Jan 31, 2024
With the dawn of a new year, the team at the Holy Family Care Centre in Ofcolaco, South Africa, have hit the ground running. With more than 10 children joining the community at the centre in the space of a few days, the centre’s director Sr Sally Duigan writes, “The new year – and especially the school year – has got off to a very action-packed start!”
Founded in 2002 in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, the Holy Family Care Centre has been providing care for young children who are very ill, often with HIV, for over 20 years. Many of these children have been orphaned or abandoned, and have nowhere else to go. Run by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, with the support of the MSC, the centre can accommodate 70 children and is stretched to capacity with many children needing urgent care.
Welcoming new manager JJ
The team at Holy Family recently welcomed a new manager, Jeanette Joalane Lesise, affectionately known as JJ.
“I never knew or even thought that I would ever leave the City of Gold, the hub of Gauteng to Ofcolaco,” writes JJ in an update on the Holy Family website. “Here I am, in the middle of mango and sweet corn farms. Surrounded by nature, fresh breezes of air, sweet melodies of birds, beautiful sunsets, hot summer days and showers of rain as the sun goes down.”
“I am surrounded by love, joy and happiness,” JJ continues, describing herself as a “special mom to 76 kids”. “These bundles of joy are from 0 to 18 years old. Upon my appointment, Lerato* was my first, a 4-day old baby girl. After three days here at Holy Family Care Centre… I had my first experience of welcoming a three-year-old Mpho. Well, Mpho* was temporarily placed with us and 4 days later his social worker fetched him to be placed with his relative who was willing to be his guardian. As for Lerato, she will be raised here unless of course, through the mercy of God she is adopted or fostered.”
“Holy Family Care Centre is a home away from home, for myself, for passionate Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, the wonderful staff, the committed volunteers, and all children placed on our doorstep. This is now my life,” she finishes.
Grade 12 scholars
On January 24th, JJ attended the local high school, where a celebration took place for the Grade 12 class of 2023. Sr Sally tells us, “We are very proud of two of our girls, who just obtained their Grade 12 certificates. It is the first time we have had children in Grade 12 and we are very proud of them.”
With 2024 off to a promising start, we wish Sr Sally, JJ, and all the team at Holy Family a bright year ahead!
IF YOU CAN, PLEASE SUPPORT THE HOLY FAMILY COMMUNITY
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Aug 8, 2023
Fr Jairo Uriel Sevilla Mendoza MSC, has got in contact recently with an update of how things are going in the Centro Faustino Villanueva, Guatemala since their appeal for help in the in the World Projects Appeal 2022.
“Hello, how nice to greet you. I hope in God that everything goes well.
Excuse me that I had not written to you the previous semester I had a slightly exaggerated workload, I was in charge of the school and the parish, but now again he is the parish priest and I am again dedicated to the educational center.
With the support we receive we have followed the accompaniment processes: we are creating a science laboratory for different studies or experiments, we are opening the boarding school, we have made some infrastructure changes and we are enabling the farms.”
We will always be very grateful for all the support and we will continue working to undertake and improve and open new opportunities.”
Always united in the heart of Christ and the dignity of life.
Fr. Jairo, MSC.
PLEASE HELP US SUPPORT THE FUTURE IN GUATEMALA
Jul 25, 2023
Welcome to the Summer 2023 edition of the MSC Message!
- Read an update from Fr John Fitzgerald MSC, Director of the MSC Missions Office.
- MSCs supporting Cancer Connect.
- Caring for our world at the School of Love, Philippines
- Bishop Fintan Gavin ordains Fr Giacomo Gelardi MSC
Read the Summer 2023 edition of the MSC Message
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Apr 18, 2023
Last March 25th was a day of great significance for the MSC Center for the Poor  Agriculture Cooperative in Butaun, Philippines. It marked the anniversary of the organisation, coinciding with Annunciation Day.
Fr. Richie and the Members of the Agricultural Cooperative held their 2nd General Assembly, to celebrate both these events. For the Members, who are mostly farmers from Mindanao, it is a day of hope, a moment to look forward to the future and to reflect on the truly amazing achievements. One of these achievements is the Award for the Most Outstanding CSO in the Country, awarded by the Philippine Department of Agriculture. The Awards states:Â
 “For sharing best practises that demonstrate their dedicated efforts and valuable contributions resulting in outstanding and impactful engagement as beneficiary of agricultural and fishery programs and projects towards uplifting the lives of the farmers and fisher folk in their locality.” It is a testament to the hard work and perseverance of everyone involved in this organisation.
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The cooperative has been experiencing fast growth and expansion, which is thanks in large part to the leadership of Fr. Richie MSC and the commitment of its members. The cooperative has become a beacon of hope for the farmers of Mindanao, providing them with the necessary tools and resources to improve their livelihoods.Â
“Of course we always look with debt of gratitude to the MSC Irish
Province and to your people there for considering us in your fundraising activities.Â
I hope and pray that we can collaborate and work more together in mission.”Â
~ Fr. Richie MSC
This just emphasises how important the many contributions from our MSC friends are. That they have helped to achieve this high achievement is a blessing for us all. With continued perseverance and commitment, the future of the Center for the Poor Agriculture Cooperative in Butaun, Philippines looks very bright indeed.Â
IF YOU CAN, PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SACRED HEART FAMILY
IN THE PHILIPPINES
Mar 23, 2023
As our 2023 World Projects Appeal continues, our Sisters in the Daughters of the Lady of the Sacred Heart have been in contact to express their gratitude for the support of our mission friends here in the Irish Province.
Sr Marie-Laure writes from Burkina Faso, where the OLSH community are raising funds for construction work to improve the educational facilities in the school of Jules Chevalier de Ouagadougou. “It is a great joy for us Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Burkina Faso to express to you our gratitude for all that you do for us,” she says. “We are very grateful to you. May the Lord through Mary Our Lady of the Sacred Heart accompany you in your mission.”
Provincial Leader Sr Marie Solange also writes from Africa, with thanks for the support given to OLSH communities across the province. “I come with gratitude to you this day to express our joy and thanks in the name of the Province of Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Africa,” she writes. “Through your support, we have been able to improve certain activities in education, health care, or simply the means to ensure our mission. We really appreciate with all our heart this contribution for our province in construction.”
“On behalf of the African Province, I would like to express our gratitude,” adds Sr Clotilde. “Thank you for supporting our projects, and for your interest and attention to our mission in Africa. May the Lord repay you a hundredfold and shower you with his blessings.”
Finally, Sr Renisa has been in touch from Brazil, where current projects included care for the elderly, a kindergarten for vulnerable children, providing liturgical items and catechism books for communities in remote locations, and the support of a second-hand shop whose proceeds go towards feeding 65 local families each month. “I am writing to say a huge thank you for your support of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Brazil, for our ministry to those in need. I wish that you could see face to face the joy and relief your help spreads among the people which we work with. God bless you!”
MSCs and OLSH Sisters all over the world continue on our shared mission to make a difference to the people and places that need it most. There’s still time to take part in this year’s World Projects Appeal, where we’re highlighting some of the projects that need our immediate attention in the coming months. We add our voices to those of our OLSH Sisters as we thank you sincerely for your support – together, we can make a world of difference.
PLEASE CLICK HERE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT
OUR 2023 WORLD PROJECTS APPEAL
Feb 14, 2023
As the new year gets underway, the MSC Centre for the Poor, located in the city of Butuan in the Philippine Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, continues in its efforts to promote sustainability and self-sufficiency in harmony and balance with the natural world. One of their most recent projects is the School of Love, a farm school dedicated to protecting and conserving the environment with “tender love and care,” while also encouraging positive growth in those who tend to the earth and reap the benefits of its resources.
Established in 2018, the MSC Centre for the Poor has since developed an agricultural cooperative movement for local farmers, with a view to improving quality of life for the poor and marginalised in society, and those who don’t have a voice of their own. The community there describe the MSC Centre for the Poor Agriculture Cooperative (MSC-CEPAGCO) as a “working arm of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, responding to the difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, by organising the farmers’ sector to ensure food sustainability and care for our common home.”
As part of their ongoing development programmes, the MSC-CEPAGCO is working on building a “learning site” – a model farm covering 4.3 hectares where farmers and community members can learn and practice basic principles and skills in the field of organic agriculture. The model farm has now been approved by the Department of Agriculture as a Learning Site for Sustainable Organic Agriculture, and a Farm School of Technical Education Skills Development Authority, aiming to empower locals through the promotion of an alternative, sustainable lifestyle.
The current goals of the cooperative focus on the promotion of healthy soil and organic produce, the use of ecologically balanced and safe farming technology, consciousness of managing waste with the ultimate aim of a zero-waste lifestyle, the creation of income-generating projects to raise the quality of life of poor families and communities in rural areas, and raising awareness of the necessity of caring for our environment in response to the ongoing climate emergency.
“Seeing ourselves within the web of life”
The project promotes a “holistic world view perspective” of “seeing ourselves within the web of life” – essentially, becoming aware that everything we do in life “causes a ripple of impacts, big or small, good or bad, to travel throughout the web and ultimately back to us.” This drives the desire to make a positive difference, alongside the awareness of a “high level of mutualism,” seeking to enable a better quality of life for each other as much as for one individual, “working together for the betterment of all.” With a consciousness of the damage that has already been done to local ecosystems, the School of Love is working on allowing the environment to regenerate. “From the tiniest seeds to a grown tree, from fertilization of eggs to completely matured animals, from planting to nurturing, growing and harvesting, all these processes are realised because of tender love and care, whether by nature or by a responsible steward,” states a recent report from the MSC-CEPAGCO.
Involvement in the scheme is far-reaching, including members from the professional, religious, and agricultural sectors of the local community, in addition to providing opportunities people undergoing rehabilitation from drug and alcohol abuse, young people who are out of school and lacking the necessary skills or prospects for progression, repatriated Filipinos from overseas, the indigenous Lumad community, and single parents who are struggling to raise a family on their own. To date, more than 100 participants have completed the training programme, going on to find employment in farming and market gardens, running community gardens, school programmes, and international development and food security projects. “One of the most important outcomes of the apprenticeship is the ripple effect our graduates have working locally, nationally, and internationally to promote, practice, and teach sustainable, organic farming and gardening,” reports the cooperative programme.
A sustainability expert who recently reviewed the programme writes of their experience in a report for the MSC-CEPAGCO: “I felt at home for the duration of my stay; all the people are so accommodating and warm. They include in their daily activities the morning and evening prayer, also yoga and meditation. We cooked and ate together (I introduced the practice of giving gratitude while we are circling the table), socialising on some nights, gardening together, and helping with livestock. We were able to unwind and rejuvenate as we visited a hot spring resort. The Christmas party was a joyous celebration, exchanging gifts, playing games, rendering karaoke songs hits, and dancing until past midnight. Every Sunday, [participants] have Mass with their missionary priest, then a big breakfast after the Mass where the stakeholders bring a potluck. [Each participant] must have a once-a-week value formation workshop with the stakeholders who are regular employees.”
Now in its second year, the agriculture cooperative continues to promote and develop an ethos of sharing, of zero waste, and a simple lifestyle based on having enough. As part of the programme, rainwater is collected and purified for use as drinking water, with the treatment of waste water and sewage the next project on the horizon. Unreliable weather conditions present their own difficulties, with issues such as storms and typhoons causing real challenges, especially when the MSC Centre for the Poor also act as first responders in these circumstances, bringing urgent relief aid to survivors of such natural disasters. In these cases, the community at the Centre for the Poor have also installed their water purifiers for regions where people have no source of safe drinking water as a result of storm damage.
From food foraging to composting, the different techniques employed on the programme are many and varied, and are constantly developing for the better in the quest to provide a positive, practical space in which people can grow and learn as they reap the benefits of nurturing the earth and our common home.
Images and quotes from the MSC-CEPAGCO Sustainability Report (January 2023),
courtesy of Fr Richie Gomez MSC.
IF YOU CAN, PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SACRED HEART FAMILY
IN THE PHILIPPINES
