Jan 22, 2020
Health and Education at Berea-Albion Football Club
Cougar Park in Pretoria, South Africa, is home to Berea-Albion Football Club and Academy, where disadvantaged youths are given hope and encouragement as they strive for a better future. The academy hosts up to 60 students at a time, with 50% coming from non-privileged backgrounds and 50% coming from more fortunate circumstances.
“The majority of disadvantaged youths in our development programmes are orphans, or they come from single parent families,” says co-founder Neil Bosman. “They have struggled with poverty, HIV/AIDS, abuse, alcoholism, and poor educational backgrounds.”
There are currently 21 former Berea-Albion students playing top-level football around the world. However, there is also an awareness that not all students will reach professional level, and every player is prepared for a successful future with the combination of educational, social, and health structures taught at the academy. Students attend Bosman College, where the focus is on providing “a sound education base” as well as full professional training in football.
The academy’s motto is “Passio Pro Perfecto” (a passion for perfection), and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have been glad to be able to support them in their great work in the past.
“We sincerely thank you for any support you can provide,” says Neil Bosman. “All donations are being put to very good use as we make sure that our young footballers are housed, clothed, educated, trained, and nutritiously fed at Cougar Park.”
A donation of just €50 will provide a pair of football boots and a ball for a student,
providing essential tools in these invaluable youth development programmes.
CAN YOU HELP OUR MSC MISSIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA?
MSCs working with the Sisters of St Therese
A group of Sisters of St Therese from the Democratic Republic of the Congo are working with the MSC community in South Africa to minister to local communities in need of pastoral aid. Together, the Sisters and MSCs do great work in the area of Rabie Ridge, a very poor township in Ivory Park parish, located outside Johannesburg.
Many of the Sisters are qualified teachers, but they live on very little. They have no means of travel apart from public transport, making extended ministry more difficult, and they live on minimal food and provisions themselves.
The house in which the Sisters live has recently undergone some repairs, as it was in a terrible state – particularly the roof, which regularly let rain in. The house is now in better repair, but the Sisters are still in need of a comfortable space in which they can pray. The extension of their chapel space is estimated at a cost of just over €1,500, and this will provide the Sisters with an essential place of prayer.
The Sisters also run a feeding scheme for children in local primary school St Gemma’s, with 25 children who have been orphaned or who come from vulnerable backgrounds taking part in the programme. From Monday to Friday, the children have a nutritious lunch at 11.00am; however, the Sisters are under real pressure to maintain this due to a severe lack of funding.
It costs less than €2 per day to feed one primary school child
– a total of just over €230 for a week’s food for 25 children.
A small donation can make a great difference.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Jan 22, 2020
Pastoral care for the people of the Amazon
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have been operating from the diocese of São Gabriel da Cachoeira, or St Gabriel da Cachoeira, for over 20 years, ministering to the riverside parishes and working with local training and diocesan administration. The diocese of São Gabriel da Cachoeira is situated in the State of Amazonas, northwest of the Brazilian Amazon. Covering the municipalities of Barcelos, Santa Isabel do Rio Negro, and São Gabriel da Cachoeira, it is larger than the state of São Paulo – and three times bigger than the country of Portugal.
Bordered by Columbia and Venezuela, the diocese is crossed by the River Negro and is covered by equatorial forests. It is nicknamed the “Head of the Dog” for its shape, and the main city of the diocese, São Gabriel da Cachoeira, has a population of approximately 45,000. About 95% of its population consists of indigenous people, divided into 23 ethnic groups and speakers of 18 local languages.
Communication with the communities along the River Negro is very poor, and often completely non-existent. Access to these community regions is almost exclusively by water, and it can take a week or more to reach the communities located furthest away, depending on the river conditions. Due to the vast distances involved, many communities can only be visited by priests three or four times a year. In the meantime, lay leaders conduct Sunday services and take over the teaching of catechesis in the absence of a priest.
Distance isn’t the only issue when it comes to the lack of pastoral care in these communities. There is also a severe lack of priests in the region, and the cost of travel is very high.
Currently, there are only five priests native to the diocese. Any other priests in the area are from other regions, providing a temporary service. Parishes often go long spells without the presence of a Catholic priest, and this leads to serious issues with the introduction of alternative theologies, such as the “theology of prosperity”, which generate great rifts and divisions between the local communities.
The local Church faces serious challenges with regard to evangelisation in the region, in addition to problems with social unrest and environmental issues, including deforestation. The MSC community in the area are working to bring hope to the indigenous people of the region who have long been begging for help.
Currently, MSC priests in the region are working from a newly established parish on the outskirts of the city of St Gabriel da Cachoeira, due to a new and worrying factor – an exodus of families from riverside communities to more urban areas. This migration has contributed greatly to existing urban issues with poverty, unemployment numbers, alcohol and drug abuse, prostitution, diseases such as AIDS, hostility towards indigenous communities, and suicide rates that top the national rankings.
This parish serves 25 communities – a total of 18 riverside communities, populated by indigenous people speaking various languages including Tukano and Nheengatú, and seven urban communities, made up of people of varied ethnicities.
MSCs in the area are doing their best to improve the quality of life for the communities they serve, but it is an ongoing struggle in the most difficult of conditions. In general, when conditions are good, it takes approximately three hours to travel from the parish headquarters to the farthest riverside community.
MSC Fr Girley writes to appeal for help for our missionary communities in the area, who are in great need of financial support in order to be able to continue their work with both urban and riverside communities in the parish. “Even in the face of challenges and difficulties, whether they be cultural, geographical, or financial, we are always confident that God’s grace and providence accompany us,” he writes. With a growing multitude of problems facing our MSCs and the local communities they serve, even the smallest donation can help to make a real difference in the lives of people facing hugely varying, but equally powerful, struggles for survival.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONARIES IN THE AMAZON
Jan 18, 2020
Gospel Reflection
Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.
The Gospel (John 1:29-34)
This is the Second Sunday of the Three Year Liturgical cycle, Year 1 (A) of the cycle, in which the Gospel readings will be from the Gospel of Matthew. But this will only begin next Sunday. We are still under the liturgical influence of the Feast of the Epiphany. Three great manifestations were recalled by the Church for the liturgy of the Feast of the Epiphany: on Epiphany itself the manifestation of Jesus to the Gentiles (the Magi), at the Baptism the manifestation by the Father’s voice, and on the Sunday after this (Second of the Yearly Cycle), Jesus’ manifestation of his glory at Cana. In the earlier liturgy, the narrative of the wedding feast at Cana was read on this the second Sunday of each year. It is now read on the Third Year (C) of the cycle while other manifestations from the Baptism period, as in John’s Gospel, are read in years one and two (A and B) of the cycle.
“The Spirit will be given as a gift to the Church by Jesus.”
Thus, in today’s reading we are in the Jordan area with John the Baptist, and the text speaks of the Baptist’s witness concerning his own status and his witness to Jesus. In the Fourth Gospel, there is no account of the actual baptism of Jesus by John, as there is in the other three gospels. Yet this reading tells of what happened there. John calls Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, as if one great sin were involved in the many sins. Jesus is described as the Lamb led to the slaughter of Isaiah (53:7), and as the Passover Lamb offered up each year. By his death he will take away the sin of the world. In this Epiphany, the Baptist manifests Jesus to the world, detailing also the essential detail of his baptism at the Jordan: the Spirit coming down on Jesus and remaining on him. He stresses this point by repeating it, an emphasis in keeping with that of the other three Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. This same Spirit will be given as a gift to the Church by Jesus.
Fr Martin McNamara MSC
Jan 16, 2020
“The invitation is open to all, so what’s keeping you?”
As we begin to settle into the rhythms and routines of 2020, we look ahead to a year full of potential, with new opportunities just waiting to be discovered. Many of us will decide that this will be the year to do something different – and what better way to embrace the spirit of faith, hope, and love than by joining us on one of our 2020 MSC pilgrimages? This year, we will be going on pilgrimage to Fatima in May/June, and to Lourdes in September.
Every year, people travel with us on pilgrimage for different reasons. Some may be struggling with illness, grief, stress, or other personal challenges. Other wish to take part in a traditional pilgrimage journey with like-minded travellers, sharing stories, experiences, and reflections on life. Many wish to simply pray, reflect, and offer thanksgiving for their blessings.
The experience of pilgrimage is different for every individual; the major common denominator, however, is joy, and an awareness of something bigger, of something more. A sense of something special comes into being on a pilgrimage; the Holy Spirit moves amongst those making the journey, while strangers become friends and unite in the solidarity of faith. Community spirit comes out in force – no matter where you may find yourself in the world, the message of God’s love overcomes all cultural barriers in a true celebration of faith, togetherness, and intimacy with God.
“A powerful, life-changing experience.”
Historically, pilgrims would leave their homes, their families, and all of their creature comforts, embarking on journeys that could stretch to hundreds of miles with nothing but what they could carry on their backs. Today, the circumstances of pilgrimage may be less extreme, but they are nonetheless powerful for it, and modern-day pilgrims continue to leave their homes and their daily comforts behind in the quest for spiritual fulfillment.
“Pilgrimage is about freedom,” says Fr Alan Neville MSC. “It’s about walking to the horizon – and when you get there, you keep on going. It’s about taking part in something that is at the same time enjoyable and profound. I’ve yet to meet one person who regretted making the trip. For every one of them it has been a powerful, even life-changing experience. The invitation is open to all, so what’s keeping you?”
If you’d like to find out more about the pilgrimage experience, you are welcome to read all about our 2019 pilgrimages to Fatima and Lourdes. All are welcome to take the first steps towards another wonderful pilgrimage journey with us over the coming months, and make 2020 a year to remember.
******This year’s Pilgrimages have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic we hope to resume in 2021.******
Read more about our MSC Pilgrimages
Jan 9, 2020
Members of the MSC Mission Office in the Philippines recently paid a visit to the students at an MSC-run educational programme in Saints Peter and Paul Parish Learning Centre, in Tubod, Surigao del Norte.
For the past two years, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in the Philippines have been supporting the programme, which provides educational assistance to children who have difficulty in continuing their studies because they and their families live in circumstances of severe poverty and hardship. The Philippine Province of the MSC provide financial support for their tuition fees, plus the necessary books for their studies, through this programme. “These children are very willing to study, but their parents are financially incapacitated,” say the MSC Mission Office in the Philippines. A total of 21 children are currently taking part in the programme – children who are all too pleased with the opportunity to be able to continue their studies, but who would not be able to without the help and financial assistance of the MSC Mission Office and the mission friends around the world who support our work.
The team at the learning centre include Mrs Norma Porcil, who is principal of the school. A retired teacher, she now works voluntarily to take care of the school and its students. The project manager of the programme is Mr Boni Dano, who is also the coordinator of the Chevalier Family Lay Associates in Tubod. He also volunteers his services in making sure the programme runs smoothly and benefits the children involved as much as possible. Finally, Fr Sansin Ebuna MSC is leader of the MSC Mission Office in the Philippines, and has been instrumental in ensuring the success of the programme for children who are in great need of help in order to be able to hope for a more positive future.
We send our best wishes and blessings to everyone involved in this wonderful project, as we continue to work together all over the world to make a difference where it is most needed.
Images via the MSC Mission Office Philippines, Inc. on Facebook
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES
Jan 2, 2020
November was a busy time for the MSC mission in Mozambique, where the celebrations of Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation took place throughout the month.
Early November saw Confirmations taking place in the community of Our Lady of Fatima in Meluco. The MSC Mozambique Facebook page described it as a “beautiful” day, and the accompanying photographs give us a glimpse into a very special celebration of faith.
Just over a week later, the community of St Augustine in Muaguide celebrated the sacraments of Baptism and First Holy Communion. Again, this was an exceptionally blessed day for all involved. “This is a time of grace and blessings from God,” said the MSC Mozambique Facebook page.
It is a truly great thing to see communities across our MSC Mozambique mission marking these joyous occasions, particularly as recovery from the devastation caused by two cyclones earlier this year is still ongoing. The strength, resilience, and spirit demonstrated by local communities is an inspiration to behold, and while the journey to recovery is a long and arduous one, moments such as these provide much-needed encouragement and motivation to all involved in the mission.
Blessings to all who received the sacraments, and to the families, communities, and MSCs who joined them in celebration!
Images via the MSC Mozambique Facebook page.
