Sep 4, 2017
Newly professed MSC brother Giacomo Gelardi spent some time working with the community at L’Arche Cork during the course of his novitiate year. Here, he shares his thoughts on the experience.
My life-giving experience at LâArche âLe Cheileâ, Cork
LâArche âLe Cheileâ in Cork was the best place I could have spent my pastoral placement. As soon as the door was opened to me, I was embraced by a gentle and loving welcome from the people who share their lives here, with beautiful smiles and real friendship.
I had not been at LâArche before, but it felt like being at home. The community here opened their arms to me, a stranger in their lives, and received me as a friend. Thus, I soon realised that I was not there for them, but they were there to show me a different way of living â a way of loving and welcoming each other as precious gifts, enriched by our differences.
It took just a couple of days for my tiredness, worries, and anxieties to disappear, and I started to see the beauty of Godâs presence in my life through them all. What impressed really me was their genuine nature, and the spontaneity that comes with being with one another.
The week started with a gathering of all members in a prayerful atmosphere. The community leader introduced the theme, then the members of different houses cheerfully performed songs and dances. âThis must be a special day,â I thought. However, my new friend Maria explained, âThis is how we start every week here at LâArche â we come together and exchange our wishes for a good journey for the days ahead.â
My week was organised so that I could experience the different projects underway, and that day, it was time to visit the allotment. With Mike and Barry, two pillars of LâArche Cork, we walked to the place where fruits and vegetables such as salads, tomatoes, and strawberries are grown. We watered and sowed the radishes; then, we all enjoyed a nice coffee at the nearby pub, before going back and sharing lunch together. Lunches and coffee breaks are fairly important social events here!
Over the course of the week, I spent time in the relaxation room listening to soft music with those who wanted a quiet moment. I had the chance to work with the younger lads who were making clocks and bird-houses in the woodwork course; I was also able to chat to and get to know some of the ladies while drawing cards or making candles, and I performed in improvised plays.
The week went by in the twinkling of an eye, and ended with a Mass where everyone took part, followed by singing and dancing together as a group.
During my three weeks at LâArche, my experiences taught me that being with people is more important than doing. I learned that difference is our strength; difference is a gift.
Br Giacomo Gelardi MSC
Aug 23, 2017
On Tuesday, August 15th, five MSC novices took the next step on their missionary journey as they made their First Professions in Myross Wood House, Co. Cork. On this special occasion, the community of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart joined together with the novices and their loved ones to celebrate the conclusion of the novitiate year and the beginning of a new chapter for Daniel, Domenico, Giacomo, Jaime, and Piotr.
Fr Joseph McGee MSC, who was Irish Provincial Leader at the time, explains, âFirst Profession takes place at the conclusion of the Novitiate, which is a one-year period of intense spiritual preparation for young men who wish to become Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. From this point on, they are now members of the Society, with temporary status, and they will continue their studies in preparation for the day when they will make their Final Profession as full members of the Society.â
âProfession is a promise.â
Fr Michael Curran MSC was one of the groupâs leaders throughout the novitiate year in Myross Wood, alongside Fr Nicholas Harnan MSC and Novice Master Fr Michael Huber MSC. Having worked closely with the five novices during the course of the year, the First Profession ceremony was a proud moment for the group leaders. âProfession is a promise,â says Fr Michael, âa serious commitment made to God. It has as its objective the âfollowingâ of Jesus â taking his word seriously, as all Christians do, but also imitating him in his celibate commitment, in the poverty and simplicity of his lifestyle, and in his obedience to the mission entrusted to him by the heavenly Father.â
Newly professed Br Giacomo Gelardi MSC describes his experience: âWe were all very nervous ahead of the ceremony,â he recalls. âThe night before, I think we all only slept for two or three hours at a time! The day itself, however, went very well. At moments, I realised where I was and what I was doing, and I felt both peaceful and joyful. This is what I had been waiting for, and now it felt real. I have always been for Jesus, and now itâs official!â
Treasuring the past and building the future
So, whatâs next for the newly professed MSC members? First comes a well-deserved holiday, then they will return to their studies in different parts of the world. âThe normal course of study would be about six years in total,â explains Fr Michael. âMeanwhile, these young men are in âtemporaryâ vows. They have to complete a minimum of three years in temporary Profession before taking their final vows.â
âDuring this time,â adds Fr Joseph, âthe newly professed members will be given more opportunities to engage in various types of pastoral experience. They will live in community with our MSCs, and thus grow more and more as members of the Society.â
âIâll be studying theology in Maynooth for three years,â says Br Giacomo. âI know itâs going to be difficult, but I donât mind. Iâm a perfectionist, I want to do my best at everything â in prayer with Jesus and at university â but Iâll take it as it comes.â
âThis has been a wonderful day for the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.â
This yearâs First Profession ceremony has been an event of great significance for the MSC community. âThis has been a wonderful day for the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart â not only in Ireland, but throughout Europe,â concludes Fr Joseph. âIt means new life. It really is encouraging that, in this day and age, young men who might otherwise live fruitful and productive lives in any other professional capacities have chosen to dedicate themselves to our mission and ministry. Each of these young men has many talents and skills which he will place at the service of our mission, and I look forward to watching them progress along their journey as they follow the Lordâs call.â
Congratulations to the Myross Wood
European Novitiate 2016 â 2017!
Br Piotr Zlobinski MSC (South German-Austrian Province)
Br Jaime Rosique MSC (Spanish Province)
Br Domenico Rosa MSC (Italian Province)
Br Daniel Filipek MSC (South German-Austrian Province)
Br Giacomo Gelardi MSC (Irish Province)
Images by Alan Dodd.
Aug 9, 2017
The Commission was a project that came from a group of people with a passion for university mission in the UK. Originally piloted in Richmond 2016 (then Student Leadership Training), The Commission was a huge success among the seventy students who attended. They went away after three days with a new found enthusiasm and skill set for modern day discipleship on campus!
In 2017, it went to the next level. From the 9th until the 12th of July, the Commission was held in St Maryâs University in Twickenham, featuring speakers from the FOCUS college evangelisation team from the US.
FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) are a group inspired and conceived from Saint John Paul IIâs call to âNew Evangelisationâ. Their mission is to simply live the great commission which Jesus instructed through student outreach on university campuses. Using tools they have developed specifically for the evangelisation of young people, FOCUS now have over 500 missionaries on 100 campuses in 36 of the United States of America. (more…)
Aug 1, 2017
It’s a festival like no other â and it comes with its own castle!
Now going for over 20 years, the Brightlights Festival is an opportunity for young Catholics to come together â to have fun, listen to inspiring and engaging speakers, take part in interesting workshops, and hear some great bands and musical talent. All of this, with awesome times for prayer and encounters with the Sacraments!
The Brightlights Festival is a place where you can discover something more about yourself, others, and God in a safe and relaxed environment; a place where you can experience something of the depth and diversity of the Catholic Church, and share your own faith and experiences with others of the same age-group and outlook.
It’s about music, theatre, and dance… but above all, it’s about joy and faith.
Once again, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart were there with our friends from Birmingham’s Kenelm Youth Trust in Alton Castle. It was a wonderful weekend meeting up with old friends and making new ones. The One Hope Project led the music and RISE Theatre performed their amazing production celebrating the life of Blessed Oscar Romero. (more…)
Jul 28, 2017
Joy begins her day in the clinic, helping some of the children get ready for the day.
Joy O’Donnell, a nurse from Mayo, shares some of her experiences with the MSC Volunteering Project in the Holy Family Centre, South Africa.
“So, our adventure began just over three weeks ago, from Dublin to Limpopo, where we met the wonderful Holy Family â and that is what I can truly say it is, a family. We arrived tired but excited after our long journey. We were also nervous about meeting the kids, but all I can say is that the welcome we were given overwhelmed us all. We were greeted with open arms, smiling faces, and loads of hugs and cuddles from the kids. They made us feel instantly welcome, and all our nerves left us, as we could see these kids were full of love, fun, life, and liveliness! And that was just the first day!” (more…)
Jun 8, 2017
Thereâs something special about getting up before dawn each morning, finding your boots (or runners â weâll get to that later), and heading off with fellow pilgrims in a gentle procession across the Spanish countryside. This is the daily rhythm of those who walk the Camino de Santiago, as we walk from horizon to horizon to the resting place of St James the Apostle.
This is the fifth year that the MSC Vocations team have organised the pilgrimage on the Way. It is the sort of experience that attracts people from a variety of backgrounds. Each day, weâre out walking with the sun rising behind us. We stop for breakfast after a couple of hours, and then take a cafĂ© con leche mid-morning. Thereâs no great rush. In fact, when youâre walking about 25km each day, you have to go gently.
“On the Way, you take time – for yourself and for others.”
This is perhaps the greatest challenge of the Camino, that of slowing down. Our world today is fast-paced and constantly moving. Being under pressure is seen as a virtue for some strange reason. On the Way, you take time â for yourself and for others. You speak with absolute strangers. People come from all over the world, drawn by something they find difficult to put into words. One of our group this year hit it on the head when he said that we were walking in the 
footsteps of millions of people, along pilgrim pathways that stretch back over a thousand years and that will continue into the future.
While itâs a reflective, meditative experience, itâs also good fun. When we arrived into these old towns, we would take a siesta and spend most of the day exploring, before gathering for a shared meal in the evening. We met a navy chaplain who keeps bees, a part-time Mr and Mrs Santa Claus who spend their summers caring for pilgrims, and plenty of people from South Korea, who couldnât speak English but who were ace at sign language.
A small aside for future pilgrims â while runners look great, theyâre not really ideal footwear for a walk like this. One statement from someone in this yearâs group summed it up beautifully. Following a torrential rain shower, she told me, in what has to be the most positive interpretation of an uncomfortable situation ever, âFr. Alan, my soaked trainers make it much easier to walk on my blistered feet!â
Buen Camino,
Fr. Alan
If youâd like to know more about our Camino trips, you can contact Fr. Alan at camino@mscmissions.ie, or call +353 (0) 86 785 7955 (Ireland) or +44 (0) 75 2676 4236 (UK).
On the Camino, we began each day with a moment of reflection. This was one of a number of pieces from the poet Mary Oliver, titled “Invitation”, which we used to inspire us for the day ahead:
Oh do you have time
to linger
for just a little while
out of your busy
and very important day
for the goldfinches
that have gathered
in a field of thistles
for a musical battle,
to see who can sing
the highest note,
or the lowest,
or the most expressive of mirth,
or the most tender?
Their strong, blunt beaks
drink the air
as they strive
melodiously
not for your sake
and not for mine
and not for the sake of winning
but for sheer delight and gratitude â
believe us, they say,
it is a serious thing
just to be alive
on this fresh morning
in the broken world.
I beg of you,
do not walk by
without pausing
to attend to this
rather ridiculous performance.
It could mean something.
It could mean everything.
It could be what Rilke meant, when he wrote:
You must change your life.
