Oct 3, 2019
Each year, the arrival of September heralds an exciting time for the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, as we embark on our annual pilgrimage to Lourdes.
This year saw another wonderful pilgrimage group embark on the well-trodden path to Lourdes on September 14th, for a five-night trip undertaken by the familiar faces of friends and new acquaintances alike. A total of 86 pilgrims travelled from Cork and Dublin, and the group swelled in numbers even more in Lourdes, as friends both old and new joined our MSC party.
The group’s spiritual leader on this year’s journey was Fr Charles Sweeney MSC, and he was joined by MSCs Fr Des Farren, Fr John Finn, Fr Timothy Gleeson, and Fr Michael O’Connell.
The pilgrimage began on Saturday with prayers at the High Stations of the Cross, led by Fr John Finn. Different pilgrims carried our banner from station to station in a lovely afternoon of peaceful reflection. Evening prayer took place in the Church of Seven Dolours.
Sunday morning dawned with a 7.30am Mass at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, which was celebrated with English-speaking pilgrims from the USA and India. “This was a very special time to be at the Grotto, as dawn broke and we watched the sun rise,” says Fr Michael. This was followed by breakfast, and a guided tour of special places connected with St Bernadette of Lourdes.
This year’s pilgrimage was a special one, celebrating the 175th anniversary of the birth of St Bernadette of Lourdes, who was both on January 7th 1844. St Bernadette is widely known and loved for her experience of apparitions from Our Lady of Lourdes – “a small young lady” who appeared to Bernadette on 17 occasions in a niche in the rock at Massabielle, while Bernadette, aged 14 at the time, was caring for her family’s flock of sheep. The Lady requested that Bernadette “go to the priests and tell them to build a chapel here”, but it was not until their seventeenth meeting that “the beautiful lady” identified herself to Bernadette. That chapel was to become what is now the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, the site of miracles visited by millions of people every year.
“It was lovely to see the improvements made to the domain area,” notes Fr Michael. “There have been new trees planted near the Grotto, improvements at the baths, new taps to wash your hands and face, and the candles have been moved to the opposite side of the river. There is also a special emphasis on prayerful silence.”
Holy Hour on Sunday night was led by Fr Charles Sweeney at the Chapel of St Maximilian Kolbe. “Everyone lit a candle, and we remembered and prayed for our deceased,” says Fr Michael. “The healing service on Monday evening at the Upper Basilica was also very special.”
Monday also saw Mass at Bartes, where St Bernadette lived twice. Here, our pilgrims had the opportunity to venerate a relic of St Bernadette, and view a sample of her handwriting that has been preserved through the ages.
Tuesday afternoon brought prayers at the Lower Stations of the Cross, followed by a Rosary mediation at the Chapel of St Maximilian Kolbe. Wednesday morning’s Mass at the Bois St Francois at the City of St Pierre, or the City of the Poor, was another particularly lovely moment as Mass was celebrated in the open air beside the beautiful lake. “We thought it was starting to rain at one point,” recalls Fr Michael, “but it was just the wind shaking the rain off the leaves in the trees! The weather was wonderful on the whole, and it only rained at night.”
The return flights were not until the evening on the final day, which gave our pilgrimage group a full day at their leisure to revisit their favourite spots, and spend time in prayer by the river or at the Grotto – a perfect end to the journey.
“We had another fantastic group of pilgrims this year,” says Fr Michael. “We were especially blessed in our guitarist, Jerry, and his wife, Deirdre.”
From candlelight vigils to a beautiful outdoor Mass celebrated at the City of the Poor, this year’s pilgrimage was a prayerful, grace-filled trip that left all involved with full hearts. All of our benefactors and mission friends were remembered in the prayers of our MSCs and pilgrims on this year’s journey, and as always, we would like to thank everyone who participated for making this year’s pilgrimage a resounding success.
If you would like to find out more about the annual MSC pilgrimage to Lourdes, please click here.
Sep 30, 2019
Welcome to the Winter 2019 edition of the MSC Message!
• Read a special seasonal greeting from Fr Michael O’Connell MSC, Director of the MSC Missions Office.
• Catch up with the latest news from the mission fields, with updates from our ongoing projects in Mozambique, Africa, and Venezuela.
• Find out about this year’s MSC pilgrimage to Fatima.
• MSC Cardinal John Ribat speaks out about climate change and the vital importance of awareness and education.
• Read all about Br Giacomo Gelardi’s missionary journey and the path that led him to a vocation with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
Read the MSC Message Winter 2019
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
- Croí 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
