Jun 6, 2019
We were delighted to read this wonderful piece by South African publication Spotlight, highlighting the marvellous work done by Sr Sally Duigan OLSH and the team at the Holy Family Care Centre in Limpopo.
Calling the Holy Family community “the biggest and happiest family in Limpopo”, this Spotlight story gives us a glimpse into daily life at the centre, where Sr Sally and her team care for over 70 infants and children. The majority of these children are battling serious illnesses, such as HIV, and many have been orphaned or abandoned.
Founded in 2002, the centre is run by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart with the support of the MSC. We are very pleased to work closely with our Sacred Heart sisters, from fundraising efforts here in the Irish Province to our annual volunteer programme at Holy Family.
“Each child that comes through the gates of HFC is guaranteed two things, regardless of how they arrive or where they come from, they will be loved and well taken care of,” reads the Spotlight article. “At the moment this is home to 70 children (Sally sheepishly admits that they never turn a child away, sometimes the facility cares for up to 80 children) eight of whom are babies. There is a large staff contingent who care for the children 24/7, bathing them, feeding them, clothing them, teaching them, helping them with homework, playing with them and showering them with heaps and heaps of love. It is absolutely clear that this is one big family.”
It’s a big family, and a happy one. The sense of unity and love at Holy Family is in abundance from the moment one steps through the doors, and Sr Sally is dedicated to ensuring this remains the case for every child that comes into her care.
“Above all, we continue to give our children love, security, and care, in the hope they will thrive,” she wrote in a letter to our MSC Missions. “We want them to have the energy to enjoy playtime, be able to learn and live a happy life.”
We are very proud to see Sr Sally’s tremendous work being recognised – congratulations to all the team at Holy Family!
Read the full Spotlight article
Find out more about our work with the Holy Family Centre
May 30, 2019
“A father holds your hand for a little while, but holds your heart forever.”
This year, we celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday, June 16th. Whether you chat to your dad every day, catch up over a cup of tea every week, or hold treasured memories close to your heart, Father’s Day is a time to pause and celebrate a very special bond and a love that can’t be measured.
On Father’s Day, we thank the unsung heroes who work so hard to make the family home a happy and comfortable one, full of joy and laughter. Our collection of Father’s Day cards is a truly special way to honour a beloved father, whether you will spend the day with your dad or carry his memory in your heart. Each card contains a lovely Prayer for my Father, and each one also contains remembrance in our Father’s Day Triduum of Masses, which will take place this year from Saturday, June 15th to Monday, June 17th in the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road in Cork.
You are also very welcome to submit a prayer intention for your father, or light a candle in our online gallery to mark Father’s Day.
Remember, when you choose from our range of Father’s Day cards, you’re not just making a thoughtful gesture for your own father, but you’re also reaching out to help fathers and their families all over the world. Your support helps us to continue bringing the gifts of faith, hope, and love to parents, children, and communities in some of the world’s poorest countries. Our MSCs work in regions of extreme poverty and hardship, bringing vital aid to people who have nowhere else to turn, and every order we receive makes a real and valuable difference.
VIEW OUR FATHER’S DAY CARDS
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 – 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 O’Connell 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.
“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 God’s heart for his people,” wrote Irish Provincial Leader Fr Carl Tranter MSC, on the occasion of Rev Luis’ ordination.
Vocations Director for the Irish Province, Fr Alan Neville MSC, also added his good wishes on the MSC Vocations Facebook page, posting: “Congratulations 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.”
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 21, 2019
Fresh pens and pencils, piles of text books, note cards strewn about, and kettles boiling on repeat all over the country… It can mean only one thing – exam season is here!
Preparation for exams is a stressful time for students, and often, for their families too. With the pressure on to do their very best, facing into a timetable of questions, essays, and graphs is a daunting notion for even the hardiest young soul.
As the state exams approach, why not show a little bit of extra support for the special student in your life? Our exam cards are the perfect way to send encouragement to a hard-working student. Each card contains a lovely prayer for students, and includes remembrance in our annual Triduum of Masses for students sitting exams.
You are also very welcome to light a candle for exam success in our online gallery, or submit a prayer intention to be remembered by our MSC priests in the Sacred Heart parish on the Western Road in Cork. We will be glad to keep your intentions in our prayers.
During a time of heightened worries and anxieties, the gift of prayer offers peace, comfort, and a sense of support like no other. Let a special student know you’re thinking of them at this challenging time with the help of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
BROWSE OUR RANGE OF EXAM TRIDUUM CARDS
May 17, 2019
Welcome to the Summer 2019 edition of the MSC Message!
• Read a special summer greeting from Fr Michael O’Connell MSC, Director of the MSC Missions Office.
• Catch up with the latest news from the mission fields, with updates from our ongoing projects in South Africa and India.
• Find out about this year’s MSC pilgrimage to Lourdes.
• Read all about Fr Michael O’Connell’s visit to our MSC parishes in Venezuela.
• Enjoy updates from World Youth Day 2019 in Panama, where Fr Alan Neville MSC and the MSC Vocations Team celebrated earlier this year.
Read the MSC Message Summer 2019
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 bachelor’s 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 Yaoundé, 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 Yaoundé.
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!
