May 14, 2026
An invitation to join us at our 2026 Novena to the Sacred Heart
Our annual MSC Novena to the Sacred Heart is a blessed time of reflection and thanksgiving, when we bring our prayers and petitions before the generous love of the Sacred Heart. This year’s Novena of Masses will take place from Thursday, June 4th to Friday, June 12th.
All are welcome to join in this year’s Novena Masses, which will take place daily at 10.00am and 8.00pm at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork. Daily Novena Masses will also be available to watch live, as we welcome those who cannot be with us in person.
The Sacred Heart Parish welcomes each and every one of our mission friends and parishioners, from near and far, to pray with us during this year’s Novena to the Sacred Heart.
“Leave everything in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and begin again with joy.”
~ St Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)
Be part of this year’s Novena to the Sacred Heart
At this special time of year, you can help us to help others by supporting our ongoing mission projects, and in gratitude for your contribution, we will be glad to remember your intentions at our daily Novena Masses. You can then submit your personal prayers and intentions online, and our MSC priests will remember your petitions specially throughout the course of the Novena.
This year’s Novena to the Sacred Heart will be celebrated by Fr John H. Walsh OP. Born in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, Fr John entered the Order of Preachers in Cork after leaving school. Educated in Maynooth, Oxford, and Rome, Fr. John has served as a preacher of parish missions and retreats, and was also promoter for the Rosary Apostolate and a superior of Dominican communities in Ireland. Presently, he is the director of the St. Martin Apostolate in Dublin and the editor of the St. Martin magazine, as well as promotor for itinerant preaching for the Irish Dominicans.
Each year, the Novena to the Sacred Heart offers great solace and comfort to all who take part, as we bring our prayers and personal intentions before the Sacred Heart of Jesus. As we continue to navigate the ongoing challenges of these turbulent times, we come together in the spirit of hope, reflection, and thanksgiving in the sacred space granted to us by the Novena. All are very welcome to join us, in person and online, for our Novena Masses as we come together to reflect and give thanks in the grace and love of the Sacred Heart.
Together, we pray that these nine days of prayer will be a grace-filled and blessed time for all involved.
MSC Sacred Heart Novena at the Sacred Heart Church, Western Road, Cork
Daily Novena Masses:
10.00am & 8.00pm
Day 1: Thursday, June 4th
10.00am & 8.00pm
Day 2: Friday, June 5th
10.00am & 8.00pm
Day 3: Saturday, June 6th
10.00am & 8.00pm
Day 4: Sunday, June 7th
10.00am & 8.00pm
Day 5: Monday, June 8th
10.00am & 8.00pm
Reconciliation services
Day 6: Tuesday, June 9th
10.00am & 8.00pm
Day 7: Wednesday, June 10th
10.00am & 8.00pm
*Please note there will be an additional Mass of Healing at 3.00pm in the Sacred Heart Hall*
Day 8: Thursday, June 11th
10.00am & 8.00pm
Day 9: Friday, June 12th – Feast of the Sacred Heart
10.00am & 8.00pm
For those who cannot be with us in person, you are very welcome to join us for our daily online Novena Masses on our live stream, united in spirit as we pray together as a great family of faith.
Novena Prayer to the Sacred Heart
O Divine Jesus, who said,
“Ask and you shall receive”,
I kneel at your feet.
From whom shall I ask if not from you,
whose heart is the source of all blessings.
With a lively faith in you,
I come to ask…
Share your petitions silently with the Sacred Heart.
I admit I am most unworthy of your favours, Jesus,
but this is not a reason for me to be discouraged.
You are the God of mercies and you will not refuse a contrite heart.
Look with pity on me,
I beg you, and your compassionate Heart
will find in my weakness a motive for granting my request.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me.
Amen.
May 7, 2026
Sincere thanks to everyone who came along to participate in our annual May fundraising event for the community of the Holy Family Care Centre, a dedicated facility for vulnerable young children run by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, with the support of the MSC, in Ofcolaco, South Africa. This year’s fundraising event took place at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork, after Masses on May 2nd and 3rd, and raised a total of approximately €4,226.81 for the Holy Family children.
Each May, the Sacred Heart community comes out in force to raise funds for the ongoing work of the Holy Family team, with a local plant and cake sale that always receives wonderfully generous support from parishioners and mission friends. It is always a lovely opportunity for old friends and new acquaintances to chat over tea and home-baked treats, and every year is much-anticipated by MSCs, local mission friends, and Sacred Heart parishioners.
Just some of the wonderful team who participated in our annual Sacred Heart Parish Plant & Cake Sale in aid of the Holy Family Care Centre in Ofcolaco, South Africa.
The Holy Family Care Centre has been run by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in South Africa, with the support of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, since its establishment in 2002. Sr Sally Duigan FDNSC heads up the team at the centre, which is a true sanctuary and home away from home for young children who are very ill, and in many cases, do not have close family to take care of them. With many of the children being HIV positive, and in need of extremely specialised care, the demands on the centre are great. The Holy Family facility has resources to accommodate 70 children, yet Sr Sally and the team always do their best to accommodate every child that needs them, and so they often have 80 children or more in their care.
The availability of funding is a constant challenge, and the support of our MSC mission friends and benefactors here in the Irish Province is invaluable. Speaking of the long-standing friendship between the MSC Mission Office and the Holy Family Care Centre, Sr Sally said, “The children and staff have benefited enormously from the funding received from MSC Mission Office Ireland, and we are so grateful.”
“We continue to give our children love, security and care in the hope they will thrive. We want them to have the energy to enjoy playtime, be able to learn and live a happy life.”
Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who worked so hard to organise this year’s fundraising event, and to everybody who contributed and took part in even the smallest way, despite the rain and cloudy weather! Every little plant and every bun sold is part of a much bigger picture, connecting the Holy Family community in South Africa with the Sacred Heart family in Cork, and we are so very grateful for your ongoing friendship, generosity, and kindness.
.
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.
Nov 6, 2025
The Sacred Heart Church stood aglow on the evening of Saturday, November 1
st, as we opened the Month of the Holy Souls with our annual Light Up a Memory Mass, a beautifully poignant tribute to the memory of loved ones who have gone before us.
The candlelit church provided a warm and welcome respite from the bleak November weather, and it is with the most grateful hearts that we welcomed a full church of local mission friends and parishioners for a very special evening of music, remembrance, and prayer in honour of our dearly departed. Over 1,000 people also joined us on the day via our live stream, to remember and pray with us, from Ireland, the UK, and Europe, as well as Canada, America, Australia, South Africa, and more.
The enduring power of love
Fr John Fitzgerald, director of the MSC Missions Office, opened this year’s Mass with a beautiful reflection on love and its enduring power.
“Tonight, it is very clear that we are here because the Word of God endures, and the Word of God is that there is the promise of everlasting life,” he said. “And when we hear that word, ‘endure’, it sticks with us for a long time. So tonight is a beautiful reminder of the enduring power of love, and the importance of honouring the memories of those we have lost. It is a chance not only to revisit the memories, but to remember people and pray for them, those who have died, and it is a chance as well to look into our own hearts.”
A night of hope
Speaking of the nature of loss and grief, and the need to find peace in the midst of sorrow, Fr John prayed for all who are remembering their dead in different ways, whether we might have unfinished business, or are striving to find forgiveness, or are simply just saying hello or goodbye to someone we have loved deeply. “We pray for our dead here tonight, in the presence of each other and in the presence of God,” he said. “It is a very, very natural thing. And that means that tonight is a night of hope.”
“We ask you, Lord, to make us understand that you are a healing Lord and that you are compassionate,” prayed Fr John, “that we deserve to have a light where there is forgiveness and healing and newness and hope.”
“Our loved ones are in our hearts and souls on this night.”
Gerry and Deirdre Tuohy once again provided beautiful music to accompany this year’s ceremony, and during the lighting of the candles, Fr John read a selection of poems and prayers, reminding us of the salvation of faith, and the power of love everlasting as he prayed for those we have loved who have left this life, and for those who have nobody to remember them at all.
Coming towards the end of the Mass, Fr John paused to ask everybody to look into their candles, and to reflect on the enduring nature of that light in the darkness. “Just take a moment to look into the flame of your candle, then close your eyes, and you will see the flame that still glows when you close your eyes – and so it is with our memories.”
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all who took part in this year’s Light Up a Memory celebrations, in the Sacred Heart Church and beyond. None of us are untouched by grief in some form, and our annual Light Up a Memory Mass is always a very moving way for us to celebrate treasured memories, while also praying for healing and hope in the face of loss and grief. Sincere thanks to all who took part in this truly special evening of prayer, reflection, and fond remembrance as we continue to carry generations of memories with love in our hearts. “We will not leave this place without saluting the people that have passed before us on this sacred night,” Fr John reminded us. “Our loved ones are in our hearts and souls on this night.”
Please click here to watch a recording of our 2025 Light Up a Memory Mass
Oct 30, 2025
This November, we invite you to take part in a very special ceremony of remembrance and thanksgiving, as we celebrate our much-loved Light Up a Memory Mass. This year’s Mass will take place on November 1st, a beautiful way to mark the beginning of the Month of the Holy Souls.
In November, we remember, keeping family, friends, and loved ones who have gone before us in our prayers. This year, we’re inviting old friends and new to take part in a beautiful candlelit evening of music, reflection, and remembrance on Saturday, November 1st at 6.30pm. All are very welcome to join us at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork, and the Mass will be streamed live here on our website for those who cannot attend in person.
Grief inevitably touches us all, and the Month of the Holy Souls is a special time to honour fond memories of those we have loved and lost. This November, we come together once again remember specially those who are no longer with us, and to light a candle in tribute to those whose memory we hold dear.
The events of recent years have demonstrated more than ever the tremendous power of unity, community, and love. Those who cannot be with us in person on the night are very welcome to join us on our live stream, and to light a candle in their own homes or in our online candle gallery, where those listed will have a special place in the prayers of our MSC priests.
Through the dark winter nights, the light of remembrance warms our hearts, and the flame of hope continues to burn brightly. Join us as we light up the November darkness and share generations of memories together on All Saints’ night.
Jul 4, 2025
Our 2025 Novena to the Sacred Heart has come to an end, and it is with truly grateful hearts that we thank everybody who helped to make it such a special occasion for all involved.
This year’s Novena took place from Thursday, June 19th to Friday, June 27th, at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork – newly decorated just in time for the occasion! We were delighted to see so many familiar faces join us during the Novena, and of course to welcome new friends along too. Almost 11,000 people joined us in prayer on our live stream over the course of the nine days, from close to home and across the world, reminding us in such a lovely way that we are all very much interconnected and part of something bigger, part of a great community of faith, wherever in the world we may be located.
Parish priest Fr Con Doherty MSC introduces Fr Des Farren MSC at the opening Mass of our 2025 Novena to the Sacred Heart
Parish priest Fr Con Doherty MSC began the opening Mass of this year’s Novena, which centred on the theme “Anchor of Hope, Mercy & Courage for our ‘turbulent times!’”. “A very, very warm welcome to all who are gathered here this morning, and a very warm welcome to all who are joining us on live stream,” he said. “We have a great sense of gratitude to God that we’re here on such a wonderful day as we set out on our boats into this beautiful Novena, within really kind of troubled waters, but we know where to find refuge.”
An open, loving heart
This set the tone for the nine days ahead, and Fr Des Farren MSC gave a beautiful opening sermon on the origins of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, as he reflected on the openness of the Sacred Heart itself. “It’s not enclosed, it’s open,” he said. “This is not some distant God, this is God made man, whose heart is opened out of love for all of us.”
Fr Des returned for Day 2 of the Novena, leading us in thought on how we respond to and accept God’s in our lives. “Whatever the darkness is, illness, events of your past, family difficulties, perhaps financial difficulties, or loneliness… Stop, think, and pray,” he said. “Let God come in, he’ll show you a way.”
Fr Des Farren MSC
Day 3 of the Novena saw Fr Des’ final sermon, on the encyclical on the Sacred Heart – the Sacred Heart embodying that “divine love that seeks the salvation and wellbeing of every person, offering a visible and tangible expression of God’s infinite compassion.”
On Day 4, we welcomed Fr Terry O’Brien MSC, leading us in a reflection on fellowship, hope, and healing. “It has been rightly remarked, in my opinion, that the consumerism of modern life, it’s not that it makes us want too much, but it makes us want too little,” said Fr Terry. “It diverts our attention to lesser things. To live according to modern consumerism principles is full of appeals to our most precious possession – our attention. And there is so much that conspires to steal our attention, which is the most important thing we have to offer to others. And so, we come to Holy Mass, to the Eucharist, to be fed, for the table of the Lord is large and there are many seats around it.”
“Nobody is left out, all are welcome.”
Day 5 of the Novena brought us a wonderful talk from Cathy O’Sullivan, who has a background in midwifery and education, and specialises in breath awareness. She explained how both breathing, and a devotion to the Sacred Heart, helped her through her treatment for breast cancer, and led us through some useful breathing exercises that can benefit us in coping with daily stresses and strains. “When we trust in the Sacred Heart, we are telling him that we love him, and trust that he will take us through any situation that we will encounter in this life, be it stressful or joyful. Breathing and praying to the Sacred Heart during times of stress and anxiety helps to keep us grounded. We take in oxygen when we breathe to sustain us, and we hand over our concerns and our worries to the Lord.”
Cathy O’Sullivan
Deacon Thady joined us on Day 6 of the Novena as we prayed for healing, speaking of the importance of spiritual healing, encouraging and building each other up as a spiritual community. “Somebody with a nourished healthy spirit thinks in a very healthy way, and this then leads to physical healing,” he explained.
A special day of healing: Mass was celebrated by Fr Seamus Kelly MSC, who was joined by Fr Con Doherty MSC and Fr Tom Mulcahy MSC, with a sermon by Deacon Thady.
We welcomed Julianna Crowley to the Sacred Heart Church on Day 8 of the Novena, healthcare chaplain in Cork University Hospital and Cork University Maternity Hospital. Julianna spoke of bereavement, grief, and loss – the stillness of time in a very desolate and difficult place, and hearts that continue to search for “healing, consolation, answers, and hope”. In a beautiful reflection, she reminded us that our loved ones are “at the heart of Jesus, in the home of Heaven.” “As we hold each other together here in this church, it’s okay to be tearful, it’s okay to remember, it’s okay to feel sad,” Julianna said, and invited everyone present, and watching online, to remember lost loved ones in a very special and sacred moment.
Julianna Crowley
Irish Provincial Leader Fr Joe McGee MSC celebrated the final two days of Novena Masses, reminding us of the “wonderful, inclusive, hospitable, generous love of our welcoming God.” “That’s for you and me, for all of us here in the Church, for all of us watching online, for all of our people who have sent in petitions – nobody is left out, all are welcome.”
“Ours is a God who takes a personal interest in each one of us – he doesn’t just look down through the crowds here, and say, ‘oh that’s the crowd in the Sacred Heart on the Western Road this morning’. He looks down and he sees, oh that’s Margaret, and Dearbhla, and John, and Patrick, and Joseph, and he sees each one of us personally – and as the Gospel says, he takes great delight in each one of us,” Fr Joe reflected.
“Even with our faults and our failings and our scars and our wounds, he takes great delight in each one of us. He cares passionately about what ails us, and what are our deepest desires. He desires to hear our prayers, to walk with us on the journey of our lives – and all of our lives are so different, and take so many different paths. He walks with each one of us.”
Fr Joe McGee MSC
With heartfelt thanks
Each of our speakers provided us with great pause for thought in their daily reflections, helping us to look ever deeper in our spiritual reflection and healing. As Fr Con reminded us, “The Sacred Heart is like a jewel – turn it this way and there’s one dimension, turn it another way and there’s another dimension.” Each of our daily speakers helped us to see the beauty of so many of these different dimensions, leading us down useful, interesting, and healing paths of prayer and thought.
We are truly grateful to all who contributed to making this year’s Novena such a resounding success, as we take with us, as Fr Joe said, “the wonderful message to be the heart of God in our world, in whatever little part of the world we inhabit.” The time and effort that went into the many details, big and small, from the flowers and music and readings, to the teas and coffees and socialising, and the planning of all the details in between, is always hugely appreciated. “This couldn’t happen without a community effort,” said Fr Con. “We’re full of gratitude to God, and full of gratitude to all here at the Sacred Heart Parish. And we’re always conscious that we’re building on the shoulders of others, what we’re doing now, it has been done before, and when we’re gone, there’ll be others to carry on the flame.” To all who joined us in prayer, be it in person or online, your presence has been a blessing and a gift. God bless you all.
If you would like to watch this year’s Novena Masses,
please click here to view recordings of all nine days.
