Apr 30, 2026
This year, we’re celebrating the 60th anniversary of the MSC Missions Office on the Western Road, Cork, and as part of our anniversary commemorations, we’re looking back on old issues of our newsletter, the MSC Message, on a walk together down Memory Lane.
Fr Jules Chevalier and the Foundation of the MSC
The Winter edition of the MSC Message in 1999 took us to Issoudun, France, giving readers a short history of the founder of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, Fr Jules Chevalier, and the establishment of the first society of the MSC in the small town of Issoudun.
While the 1999 article gives a short overview, you can find out more about Fr Chevalier and the foundation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart here.
The Russian Mission
In Autumn 1998, the MSC Message featured an update from Irish MSC Fr Con Doherty, writing from the Russian mission. Having returned to the Sacred Heart parish on the Western Road, Cork, in recent years, it is fascinating to read Fr Con’s account of life in the Caucusus region of Russia almost 30 years ago.
The Irish MSCs on the mission at the time had attended the Consecration of Bishop Klemens Pikkel in Marx, were teaching weekly catechetical classes for adults and children, and were looking forward to celebrating the First Holy Communion of six children and one adult in St Joseph’s Parish, Nal’chik, that October.
You can read more about the scope of the Russian mission here.
A prayer for students
Finally, and fittingly for this time of year, Summer of 1998 brought us a lovely prayer to St Joseph of Cupertino, patron saint of students.
“Joseph Desa (b. 1602) had an abiding vocation to serve God, but the various authorities considered him of ‘poor intelligence’. He prayed that on the occasion of his examination, he would be asked questions to which he knew the answers. Joseph went on to study for the priesthood and eventually was ordained. He devoted his life to prayer and good works. He is the patron saint of students.”
Dear Saint Joseph of Cupertino, please intercede for me that I may be successful in my exams, in my future career, in life and in my Faith. Amen.
With every blessing to all students approaching exams this summer, and the families and teachers supporting them along the way. You are very welcome to light a candle or send us a prayer request for a special student, or order an exam Mass card on our website, and our MSCs will be glad to keep your intentions in their prayers.
Read more from our 60th anniversary celebrations…
Apr 25, 2026
Holy Week on our MSC Mission in Ecuador proved to be a very special time indeed, with a host of celebrations throughout the week culminating on the glorious Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
“It was a beautiful experience; I loved living with my indigenous community,” writes Fr Marcelo Campoverde MSC. “Eighteen missionaries who came from Quito, the capital, also helped me; it was a beautiful experience for them too.”
“That’s all I can share with you,” he said. “The photos speak for themselves!”
Thanks to the support of our mission friends and benefactors here at home, we have been able to provide great help in recent years to Fr Marcelo and several indigenous communities in Ecuador. We are very grateful for your ongoing support and friendship as we work to help these communities in real and pressing need.
IF YOU CAN, PLEASE SUPPORT OUR GLOBAL MISSION PROJECTS
Apr 23, 2026
On April 12th, the Venezuelan community marked Divine Mercy Sunday with a special celebration in the parish of La Santa Cruz. On this “day of love”, MSCs and volunteers from Mis Ángeles social visited very vulnerable families, delivering toys to the children along with clothing for the adults and food for each household.
“Under the motto of compassion, the team brought words of encouragement and hope to each home,” wrote Bro. Deiby Fuenmayor MSC. “These visits allowed faith to be translated into concrete actions, closely accompanying those who are going through moments of difficulty and loneliness.”
The outreach support was possible with the support and donations of “good-hearted people,” which allowed “God’s mercy to reach the most disadvantaged brothers and sisters in a tangible way”.
“The church parish is deeply grateful to the community for joining this noble cause,” finished Bro. Deiby. “As we celebrate this special day, we reaffirm our commitment to be instruments of peace and solidarity aid for the well-being of all our neighbours.”
As ever, our prayers are with our MSC brothers and the communities they serve in Venezuela – such wonderful pictures are testament to the uplifting power of faith, community, prayer, and love, even in the most challenging times.
IF YOU CAN, PLEASE SUPPORT OUR GLOBAL MISSION PROJECTS
Apr 16, 2026
This year sees great promise for our MSC Missions in Mozambique, where five young men are beginning their formation journey on the path to becoming Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
In January, Fr José Eduardo Paixão and Fr Roney Lima visited the young men beginning their missionary journey, at their family homes.
A post on the MSC Mozambique Facebook page reads:
“In this formative year, the House will welcome five young people: Cristiano and Naldo, from the district of Gilé, in the Province of Zambezia; Estevão, from the district of Alto Molocué, also from Zambézia; Hélder, from the district of Meconta, in Nampula Province; Áfido, born in Chiúre, residing in the city of Pemba, in Cabo Delgado. They are simple names, linked to concrete places, but loaded with a larger story that begins to take shape in the time of discernment.”
This year, the Fr Júlio Chevalier Formation House will be home to 13 students in total, all “united by the same desire to listen, learn and let oneself be led” in the love of the Sacred Heart.
“A vocation is not imposed, it is proposed. God passes through people’s lives with the delicacy of those who call by name and wait,” says the MSC Mozambique Facebook page. “It is important to emphasize that every vocation is an Easter journey. There are questions that remain open, there are silences that educate the heart, there are falls that purify listening. The essential thing is to remain available, with your heart attentive to the One who calls and does not withdraw your trust. May this formative stage be, for each person in formation, a time of inner rootedness, where life allows itself to be shaped with humility, freedom and fidelity to the call that comes from God and always leads further, deeper and truer.”
It is with hopeful hearts that we send every good wish and blessing to Fr Eduardo, Fr Romey, and all of the 2026 MSC students at the Fr Júlio Chevalier Formation House. Our prayers are with you all on this great journey of faith.
Images via the Facebook page for MSC Mozambique.
Apr 9, 2026
There’s something powerful about these wonderful pictures shared by the Facebook page for the Fr Jules Chevalier MSC Mission Centre in the Philippines.
Together, the community at the Centre, which is located in Lapu-Lapu City, celebrated Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28th. This year’s Earth Hour was a particularly special one, as it marks the 20th anniversary of the event, which encourages people all over the world to switch off their lights for one hour, instead learning about, promoting, or helping the environment in ways that have a positive impact on the world around us.
“The MSC Center joined Earth Hour last Saturday from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM. We turned off all lights, using only candles and a bonfire to create a calm and reflective atmosphere,” posted the Facebook page.
“The evening began with the Holy Rosary, followed by a sharing on how we can help care for the Earth, and concluded with a joyful praise and worship through song. It was a meaningful reminder of our faith, unity, and responsibility for creation.”
Earth Hour is a particularly meaningful event for the community in the Philippines, where the MSC Centre for the Poor and their accompanying agricultural co-operative are devoted to creating sustainable and self-sufficient lifestyles, nurturing our natural world and living in harmony with the earth. Earth Hour is the perfect opportunity to join in with a global movement championing our environment and our world, and to pause for prayer in a moment that is so beautiful in its simplicity.
Images via the Facebook page for the Fr. Jules Chevalier, MSC Mission Centre.
Apr 8, 2026
It is with joyful and grateful hearts that we thank everyone who took part in our Holy Week and Easter ceremonies and celebrations this year, at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork.
Our well- beloved Easter Dawn Mass took place once again this year, with mission friends and parishioners gathering to pray together in the light of the rising sun on Easter Sunday.
Over 7,000 people prayed with us via our live stream over Holy Week and Easter, including viewers from Ireland and the UK, across Europe, America, Canada, and Australia, and far-flung corners of Asia, India, and Africa. On Easter Sunday, over 1,100 people tuned into our live stream to join in with our Easter celebrations, beginning with our Easter Dawn Mass at 6.30am.
“The dawn is the most wonderful feeling in the world.”
Director of the MSC Missions Office, Fr John Fitzgerald, celebrated this year’s Easter Dawn Mass with Fr Seamus Kelly MSC. This beautiful ceremony was a truly uplifting reflection on hope and light, and the dawning of the light, both literally and symbolically, on Easter Sunday morning.
“No matter where we started from this morning, we started in the dark,” said Fr John. “And there was an expectation that the sun would rise again this morning, and it has, it’s getting brighter and brighter here.”
“The dawn is the most wonderful feeling in the world,” he continued.
In a thought-provoking reflection about nature, hope, and the Risen Christ, Fr John explored the idea of the dawn in all its different iterations.
“You know, there’s a verb and there’s a noun, but when something dawns on us – even if it is something that’s wrong – when it dawns on us, there’s a truth in it.”
“This kind of dawning is wonderful for us,” reflected Fr John.
He went on to say, “Every night that comes in nature, whatever way the world turns, or whatever way the world was made, a new dawn comes into our life if we are alive in the world.”
“These dawns, they should be massive things in our world, because we don’t usually see the dawn. We live in a world of artificial light, in a world of artificial news.”
“But the real truth is in the dawn itself, because no matter what we do, no matter how we cover off the windows, the dawn is there, the sun is somewhere in there in the cloud, and the brightness is happening.”
This very special message of Easter hope and light came to us as the sun lit up the sky on Easter Sunday morning, a glorious dawn indeed, bringing the grace and hope of the Risen Christ into our spirits and lighting up the shadows that we all find blighting our worlds at times.
Easter traditions at the Sacred Heart Church
In keeping with tradition, our annual Easter Garden lit up the altar of the Sacred Heart Church, while our outdoor Easter Garden at the MSC House and Missions Office was in full bloom. This garden stands on the Western Road year-round, and visitors are always very welcome to come to pause and pray here. As always, we are sincerely grateful to everyone who took such great care with the construction and maintenance of our Easter Gardens, inside and out, adding such beauty to our Holy Week and Easter ceremonies. The Family Tree of Life Book also took its special place on the altar, in a celebration of the joy, love, unity, and strength to be found in family, as our MSCs prayed especially for all those enrolled in this year’s prayers.
Filled with the hope and gladness of Easter, we welcome the light and brighter days ahead with joyful spirits. With every grace and blessing of the Sacred Heart to our mission friends everywhere, this Easter season and throughout the year ahead.
Click here to watch a recording of our 2026 Easter Dawn Mass.
