Oct 24, 2024
October 21st marked the 117th anniversary of the death of our founder, Fr Jules Chevalier MSC. Each year on this day, we pray especially for the man who planted the roots of our foundation from humble beginnings, sparking a charism and a mission that we still share over a century later, as our extended Sacred Heart family continues to minister in over 50 countries across the world.
Representatives from several of the Chevalier communities gathered in Rome to pray for Fr Chevalier in the run up to his anniversary, the Chevalier Family in the Philippines also commemorated the day “celebrating the life and mission Jules Chevalier bequeathed to us”, MSCs in the Province of the Pacific Islands “gathered with our Sisters of the OLSH, former Chevalier students, families, friends, and benefactors to mark this special day”, and our MSC and OLSH communities in Vietnam came together for a beautiful service that celebrated the love of the Holy Spirit, and our shared mission to spread that love to every nation throughout the world.
Philippines:
Province of the Pacific Islands:
Vietnam:
The Australian website for the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have shared an account of the Death of Fr Jules Chevalier, from the writings of Fr Charles Piperon, quoted from October 21st in the Jules Chevalier Daily Readings (selected by Jan Bovenmars MSC).
“Father Chevalier’s sickness was rapidly bringing his life to an end. Monday, October 21, was the day on which God, in the plans of his infinite mercy, chose to call to himself his faithful servant. Our Superior General, Father Mayer, had set out in haste from Rome and arrived at Issoudun during the night. Immediately on his arrival, he hurried to Father Chevalier who recognised him and still had the strength to bless him. Father Mayer did not leave him again.
Towards midday a crisis seem to indicate the end. Father Mayer then had the community assembled and with them recited the prayers for the dying. From this moment on prayers were said continually at the deathbed of our Father. At three o’clock, there was a fresh crisis, no less painful than what had preceded; but the infirmarian’s intervention helped him surmount it. This was the last of his sufferings. After that he remained for more than two hours in great calm, almost motionless, as if in a peaceful sleep. Then, like the flickering out of a flame, he fell peacefully asleep in the Lord. The clock struck five and the evening Angelus was ringing in the parish.
Thus died our beloved Father, surrounded by his intimates and by some of his religious who had come from various parts to assist at his last hour and to render him their final respects. He had lived eighty-three years, six months and six days, the greater part of which – fifty-three years – had, by a special design of divine Providence, been spent in the town of Issoudun.”
Together, we pray for Fr Chevalier in his eternal rest in the Lord’s love, and we continue, encouraged in our shared missionary journey “to be on Earth the heart of God”.
Sources:
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Australia
Facebook – Ametur MSC
Facebook – MSC Scholasticate Community-Philippines
Facebook – Missionaries of the Sacred Heart – Province of the Pacific Islands
Facebook – MSC Vietnam
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Oct 17, 2024
September and October were action-packed months in San Agustin, Guatemala, at the MSC-run vocational school Centro Faustino Villanueva!
The month of September brought very special celebrations indeed as students at the school marked the 203rd anniversary of Guatemala’s independence.
“Guatemala is your land, your homeland, cherish it, magnify it, love it, defend it. Make it Happy!,” read a post on the Facebook page for Centro Faustino Villanueva, which was accompanied by these wonderful images of colourful and fun-filled celebrations.
In October, the community at the centre celebrated the joy of youth with Dia del Niño, or Children’s Day. “We celebrate those who, with their infectious laughter, teach us to enjoy the little things,” the centre posted on Facebook.
Founded by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in 1984, Centro Faustino Villanueva marks its 40th anniversary this year. This vocational centre is dedicated to helping disadvantaged and underprivileged youths, and is located in the extremely remote region of San Agustin, Alta Verapaz, in Guatemala. Situated more than eight hours’ drive from Guatemala City, the school provides a vital service to children and youths living across this very rural area.
With the motto “Open doors to education”, the centre works with over 200 students from impoverished villages and vulnerable family groups in the surrounding area, with a waiting list for places. Youths at the centre can study a range of three career skill sets: business administration, science, and teaching. A recent agricultural programme also works to supplement the food supply for the school community, while teaching the students valuable life skills that they can take back to their own homes and communities to improve the quality of life there.
With blessings and best wishes to Fr Jairo and all at Centro Faustino Villanueva as they continue in their invaluable work for families and communities across Alta Verapaz.
Oct 10, 2024
In September, Pope Francis undertook an Apostolic Journey throughout Southeast Asia, visiting Papua New Guinea, where the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have been ministering since the 1800s.
Cardinal John Ribat MSC, Archbishop of Port Moresby and Papua New Guinea’s first cardinal, greeted the Pope, telling him, “I offer you a warm welcome to this beloved country.”
On Sunday, September 8th, the Holy Father presided over Mass for approximately 35,000 Catholics at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby. Cardinal John Ribat MSC joined the Papal Mass, where beautiful images of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and Blessed Peter To Rot were displayed on the altar.
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart arrived in Papua New Guinea in September 1882, and have been a strong and constant presence for good since, “making them an intrinsic part of the history and mission of the Catholic Church in the country and a point of reference to this day, including in the education and healthcare sectors.” (Claudia Torres, Vatican News)
Speaking to Vatican News earlier this summer, Superior General of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Fr Mario Abzalón Alvarado Tovar MSC reflected, “In fact, since 1881, we have been in Papua New Guinea, marking the beginning of the modern era of the Church there.”
“There had been minimal presences many centuries before, in very ancient times, but since 1881, we have been present continuously. We are, in a sense, the pioneers of the ecclesial growth in Papua New Guinea.” (Renato Martinez, Vatican News)
Archbishop Rochus Joseph Tatamai MSC, the Archbishop of Rabaul, also spoke at length with Vatican News ahead of Pope Francis’ visit. Touching on the origins of the mission in Papua New Guinea and the upcoming canonisation of the Blessed Peter To Rot (a lay Missionary of the Sacred Heart who was martyred for the faith in the 1940s), the Archbishop was optimistic about the Holy Father’s visit, noting that it would encourage “a greater revival and reawakening of the faith amongst the elderly, the seniors, the oldest, but also amongst our younger generation”, in a “vibrant Church” with a “vibrant faith”. (Claudia Torres, Vatican News)
Indeed, during his visit to the northwestern coastal city of Vanimo, Pope Francis encouraged all present to embody the missionary spirit, as we can all be “missionaries where we live: at home, at school, in the workplace”. He reflected on the fact that love is stronger than fear and “destructive behaviours”, and reminded us that “its beauty can heal the world, because it has its roots in God”. (Devin Watkins, Vatican News)
This is one of the most simple, yet powerful, messages to come from the Holy Father’s trip to Papua New Guinea: “The beauty of love can heal the world.” (Linda Bordoni, Vatican News)
Images via Vatican News and the Ametur MSC Facebook page.
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Oct 3, 2024
Welcome to the Winter 2024 edition of the MSC Message!
• Read a seasonal greeting from Fr John Fitzgerald MSC, Director of the MSC Missions Office.
• Find out more about MSC efforts to protect our earth with the ongoing ecobricks project in the Philippines.
• Join us as we celebrate 150 years of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
• Read all about this summer’s Camino adventure as our MSC pilgrims walked the Camino Inglés, raising over €20,000 for the Holy Family Care Centre in South Africa.
• Catch up with the latest news from the Chevalier Training Centre in Fiji.
• Fr Alan Neville MSC writes from South Sudan, with an update from the Catholic University in Rumbek.
• Learn more about Fr Frank T. Natale’s story as he shares how he came to be an MSC in the US Province.
• Catch up on news of our recent Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
Read the Winter 2024 edition of the MSC Message
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Oct 2, 2024
This year’s annual Masses for deceased MSCs and Daughters of the Lady of the Sacred Heart will take place around the country in November, as we remember those who have gone before us into God’s loving embrace.
Annual Masses for deceased MSCs and Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart will take place in the following locations on Sunday, November 3rd at 3.00pm:
Mass will also be celebrated on Sunday, November 10th at 2.00pm in St Patrick’s Church, Ballybay, Co. Monaghan.
For those who are unable to attend, the Mass from the Sacred Heart Church, Western Road, Cork, will be live streamed on the internet to allow you to participate. You can access this Mass on a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone by going to www.mscmissions.ie and clicking on the Live Stream link at the top of the page.
We would like to invite you to pray with us during the month of the Holy Souls as we remember the MSCs and Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart who dedicated their lives to the Spirituality of the Heart, and who worked so hard to ensure that the Sacred Heart of Jesus is known and loved everywhere, and by everyone.
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Sep 26, 2024
It has been a wonderfully full year so far on our MSC mission project in Mozambique, with their Facebook page sharing regular photos and stories to keep us updated on all the latest news.
March brought the opening of the Fr Jules Chevalier Training Centre, which, says the Facebook page for MSC Mozambique, “will host the first young Mozambicans who sought the charisma and mission of the Chevalier Family”. May God bless those who study and pray here, and lead them in their vocations.
In April, Fr José Eduardo Paixão MSC opened and blessed a new church in the community of Santo Augustine de Manono, in the parish of St Antonio de Metuge. It was a very special occasion indeed as the community celebrated their new place of worship, while Fr José also led Sunday school for parishioners, reflecting on the fact that parents are leaders in faith for their children, guiding them on their spiritual journey.
July saw a magnificent celebration of St Isabel, patroness known as an “angel of goodness and peace”. MSCs Fr José Eduardo Paixão and Fr Roney Lima were joined by Fr Armindo Baltazar for the occasion, who led the community in prayer, reflection, and thanksgiving on this great day.
In August, Fr Roney Lima MSC was joined by Fr Edigar, Missionary of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Our Lady of Salette, to celebrate the Holy Mass at the parish of Our Lady of Carmo de Mieze in the Diocese of Pemba. The Mass was followed by a truly inspiring workshop dedicated to local youths, where prayer and reflection combined with dance, music, poetry, and fun! Three local parishes took part: the parish of Our Lady of Carmo de Mieze, St Charles Lwanga Parish of Mahate, and the parish of St Antonio de Metuge. “Every young person present left with joy and full of learning,” posted the Facebook page for MSC Mozambique.
Finally, September has brought another celebration in faith as Fr José Eduardo and Fr Rony joined the community of St Augustine, in the parish of St Antonio de Metuge, to mark the day of their patron saint.
Our MSC mission in Mozambique marked its sixth anniversary in March of this year, having originally been established in 2018 in the Diocese of Pemba, a very poor part of Mozambique. The need here continues to be great, and the mission is continuously adapting to serve the many and changing needs of the vulnerable and displaced, from emergency response to natural disasters, to the brutal impact of violence and political unrest. In a volatile climate, our MSC community is always working to adapt and respond to the demands of the social climate and the prevailing needs of the local communities and parishioners.
The Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart has an enduring relationship with our Mozambique mission, with the friendship and support of our mission friends and benefactors here at home touching the lives of thousands in the district of Pemba. Thanks to the friendship and compassion of our extended mission family here at home, we have been able to bring about positive change to disadvantaged communities made up of thousands of people across the diocese. Civil war in the region has brought about huge hardship, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced from their homes and their lives since 2017, and many others killed or reported missing. In recent years, we have been working alongside Fr José to raise funds to support those in real and urgent need, helping to provide essential aid and brighter prospects in a region where hope is in short supply.
In spite of ongoing troubles, and with the mission facing constant challenges, the inestimable spirit of hope, perseverance, and unity prevails at the heart of our Mozambique mission. The enduring power of faith and community shines through in these marvellous pictures, and we ask that you please join us in keeping our friends and brothers in Mozambique in your prayers as we continue to work together to provide hope, brighter prospects, and a better quality of life for those in real need.
Images via the Facebook page for MSC Mozambique, with credit to Abudo Manara.
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