Sep 27, 2019
This year’s annual Masses for deceased MSCs and Daughters of the Lady of the Sacred Heart will take place around the country in November, as we remember those who have gone before us in the light of the Lord.
Masses will take place on the following dates:
Sunday, November 3rd at 3.00pm:
- Sacred Heart Church, Western Road, Cork
- Woodview House, Mt. Merrion Avenue, Blackrock, Co. Dublin
- CroĂ Nua, Rosary Lane, Taylors Hill, Galway
Sunday, November 17th at 2.00pm:
- St Patrick’s Church, Ballybay, Co. Monaghan
We would like to invite you to pray with us during the month of the Holy Souls as we remember the MSCs and Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart who worked so hard to ensure that the Sacred Heart of Jesus is known and loved everywhere, and by everyone.
Sep 26, 2019
On August 12th, the Indonesian Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart officially welcomed 25 young men to their Postulancy Programme in a beautiful Eucharistic celebration, held at the MSC Skolastikat Pineleng Chapel in North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
The Ametur MSC Facebook page shared photos of the event, noting that the homily was celebrated by Fr Hubert Berry MSC, who spoke inspiring words of motivation and encouragement to the young postulants. “Surely, there will be many challenges and struggles,” he said, “but don’t worry – you are not alone.”
“Be confident, and rely on Him,” continued Fr Hubert, “for He will never leave you.”
Last year, Indonesia fell victim to the devastating effects of a series of natural disasters, with over 2.4 million people affected in all.
In late September 2018, an earthquake and tsunami killed almost 2,300 people across the regions of Palu, Sigi, and Donggala. A massive earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 hit the Sulawesi province, which in turn generated a deadly tsunami with waves measuring up to 10 feet high. Just a few days later, in early October, a volcano erupted in North Sulawesi, spewing lava and ash 19,600 feet into the air. Floods, landslides, and mudslides destroyed homes, buildings, vehicles roads, and bridges. Children were separated from their parents and families were torn apart. Over 220,000 people were displaced from their homes, and over 1,300 people were reported missing.
A short time later, in late December, a ruinous tsunami swept along the Sunda Strait, injuring over 14,000 people, and causing further catastrophic damage to homes, businesses, and the local landscape.
MSCs in Indonesia provided emergency response throughout this terrible time, and are continuing their work as they help devastated families as they rebuild their lives and livelihoods following this series of disasters. The official acceptance of 25 young men to this year’s Postulancy Programme is testament to the wonderful work done by the Indonesian Province of the MSC, and we keep these young men and their leaders in our prayers as they embark on this new and exciting journey.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS IN INDONESIA
Sep 19, 2019
The first training session for the coordinators of the local Sunday school for the Mozambique mission took place at the end of June. The training sessions are being held on the island of Ibo, and the Sunday school will cover the wider area of our missionary community, including Meluco and Quissanga.
Launched in March 2018, the Mozambique mission began with MSCs from Brazil ministering in the Pemba diocese. This is an area of extreme poverty and hardship, where up until that point, local families had no access to church infrastructure or pastoral ministry.
Our MSC brothers immediately began working to bring about positive changes for local communities, and the mission has been going from strength to strength over the past year and a half – despite some extremely challenging setbacks.
Earlier this year, two cyclones hit north-eastern Mozambique over the space of six weeks. Hundreds lost their lives, and over 21,000 people were left homeless by the disasters. Homes, crops, and livestock were destroyed by floods and mudslides, while wells were contaminated, leaving the local drinking water unsafe for consumption, with the threat of cholera and malaria a real danger.
Our MSC missionaries have continued to work hand-in-hand with local families in the area, helping them to rebuild their lives in the wake of the catastrophe, and continuing in their original mission to bring God’s gifts of faith, hope, and love to those in real need.
The advent of the new Sunday school will provide a much-needed boost to the communities in the region, and we wish both staff and students the very best of luck on this exciting new adventure!
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS IN MOZAMBIQUE
Sep 14, 2019
Gospel Reflection
Reflection & Dialogue: Searching for the lost sheep and the prodigal son today
The Gospel (Luke 15:1-32)
There will be rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner.
It was once easy to identify “lost sheep” and have a ministry to them. They were lapsed, or non-practising, Catholics. Certain zealous members of some Catholic organizations might seek them out and attempt to bring them back to the practice of their faith. They might also be visited by preachers during parish missions.
Matters are notably different in our own day. Many Catholics give up the practice of their religion at an early date. Some are just “lapsed” and go no further, remaining believers to a greater or lesser degree. But together with these there is now a growing denial of belief in God, and a tendency to make this denial public, as if such belief were incompatible with a truly human life. And with this goes denial of belief in any afterlife.
This explicit denial can be pronounced among the literati and learned class. It is not new, and has in history tended to accompany high points in physics and literature. We have a good example of it in the biblical Book of Wisdom (2:2-3), composed about 30 B.C., where the ungodly are made to say: “The breath in our nostrils is smoke, and reason is kindled by the beating of our hearts. When it is extinguished, the body will turn to ashes, and the spirit will dissolve like empty air”.
For believers, the loving Father in heaven continues to address his saving message to all these, and it will be for believers to make this message known as befits each occasion. Rejection, real or apparent, of the Church among the young can come about from a variety of causes. With these in mind, it is good to pay attention to surveys done on the attitude of the young towards the Catholic faith. Some of their difficulties arise from an incorrect understanding of certain points of doctrine, such as the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, or in consecrated hosts. The task of bringing the message of God’s loving concern to the many groups in our own day is a daunting one, but not one to despair of, since the chief agent at work will be none other than God, the loving Father and Jesus Christ present in our world in a variety of ways.
Fr Martin McNamara MSC
Sep 11, 2019
Our 2019 Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart took place from Saturday, August 31st to Sunday, September 8th, at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork.
A number of MSCs celebrated our daily Novena Masses over the nine-day period, including Fr Michael O’Connell, Fr Tom Mulcahy, and Fr Vincent Screene, who recently returned home to Ireland from the Venezuelan mission.
The Sacred Heart Church was beautifully decorated, with a very special feature this year. A wonderful statue of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart stood on the altar throughout the course of the Novena, which had been carved by the late Fr Jerry O’Riordan MSC, who ministered in South Africa and Indonesia.
It was wonderful to see the familiar faces of old friends return to the Sacred Heart Church every day, and to welcome new acquaintances to our Novena Masses every day. We were also delighted to see over 2,200 people pray with us via the live stream on our website over the nine days of the Novena – a sure sign that our great community of faith is growing all over the world!
The theme of year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was “Mother-Disciple”, with Sr Merle Salazar FDNSC acting as the special guest speaker at each of our daily Masses.
It was with great joy that we welcomed Sr Merle back to the Sacred Heart Church, following her wonderful reception as leader of the Sacred Heart Novena in 2018. With a fascinating history and varied career path to date, Sr Merle is a firm favourite with parishioners in Cork and beyond.
Born, raised, and educated in the Philippines, Sr Merle was a certified public accountant prior to her decision to join religious life with the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in 1995. As a young religious sister, she taught accountancy, did treasury work in a parish school, and coordinated a nutrition program in the remote village of Cebu, located in central Philippines. She also obtained a Masters degree in Religious Studies, and following her final profession, she has ministered in Formation and Leadership. She has also taught Marian Theology and Scripture at three theology schools in Manila, and is currently the First Councillor to the General, residing in Rome.
Sr Merle was welcomed with open arms once again this year, and we thank her, and everybody who contributed to this year’s celebrations, in person or online, for taking part in another successful, prayerful, and blessed Novena.
Sep 5, 2019
At the end of July, the Philippine Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart unveiled their newly renovated MSC house in Surigao City, which now takes the form of the new MSC College Formation House.
The launch of the new MSC Formation House also saw the formal acceptance of seven new formands to the college formation programme.
At the Eucharistic celebration, Fr Cabrera, the Provincial Superior of the Philippines, addressed the new formands as they embarked upon this new and exciting stage of their missionary journey. “You are MSC formands because we hope that you imbibe the MSC Spirituality and charism in your initial formation years,” he said, encouraging and motivating the seven new formands for the journey ahead.
The following week also saw great excitement for the Philippine Province, as their Profession Day was held on August 6th, the Feast of Our Lord’s Transfiguration. Two novices, Frt Franz Kim Pelare and Frt Diomuel Carpenteros, made their first profession of vows, while five confreres made their perpetual profession: Frt Ace Yu, Frt Julieto Amaneo, Jr., Frt Ronie Botona, Frt Chris John Awa, and Frt Michael Angelo Dacalos. In addition, three MSCs, Frt Janray, Bro Florris, and Frt Jyrnell, renewed their religious vows at the ceremony.
It was a wonderful day for all involved – and as the Facebook page for the MSC Scholasticate Community in the Philippines noted, “If their sweet smiles imply anything, it might just be, in the words of Fr Provincial, that they did it in joy, in freedom, and in love.”
Our prayers are with each of these men in our MSC family, on the different stages of the missionary journey.
Keep up to date with the MSC Missions Office Philippines on Facebook.
Visit the new website for the MSC Missions Office in the Philippines.
