Jul 21, 2022
Soon after arriving in South Sudan in November 2020 for my current appointment, I received a WhatsApp message from Fr Abzalón, the Superior General of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, wishing me the best with the new mission and saying that he would like to visit one day. In the height of the pandemic, travelling anywhere seemed unlikely, and the possibility of coming to Rumbek would test even the most credulous of believers.
Less than two years later, though, I was in Juba to welcome him early on a Wednesday morning. When I first arrived in 2017 on a research trip, the airport was a simple tent, with no chairs that worked, and a length of runway. Now we have graduated to a building with one carousel, a sort of Central African Knock International Airport if you will. After a brief prayer to St Jude, he successfully negotiated the labyrinthine entry visa process, and we were off.
Challenges and resilience
Part of the Superior General’s mission was to see what was happening in Diocese of Rumbek and to explore if there was a need for a greater MSC presence. To that end, we spent our first day meeting with the head of religious missionaries in the country and then the coordinator of the Jesuit Refugee Service (both coincidentally Irish) to get the lay of the land and a sense of the reality of the people. That evening, we had dinner with Christian Carlassare, the newly ordained Bishop of the Diocese of Rumbek. He returned to the country just last March to be ordained, following an attempt on his life in 2021. Over cremated nyama choma (a speciality of grilled meat), the Bishop told him of the many challenges the Diocese faced, but also about the resilience of the people who persevered through a long fight for Independence and the Civil War of 2013.
Before sunrise, we were back to the airport for our flight to Lakes State. The closest approximation to the domestic departures experience is if you imagine the chaos in Dublin Airport earlier this year, then squeeze it all into one-tenth of the space, occasionally switch off the power, raise the temperature about 20C, and then you’re about half-way there. However, our guardian angels were working time and a half, and by 8:10am we had arrived in Rumbek and were heading to Loreto, which would be Fr Abzalón’s base for the week.
Exploring Loreto and beyond
Fr Abzalón had the opportunity to explore the Loreto compound, beginning with the Mary Ward Primary Health Care Clinic. In addition to looking after all the students and staff, it has responsibility for nine local villages encompassing 27,000 people. Most come for vaccinations, nutritional support, and especially malaria treatment. In the primary school, there are 1,400 day pupils, with a further 340 boarding girls in the secondary school. We are coming to the end of the first semester, so everyone was intent on their revision for exams. That afternoon he came to the Catholic University of South Sudan, Rumbek, where I work as principal. There, he met the young men and women who are training to be the teachers and the business people of the future.
It’s hard to believe in recent years that to drive into the east of Rumbek would mean that you were taking your life in your hands. It would be highway robbery, except there was no highway and if you got away with just being robbed you would be doing well. With the arrival of the new governor last year there have been far fewer problems. On Friday, we joined the final-year students and some of the staff to be part in a peace walk to the Parish of the Good Shepherd in Thonaduiel. We started off like good pilgrims at dawn and arrived eight hours later and 45km away, finishing with a short time of prayer. It was a witness for the villages we walked through of the country that could be built together if peace were to flourish.
South Sudan celebrated its Independence on the 9th of July 2011, and every year since then it has been a day for processions, speeches, and sports in Freedom Square. They have an understandable sense of pride over the establishment of their nation, but are conscious too of the outstanding issues that remain, most notably peace building, the rights of women, and the first elections that are due to take place next year. The Loreto students were out in force for the day and their marching was featured on national TV, to the great excitement of all the girls.
Pioneering work
The next few days allowed Fr Abzalón the chance to visit some of the local villages in Maker Kuei, where we are based. People live in simple conditions with a quiet dignity and have a genuine warmth for visitors. He took a cooking class to learn how to make combo (a type of stew containing vegetables, peanuts, and meat) over a charcoal fire. He also attended some of my CRE classes in the secondary school and shared what life is like in Guatemala, his home country. It was a special blessing to have him celebrate our Sunday Mass for the students outdoors under the shade of the neem trees.
As his week came to a close, Fr Abzalón still had a lot to see. On Tuesday, we went to visit the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Mapourdit. The Daughters are the trailblazers of the Chevalier Family in South Sudan. They have been here for over twenty-five years and they endured many hardships before the country won Independence. Today, they continue their pioneering work in education and healthcare under the most challenging of conditions.
Thursday came around quicker than anticipated and Fr Abzalón headed back to Juba to get a COVID test and an onward flight to Rome. Looking back on his experiences he wrote to us that same week:
“The mission … is a wonderful and prophetic project of education and integral promotion, especially of young women. The community there struggle day by day to build and transform this challenging and complex, but at the same time, beautiful reality. The Chevalier Family is present in South Sudan.”
– Fr Abzalón Alvarado Tovar MSC
Superior General of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart
Ben Nhialic areer kek a yin,
Fr Alan
Read more from Fr Alan’s missionary journey in South Sudan:
PLEASE HELP US TO TRANSFORM LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
Jul 14, 2022
We were delighted to receive a letter from Sr Jenny Christie FDNSC, International Development Officer for the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH), alerting us to the latest news from our Sisters in the Sacred Heart in Burkina Faso.
A landlocked region of West Africa, Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world, with very limited natural resources and extremely harsh living conditions for many vulnerable families and communities. The Daughters of the Lady of the Sacred Heart are active in their ministry here, including the running of the Jules Chevalier School in Zagtouli, where over 500 children receive a nutritious meal alongside a vital education every day, and the heading up of a Centre for Girls in Untandeni, where young women and children – down to a little baby girl who had been abandoned under a tree near the community – receive schooling and loving care in a safe, secure place to live.
This summer, our OLSH Sisters have facilitated the sinking of a well in the Pouléba region, where the Sisters are in the process of founding a community, with plans to open a small dispensary to assist the local people. This well will be an invaluable resource for families in the extended area, where many people have to travel long distances in uncomfortable conditions simply to carry water to their homes.
Please join us in praying for our OLSH Sisters and the communities they serve, as they continue their great work in Burkina Faso and around the world.
Please click below to see a video clip of the well being sunk in Pouléba.
IF YOU CAN, PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SACRED HEART FAMILY
Jul 7, 2022
The beginning of July brought great celebrations to the parish of St Antônio de Metuge in Pemba, Mozambique, shared by Fr Eduardo on the MSC Moçambique Facebook page this week.
The community of St Charles Lwanga marked the feast day of their patron saint on July 3rd, with a very special day of ceremony and prayer. St Charles Lwanga was a young Ugandan man who lived in the 1800s, and who was martyred for his devotion to his faith at the age of 26. On the anniversary of his death, which took place in 1886, Fr Eduardo and the community came together for a day of prayer and sacred celebration in his honour.
Throughout the day, 48 baptisms took place, while nine young people received their First Holy Communion. Fr Eduardo and the community also celebrated especially the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, which took place this year on June 29th, as St Paul is the patron saint of the diocese of Pemba.
The people of Mozambique have suffered terribly from the atrocities of war since 2017, with many people who have been displaced or forced to flee from their homes seeking refuge in Metuge. Days like this, where hope and joy and faith prevail, are a welcome and much-needed reminder of the strength to be found in unity, community, and the love of the Lord. With our blessings to all who celebrated the sacraments on this wonderful day, and to our ongoing Mozambique mission as we pray for the communities served by our MSCs in Metuge.
Images via the MSC Mozambique Facebook page.
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Jun 30, 2022
It is with great joy and gratitude that we close the curtain on our 2022 MSC Novena to the Sacred Heart, a truly wonderful occasion for all involved.
Our Novena took place from Thursday, June 16th through to the Feast of the Sacred Heart on Friday, June 24th, and was celebrated by Fr Paul Clayton-Lea, a great friend to the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, around the theme of “Jesus – The Compassion and Mercy of God”.
“We can bring anyone and anything to God for help and healing.”
“We are here to pray during the Novena,” said Fr Paul during the opening Mass. “We come to pray with hope and expectation, and that’s the way it should be, because we’ve been told by our Lord himself never to stop praying. In a sense, I don’t think we ever do; we wake up in the morning and there’s always a half-formed prayer in our hearts, that this will be a good day for ourselves and those we care about. Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you, says the Lord. There’s nothing going on in our lives that we can’t take to him in prayer. There’s nothing we need to be shy about, nothing too big or small, nothing too shameful or too personal. We can bring anyone and anything to God for help and healing. When we look at the Sacred Heart statue, those arms open wide towards us in welcome… we can bring anything and anyone to God for help and healing, because that’s why he came.”
This year’s Novena was indeed a sacred time of prayer and reflection, and a beautiful reminder that nobody is ever lost to God. Fr Paul reminded us of this, reflecting, “That is our mission, as those who are devoted to the Sacred Heart: to make it, as the prayer goes, ‘everywhere loved’, to see the love that is coming at us, that is surrounding us each day, and to know, in that love, that nothing and no-one is ever lost.”
A great celebration, from near and far
Just a year ago, our Sacred Heart Novena took place behind closed doors because of COVID restrictions, and it was a real blessing and a privilege to be able to welcome parishioners, mission friends, benefactors, and new acquaintances to pray with us and celebrate with us here at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road in Cork. Fr John Finn put it best on the closing day of the Novena, when he said “It has been fantastic this year to have been able to sit, and stand up here, and meet people again after three years. It’s been wonderful to be able to go into the hall afterwards and have a cup of tea or coffee, and share a bit of cake or a biscuit, and have a chat.”
We also had the pleasure of welcoming almost 9,000 people who joined us throughout the Novena via our live stream, from close to home and across the world. Unseen, perhaps, but never forgotten, Fr Paul even paused to ask the congregation at the Sacred Heart Church to give everybody tuning in online a big wave from our closing Masses on the final day of our Novena celebrations!
With heartfelt thanks
Our sincere gratitude goes to Fr Paul for leading our Novena this year; Fr John Finn expressed our thanks at the closing Mass, saying, “For your gentle words of kindness, it is a real honour and privilege to have you here with us at the Sacred Heart Church.”
We are truly grateful to all who contributed to making this year’s Novena such a resounding success; the time and effort that went into every detail, 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. And to all who joined us in prayer, be it in person or online, your presence has been a blessing and a gift.
“To all of you, most importantly,” said Fr John. “To those who participate in this Novena, some for many, many, many years; many who support the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, who pray with us on the web; who support the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, the MSC Sisters. We have projects all over the world that are supported by your kindness and your generosity towards us, thank you for that. We continue to pray for you.”
“Thank you all for being with us, it’s a real joy, and I pray that God will continue to guide you and bless you and be with you and all those you carry in your hearts and in your lives each day…. God bless you all.”
If you would like to watch recordings of this year’s daily Novena to the Sacred Heart Masses, please click here.
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Jun 23, 2022
In the latest update from our MSC brothers in the Philippines, we learn of their ongoing commitment to helping survivors of Typhoon Odette to regain security and quality of life.
On June 10th, the MSC Task Force Typhoon Odette travelled to Guilotungan Island in Cordova, Cebu, to assess the needs of the local community who are suffering the ongoing effects of the damage caused by the typhoon. The assessment took place in order to identify those households who are still in need of help in the reconstruction of safe, secure homes. According to initial reports in the aftermath of the typhoon, 90% of the houses in this community had been completely destroyed. Following their review, the team were able to identify more than 170 households in this island community who are still living in “temporary shelters and makeshift houses”.
The MSC Typhoon Odette Housing Project has already made tremendous strides in rehoming families who were left with nothing when the typhoon struck in December 2021. Construction work has been ongoing across Bayagnan Island in Surigao City since March, with recent blessing ceremonies taking place across the district as MSCs prayed for families beginning a new chapter in their new homes.
The relief work continues as our MSCs, along with a superb team of volunteers and helpers, begin preparations for further aid efforts to assist vulnerable families in the Guilotungan Island region. Please keep our MSC brothers, and the families and communities in their care, in your prayers as they work together on Guilotungan Island and beyond to rebuild for a hopeful future.
Images via the Facebook page for the MSC Mission Office Philippines, Inc.
PLEASE HELP OUR MSCS IN THE PHILIPPINES
Jun 16, 2022
A new term has begun at the Chevalier Training Centre in Fiji, where every year, up to 75 underprivileged boys and young men are given the opportunity to learn the skills they need to find employment and strengthen their prospects for the future.
Established by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in 1992, the Chevalier Training Centre is a vocational institute located in Wainadoi, in Namosi, Fiji, which is managed by the Chevalier Youth Trust Board. The Centre offers a two-year programme in several subjects, including cabinet making, carpentry, automotive studies, farm management, and welding and fabrication.
“We target those youths who are from poor family backgrounds, those who have been neglected by their families, or have been abused and those who have dropped out of school,” explains the Facebook page for the Chevalier Training Centre. With the Centre running on a residential basis for students to live and study on-site, the programme does not simply focus solely on practical skills and education, but also works with a “holistic approach, in order to develop the potential in each student,” incorporating life skills such as time management and the organisation of personal finances.
Earlier this year, we at the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart featured the Chevalier Training Centre in our 2022 World Projects Appeal, in support of the tremendous work they do for young men who would otherwise have very few options for a happy, healthy, fulfilled life. “Our mission is to help our students face life with confidence and dignity,” said the CTC community, at the time of the appeal. “We meet needs in Fiji which are not met by most of our other educational institutions. The Centre has a special interest in male youths from broken homes, those caught in patterns of rejection, and those who have been in prison or in trouble with the police. Our priority is to assist those who have the least hope.”
New beginnings
This first assembly with the new Year 1 students for the current academic year took place at the beginning of May.
“It began with the flag raising ceremony led by the Head Boy, Deputy Head Boy and Bell Ringer,” reported the Chevalier Training Centre’s Facebook page. “After the flag was raised, the Fiji National Anthem was sung. Then we had the introduction of all involved in the school in trying to help our young men become good leaders in the future.”
The MSC Novice Master, Fr Tetoaiti, led the introductions, followed by the five novices who assist in the Religious Education department, and the staff and students. Everyone present introduced themselves to the group, while the students shared their expectations of what they hope to gain from their time at the training centre.
Following the first assembly and introductions, the Centre ran one if its regular fire drills, organised by their Fire Warden, Mr Rajendra Nand. As part of the procedure, one of the students rings the church bell every 15 seconds, and all students make their way from their workshops down to the evacuation assembly area, where a head count takes place.
On May 6th, the Centre celebrated its opening Mass, which welcomed the first-year students, and blessed the school community, including its leaders and staff. The Mass was celebrated by Fr Tamati, Provincial Leader of the MSC Province of the Pacific Islands, and was a very special way to mark the beginning of what promises to be another successful year for the CTC community.
Images via the Facebook page for the Chevalier Training Centre.
IF YOU CAN, PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MINISTRY IN FIJI
