From the 22nd to the 27th of January 2019 World Youth Day is going to take place in Panama in Central America and the MSC Vocations Team is going to be there. If you want to be part of the largest youth event on the planet read on …
What is World Youth Day?
WYD is an encounter of young people from all around the world with Pope Francis in a fun, faith filled atmosphere. It draws people from every corner of the world for an unforgettable experience. “WYD is much more than an event. It is a time of deep and spiritual renewal; its fruits benefit the whole of society” (Benedict XVI). It is an extraordinary way of sharing faith to strengthen youth in our Church. WYD is held every three years and the last one was held in Krakow (Poland) in 2016.
Great, so what’s the point?
It’s a chance to be part of the largest youth event on the planet and to meet Pope Francis
The initiator and first promoter of WYD was Saint John Paul II, who started this movement in order to enhance our personal encounter with Christ, which is life-changing. WYD also promotes peace, unity, and fraternity among people and nations, commissioning the youth as ambassadors of this message. When you gather for the World Youth Day Vigil with millions (and I do mean millions) of other young people you are reminded that you are part of something global, faith filled and amazingly joyful.
It’s about making a real difference as well, like building a multi-sensory garden
What actually happens?
WYD is a multi-day event with two main group of events: the first one is related to the “Days in the Dioceses”, during which the participants visit to different dioceses in the host country, and on this particular occasion, other Central American countries. During these days before WYD, pilgrims interact with local families (who host them) and strengthen their faith through activities with the communities in the parishes. In Krakow we built a multi-sensory garden for people with disabilities and helped to run a youth ministry programme in the local parish.
The second group is the “Main Events”, referring to the activities planned in the host city: the opening Mass, the welcoming of the pope, the way of the cross, the vigil with the Holy Father and the final Mass. It’s an opportunity to meet with other young people from all around the world. There were millions of youth at both Rio and Krakow and the atmosphere is incredible.
We were overjoyed to receive contact from our dear friend Sr Sally Duigan at the Holy Family Care Centre in South Africa who kindly provided us with some updates as to how our most recent fundraising donations have been put to use.
“Holy Family Care Centre; the children and staff have benefited enormously from the funding received from MSC Mission Office Ireland. We are so grateful.
Holy Family was struggling to care for our children particularly as we were admitting many young children and babies. We did not have a dedicated nursery and used our sick bay temporarily to accommodate the babies. Thanks to MSC Mission Office Ireland we now have a purpose built building where we can care for our babies and most vulnerable children aged up to two years. We continue to admit young children living with HIV / Aids from the surrounding villages who have been neglected and/or orphaned and require specialized care and monitoring.
Limpopo Province where we are situated is the second poorest province in South Africa. We are still seeing children malnourished, undernourished and stunted in their growth. This is often irreversible as good nutrition is necessary to nurture growth in their first five years. Our new food preparation area is ideal for our nurses to prepare special formulas for the babies and fortified foods for our malnourished young ones.
Infection control is so important and our new building functions with separate appropriate areas for sleeping, bathing, changing nappies and food preparation area. We are truly blessed to be able to provide a high quality of care.
Currently we have 17 children in our crèche – our youngest is 6 months old. Many of the children are living with HIV/Aids. The new extension accommodates for graduated learning and playing groups. Our Crèche teachers have different rooms to utilize for children age groups – toddlers up to 2 years, 3 to 4 year old group and pre-school to prepare for school each year.
The older boys now have a proper showering area with private shower recesses. The area is much easier to clean and the boys have inside access from the dormitories. This project was long overdue and has only been achieved through your financial assistance.
Our old staff accommodation of four rooms has been refurbished much to the delight of the staff. The showering and bathroom area has been rebuilt and is of a much higher hygienic standard, again an area that was in great need of attention.
It is with much gratitude and love that we at Holy Family Care Centre thank you for your generous donations which has allowed us to overhaul some old and much needed work. In addition the new areas in the crèche and the new nursery have been a huge success functionally and has improved the quality of care the children receive.
Above all 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.”
Some of the main upgrades made at the Holy Family Care Centre include:
New Boys Ablution Block – New washbasins, mirrors, four new individual shower recesses with shelves and hooks for towels and clothes.
New Nursery – This new nursery is able to accommodate up to eight babies (including any special care toddlers under two years living with HIV /Aids).
New food preparation area.
Children’s sick bay.
Installation of a linking corridor from the nursery and clinic through to the crèche.
Crèche extension and installation of an Education Room.
Indoor play area.
Refurbished outdoor crèche play area.
Staff ablution area – Three new showers and one toilet. Existing bedrooms refurbished – painting, new wash basins and cupboards, lighting, overhead fan, curtains and power points.
We were delighted to receive some images this morning from our friends in the Loreto Schools Rumbek.
Progress on the building of the graduate housing is coming along very nicely and this is all thanks to your kind and generous support of the South Sudan Summer Appeal 2017.
We’re looking forward to watching the project progress over the coming months.
This summer, the MSC reached out to support the Loretto Sisters in Rumbek, South Sudan, where they have made huge strides in creating a better life for residents with life saving medical care and essential educational facilities.
During her recent visit to Ireland, Sr Orla Treacy IBVM visited the MSC Missions Office, to personally thank Fr Michael O’Connell MSC and all of the MSC mission friends for their financial support from their recent fundraising Summer Appeal.
Sr Orla, far left, with some of the Loreto School students
“It is unique for one congregation to financially support another one, so this contribution to our work in Rumbek is extremely generous” she said. In 2008, the Loretto Sisters began working in the rural community of Maker Kuei, Rumbek, where daily life is a constant struggle for 1,000 families. During this period they have built a Primary School that caters for almost 900 students, both male and female, where students are guaranteed to have clean water, nutritious meals, access to health care and a quality education.
“A sincere thank you for your generosity and for your willingness to collaborate in helping us with this challenging yet worthwhile mission”.
The Loretto Secondary School is an all girls’ boarding school, where students are educated in social and life skills as well as receiving a full academic tuition. Currently, 240 girls attend this school, and the demand for places is increasing as principal Sr Orla works with families to protect these young women from enforced marriage. As a result of the very successful MSC Summer Appeal the funds collected have been sent to the Loretto Sisters and work has begun on the foundations for a new dormitory which will accommodate 16 girls each year as they embark on an additional internship year and vocational opportunities.
The foundations for the dormitories which will house 16 of the Internship Programme students
In recognition for her work in South Sudan, Sr Orla was the recipient of the 2017 Hugh O’Flaherty International Humanitarian Award, at an event in Killarney on the 4th November 2017. “It is very humbling to accept this award and I do so on behalf of our sisters, staff and students at loretto School in Rumbek, South Sudan” she told a large and appreciative audience who came to honour her inspiring work.
Sr Orla with the statue of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty and her Humanitarian Award
We are calling on all our mission friends to join with our MSC community in supporting this crucial work in a country that’s crying out for urgent aid.
The winter edition of the MSC Message has arrived!
Get the latest news from the mission fields with updates from our ongoing projects in Venezuela as we celebrate our Golden Jubilee: 50 years in Venezuela.
Read about the MSC Audience with Pope Francis and welcome the new Superior General, Fr Absalón Alvarado.
Meet our new Provincial Leader and his Provincial Leadership Team.
Sr Orla Treacy expresses her sincere gratitude to the MSC and its benefactors for their generosity in supporting the Loreto School Project in Rumbek, South Sudan.
