May 14, 2026
MSCs in India are working to help very vulnerable children in Karankadu, an extremely poor village located close to the Bay of Bengal and populated by just 468 families, with a Catholic community of 1,600 people. Karankadu is a fishing village, and due to its location, suffers badly from the damaging effects of monsoons.
Fr Regimus, parish priest at Our Lady of Angels Church in Karankadu, is working towards the repair and refurbishment of the local primary school, which is currently attended by 186 students (numbering 103 girls and 83 boys). There is no money for the decoration, repair, or refurbishment of the school, which has had very minimal maintenance completed since it was first built. Classrooms lack the most basic facilities, with children sitting on the floor and using their own school bags as desks. In such circumstances, it is very difficult for teachers to provide a high-quality education, feeding into the challenges the children face in progressing further and improving their quality of life as they grow.
The lack of classroom furniture causes several problems, including physical discomfort and development complications, hygiene issues, and considerable discomfort in the hot weather.
“This mitigates against the provision of quality education, which is so important at this stage of the child’s development, for enabling them to reach the maximum of their ability and for their future social and economic wellbeing,” writes Fr Regimus.
Building blocks for the future
One of the world’s most populous countries, India suffers with a tremendously imbalanced distribution of wealth and vast levels of poverty. Millions of children face various extremely difficult and complex challenges around homelessness, hunger, and access to education, leading to future issues with unemployment. The provision of a comprehensive education provides the children with both academic and social skills that will help them not only in their individual circumstances, but within their larger communities, and ultimately, for generations to come.
Fr Regimus has been able to raise half of the €20,000 needed to complete the necessary repairs to the school, and the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are helping Fr Regimus and the school community with the remaining funds, allowing them to plan for the refurbishment work during this year’s summer holidays, to purchase classroom equipment such as desks and chairs, and to improve the community’s daily life there. Updated facilities will have a hugely positive impact for the children, not only for their learning experience today, but also into the future. Their ability to gain a good education and skill set now will help these young people to avoid further issues further down the line, including unemployment, poverty, discrimination, child labour, and early marriage.
With the children of Karankadu facing so many significant challenges in their young lives, the support of our mission friends and benefactors in the Irish Province is nothing short of life-changing. We wish Fr Regimus and the school team every blessing with the success for their refurbishment work this summer, and we look forward to seeing their progress as they work to provide the chance of a brighter future to young people in rural India.
The school staff at Karankadu, with Fr Regimus in the centre.
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May 7, 2026
Sincere thanks to everyone who came along to participate in our annual May fundraising event for the community of the Holy Family Care Centre, a dedicated facility for vulnerable young children run by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, with the support of the MSC, in Ofcolaco, South Africa. This year’s fundraising event took place at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork, after Masses on May 2nd and 3rd, and raised a total of approximately €4,226.81 for the Holy Family children.
Each May, the Sacred Heart community comes out in force to raise funds for the ongoing work of the Holy Family team, with a local plant and cake sale that always receives wonderfully generous support from parishioners and mission friends. It is always a lovely opportunity for old friends and new acquaintances to chat over tea and home-baked treats, and every year is much-anticipated by MSCs, local mission friends, and Sacred Heart parishioners.
Just some of the wonderful team who participated in our annual Sacred Heart Parish Plant & Cake Sale in aid of the Holy Family Care Centre in Ofcolaco, South Africa.
The Holy Family Care Centre has been run by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in South Africa, with the support of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, since its establishment in 2002. Sr Sally Duigan FDNSC heads up the team at the centre, which is a true sanctuary and home away from home for young children who are very ill, and in many cases, do not have close family to take care of them. With many of the children being HIV positive, and in need of extremely specialised care, the demands on the centre are great. The Holy Family facility has resources to accommodate 70 children, yet Sr Sally and the team always do their best to accommodate every child that needs them, and so they often have 80 children or more in their care.
The availability of funding is a constant challenge, and the support of our MSC mission friends and benefactors here in the Irish Province is invaluable. Speaking of the long-standing friendship between the MSC Mission Office and the Holy Family Care Centre, Sr Sally said, “The children and staff have benefited enormously from the funding received from MSC Mission Office Ireland, and we are so grateful.”
“We continue to give our children love, security and care in the hope they will thrive. We want them to have the energy to enjoy playtime, be able to learn and live a happy life.”
Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who worked so hard to organise this year’s fundraising event, and to everybody who contributed and took part in even the smallest way, despite the rain and cloudy weather! Every little plant and every bun sold is part of a much bigger picture, connecting the Holy Family community in South Africa with the Sacred Heart family in Cork, and we are so very grateful for your ongoing friendship, generosity, and kindness.
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Apr 25, 2026
Holy Week on our MSC Mission in Ecuador proved to be a very special time indeed, with a host of celebrations throughout the week culminating on the glorious Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
“It was a beautiful experience; I loved living with my indigenous community,” writes Fr Marcelo Campoverde MSC. “Eighteen missionaries who came from Quito, the capital, also helped me; it was a beautiful experience for them too.”
“That’s all I can share with you,” he said. “The photos speak for themselves!”
Thanks to the support of our mission friends and benefactors here at home, we have been able to provide great help in recent years to Fr Marcelo and several indigenous communities in Ecuador. We are very grateful for your ongoing support and friendship as we work to help these communities in real and pressing need.
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Apr 23, 2026
On April 12th, the Venezuelan community marked Divine Mercy Sunday with a special celebration in the parish of La Santa Cruz. On this “day of love”, MSCs and volunteers from Mis Ángeles social visited very vulnerable families, delivering toys to the children along with clothing for the adults and food for each household.
“Under the motto of compassion, the team brought words of encouragement and hope to each home,” wrote Bro. Deiby Fuenmayor MSC. “These visits allowed faith to be translated into concrete actions, closely accompanying those who are going through moments of difficulty and loneliness.”
The outreach support was possible with the support and donations of “good-hearted people,” which allowed “God’s mercy to reach the most disadvantaged brothers and sisters in a tangible way”.
“The church parish is deeply grateful to the community for joining this noble cause,” finished Bro. Deiby. “As we celebrate this special day, we reaffirm our commitment to be instruments of peace and solidarity aid for the well-being of all our neighbours.”
As ever, our prayers are with our MSC brothers and the communities they serve in Venezuela – such wonderful pictures are testament to the uplifting power of faith, community, prayer, and love, even in the most challenging times.
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Apr 9, 2026
There’s something powerful about these wonderful pictures shared by the Facebook page for the Fr Jules Chevalier MSC Mission Centre in the Philippines.
Together, the community at the Centre, which is located in Lapu-Lapu City, celebrated Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28th. This year’s Earth Hour was a particularly special one, as it marks the 20th anniversary of the event, which encourages people all over the world to switch off their lights for one hour, instead learning about, promoting, or helping the environment in ways that have a positive impact on the world around us.
“The MSC Center joined Earth Hour last Saturday from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM. We turned off all lights, using only candles and a bonfire to create a calm and reflective atmosphere,” posted the Facebook page.
“The evening began with the Holy Rosary, followed by a sharing on how we can help care for the Earth, and concluded with a joyful praise and worship through song. It was a meaningful reminder of our faith, unity, and responsibility for creation.”
Earth Hour is a particularly meaningful event for the community in the Philippines, where the MSC Centre for the Poor and their accompanying agricultural co-operative are devoted to creating sustainable and self-sufficient lifestyles, nurturing our natural world and living in harmony with the earth. Earth Hour is the perfect opportunity to join in with a global movement championing our environment and our world, and to pause for prayer in a moment that is so beautiful in its simplicity.
Images via the Facebook page for the Fr. Jules Chevalier, MSC Mission Centre.
Apr 2, 2026
As we approach the blessed season of Easter, we are glad to share these beautiful pictures of Lenten celebrations at the parish of St John the Evangelist in Palmira, Ecuador.
Here, Fr Marcelo Campoverde MSC commemorated Lent with his indigenous community, with a particularly special ceremony marking the beginning of the season.
“We started with a large gathering, where more than 600 people participated,” Fr Marcelo wrote. “It was a beautiful experience, a truly beautiful encounter with God.”
“We don’t have a parish kitchen or dining hall here,” Fr Marcelo continued. “You’ll see from some of the photos that the women cook in an open space. But the weather was kind to us; if it rained, we wouldn’t have eaten. It was a unique experience.”
“My next dream is to see if we can build a kitchen and dining hall for these events,” Fr Marcelo finished. “I’ve placed this dream in God’s hands; we’ll see what happens in the future. In the meantime, with great joy, I want to share our Lenten celebrations with you.”
We are very grateful for the support of our mission friends and benefactors here at home, which goes such a long way in helping Fr Marcelo and indigenous communities in Ecuador. May God bless you all, with our heartfelt wishes for a blessed Easter season.
