Jan 22, 2019
In 2018, the people of Indonesia suffered the devastating effects of a series of disasters. On September 29th, an earthquake and tsunami killed almost 2,300 people in the regions of Palu, Sigi, and Donggala. With over 220,000 displaced, over 1,300 are still missing. On December 22nd, a deadly tsumani swept along Sunda Strait, injuring over 14,000. MSCs in Indonesia are working to rebuild lives in the wake of these catastrophies.
Drilling water wells
The lack of a clean water supply is an urgent issue. MSCs in affected regions are raising funds to drill water wells in three points, including water storage tanks and public toilet facilities for use by local communities.
Each water well will cost approximately €18,200, and will provide vital clean water and essential hygiene facilities for the affected areas.
Building houses
Thousands of houses have been destroyed beyond repair, and many survivors are currently living in temporary accommodation. The Indonesian Province of the MSC propose to build seven houses in affected regions.
Each house will cost approximately €3,050 to build and will offer renewed hope to a displaced family.
Scholarships for affected children
Education has been severely impacted by the disasters, as children have been orphaned or have been forced to leave school in order to work and help to support their families. Together with the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, the Indonesian Province of the MSC will provide scholarships for vulnerable children to allow them to continue their education. The MSC will have the responsibility of funding 100 students for three years.
€15 will cover the cost of one month’s education for a scholarship student.
Essential household goods
Many families affected by these disasters have lost everything, even the most basic necessities. The Indonesian Province of the MSC will help 100 affected families by providing essential kitchen tools for cooking and eating.
€50 will provide kitchen essentials including cooking and eating utensils for one family.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS IN INDONESIA
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 Absalón 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
