Nov 27, 2023
Whistling Tunelessly
What is the meaning of happiness? Philosophers have speculated on the topic since the beginning of the human story. The answers provided to date are varied and many, but few would include driving along a dirt road, at night, in the rain, perched precariously on a half a driver’s seat (the rest has somehow mysteriously disappeared over time) in a pick-up truck that your average NCT technician would not only refuse to examine due to concerns for their personal safety, but would happy fire bomb with a Molotov cocktail from the comfort of their office. Yet, this is where I found myself a week ago on a Thursday night, whistling somewhat tunelessly as I drove alone. Happiness. It comes in the most surprising of places.
The destination for my rather battered pickup filled with tables was our clinic, which the following day, would the site of the Loreto Graduation. Over fifty young women marked the end of their formal studies with us and are now looking forward to their Senior Four national exams in just over a week. The day is not just a graduation though. It means much more, as it is a visible sign of how far these young women have come in the face of many challenges. The number of women successfully completing secondary school in South Sudan remains one of the lowest in the world according to the UN.
So, for these young women and their family who attended, it really is something to celebrate. It symbolises a continued new chapter in the history of the country, where slowly (in reality too slowly) women are making their own way in the world. The early mornings and late nights of study, along with their daily classes, have paid off. For their graduation their families all gathered to give thanks to God for what has been achieved in a Mass with Bishop Christian. After that, it was all singing, dancing, and sharing food with one another, but overall it was pure joy. Even the hardest of heart could not help to be happy there.
A Runaway Train
Only two days later, I had another interesting experience. On the Sunday evening I was getting ready for the week ahead, planning for the work in the University and the schools, when I began to feel unbearably cold. A quick check with one of our nurse practitioners confirmed my suspicions. I had my first bout of malaria. If you haven’t had it, it’s difficult to accurately describe. Your fever alternates between being roasting hot and then freezing cold. It’s bizarre to ever think you will end up shaking with the cold, in bed with two blankets, when the room temperature is well into the 30C, but there I was. Thankfully the Sisters moved me into the Convent to keep an eye on me. Hardly necessary in my opinion, as all the world knows how easy Irish men are as patients. You’d hardly think we were sick at all! I was thankful for their care by the time I finished.
Anyway, aside from fever, there are headaches, body aches, nausea, and lots of other things that are perhaps not fit to print. The vivid dreams were something of a shock. In one in particular I found myself at a Eucharistic Congress in a large stadium, when a runaway train barrelled through the proceedings. I hopped on for fun, managed to avoid hitting three trams, before eventually crashing the train just outside a Spar in Ireland. The manager came out to thank me, took my photo, gave me flowers and chocolate, and then charged me for both of them, which I thought was a bit much.
Whatsoever You Do
Now, rambling, nonsensical vivid dream aside, the harsh reality is that malaria is easily one of the main causes of child death in our area. It always bothered me that at the end of the first year pandemic we had six or seven viable vaccines available. Malaria kills over 600,000 people a year, but still we are waiting on a vaccine. Simply put, rich people don’t get malaria, so there is not impetus to find a cure in the same way we came together to tackle Covid. The part of malaria that is most responsible for deaths is the fever. Young children often don’t have the strength to deal with the high temperatures, but all that is needed to reduce their temperature is a simple paracetamol.
Today is the feast of Christ the King and our Gospel from Matthew is one of Jesus’ most challenging and pointed lessons. It’s the story of the final judgement and the separation of the sheep from the lambs. Those who cared for the poor, the naked, the imprisoned, and the sick are welcomed into the Kingdom of God as the Father’s own. Those who don’t, aren’t. But I think there is more to the story. When the people question Jesus, he replies, “Whenever you did this for the least of your brothers and sisters, you did it for me.” We are not just called to serve those in need. Jesus wants more. He wants us to recognise the presence of the divine in them. To see the image of God in everyone, especially those typically most despised. We are all one family. When one suffers, we all do.
It took five days for me to get over my first experience of malaria. I was lucky to have a clinic nearby, access to medication, and a caring community. Not everyone is. That is why the work of not just the school, but the clinic here is indispensable. Life has its highs and lows, and as we give thanks for one, we must remind ourselves to work to help those in the other. That is what Christ demands of us. Nothing less will do.
PLEASE HELP US TO TRANSFORM LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
Read more from Fr Alan’s missionary journey in South Sudan:
Nov 21, 2023
Welcome to this year’s Winter edition of the MSC Message!
• Read a special greeting from Fr John Fitzgerald MSC, Director of the MSC Missions Office.
• We welcome Fr Joe McGee MSC as the new Provincial Superior along with our new Provincial team, Fr Dave Nixon MSC and Fr Manus Ferry MSC, Fr John Bennett MSC, Fr Alan Whelan MSC.
• More updates from Fr Alan Neville MSC in South Sudan, where a Peace walk was in progress and new members were welcomed to the diocese.
• Fr Remigius reaches out to us to help rebuild his parish Church which had been damaged by high winds in Keelakarai, in South India.
• An update from some of the work we have done in the Phillipines after Typhoon Odette Appeal in 2021.
Read the Winter 2023 edition of the MSC Message
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Nov 15, 2023
We warmly invite you to join us for an evening of contemplation and tribute, dedicated to the cherished memory of our loved ones who reside eternally in our thoughts and prayers, especially during the month of November. Our annual Light Up A Memory Mass to honour and cherish our dearly departed will take part on Saturday, November 25th at the Sacred Heart Church here in Cork. We invite you all to join us here in Cork in person and of course you can also take part and watch it streamed live from the comfort of your home.
Bereavement and grief are experiences that affect everyone. The Month of the Holy Souls provides a unique opportunity to cherish memories and offer prayers for friends and family who have peacefully departed into the embrace of the Lord. Let us unite to commemorate the lives of those no longer with us, and together, we’ll light candles as a heartfelt tribute to those whose memory remains close to our hearts.
Now in its tenth year, our yearly MSC Light Up a Memory Mass has evolved into a cherished tradition, eagerly awaited to conclude the Month of the Holy Souls. Annually, we extend an invitation to our mission friends to submit the names of their departed loved ones for commemoration. The compiled list graces the altar throughout the month, becoming the focal point of our prayers for their eternal peace.
We warmly welcome you all to join us in reflection on this special night, and to submit the names of departed family, friends, and loved ones for remembrance. We would greatly appreciate your support for our ongoing mission projects, and in gratitude for your contribution, we will be glad to remember your intentions at our annual Mass. You can then submit the names of your departed loved ones online, and our MSC priests will remember them specially during our Light Up a Memory Mass.
Find out more about our annual MSC Light Up a Memory Mass.
Oct 10, 2023
Our Annual Mass for Deceased Members and Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart will take place on Sunday 5th November at 3pm in:
- Sacred Heart Church, Western Road, Cork. (streamed online here)
- Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, Croí Nua, Galway.
- Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, Woodview House, Blackrock, Co. Dublin.
Mass will also be celebrated on Sunday 19th November at 2pm in St Patrick’s Church, Ballybay, Co. Monaghan.
We invite family members and friends to join us as we remember our deceased members, who have devoted their lives to ensure that the Sacred Heart of Jesus is known and loved everywhere, and by everyone.
If you plan on attending one of the Masses, please email office@mscmissions.ie with the venue you are attending so we can plan for catering.
Oct 5, 2023
The Missionaries of the Sacred would like to proudly congratulate our newly elected General Assistants to the General Team :
● Chris Chaplin, MSC (Australian) from the Province of Australia;
● Bernard Mongeau, MSC (Canadian) from the Province of the Dominican Republic;
● Simon Lumpini, MSC (Congolese) from the Union of French-speaking Africa;
● Fransiskus Bram Tulusan, MSC (Indonesian) from the Province of Indonesia
We thank these brothers of ours who have generously accepted their election.
We also thank André Claessens, Paulus Pitoy, and Humberto Henriques –the outgoing General Team members– for their generous service in the past six years.
Source: Ametur MSC on Facebook
Oct 3, 2023
Image from Vatican Media Article by Francesca Merlo published originally in Vatican News.
Pope Francis addresses the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart during their 26th General Chapter and emphasises the importance of knowing Christ through the Gospel, deepening understanding through fraternal sharing, and proclaiming His love joyfully in their mission. In his address to the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of knowing Christ through the Gospel, deepening understanding through fraternal sharing, and proclaiming His love joyfully in their mission. He encouraged them to embrace compassion and tenderness in their interactions, and above all, to sustain their mission with prayer. Pope Francis’s words serve as a source of inspiration for the Missionaries as they continue their important work in the world.
Pope Francis addressed the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart during their 26th General Chapter meeting, on 2 October. The Holy Father began by acknowledging the congregation’s history, founded by Father Chevalier in 1854, and envisioning them as missionaries of God’s love.
“He thought of you from the very beginning as missionaries, committed to making God’s love known in the world in order to obtain from men a response of love.”
The Holy Father emphasized the importance of knowing the Heart of Jesus through the Gospel, referring to it as “the book ‘of the Sacred Heart.'” He urged the Missionaries to meditate on Jesus’s life, where they would discover His immense mercy, love, and compassion. Pope Francis pointed out that Jesus’s actions and teachings in the Gospel provide a profound understanding of His divine and human Heart.
“The Risen One, who makes Himself known in the breaking of the Bread, is the One who conquered death by giving life, who showed mankind the Father’s love by loving them without measure with His divine and human Heart, and who therefore knows how to speak words that make the breast burn!”
“For this powerful experience to become light for the journey, it must also pass through the enrichment of sharing. Here is the second element: deepening and understanding the Word in fraternal sharing”, said the Pope.
Pope Francis then shifted his focus to the importance of deepening understanding through fraternal sharing. He drew parallels with the disciples on the road to Emmaus who, after recognizing Jesus, shared their amazement and experiences with one another. This act of sharing joy and wonder when encountering the Lord is a practice that Pope Francis encouraged the Missionaries to adopt. “Before meeting him, the two companions discussed failures and disappointments, afterwards they rejoice at having seen the Risen One!” He also highlighted the role of sharing in Father Chevalier’s life, mentioning how he shared his fervor and dreams with fellow companions, whom he referred to as “knights of the Sacred Heart.” Sharing experiences of encountering Christ in the Word, Sacraments, and daily life is essential for fostering unity and constructive engagement within the congregation.
“And we come to the last aspect: the joyful proclamation in the mission. The disciples of Emmaus leave without delay, return to Jerusalem and tell what has happened.”
Pope Francis emphasized the significance of joyful proclamation in their mission. He commended the Missionaries for adopting the motto “‘from ego to echo,’ that is, from self to common home, to family, to community, to creation.” This shift, he explained, encompasses a commitment to serve as a common home for family, community, and creation.
“Faced with them, do not be afraid to allow yourselves to be caught up in the compassion of the Heart of Christ; as your Founder said, allow him to love through you and to manifest his mercy through your goodness.” “Please do not be afraid of tenderness! God’s style can be said in three words: closeness, compassion, and tenderness.” Embracing the compassion of Jesus’ heart The Holy Father acknowledged the numerous challenges faced by the Missionaries, such as serving the poor and migrants, and addressing injustices worldwide. He encouraged them to embrace the compassion of the Heart of Christ and allow His tenderness to shape their plans and projects.
“Please do not be afraid of tenderness! God’s style can be said in three words: closeness, compassion, and tenderness. God is like that: close, compassionate, tender. Be like this with others.”
“But this closeness, this compassion, this tenderness you will receive in dialogue with Jesus. Prayer is so important to bring this about. Without prayer, things do not work, do not go.” Image from Vatican Media The indispensable role of prayer In closing, Pope Francis highlighted the indispensable role of prayer in cultivating the qualities of closeness, compassion, and tenderness. He emphasized that prayer is essential for maintaining their mission and spiritual vitality.
“Thank you, dear brothers, for what you are and what you do! Continue your work with enthusiasm. Flee from sadness, which is the cankerworm that ruins personal and consecrated life! That sadness that brings you down, not the good sadness of repentance, that is another thing, but that daily sadness is a woodworm that ruins. I bless you from my heart. And I recommend that you pray for me, because I need it, this work is not so easy! Thank you.”
Source: All Images & Text from Vatican Media Article by Francesca Merlo published originally in Vatican News.
