Jun 4, 2012
Some of the children who stay at the Holy Family Centre
You couldn’t have planned it if you tried. After a very long drive and a good night’s sleep I’m up and wandering around the Holy Family Centre with Sr. Susan. There are children running around, playing football or simply chatting with one another. As I turn the corner by the hall next to the pitch there are two children aged 11 and 7 and the older one is reading her Bible to her friend. It’s all about Moses, Pa-hair-ooh ( think about it! ) and the ten plagues. She stumbles over some of the words, but soliders on with great energy. It’s about frogs, locusts and plenty of drama. What’s not to love! (more…)
May 31, 2012
After Mass in the neighbouring township of Ivory Park
There’s a clock on the office wall of the Tshwaranang Hospice and Care Centre that advertises the services of a local funeral director. It’s a sombre reminder of the reality facing South Africa in light of the HIV / AIDS crisis. But in a place that could easily be overshadowed by despair hope reigns, at least for now.
As we walk around the ground with Mna. Joanna, the centre director, we meet Sammy working in the garden. Sammy was once a patient in Tshwarang, but because of the care he received he has now recovered, at least temporarily. He is now looking after the vegetables that the Centre grows and sells in order to help support itself.
Tshwaranang Hospice
The word ‘Tshwaranang’ means ‘holding hands.’ It is small centre, with only eighteen beds. On the weekend we visit one person has died and two more patients have been admitted. What is important here is the quality of care. From the food prepared in the simple kitchen, to the grounds where the patients sit out on warm days, to the gentleness of the nurses, there is a sense of something special happening.
Tshwaranang is a place where the Gospel message is very much alive. It’s not enough to treat the sick because they are in need of medical attention or even because they are our brothers and sisters. In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus tells us the mark of a Christian will be their ability to see the divine in the poor, the imprisoned, the refugee and the infirm and to treat them as they would treat Christ himself. This is an essential part of our truest vocation and the greatest challenge of our faith, to see the divine spark in all people, especially those at the margins.
May 26, 2012
By my very nature I’m not a nervous passenger. In fact I love travelling. I love the sights, trying the food, making new friends, and experiencing different cultures! But by any measure this trip has gotten off to a rocky start.
I’m sitting in Cork Airport with an incessant ringing in my ears typing fast and furiously. It’s because there’s a power cut and I forgot to recharge the laptop last night. The aiport siren though is working perfectly, letting us no there’s no power. One would have thought that the complete absence of lights anywhere in the building would be a good enought indicator, but better safe than sorry. On top of that my flight to London is delayed an hour and a half. And to make mtters just that little bit worse there no coffee, because the coffee machine isn’t working, because there’s no power. Even Job would be getting a little antsy at this stage and I’m definitely no Job.
Fr. Herman in the after school project
However it’s all for a great cause. I’m off to South Africa for two weeks to look at setting up a volunteering programme with our Missionary of the Sacred Heart brothers in the Region. Along with Sr. Susan Jones, a member of the Holy Faith Congregation and a chaplain in DCU, we’ll be travelling around the country, working in the various projects and looking at possibilities for short term volunteering ( three months ). We’re going to begin in Tembisa, one of the largest townshops just outside Johannesburg. Fr. Herman van Dyke, based in the Ivory Park parish, is involved with the local Tshwaranang AIDS Hopsice and the Pilani youth project. We should be starting on Monday, so I’ll fill you in as it happens.
In the meantime God has taken pity on my plight. The electricity is back on. The sirens have stopped. Perhaps now is a good time to see if the coffee machine is running again. Things are beginning to look up!
May 21, 2012
Steve Colbert
“If you don’t have it, don’t spend it.” As far as common sense goes it doesn’t get any more self evident than that. But are there certain things that are absolutely essential, things that we cannot abandon, without sacrificing values that make us who we are?
This was evident last week when the Irish Government stated that is was still committed to keeping its UN target of allocating 0.7 per cent of gross national income to overseas aid by 2015. We are in a time of cut back, redundancies and closures and one could be forgiven for thinking that the future looks a bleak. You would think that this would be a time when we need to look after our own first, after all charity begins at home. (more…)
Mar 26, 2012
Fr. Jules Chevalier MSC
When our founder, Fr. Jules Chevalier, established the group in 1854 he did not believe we should be tied to just one type of work. As a result you will find Missionary of the Sacred Heart ( MSC ) brothers and priests living and working throughout over 50 countries, engaged in all sorts of ministry. Hospitals, prison, schools, colleges, universities, parishes, local community projects, counselling centres and many more locations provide the settings for MSC members to carry out the overall mission of being and bringing the Good News of God’s love to the people we meet. (more…)
Jan 11, 2012
Looking to make a real difference?
For those of you who are looking to take some time out from college or work and to try something completely different you could consider the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Volunteer Programme MSCVP. The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart minister in over fifty countries around the world in a wide variety of different areas, including schools, parishes, hospitals and prisons. We have developed a volunteer programme for people, between the ages of twenty three and forty to work for seven weeks in some of these locations.
Through our volunteer programme you will work with a community who need your skills, talents and enthusiasm. It’s about being in partnership with others, teaching and learning at the same time, and sharing of yourself in order to make a real difference in your world.
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Volunteer Programme (MSCVP) is an initiative that:
- looks to provide enriching, challenging and meaningful short term voluntary experiences
- seeks to share the talents of our volunteers with our partner projects.
- works towards promoting responsible volunteering in our partner projects in South Africa.
We are looking for men and women, between the ages of 23 and 40, who are interested in undertaking seven weeks of volunteering work abroad over summer. Ideally applicants should have relevant skills, such as teaching, mechanics, carpentry, nursing, electrician, medicine, etc. However each person is taken on their own merits. All necessary preparatory training will be provided. Some of the expenses for the trip will be provided, but there will be a need for fundraising.
Where we work
One of the places our volunteers work and stay is in the Holy Family Centre, situated at the foot of the Drakensberg Mountains in Ofcolaco, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The Centre works with the sick and vulnerable, especially orphaned children with HIV and AIDS. At any one time there are about seventy children being cared for. The Centre is about much more than just basic food and accommodation. It’s not about providing a house, but a home for these children. Our sister Congregation, The Daughters of the Lady of the Sacred Heart, administer the Centre which is non-denominational. They work with a dedicated team of staff and volunteers who provide individual and loving care for the children. For more information on the Holy Family Centre click here.
In addition to Holy Family Centre this year we are working in partnership with projects in Louis Trichardt that focus on the rights of refugees and the educational needs of children with disabilities. It is our aim to provide a wide range of volunteering experiences, while at the same time working with partners who follow the highest standards of care.
The nature of your work in the project will include day to day concerns, but will also seek to engage your particular skill set. Most importantly your time with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Volunteering Programme will provide a rewarding and unforgettable experience, both for yourself and those you serve.
So what is volunteering with the MSC Volunteering Programme really like?
You can check out the blogs of some of this year’s volunteers:
Joanie’s Blog
http://www.mscvocations.ie/2013/09/02/volunteering-africa-good-things-come-end/
Karen’s Blog
http://www.mscvocations.co.uk/2013/09/13/volunteering/
Kevin’s Blog
http://www.mscvocations.ie/2013/07/11/celtic-volunteer-in-south-africa/
Preparation Session
http://www.mscvocations.ie/2013/05/08/face-paints-football-and-knitting-volunteering-msc-style/
Want to know more?
For more information contact Fr. Alan Neville MSC on (086) 7857955 or by email fralan@mscvolunteering.com
For further resources and latest news around volunteering contact Comhlamh.
MSC Volunteering Project supports best practice in volunteering and upholds the Comhlamh’s Volunteer Charter.
MSC Volunttering Project supports best practice around responsible use of photos and images in volunteering. We are also signatories of the Dochas Code of Best Practice.
If you have any queries or issues about our application of either the Comhlamh or Dochas Codes of Best Practice do not hesitate to contact us. Alternatively you can contact Dochas directly click here.
As part of our commitment to best practice in child safeguarding all successful applicants will complete a Garda Vetting ( Irl. ) or Disclosure and Barring Service ( UK ) check.
