Celebrations abound at Centro Faustino Villanueva, Guatemala

September and October were action-packed months in San Agustin, Guatemala, at the MSC-run vocational school Centro Faustino Villanueva!

The month of September brought very special celebrations indeed as students at the school marked the 203^rd anniversary of Guatemala’s independence.

“Guatemala is your land, your homeland, cherish it, magnify it, love it, defend it. Make it Happy!,” read a post on the Facebook page for Centro Faustino Villanueva, which was accompanied by these wonderful images of colourful and fun-filled celebrations.

In October, the community at the centre celebrated the joy of youth with Dia del Niño, or Children’s Day. “We celebrate those who, with their infectious laughter, teach us to enjoy the little things,” the centre posted on Facebook.

Founded by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in 1984, Centro Faustino Villanueva marks its 40^th anniversary this year. This vocational centre is dedicated to helping disadvantaged and underprivileged youths, and is located in the extremely remote region of San Agustin, Alta Verapaz, in Guatemala. Situated more than eight hours’ drive from Guatemala City, the school provides a vital service to children and youths living across this very rural area.

With the motto “Open doors to education”, the centre works with over 200 students from impoverished villages and vulnerable family groups in the surrounding area, with a waiting list for places. Youths at the centre can study a range of three career skill sets: business administration, science, and teaching. A recent agricultural programme also works to supplement the food supply for the school community, while teaching the students valuable life skills that they can take back to their own homes and communities to improve the quality of life there.

With blessings and best wishes to Fr Jairo and all at Centro Faustino Villanueva as they continue in their invaluable work for families and communities across Alta Verapaz.

Celebrating milestones at the MSC Missions Office

The month of June saw great celebrations in the MSC Missions Office in Cork, as we marked the outstanding dedication and loyalty of our Missions Office team with long-service awards for six of our staff members.

Our Missions Office on the Western Road, Cork, is manned by a small but mighty team of long-serving staff members whose commitment and enthusiasm is second to none, and has only grown stronger throughout the years. Patricia and Ann both celebrated 45 years of working with our MSC Missions, Mary and Fiona each hit the 35-year milestone, and Maura and Anne marked 10 years of service each – a combined total of 180 years!

Irish Provincial Leader Fr Joe McGee and Missions Office Director Fr John Fitzgerald were on hand to lead the celebrations, and to present each of the team with a token of appreciation to commemorate their outstanding contribution throughout the years. We often speak of our extended Sacred Heart family, which is made up of our religious members and lay friends alike; it is only with our combined efforts that we have the power to generate positive change, and it is in unity that we have strength. Our six long-standing ladies have each played an invaluable role during their time to date with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, and we would like to thank them sincerely for their hard work, their unwavering reliability, and their positive energy as they keep things running smoothly behind the scenes. We look forward many more years on our shared journey as we work together to bring the love of the Sacred Heart to life across the world.

Sincere congratulations and a heartfelt thank you
to Patricia, Ann, Mary, Fiona, Maura, and Anne!
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Graduations, celebrations, and great plans for the future in Guatemala

Recent months have seen great activity at Centro Faustino Villanueva, the MSC-run vocational centre located in the rural region of San Agustín, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. Situated in an extremely remote area more than eight hours’ drive from Guatemala City, the centre was founded by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in 1984 to bring opportunities for progression to adults from disadvantaged communities, and it has since grown into a large school for children that come from impoverished backgrounds or vulnerable family circumstances.

The community at the centre saw 2023 out in style with a wonderful graduation ceremony in November, celebrating students who had completed a two-year course in Business Administration.

       

A beautiful ceremony heralded a new year and new beginnings for students in January, with the Facebook page for Centro Faustino Villanueva sharing a collection of pictures with the caption, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”.

February brought a celebration of love in all its forms, with two students elected “Romeo and Juliet”, and teachers and staff joining in with the exchange of gifts in appreciation of friendship.

At the end of the month, the Villanueva community marked a special day honouring their country and culture, celebrating their language and showcasing traditional clothing and foods.

       

With the centre marking 40 years of service in 2024, this very special anniversary year is already off to a flying start! We look forward to seeing more great things from the staff and students at Centro Faustino Villanueva, and, as ever, we keep the community there in our prayers as they continue in their remarkable efforts to create new opportunities for employment and empowerment for young people in need.

Images via the Facebook page for Centro Faustino Villanueva.

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Planning for a hopeful future in Guatemala

As the school year comes to a close at the MSC-run Centro Faustino Villanueva in Guatemala, Fr Jairo Uriel Sevilla Mendoza MSC, Director of the centre, writes in gratitude for the support of mission friends here in the Irish Province, which is enabling great progress within the school community.

Founded by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in 1984, Centro Faustino Villanueva is a vocational centre that has been dedicated to helping vulnerable and disadvantaged youths in the rural region of San Agustín, Alta Verapaz, and its surrounds, for almost 40 years. Located in an extremely remote area with limited access, the school is situated approximately eight hours’ drive from Guatemala City, and is an invaluable resource for young people who would otherwise be isolated by their locality and the challenges raised by coming from backgrounds of poverty and hardship.

“In the past year, we have been reflecting on our journey here at the Centro Faustino Villanueva, with a view to improving and innovating our work in the training of our young people,” writes Fr Jairo. “We are in the process of finishing the programme for a new agricultural and livestock project, which will help us to take advantage of all the resources the centre has to offer, and to provide training in the areas of agriculture, livestock, and forestry, among others. As we are living in a rural area, this will motivate our students to continue in promising new ventures, developing farms and orchards that will also help to improve diet and nutrition for local families and communities.”

“We are also working towards opening our boarding school again; because of the effects of the COVID pandemic, we have not been able to have a functioning boarding section in recent times,” Fr Jairo continues. “At the end of October, our students will finish the term, followed by a week of training for our teachers. Then, we will have a vacation, and use this time to improve our plans for the new school year.”

“We are so grateful for the support of the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, which will be the foundation for this new phase. Together, we place our trust in God that with your ongoing support, we can move forward in our work. God bless you for your generosity; we remain, as always, united in the heart of Christ.”

As one academic year closes and hope springs afresh for the new year to come, we thank our mission friends for making it possible for us to help our MSC brothers to continue to make a great difference in the lives of disadvantaged youths and their families in Guatemala. United in the heart of Christ, we pray that the Lord will bless the Centro Faustino Villanueva community in their ongoing work, and bring every success in these plans for a hopeful new chapter for the school.

Images courtesy of Fr Jairo Uriel Sevilla Mendoza MSC, Director of Centro Faustino Villanueva.
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MSCs ministering to earthquake survivors in Haiti

This summer, the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have been working with the MSC community in southern Haiti, to support them in the construction of houses in the region of Camp-Perrin, where thousands of local families lost their homes in a devastating earthquake which took place in August 2021.

The people of Haiti have met with many challenges of varying severity in recent years, from natural disasters to political instability and a difficult economic climate. In January of 2010, an earthquake killed 300,000 people in Southern Haiti, and was followed just five years later by Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. This hurricane ripped through the south-west of the island, caused landslides, floods, and fire. As the country once more did its best to rebuild, in August 2021, another devastating earthquake hit 150km from the Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital, with its epicentre in the city of South St Louis.

       

A “crucial” time for southern Haiti

In addition, the country has reached crisis point in terms of political unrest. Criminal gangs are a very serious issue, with theft, kidnapping, and murder a constant threat hanging over the population. The further issues brought by the COVID-19 pandemic have added another layer of challenge and significant difficulty to a society that was already struggling severely.

Currently, the people of southern Haiti are attempting to overcome the fallout of the earthquake that took place on August 14^th, 2021.

“The great south of Haiti was terribly affected by the earthquake of August 2021,” writes Fr Juan Tomás García MSC. “At the moment, the consequences are crucial.”

Devastation in Camp-Perrin

Camp-Perrin, a mountain settlement, suffered great destruction, with immense damage affecting all aspects of life. The local economy was extremely weak prior to the earthquake, to the point that it could not respond to even 10% of the needs of the local population. This percentage has now fallen further as the economy continues to weaken. The agricultural sector has been almost completely demolished, firstly by the earthquake itself, and now because there is no access to seeds to replant. The landscape was badly damaged by landslides and collapses, especially in the mountains, where many people live. The few roads that did exist have been ruined, in many cases irreparably. Rivers have dried up, and the soil is so malnourished that it no longer has the ability to grow produce successfully.

The people too have suffered seriously in a psychological and emotional sense, especially children. Local water and electricity systems have been destroyed, and have not yet been repaired.

In Camp-Perrin, the figures speak for themselves.
3,200 homes were completely destroyed,
while a further 1,100 houses have serious – in many cases, irreparable – damage.
510 houses have reported minor damage.
Only 290 homes have remained intact in the region.

In addition to the homes that have been lost,
25 Catholic chapels and churches have been destroyed by the earthquake.

MSCs building for the future

MSCs ministering in the region are doing their best to help those who have lost so much in the wake of this terrible natural disaster. The MSC team there are currently in the completion stages of 14 homes in the region, and are working to raise funds to build 20 more anti-seismic, hurricane-proof houses in rural communities.

The Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart is proud to support the work being carried out by our brothers in Haiti who are working to fund the construction of these houses, which are being built with help from local volunteers and the families who will live in them. For people who have suffered so much in so short a time, these homes will be a lifeline, and a promise of hope for the years to come.

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MSC Missions supporting Cancer Connect services in Co. Cork

The Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart is delighted to be able to support the tremendous work being done by the Cancer Connect team in Co. Cork, with a recent donation of €25,000 facilitating the addition of a new car to their fleet.

Cancer Connect is a charitable organisation that offers transport to Cork hospitals for passengers who need help getting to radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments, as well as other related appointments. Founded in 2011 and run entirely by a team of over 250 volunteer drivers, the Cancer Connect website states that over 34,500 passenger journeys have been recorded to date, with services now extending beyond the initial remit of West Cork to the broader County Cork area.

A five-seater Skoda Superb has now been added to the existing fleet of five cars, based in Skibbereen, Co. Cork. Fr John Fitzgerald MSC, Director of the MSC Missions Office, recently met with Cancer Connect chair Neilie O’Leary, board secretary David O’Brien, co-ordinator Helen O’Driscoll, and volunteer driver Majella O’Neill, to officially hand over the keys to the new car.

The Cancer Connect team have expressed their sincere gratitude for the donation, acknowledging that the new vehicle will make a real and valuable contribution to the driving team and their passengers.

Speaking of our friendship with the Cancer Connect team, Fr John Fitzgerald highlighted the vital work they do in easing the burden for those who are seriously ill.

“The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have a close association with West Cork, and many MSCs have ministered there over the years, including myself,” said Fr John. “We are well aware of the distances involved to get to the major hospitals in Cork City for treatment, and the importance of being able to travel easily and without additional stress at such a crucial time. We are delighted to be able to help sponsor a vehicle that will be used to transport people easily from their homes to and from their places of treatment.”

“We wish the Cancer Connect team and their voluntary drivers well. We hope everyone will be safe, and we remember all who are ill in our prayers.”

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Working together for change in Guatemala

Over the summer months, the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart has been working to support our MSC brothers in Guatemala, strengthening our long-standing friendship with the community at Centro Faustino Villanueva. A vocational centre dedicated to helping disadvantaged youths, Centro Faustino Villanueva was founded by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in 1984, in the rural region of San Agustín, Alta Verapaz.

The Centre was the first of its kind in the region, bringing opportunities for education and progression to poor people with no other hope. The facility initially worked with adults who had previously lacked access to any form of education or professional development, and has since become a large school for children that come from impoverished backgrounds or vulnerable family circumstances.

The school is situated more than eight hours’ drive from Guatemala City, in an extremely remote area that makes travel difficult for students of severely limited means. Boarding facilities are available; however, the effect of the coronavirus pandemic has meant that the Centre has suffered greatly in terms of funding and resources, and so the facilities offered have had to be limited as a result.

Bringing dignity to the lives of vulnerable youths

Fr Jairo Uriel Sevilla Mendoza MSC, Director of Centro Faustino Villanueva, writes: “To our benefactors in the Irish Province, who always keep us in mind, in solidarity and support as we continue on the path to bring dignity to the lives of vulnerable youths. Once again, we send our gratitude for all you have done by supporting us in our ongoing mission. Thanks to you, we are continuing to improve our educational facilities, and accommodating more young people who need the help of our establishment.”

       

“The year 2022 has been a new learning experience for us all, for many different reasons. The COVID pandemic continues to affect our population, and new protocols have been put in place by the Ministry of Education here in Guatemala. The economic reality of this has meant that the basic necessities are all costing more, among other factors. Faced with this reality, we have found ourselves having to work with a smaller group of students; we are currently working with a group of 70 students every day, and have arranged our rooms in accordance with government protocol for the safety of everybody in our establishment. It has been very difficult to turn away some students, as we always have waiting lists, even at the best of times, but all we can do is help as many young people as we safely can now.”

“At the moment, we have First, Second, and Third Basic years, and two specialised programmes in Business Administration and Intercultural Bilingual Education. Last year, in 2021, we took 200 students on a hybrid basis, where they came to school every fortnight. However, this proved to be extremely complicated, as in many of the students’ villages, there is no access to computers or the internet. In the end, most of the students graduated to the next level, as the Ministry of Education put in place an agreement whereby all students had to be promoted to the next grade; however, the issue is that these students do not necessarily have the required level of knowledge to graduate, due to all of the restrictions in place during the academic year. Therefore, we made the decision to take fewer students this year, in order to give each student more personalised attention in the space that we can use, and reinforce their level of learning.”

Generating positive prospects for disadvantaged students

The community at the Centre has been working on the establishment of an agricultural programme, which works on a dual level of benefits: students are learning new skills in the cultivation of vegetables and the care of livestock, which brings with it the potential for future job opportunities, while they are also contributing to the stock of food for the school, reducing costs there.

“We continue to move forward and feel happy and grateful for all that has been done,” writes Fr Jairo. The Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are currently supporting Centro Faustino Villanueva in the development of several different projects, which will help the community at the Centre to continue in the fundamental work that they do in generating positive prospects for the young people of the region, including:

• The continued development of the school’s agricultural programme, incorporating poultry, pigs, cattle, and vegetables. MSCs at the school are continuing their work in the development of a programme that will provide students with invaluable life skills, while also contributing to school costs in the future.
• Development of the rubber and teak plantations that are currently located on the property. Due to a lack of resources, these facilities are currently not being utilised fully; however, if they are properly maintained, these plantations will be able to generate a good source of income for the school. MSCs are the Centre are currently working to clean and prune the plantations, and to buy the necessary equipment to utilise them to their full potential
• Repairs and maintenance of two cisterns that serve the Centre. Over the years, they have deteriorated and are now leaking water. A fundamental necessity, both cisterns need to be repaired to ensure the safe provision of water to the school and MSC house.
• A scholarship being put in place for students who come from particularly difficult backgrounds, where some have lost one or both parents, and others are coming from circumstances of severe poverty.
• The provision of improved bathrooms and showers at the Centro Faustino Villanueva. As well as accommodating students, the Centre often facilitates pastoral care workers from the parish of San Agustín, and the current bathroom and shower facilities are inadequate in terms of space and hygiene.
• The implementation of technical courses and workshops, in conjunction with INTECAP, a facilitator of different technical workshops, in order to teach students new skill sets that will equip them with the ability to qualify for a wider range of jobs in the future. As with the agricultural programme, this aims to provide students with training and key tools to bring new skills home to their own villages and communities.

Please keep the community at Centro Faustino Villanueva in your prayers as they continue in their mission to bring hope and dignity to disadvantaged youths and their families in rural Guatemala.

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Congratulations to Miguel Ibarra and Yordy Blanco: Celebrations for the MSC Missionary Community of Venezuela

The beginning of 2022 has brought great joy for the MSC community in the Venezuelan Region, with Miguel Ibarra MSC renewing his vows on Saturday, January 29^th, and Yordy Blanco MSC making his First Profession on Wednesday, February 2^nd.

Vow renewal of Miguel Ibarra MSC

Miguel Ibarra MSC, a member of the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in the Missionary Community of Venezuela, made his First Profession in February 2021 and renewed his temporary vows in Caracas on January 29^th, 2022. Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, the celebration was a small, private one, attended by some family members, but nonetheless special for it. A beautiful Mass was celebrated by Fr Tom O’Brien MSC and Fr John Jennings MSC, while Miguel’s vows were received by Fr Yonys Mendoza MSC.

After spending some time at home with his family, Miguel is due to return shortly to São Paulo, Brazil, to continue his theology studies in the MSC Scholasticate.

First Profession of Yordy Blanco MSC

Miguel will soon be joined at the MSC Scholasticate in São Paulo by Yordy Blanco, a fellow member of the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in the Missionary Community of Venezuela, who took his First Profession vows in Brazil on Wednesday, February 2^nd (the Feast of the Presentation and the 2022 World Day of Consecrated Life). Yordy completed his noviciate year in Itajubá in Brazil, and made his First Profession alongside his fellow novices, Diego Zambrano, Guicherme Bernal, Mateus Borodiak, Pedro Henrique, and Valmir Silva. These six young men are members of the Provinces of Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba and Sao Paulo, the Section of Ecuador, and the Missionary Community of Venezuela.  The Mass was presided by Fr Humberto Henriques MSC, Assistant General, and the vows were received by the Provincials of the three Brazilian Provinces. (If you would like to watch the full First Profession ceremony, please click here.)

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Yordy and wish him and all his fellow novices a beautiful celebration,” wrote Irish Provincial Leader Fr Carl Tranter MSC, ahead of the profession ceremony. “May their lives as MSCs be filled with joy and fulfilment. Congratulations also to the MSC community in Venezuela as they welcome Yordy to their small but powerful group of missionaries.”

“I extend our special thanks to the São Paulo Province for welcoming Yordy into their common Brazilian Noviciate,” continued Fr Carl, “and especially to Fr Getulio Saggin MSC, Novice Master, for his kind, gentle and close accompaniment of the novices throughout the year.”

We add our prayers to Fr Carl’s as we wish both Yordy and Miguel every blessing for the next step of their missionary journeys ahead.

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A new beginning for the MSC Missions Office

As it is written in Ecclesiastes,
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (3:1-2)
– and with the dawn of the new year comes a new season for the MSC Missions Office.

The Irish Provincial Leadership Team has announced that Fr Michael O’Connell MSC will be stepping down from the position of Director of the MSC Missions Office in the new year, with Fr John Fitzgerald MSC taking over the role in early 2022.

“I am writing today to share the news that, after 22 years as Director of the MSC Missions Office, Fr Michael O’Connell MSC will be standing down from this post in the new year,” writes Irish Provincial Superior Fr Carl Tranter MSC.

“I am glad to be able to tell you that Fr John Fitzgerald MSC will be stepping into the role of Director,” Fr Carl continues. “Having worked in close proximity with the Missions Office for many years now, I know that Fr John will bring with him many gifts and will be a wonderful addition to the team there.”

As we look ahead to the new year, Fr John is already working closely with Fr Michael and the team at the MSC Missions Office in order to make sure that this new chapter will herald a bright new era for our missionary work in the Irish Province and beyond.

“Thank you for your prayers, for your friendship, for your kindness, for your generosity, and for your continued support of our missionaries as they carry out their great work across the world,” writes Fr Michael, in a message to our mission friends. “Your support has been a real gift to me, and as we navigate our new paths, I know that your kindness and generosity of spirit will extend to Fr John in my stead. As I prepare to take my leave, rest assured that you will remain in my heart and my prayers as Fr John and I work together to make sure that this new season will be a peaceful, prayerful, and positive one for all.”

Fr John echoes these sentiments as he says, “At the moment, Fr Michael is journeying with me, and thanks to his dedication, he leaves a rich legacy; our missionary work continues, however, and I have every confidence in your support for the future. You are a marvellous community of mission friends and your generosity is a true reflection of the love of the Heart of Christ. I too, like Fr Michael, pray that this new season will be peaceful, prayerful, and positive for all.”

With heartfelt thanks to Fr Michael for his tremendous contribution over the past two decades,
we also extend a warm welcome to Fr John as he takes up his new role.

United in faith, we will continue to work together to shine the light of God’s love
where it is needed most.

Please click to read the full letters from Fr Carl, Fr Michael, and Fr John.

A special space for the community of Ecuador del Futuro

The MSC community in Ecuador del Sur have recently written with gratitude for funding received from the Irish Province, in support of the construction of a new multi-purpose church and community room for the parish.

In a video sent to Irish Provincial Leader Fr Carl Tranter MSC by the people of the parish of St Francis of Assisi, located in the neighbourhood of Ecuador del Futuro, the community introduce themselves: “We are a group of neighbours and friends who have been working for several years, motivated by our dream of having and building our church, to praise God and to listen and share his word.”

The community recently required assistance in completing the first floor of the church and community centre, and with the help of the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, our brothers and friends in Ecuador del Futuro were able to make great strides towards completing the necessary work over the past few months.

Coming a long way together

“The work has come a long way with your help,” writes Fr Moacir Goulart de Figueredo MSC, parish priest in the community of San Francisco de Asís, or St Francis of Assisi. “With the resources sent by the Irish Province, and some financial and material donations by the community, we have managed to finish the walls, install windows and glass, put in doors outside and in the bathrooms, begin construction leading to the second floor, complete work in the kitchen, finish the living room floor, and set up electricity, gas, and drinking water.”

“We still have a little left to finish on the first floor,” continues Fr Moacir. “We need bathroom dividers, plus internal kitchen doors and windows. We are going to use further donations for this and we are starting work on it now.”

“The pandemic caused the work to slow down,” he explains. “There was a lack of materials and so we had to wait. It also made it very difficult to manage our community work and it prevented fundraising events.”

St Francis Grotto

One of the main focal points of the centre is the San Francisco Grotto (or St Francis Grotto) window, with a special space underneath for people to visit for personal prayer. This space is dedicated to highlighting the principles of Laudato si’, Pope Francis’ encyclical devoted to the care of our common home.

“We are very happy,” writes Fr Moacir. “We have achieved what was most urgent, and the first floor is now fully operational. We are waiting for an end to the pandemic and the state of emergency so we can continue the work we have begun.”

Fr Moacir has been in contact with the project office for the archdiocese with regard to continuing work in developing the second floor, and has submitted a request for further support in the hope of being able to resume development in July. “If God allows, in July we want to receive the resources to continue the second floor, where we will locate the chapel,” he explains. “We have not received positive responses from other foundations in Ecuador, as many resources are directed to food and medicine because of the pandemic.”

“Thank God, you always remember the poor!”

“We have not yet opened the church and community centre officially, but we are already using it for Masses, catechesis, parent and child meetings, youth groups, altar server training, and music courses. Already, we hear people saying, ‘This is a miracle of St Francis of Assisi!’, ‘We are no longer on the street!’, ‘It is already our special space!’, and ‘Thank God, you always remember the poor!’.”

As they continue in their efforts to raise funds for the second floor of the church and community centre, the people of San Francisco de Asís remind us that “Life is good when you are happy, but life is so much better when others are happy because of you.” “Our plan is to carry out this dream for God,” they explain. “A hug from afar. May God bless you and protect you. You are always in our prayers.”

“The place is beautiful and the people are happy,” concludes Fr Moacir. “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity. Blessed be God who has given you this generous heart.”

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Jubilee Celebrations in the Irish Province

Celebrations abounded at the Sacred Heart Church in Cork on Thursday, June 28th 2018, as eight MSCs from the Irish Province marked the great occasion of Silver, Golden, and Diamond Jubilees. Friends, family, and fellow MSCs travelled from across Ireland, the UK, and beyond, gathering on the Western Road in Cork to celebrate in the glorious June sunshine on this very special day.

Irish Provincial Leader, Fr Carl Tranter MSC, opened the Jubilee Mass with a warm welcome to all present. Fr Carl was himself celebrating his 25-year Jubilee, and in his opening address, he spoke of God’s love, which “empowers, heals, and transforms”.

 

“As each of us look back over our lives today in gratitude, as we remember and recollect with members of our family, friends and fellow MSCs, we might allow ourselves to be amazed and astonished at what the Lord has been able to do in and through us, often in spite of us!” Fr Carl said. “We recall being given appointments or responsibilities we felt wholly ill-equipped to undertake; we remember times of great struggle and challenge, even seeming failure; and we delight in the memories of love, success, joy, wonder, gratitude, growth, communion, friendship and consolation. We recognise each as a gift and a grace. This is what gives us cause to celebrate today. Not anything we have ‘achieved’. A couple celebrating 50 years of marriage are not celebrating what they have achieved, but the gift of love which has endured through the years, which has sustained them despite the challenges, and which has borne fruit in so many different ways across the different seasons of their lives. As MSCs, we celebrate that same great gift of love today.”

The commemoration of this year’s Jubiliarians was a joyful celebration of community, fellowship, and thanksgiving, recalling the triumphs and the challenges of the years gone by and looking ahead with faith, hope, and love.

Congratulations to the Jubilarians!

Silver Jubilee (25 years)
Fr Con O’Connell MSC
Fr Carl Tranter MSC
Fr Terry O’Brien MSC

Golden Jubilee (50 years)
Fr Patsy Kelly MSC
Br Donie Hallissey MSC

Diamond Jubilee (60 years)
Fr Eugene Clarkson MSC
Fr Eamonn Donohue MSC
Bishop Emeritus Hugh Slattery MSC