May 1, 2025
“He is Risen!” A worldwide celebration of Holy Week & Easter 2025
It is with joyful and thankful spirits that we look back at a wonderful celebration of Easter in just some of our MSC communities at home and around the world.
From darkness into light: Celebrating Easter in Mozambique
Holy Week was a time of great togetherness and prayer on our Mozambique mission, culminating in a joyous celebration on Easter Sunday, where three communities came together to pray and rejoice in the glory of the Resurrection.
The Facebook page for MSC Mozambique shared some wonderful posts from three different Palm Sunday ceremonies, including the Community Headquarters of Santa Marta Parish, at the community of St. John the Baptist in Sanbene village, and in the São Lucas Community, in Murrebue. Each of the celebrations were filled with faith and love, as “every gesture, every word, every prayer became a sign of God’s presence in the midst of His people.”
Celebrations continued throughout Holy Week, with a special ceremony on Holy Wednesday where our MSC brothers were joined by the Mercedary Sisters of the Eucharistic Jesus at Pemba Cathedral. “In an atmosphere of collection and faith, they lifted the morning praise to God, preparing the heart for the mysteries of Jesus’ Passion, Death and Resurrection,” says the Facebook page for MSC Mozambique.
Holy Thursday saw a “remarkable” celebration of “service and gratitude” in the community of St. John the Baptist, with the celebration of the Lord’s Supper and the washing of the feet presided over by Fr Roney Lima MSC.
The Stations of the Cross followed on Good Friday, in the community of Santa Marta. The Exaltation of the Cross was celebrated by Fr José Eduardo Paixão MSC, where “The cross was presented as a sign of God’s love and the hope that comes from Jesus’ sacrifice. It was a simple yet meaningful celebration that helped the community live more intensely the spirit of Holy Week.”
Fr Roney Lima led the Easter Vigil in the village of Sanbene on the evening of Holy Saturday, with the faithful gathered and undaunted by rain and stormy weather. “Even with the wet ground and strong winds, the community stood firm and united, celebrating the Lord’s Passover with fervor and gratitude, a moment that became a true milestone in their spiritual walk.”
On Easter Sunday, all three communities of the Sede, St. John the Baptist, and St. Luke gathered together with Fr Roney and Fr José Eduardo to rejoice in the glorious Resurrection, celebrating the risen Christ and the hope and joy of Easter.
The following Wednesday, Fr Roney celebrated the Resurrection of the Lord at the Mieze Male Penitentiary. Sharing the ceremony on their Facebook page, our Mozambique MSCs wrote: “In an environment marked by suffering and hope, the light of the Risen Christ touched the hearts of inmates, offering reconciliation, renewal, and a new beginning. The celebration was a clear sign that God does not abandon anyone, and that in Christ there is always the way, the truth, and the life—even inside prisons. It was a moment of living faith, listening and communion, where the true meaning of Easter was felt: the transition from darkness to light.”
(Photos from the MSC Mozambique Facebook page)
Easter celebrations in the Province of the Pacific Islands
The Facebook page for the MSC Province of the Pacific Islands also shared some wonderful photographs of their Holy Week and Easter events.
The MSC community in Wailoku, Fiji, were joined by local students in reenacting a powerful performance of the Passion of the Christ on Good Friday.
This was followed by the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday, led by formator Fr Rataro Raimon MSC, and a special Easter Sunday celebration at the formation house in Wailoku. “We continue extend our gratitude and sincerely thanks to our families and friends for joining us in our Easter Sunday celebration which was held at our Formation House Wailoku,” says the Facebook page for the MSC Province of the Pacific Islands. “We also thanks our brothers for their wonderful preparation. Vinaka vaka levu and may God bless us all in this Easter season.”
(Photos from the MSC Province of the Pacific Islands Facebook page)
Dawn prayer at the Sacred Heart Church in Cork
Our much-anticipated Easter Dawn Mass took place once again this year at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork, where mission friends and parishioners gathered to pray together as the sun rose on Easter Sunday 2025.
Over the course of Holy Week and Easter, almost 7,000 people joined us via our website to pray with us on our live stream, including viewers from Ireland and the UK, across Europe, America, Canada, and Australia, and far-flung corners of Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and Africa.
Our annual Easter Garden lit up the altar of the Sacred Heart Church once again, and this year, we have also been blessed to have an outdoor garden at the MSC House and Missions Office on the Western Road. Visitors are very welcome to come and reflect and pray here, and we extend our sincere gratitude to all who have taken such care with the construction and maintenance of our Easter Gardens, both inside and out! In keeping with tradition, the Family Tree of Life Book has enjoyed a special place on our altar, celebrating the joy of family and the importance of unity as our MSCs pray for all those enrolled throughout the Easter season.
Filled with the strength and gladness of the Easter light, we welcome the brighter days ahead with hopeful hearts and joyful spirits. With every grace and blessing of the Sacred Heart to our mission friends all over the world, this Easter season and throughout the year ahead.
Apr 23, 2025
Pope Francis meets with the MSC’s in Rome 2023
Pope Francis 17/12/1936 – 21/4/2025
Since the announcement of his death on Monday 21st of April religious and political leaders from all faiths and none have expressed their respect for Pope Francis, this humble man of faith and courage who has been a wonderful gift to the Church and to the world. Much has been said about his love for the poor and the marginalized, his joy and witness to the Gospel of Jesus and of course not forgetting his prophetic stance on the environment.
With all our benefactors I pray with deep gratitude that this man has touched our lives as if he knew each one of us personally. I thank God that he has made it possible for us to dream of a Church that welcomes all people, a Church where broken, sinful and wounded humanity find a home.
I’m sure all of us will follow his funeral rites very closely over the coming days. May his strong and courageous soul find rest with the Lord whom he served so faithfully.
Let us ask the Holy Spirit to inspire the Cardinals from across the world who will gather very soon to choose a successor to Pope Francis.
May they select a man who will continue in the same spirit as our beloved late Pope Francis to serve the Church and the world with vision, and unapologetic proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus.
MSC Provincial, Fr Joseph McGee MSC
Apr 20, 2025
March was an especially busy and exciting month for our MSC brothers in Mozambique, with two inspiring new chapters beginning on the mission.
Great celebrations were marked in the parish of Santa Marta de Mecúfi, where Fr José Eduardo Paixão MSC was appointed as new parish priest, with Fr Roney Lima MSC taking the position of new parish vicar. The Mass was celebrated by Bishop António Juliasse, Bishop of the Diocese of Pemba, in a moving and uplifting ceremony where parishioners extended a very warm welcome to Fr José and Fr Roney in their new roles.
The Facebook page for our Mozambique mission shared some wonderful photos from the day, telling us that, “During the homily, Father Juliasse emphasized the importance of priestly mission and the commitment of new religious leaders to evangelization and strengthening the parish community”. These new appointments mark the beginning of a new and hopeful chapter for the parish of Santa Marta de Mecúfi, strengthening the community and “renewing hope and enthusiasm for Christian life”.
Shortly afterwards, on March 19th, our Mozambique mission celebrated the Feast of St Joseph by welcoming our new students to the Fr Jules Chevalier Formation House. In a special Facebook post, our Mozambique brothers shared pictures of this blessed occasion:
“These young people have answered God’s call and pledged to follow him from our charisma. Each of them proclaimed, ‘Here I am, Lord,’ expressing their willingness and desire to do God’s will.
They received the MSC Cross, the Breviary and the Perpetual Service of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
We share this joy with you!”
Joy shared indeed, and we hope you will join us in prayer for all MSCs and the communities they serve on our mission in the Diocese of Pemba. Congratulations to Fr José and Fr Roney on their new appointments in the parish of Santa Marta de Mecúfi, and to the new students in formation – we wish you all every blessing as you embark on your new chapters, individually and collectively on our shared missionary journey. God bless you all!
Images via the Facebook page for MSC Mozambique.
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Apr 15, 2025
Our friends at the Holy Family Care Centre in the Limpopo Province of South Africa have been in touch with an update from the centre, where new solar panels have been installed thanks to the support of our mission friends and benefactors here in the Irish Province. The centre is run by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, and here, they provide dedicated care for orphans, and sick and vulnerable children, with approximately 75 children in residence at any given time.
In our 2024 World Projects Appeal, we asked if you could help to raise €9,900 for the centre to install solar panels. Due to “load shedding”, it is an unfortunate fact that the centre’s electricity is frequently cut, and the emergency generator is expensive to run. The solar panels will power the unit’s bore water well and sewerage pumps, ensuring savings on power and the prevention of major system failure with when the electricity cuts out.
The solar panels have now been successfully installed, and the community at Holy Family are already reaping the benefits of having a dependable and sustainable source of power for the centre. As ever, we join our voices with our OLSH Sisters in thanking our mission family sincerely for your continued friendship and support, which makes such a great difference to the Holy Family children.
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Apr 11, 2025
Back to School for Exams
The Catholic University of South Sudan, Rumbek Campus experienced a good, but challenging semester. For fourteen weeks, lectures were held in a local Catholic secondary school. This return to familiar surroundings was a nostalgic experience for some students, allowing them to reconnect with former teachers and cherished memories. While the hospitality was appreciated, the school’s simple facilities and limited resources presented some challenges. Fitting adult students into the smaller desks required some adjustments, but everyone quickly adapted.
Late-Night Study
The students have done their best to make time to study, not easy in a country where less than 9% of the population has any access to electricity and the sun sets every night by 6:00pm. Up until recently, students would study at home with only the light of the mobile phone to read. We upped our Late-Night Study programme to three evenings a week, allowing students to work until 8:00pm in our library. Initially, only men attended, as in the culture it would be considered inappropriate for women to stay out late; however, over the last few weeks, more and more of our female students have been able to attend. Our University Librarian stayed with them and provided them with support when needed. It has been a real success, and we plan to continue the programme into next semester.
Exams in a Heatwave
Currently, we are dealing with an intense heatwave in South Sudan. For the past two weeks, all schools have been closed by government order, with daily temperatures ranging from 39°C to 42°C. Despite these conditions, we have had to conduct our end-of-semester exams. Even with a schedule pushed to late afternoon, the heat remains a significant factor. The students’ resilience has been truly commendable, as they have not voiced a single complaint! However, all good things come to an end and so too do exams. Tomorrow will be their last day before a two-week break and then we are back into Semester Two.
Step-Free Access for All
As you are probably aware, the source of our displacement is the ongoing renovation of our lecture halls. The work is progressing well, with ceilings already in place. Previously, the hall only had a corrugated metal roof, which made the room into a sauna during hot days, and when it rained you could hear nothing at all. We are only halfway through the project, and already the changes have made a huge difference. Now we are getting ready to install the pipes for the electrical system and plaster the walls. We are also using the opportunity to make the building step-free, getting rid of ramps and raising the floor to allow anyone with physical disabilities to study freely. As a Catholic university it is our goal that anyone who wants to study and has the academic ability should be able to undertake third-level studies.
Nhialic ke yin,
Fr. Alan
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Read more from Fr Alan’s missionary journey in South Sudan:
