May 23, 2019
Sincere congratulations to Rev Luis Gonzales MSC, who was ordained a Deacon in Caracas, Venezuela, on Saturday, May 4th.
We were delighted to receive these pictures of the celebration in Caracas â a wonderful occasion for all involved.
The people of Venezuela are currently in the midst of the worst political, social, economic, and humanitarian crisis in the history of the country. In January of this year, MSC Missions Office Director FR Michael OâConnell visited MSC parishes in Maraciabo and Caracas, where Rev Luis and our Venezuelan MSC community are tireless in their efforts to bring support and relief to local families who are struggling in the current climate.
âAt a time when the country is going through such a difficult period politically, socially and economically, it is a sign of great hope that a young man such as Luis commits himself to the service of the people of Venezuela with the deep desire to be for all a living, tangible presence of Godâs heart for his people,â wrote Irish Provincial Leader Fr Carl Tranter MSC, on the occasion of Rev Luisâ ordination.
Vocations Director for the Irish Province, Fr Alan Neville MSC, also added his good wishes on the MSC Vocations Facebook page, posting: âCongratulations to Rev Luis Gonzalez MSC who was ordained a Deacon in Caracas, Venezuela, today. May the Lord bless your ministry, Luis, and always give you a big heart for his people, modelled after His own heart.â
We would like to add our congratulations, and send our very best wishes to Rev Luis from the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart!
Find out more about our missionary outreach in Venezuela
May 16, 2019
Sincere congratulations to the Rev Fr Toussaint Iluku Bolumbu MSC, who has been appointed by Pope Francis as bishop of the diocese of Bokungu-Ikela, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Currently acting as superior of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart for the French-speaking African region, Bishop-Elect Toussaint is the first MSC African bishop.
The bishop-elect was born in Monieka, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), in November 1964, the seventh in a family of eleven children. He entered the novitiate of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, and was ordained a priest in 1995, having professed his religious vows the previous year. He holds bachelorâs degrees in both philosophy and theology, and has served in a wide range of pastoral roles including parish priest, vice rector, bursar, and later superior and director of formation of the MSC School in YaoundĂ©, teacher of philosophy and theology, vice president of the Association of Major Superiors of the ecclesiastical province of Mbandaka-Bikoro, assistant to the secretariat general of the General Chapter of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Rome, and moderator of the General Conference of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in YaoundĂ©.
In April, Rev Fr Toussaint was appointed fourth bishop of the diocese of Bokungu-Ikela. His ordination will take place on July 21st in Bokungo, by Bishop Fridolin Ambongo Besungo, Archbishop of Kinshasa and Apostolic Administrator of Mbandaka Bikoro.
We send our very best wishes to Bishop-Elect Toussaint
from the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart!
May 2, 2019
We have great joy in announcing that on Saturday, May 4th, Luis Gonzalez MSC will be ordained a Deacon in Caracas, Venezuela.
At a time when the country is going through such a difficult period politically, socially, and economically, it is a sign of great hope that a young man such as Luis commits himself to the service of the people of Venezuela with the deep desire to be for all a living, tangible presence of Godâs heart for his people. We pray for Luis on this significant step in his vocational journey, that he may serve the Lord, the Church, and all of society with love and generosity. Congratulations to Luis, his brother MSCs in Venezuela, and his family.
As we keep Luis especially in our prayers these days, we also continue to pray for the whole country of Venezuela.
– Fr Carl Tranter MSC
Irish Provincial Leader
Find out more about our missionary outreach in Venezuela
Feb 7, 2019
Every three years, young Catholics from all over the world gather together to celebrate World Youth Day â and this year, Panama was lit up in the spirit of faith, prayer, and an overwhelming joy.
Fr Alan Neville and the MSC Vocations team travelled to Panama to join this yearâs celebrations, and even the intense heat and early starts couldnât dampen their enthusiasm!
A 2.30am start for their flight to Panama on January 18th was no deterrent to these early birds, and on the first day of the event, they met with fellow pilgrims from Venezuela, Poland, and the USA.
This was the perfect chance to explore Panama City, and Day 2 offered the opportunity to visit the BioMuseo, where our MSC team met with a group of pilgrims from Guatemala along the way.
January 22nd marked the official opening of World Youth Day 2019, and what an event it was! Prayer, music, good food, and new friends made for a day to remember in the Panama sunshine.
A morning of catechesis with Bishop Edward Burns, from Dallas, Texas, proved powerful for our MSC group. âBishop Ed spoke about the joy he encounters in living his vocation,â says Fr Alan as he recalls the bishopâs words: âTo say âYes!â to the Lord is to enter into the mystery of Godâs love for us.â
January 26th saw the MSC team join pilgrims from over 140 countries at the St John Paul II Park for the Vigil Mass, while the following day demanded a 5.00am alarm clock ahead of the Papal Mass at 8.10am.
Fr Alan was up with the lark and ready to go! âIâve got the gĂșna (itâs Irish â you might need to Google it),â he posted on the MSC Vocations Facebook page, âand weâre good to go.â
In a beautiful Mass, Pope Francis spoke of the necessity of building bridges rather than walls, and said that although the celebrations were coming to an end, the fruit of World Youth Day continues in parish and communities around the world as pilgrims make their way home. Cardinal Farrell also announced that plans for the next World Youth Day celebrations are already well underway, due to take place in Lisbon in 2022.
January 29th brought Fr Alan and our MSC group back to home soil. âWhat an amazing week and a fantastic group,â wrote Fr Alan. âThanks Panama â you were amazing. Roll on World Youth Day in Lisbon 2022!â
If you’d like to read more about World Youth Day celebrations in past years,
take a look at these posts from Rio de Janeiro in 2013Â and Krakow in 2016.
World Youth Day 2013 – Celebrating Faith With Millions
World Youth Day 2016 – The Road to Krakow
World Youth Day 2016 – The Gathering
Jan 4, 2019
Itâs 2019 and perhaps itâs time for something new. Maybe youâre looking for a challenge. You want to push yourself, move out of your comfort zone, and make a difference in the world. If thatâs the case our MSC Volunteering Project could be just what you need.
Summer with the MSC Volunteering Project is an unforgettable experience
We send volunteers to South Africa for seven weeks from the start of July until the end of the third week of August. There they work alongside the fantastic team based in the Holy Family Centre. It’s in the foothills of the beautiful Drakensburg Mountains in the Northern Province, about one hour east of Kruger National Wildlife Park. Holy Family is home for up to seventy children who have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS or TB. They range in age from babies and toddlers to teenagers.
Joy, one of our volunteers, with the kids on an outing
As you can imagine itâs a lively place! The kids are simply wonderful. They are so full of life, enthusiasm and joy. They love to sing and dance, run relay races with tyres and play football, go on outings, and sit around and chat. We are looking for people who would like to take part in the project. It is aimed at those between the ages of 23 and 40 and who perhaps have some practical skills. We need people with backgrounds in teaching, nursing, carpentry, electrics, mechanics and anything else. Volunteers are asked to contribute âŹ1,500 and we match this with âŹ1,500 ourselves. This covers flights, food, accommodation, insurance, transfers, and training. We look to support the children, but also to share our skills with others.
For our volunteers itâs a learning experience that they will never forget. The MSC Volunteering Project made a deep impression on those who have volunteered with us.
MSC Volunteering is a signatory of the Comhlamh Code of Good Practice on ethical, sustainable volunteering.
(more…)
Jan 4, 2019
Have you ever felt you were called to be so much more?
So, it’s 2019!
New Year is a time when you stop to think about life and where you’re going. It’s easy to slip into a pattern. It’s familiar, comfortable, and not especially exciting. However, you still feel that you could be called to be more. If that’s the case have you ever thought of exploring a call to be a Catholic priest with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart? It may be an entirely new question or perhaps it has been on your mind for some time and won’t go away. As 2019 begins perhaps now is as good as a time as any to find out more. We are happy to help in whatever way we can. Perhaps there are specific questions you might like answers to or maybe you want to simply have a chat over a coffee. It might be a once off thing or it could lead to a longer conversation. You decide. We believe that God calls everyone, including yourself, and it our role to help you find out what that might be.
Who we are
Fr. Seamus Kelly MSC working with street children in Maracaibo, Venezuela
There are over two thousand of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (or MSCs as we are more commonly known) ministering in Ireland, England, and in fifty other countries around the world. As religious, community life is important to us. We live and pray together, but then work in a wide variety of situations, based on a person’s gifts. We minister in parishes, retreat ministry, schools, hospitals, prisons, universities – well, wherever we think we’re needed. At the moment we have men in Venezuela living in some of the poorest barrios; there are brothers working on islands in the Pacific that are being profoundly impacted by climate change; and we have priests in Ireland ministering to families in Dublin, Cork and Galway.
What we believe
Our spirituality is about sharing the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with all those around us, especially those in any kind of need. Pope Francis speaks about the need for us to be, “Missionaries of God’s love and mercy.” This invitation, better still this challenge, has never been more important than it is today. There is a huge hunger for the Gospel message. What’s needed now are men who have the joy, courage, and faith to share it. In addition since our foundation, the MSCs have emphasised the need for a sense of humour in our way of life. As you get more involved in ministry at the margins you realise what a gift it is!
Where to from here
If you would like to find out more you can call Fr. Alan Neville MSC, our Vocations Director on +353 (0) 86 785 7955 Ireland or +44 (0) 75 2676 4236 UK or simply email him on vocations@mscmissions.ie He will be happy to speak with you and provide a listening ear, as you discern where God is calling you. In the meantime have a look at some of the stories below of people like yourself who were asking some of the same questions and took a leap of faith.
Read about our Novices’ celebration of their first profession.
Giacomo, a doctor in chemical engineering from Italy now studying theology in Dublin, talks about his experience working with people with disabilities in the L’Arche Community in Cork.
