part-time job in UCD, while doing his research, to finance his studies. After some time, our professional lives became easier: after one year and a half Luca got a generous scholarship, and Paola secured a permanent job at St Michaelâs Hospital in Dun Laoghaire. We took this as a sign: God was giving us some economic stability, even if just for a limited amount of time, to plan to bring our relationship at a further level and to start thinking about us as a family. Or at least, this is how we read this sign. We started thinking about getting married, and we seemed both ready and willing to take this choice. But we were still unsure that the sign we got was really indicating Godâs way.
So, here is what happened. In August 2018, Pope Francis came do Dublin for the World Congress of Family. We were willing to go to the Holy Mass in Phoenix Park, but we couldnât get a ticket. We were keep thinking that God was asking us to build up a family, and what a better opportunity that to hear what Pope Francis, in person, has to say about Family. We made every effort, but it seemed impossible to get two tickets. The night before the event, a colleague of Paola texted her that she had two spare tickets for the Mass. What a miracle!
Receiving the sacrament together: The best day of our lives.
The day of the Holy Mass in Phoenix Park was rainy, windy and cold: but how such warmness in our hearts! That was the definite sign that God was speaking to us as a family and, therefore, that He was telling us to marry. And so, Luca decided to make the proposal. It was the 6th of October 2018 when in the wild, colourful and amazing Dingle peninsula, Luca asked Paola to marry her! From this moment onwards, all our energies were directed towards the wedding. However, there was a âlittleâ obstacle: Paola did not have any Sacrament. And here is another immense help from God: at that time, the Catholic Italian Community had Fr Fintan Gavin, now Bishop of Cork, as a chaplain and he was organizing a wedding preparation course for the community. Together with the wedding preparation, Fr Fintan set up a personal course for Paola to get all the Sacraments. Fr Fintan guided us into the mystery of the Sacraments, he prepared us to enjoy their spiritual benefits and he literally brought us to the altar.
On the 21st September 2019, Fr Fintan married us: from that day, our family has begun to exist, thanks be to God!
Luca & Paola
