Congratulations to our Newly Elected General Assistants

 

The Missionaries of the Sacred would like to proudly congratulate our newly elected General Assistants to the General Team :

● Chris Chaplin, MSC (Australian) from the Province of Australia;

● Bernard Mongeau, MSC (Canadian) from the Province of the Dominican Republic;

● Simon Lumpini, MSC (Congolese) from the Union of French-speaking Africa;

● Fransiskus Bram Tulusan, MSC (Indonesian) from the Province of Indonesia

We thank these brothers of ours who have generously accepted their election.

We also thank André Claessens, Paulus Pitoy, and Humberto Henriques –the outgoing General Team members– for their generous service in the past six years.

Source: Ametur MSC on Facebook

Election of Superior General

Fr Abzalón with Fr Joe McGee MSC, Provincial, Fr Carl Tranter MSC, Fr Julius Katjipa MSC and Fr Alan Neville MSC

 

“I am delighted to announce the re-election of Fr Abzalón Alvarado Tovar MSC as our Superior General for a second mandate.

 

On behalf of the Irish Province, I offer him our congratulations, support and prayers.”

Fr Joe McGee MSC

Provincial

Source: Ametur MSC on Facebook

 

 

Pictured below :

Fr Abzalón with Fr Michael Curran MSC

Fr Abzalón with Fr Joe McGee MSC, Provincial

Fr Abzalón with Fr Celestin Bela MSC

Fr Abzalón with Fr Carl Tranter MSC

MSC General Chapter takes place in Rome.

This is a very exciting time for our MSC’s as the election process takes place to elect our new Superior General and Leadership Team for the worldwide congregation.This General Chapter also happens to coincide with the jubilee year of our founder, Fr Jules Chevalier. The Chapter Assembly takes place from September 17 – October 7, 2023

The theme for the 26th MSC General Chapter is, “Did not our hearts burn within us as we walked along together!” (Luke 24:32). It reminds us that this journey started in 1854 when Fr Chevalier began to feel his heart burning for the mission. It has continued to burn for 168 years. In the last six years, this journey has flowed in synodality and interconnectedness through the General Conferences of 2019 and 2021, the accompaniments carried out, the provincial activities and meetings, as well as the international encounters undertook.

Inspired by the two disciples’ journey on the Road to Emmaus, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart “want to recognize Jesus approaching and walking with us welcoming our misunderstandings and disappointments as well as our hopes and desire to listen and to see with mercy the world, the reality and the people around us especially those most in need and excluded.”

The Chapter Hall, therefore, has been set-up to consistently invite the MSC’s to be present in the journey.

The Pre-Chapter Opening Mass was celebrated on the 17th September bringing all the Missionaries together as brothers and sisters as members of the Chevalier Family with the homily brought by Fr Abzalón Alvarado, MSC.

A General Chapter is a living process, an open life system with different stages. We come to this moment after a long journey of listening, discernment, and work, especially after the 2019 and 2021 General Conferences. This six-year process has included conversations, discernment, and listening at community and provincial levels.

During the first week, each meeting represented prayers on personal reflection and dialogues for the meaning of the Chapter and the structures of the congregation for the future.

On the fifth day, Friday 22nd September , the entire day was dedicated to Blessed MSC Martyrs of El Quiché. 

Work was also done on the Reports from some of the Commissions established by the General Leadership Team according to the recommendations of the 2021 General Conference, including the Safeguarding Commission, and the international aspect of MSC formation.

The election process will begin this week to elect our new Superior General and Leadership Team for the worldwide congregation.

 

Images courtesy of Amateur MSC on Facebook

 

 

 

 

 

Irish Provincial Superior meets Pope Francis

During, what was described by Irish Provincial Superior Fr Carl Tranter MSC as, “a very warm and informal Papal Audience”, our new Provincial Leader had the honor of personally meeting Pope Francis himself. 

 

 

Fr Carl commented on how the MSC brotherhood were both encouraged and challenged by the Holy Fathers’ words, “Return to your first and only love. Keep your gaze fixed on Jesus Christ and learn from him how to love with a truly human heart, to care for the lost and hurting members of his flock, to work for justice and show solidarity with the weak and the poor. Learn from him to give hope and dignity to the destitute, and to go forth to all those places where people are in need of acceptance and assistance. This is the first Gospel that the Church entrusts to you by sending you out as missionaries to the world: to show by your lives and by your works the passionate and tender love of God fro the little ones, the underprivileged, the vulnerable and those who the world has disregarded.

May your common life be marked by the true fraternity, which welcomes diversity and values the gifts of all. Do not hesitate to continue and expand your communion with the lay persons who participate in your apostolate. Let them share in your ideals and projects, and in the rich spirituality arising from your institute’s charism. With them, and with the sisters of your female congregations, you will form an ever greater and stronger “charismatic family”, one that will better demonstrate the vitality and relevance of your founder’s charism.”

Fr Carl noted how Pope Francis’ words beautifully capture and crystallise the MSC mission to the world, the MSC brotherhood with each other, and their partnership within Chevalier Family: “to be on earth the heart of God”.

 

“This personal exhortation of Pope Francis to us as MSC, together with the orientations and priorities that have emerged from both our Provincial and General Chapters, offer a direction for our common journeying over the coming six years.” – Fr Carl Tranter, Irish Provincial Superior