Jan 22, 2019
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have been working in India for over 30 years. MSCs currently minister in seven parishes in rural India and one parish in Bangalore.
Presbyteries in Mulakaluru and Janakipuram
In Mulakaluru and Janakipuram, two parishes made up of six villages, MSCs are ministering to marginalised Catholics who are challenged daily by prejudice and poverty. Since 2010, local MSCs have been renting houses to allow them to be close at hand to these Catholic communities. The presence of MSCs in these areas, ministering to the spiritual, social, and political needs of local Catholics, has been extremely rewarding and empowering.
Rent for each house is 6,000 Indian rupees, or approximately €75, per month, and MSCs often have to move when landlords take the properties back.
Facilities in these rented accommodations are extremely poor, and MSCs struggle to do their best with the little that they have.
MSCs in Mulakaluru and Janakipuram are in great need of dedicated presbyteries, where they can live, work, and pray. The money currently spent on rent will be put to far better use, while the MSC communities will be able to conduct more effective mission outreach from a secure space and proper living conditions.
Without MSC ministry in these areas, local Catholics have little chance of being able to practice their religion in freedom and security. Can you please help us to give them an opportunity to flourish?
Mysore House & MSC Formation Programme
In summer 2016, mission friends in the Irish Province helped us to raise funds for the construction of the formation house of Hridhayala, or the “Temple of the Heart”, in Mysore.
There are currently 24 candidates for the priesthood studying at Hridhayala, led by three formators.
Mysore student ministry includes parish ministry, education for underprivileged children, youth ministry, visits to the elderly, and prison visits.
While great work has been done thanks to the generosity of our mission friends, the formation house remains unfinished. We need your help to complete the construction work and create a safe, secure space for students and their teachers to learn and pray.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS IN INDIA
Jan 4, 2019
On Thursday, January 3rd, Fr Michael O’Connell, Director of the MSC Missions Office in Cork, embarked on a three-week visit to Venezuela, where he will visit MSC parishes and spend time with the communities who benefit from the care of our missionaries.
Venezuela is currently in the grip of the worst political, social, economic, and humanitarian crisis ever experienced in the country’s history, and local people struggle daily with extreme poverty and hardship. The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart first started their work in this deeply troubled country over 50 years ago, when four Irish MSCs began the first MSC mission in Maracaibo, and today, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are the only Irish priests working to bring relief to local communities who are trapped in the dreadful conditions brought about by the current social and political unrest.
The situation has become increasingly worrying in recent years. Former Irish Provincial Leader Fr Joseph McGee MSC was greatly affected by his trip to Venezuela in 2017. “The most difficult thing I witnessed was seeing people scavenge in the rubbish heaps for scraps that have burst through the overflowing rubbish bags and appear to be edible,” he recalls. “People are doing all they can to leave the country and start a new life”.
In October 2018, we reported that Pope Francis had encouraged the Venezuelan bishops to “stay close to the people of Venezuela, especially to those who are suffering,” while Simon Coveney, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, addressed the “serious, volatile, and rapidly deteriorating situation,” where “reports of human rights violations are a cause of real concern”.
Having marked 50 years of ministry in Venezuela in the summer of 2017, the our MSCs continue to do all they can to help vulnerable families affected by the ongoing crisis. On this trip, Fr Michael is travelling with an extra suitcase filled with essentials for local families who are enduring the consequences of hyperinflation, which has pushed the cost of necessities sky-high – far beyond the reach of parents who don’t know where their children’s next meal is coming from. His case is packed full of supplies including toothpaste, soap, nappies, and other basic hygiene products – everyday items that we might not think twice about using, but which will be very welcome to families who have very little.
Be sure to check back in the coming weeks, as Fr Michael continues on his travels and keeps us updated on the MSC Venezuelan mission.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS
Nov 21, 2018
Welcome to the Winter edition of the MSC Message!
• Read all about MSC Missions at the World Meeting of Families 2018.
• Catch up with the latest news from the mission fields, with updates from our ongoing projects in South Africa and the Philippines.
• Find out about this year’s Jubilee celebrations in the Irish Province.
• Read a special winter message from Fr Michael O’Connell MSC, Director of the MSC Missions Office.
• Walk the Camino de Santiago with Fr Alan Neville MSC and the MSC Vocations Team.
Reads the MSC Message Winter 2018
May 2, 2018
The summer edition of the MSC Message has arrived!
• Catch up with the latest news from the mission fields, with updates from our ongoing projects in South Africa and South Sudan.
• Discover more about new mission projects in Mozambique and Cameroon.
• Read a special tribute to the late Fr Mark McDonald MSC, former Superior General of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
• Read a summer message from Fr Michael O’Connell MSC, Director of the MSC Missions Office.
• Get up to date with the latest news from Fr Alan Neville MSC and the MSC Vocations Team.
Read the MSC Message Summer 2018
Nov 17, 2017
The winter edition of the MSC Message has arrived!
- Get the latest news from the mission fields with updates from our ongoing projects in Venezuela as we celebrate our Golden Jubilee: 50 years in Venezuela.
- Read about the MSC Audience with Pope Francis and welcome the new Superior General, Fr AbsalĂłn Alvarado.
- Meet our new Provincial Leader and his Provincial Leadership Team.
- Sr Orla Treacy expresses her sincere gratitude to the MSC and its benefactors for their generosity in supporting the Loreto School Project in Rumbek, South Sudan.
Read the MSC Message Winter 2017
Aug 22, 2017
In August 2017, the Venezuelan Community in Ireland reached out to Fr Joseph McGee MSC, who at the time was the Irish Provincial Leader, to thank the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart for our ongoing ministry in Venezuela, and to ask for our continued prayers as this troubled country looks to the future with hope.
In the summer of 2017 the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart marked 50 years of ministry in Venezuela, and our MSC missionaries are currently the only Irish priests working to help local people in the region in the midst of this humanitarian crisis. In honour of our Golden Jubilee, this summer Fr Joseph visited our MSC missions in Venezuela and was struck by the conditions that local people are forced to endure on a daily basis.
“Despite the chaos and misery that is in our country today,” writes the Venezuelan Community, “we have been blessed by having these priests adopting our homeland as their second home and providing their help and support in the cities of Maracaibo and Caracas.”
“It is important for us to let all the family of the Sacred Heart know how priceless is the sacrifice and commitment that you are demonstrating by staying there against the backdrop of conflict,” continues the letter.
Venezuela is currently in a critical state, with severe food and medical shortages just the tip of the iceberg as the country struggles with social, economic, and political chaos. The Venezuelan Community in Ireland send their gratitude for the support of our MSCs and our mission friends across the world:
“A special word of thank you for not leaving our people and for supporting them with your pastoral work. In moments like this, all help is needed, but we firmly trust that if we continue believing in the mercy of God, this terrible moment will pass very soon.”
“Together, we are stronger and better. Please do not forget Venezuela.”
