Jun 6, 2019
We were delighted to read this wonderful piece by South African publication Spotlight, highlighting the marvellous work done by Sr Sally Duigan OLSH and the team at the Holy Family Care Centre in Limpopo.
Calling the Holy Family community “the biggest and happiest family in Limpopo”, this Spotlight story gives us a glimpse into daily life at the centre, where Sr Sally and her team care for over 70 infants and children. The majority of these children are battling serious illnesses, such as HIV, and many have been orphaned or abandoned.
Founded in 2002, the centre is run by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart with the support of the MSC. We are very pleased to work closely with our Sacred Heart sisters, from fundraising efforts here in the Irish Province to our annual volunteer programme at Holy Family.
“Each child that comes through the gates of HFC is guaranteed two things, regardless of how they arrive or where they come from, they will be loved and well taken care of,” reads the Spotlight article. “At the moment this is home to 70 children (Sally sheepishly admits that they never turn a child away, sometimes the facility cares for up to 80 children) eight of whom are babies. There is a large staff contingent who care for the children 24/7, bathing them, feeding them, clothing them, teaching them, helping them with homework, playing with them and showering them with heaps and heaps of love. It is absolutely clear that this is one big family.”
It’s a big family, and a happy one. The sense of unity and love at Holy Family is in abundance from the moment one steps through the doors, and Sr Sally is dedicated to ensuring this remains the case for every child that comes into her care.
“Above all, we continue to give our children love, security, and care, in the hope they will thrive,” she wrote in a letter to our MSC Missions. “We want them to have the energy to enjoy playtime, be able to learn and live a happy life.”
We are very proud to see Sr Sally’s tremendous work being recognised – congratulations to all the team at Holy Family!
Read the full Spotlight article
Find out more about our work with the Holy Family Centre
May 23, 2019
Sincere congratulations to Rev Luis Gonzales MSC, who was ordained a Deacon in Caracas, Venezuela, on Saturday, May 4th.
We were delighted to receive these pictures of the celebration in Caracas – a wonderful occasion for all involved.
The people of Venezuela are currently in the midst of the worst political, social, economic, and humanitarian crisis in the history of the country. In January of this year, MSC Missions Office Director FR Michael O’Connell visited MSC parishes in Maraciabo and Caracas, where Rev Luis and our Venezuelan MSC community are tireless in their efforts to bring support and relief to local families who are struggling in the current climate.
“At a time when the country is going through such a difficult period politically, socially and economically, it is a sign of great hope that a young man such as Luis commits himself to the service of the people of Venezuela with the deep desire to be for all a living, tangible presence of God’s heart for his people,” wrote Irish Provincial Leader Fr Carl Tranter MSC, on the occasion of Rev Luis’ ordination.
Vocations Director for the Irish Province, Fr Alan Neville MSC, also added his good wishes on the MSC Vocations Facebook page, posting: “Congratulations to Rev Luis Gonzalez MSC who was ordained a Deacon in Caracas, Venezuela, today. May the Lord bless your ministry, Luis, and always give you a big heart for his people, modelled after His own heart.”
We would like to add our congratulations, and send our very best wishes to Rev Luis from the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart!
Find out more about our missionary outreach in Venezuela
May 17, 2019
Welcome to the Summer 2019 edition of the MSC Message!
• Read a special summer 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 South Africa and India.
• Find out about this year’s MSC pilgrimage to Lourdes.
• Read all about Fr Michael O’Connell’s visit to our MSC parishes in Venezuela.
• Enjoy updates from World Youth Day 2019 in Panama, where Fr Alan Neville MSC and the MSC Vocations Team celebrated earlier this year.
Read the MSC Message Summer 2019
May 9, 2019
We are delighted to have received a letter from Br Jean Manga MSC with an update from our MSC community in Righini, Congo.
Earlier this year, we reached out to our mission friends to help the MSC community in Righini as part of our 2019 World Projects Appeal. 15 MSC pre-novitiate students live in the Formation House in Righini, along with their two formators. Here, they work, study, and pray together as they contemplate the missionary journey. The residents of the formation house live primarily on a grant provided by the MSC French African Union – a grant which allows each person a sum equivalent to €11 per day.
As part of their daily routine, the pre-novitiate students travel to the local university to attend classes. They also travel around the surrounding areas, visiting parishioners and undertaking parish ministry. An old minibus served as their only mode of transport, until it broke down beyond repair in April 2018.
For the past year, our MSC students and their formators have had no choice but to travel on public transport, which is unpredictable, undependable, and time-consuming. The community has been unable to travel together, and the lack of transport has made it very difficult for duties around the parish to be undertaken efficiently and effectively. It has also incurred great costs, with $10 per day spent on public transport as opposed to the cost of fuel for the minibus at $30 per week.
The support and generosity of our mission friends here in the Irish Province meant that we have been able to contribute to the cost of a new minibus, and Br Jean has sent a message of thanks from Righini.
“We thank the Lord for you and your great generosity,” he writes. “You have made it possible for our pre-novitiate students to have a brand new school bus. After many months of hope, the bus is now with us.”
“You have our sincere gratitude,” he continues. “God bless you fully!”
We would like to join with Br Jean in extending our heartfelt thanks to all who have contributed to our ongoing 2019 World Projects Appeal. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps us to change lives for the better across the world.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS
May 2, 2019
We have great joy in announcing that on Saturday, May 4th, Luis Gonzalez MSC will be ordained a Deacon in Caracas, Venezuela.
At a time when the country is going through such a difficult period politically, socially, and economically, it is a sign of great hope that a young man such as Luis commits himself to the service of the people of Venezuela with the deep desire to be for all a living, tangible presence of God’s heart for his people. We pray for Luis on this significant step in his vocational journey, that he may serve the Lord, the Church, and all of society with love and generosity. Congratulations to Luis, his brother MSCs in Venezuela, and his family.
As we keep Luis especially in our prayers these days, we also continue to pray for the whole country of Venezuela.
– Fr Carl Tranter MSC
Irish Provincial Leader
Find out more about our missionary outreach in Venezuela
Apr 25, 2019
Rita D. Grace Calvary is a student at Siwa Lima St Joseph’s Technical School in Langgur, Indonesia. Built in 1970, the school is run by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart with the aim of educating young people in the region so “they can do something good for themselves and for their families”. In a region where poverty is a pressing issue, St Joseph’s provides the youth of the community with hope for the future. Here is Rita’s story:
“My name is Rita D. Grace Calvary. I am 15 years old.
My father is an employee in a private company. I wished to attend St Joseph’s Technical School as I have a great desire to become an architect. To help me along this career path, I chose to study technical drawing.
Through my studies in this area, I am learning how to master the basic skills of architecture. I wish to continue my studies at university, to further develop my ability and skills in architecture. This will be very useful to me as I try to find a job when I have finished studying.
I am very happy to be a student at St Joseph’s. I encourage my fellow students to be diligent, to work hard, to take responsibility, to have self-discipline, to have esteem for our teachers, and to love our school.
I am very grateful to all of my teachers and those who help me to develop my knowledge, skills, and abilities, especially in the architectural department. I believe that St Joseph’s is the best school in the Malucu Province. Viva my school, St Joseph’s!”
PLEASE HELP US TO TRANSFORM LIVES IN INDONESIA
