Oct 24, 2024
October 21st marked the 117th anniversary of the death of our founder, Fr Jules Chevalier MSC. Each year on this day, we pray especially for the man who planted the roots of our foundation from humble beginnings, sparking a charism and a mission that we still share over a century later, as our extended Sacred Heart family continues to minister in over 50 countries across the world.
Representatives from several of the Chevalier communities gathered in Rome to pray for Fr Chevalier in the run up to his anniversary, the Chevalier Family in the Philippines also commemorated the day “celebrating the life and mission Jules Chevalier bequeathed to us”, MSCs in the Province of the Pacific Islands “gathered with our Sisters of the OLSH, former Chevalier students, families, friends, and benefactors to mark this special day”, and our MSC and OLSH communities in Vietnam came together for a beautiful service that celebrated the love of the Holy Spirit, and our shared mission to spread that love to every nation throughout the world.
Philippines:
Province of the Pacific Islands:
Vietnam:
The Australian website for the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have shared an account of the Death of Fr Jules Chevalier, from the writings of Fr Charles Piperon, quoted from October 21st in the Jules Chevalier Daily Readings (selected by Jan Bovenmars MSC).
“Father Chevalier’s sickness was rapidly bringing his life to an end. Monday, October 21, was the day on which God, in the plans of his infinite mercy, chose to call to himself his faithful servant. Our Superior General, Father Mayer, had set out in haste from Rome and arrived at Issoudun during the night. Immediately on his arrival, he hurried to Father Chevalier who recognised him and still had the strength to bless him. Father Mayer did not leave him again.
Towards midday a crisis seem to indicate the end. Father Mayer then had the community assembled and with them recited the prayers for the dying. From this moment on prayers were said continually at the deathbed of our Father. At three o’clock, there was a fresh crisis, no less painful than what had preceded; but the infirmarian’s intervention helped him surmount it. This was the last of his sufferings. After that he remained for more than two hours in great calm, almost motionless, as if in a peaceful sleep. Then, like the flickering out of a flame, he fell peacefully asleep in the Lord. The clock struck five and the evening Angelus was ringing in the parish.
Thus died our beloved Father, surrounded by his intimates and by some of his religious who had come from various parts to assist at his last hour and to render him their final respects. He had lived eighty-three years, six months and six days, the greater part of which – fifty-three years – had, by a special design of divine Providence, been spent in the town of Issoudun.”
Together, we pray for Fr Chevalier in his eternal rest in the Lord’s love, and we continue, encouraged in our shared missionary journey “to be on Earth the heart of God”.
Sources:
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Australia
Facebook – Ametur MSC
Facebook – MSC Scholasticate Community-Philippines
Facebook – Missionaries of the Sacred Heart – Province of the Pacific Islands
Facebook – MSC Vietnam
*
Nov 4, 2021
In September, four MSC students answered a call from the Saigon Archdiocese for volunteers to help at the COVID-19 treatment hospital in Saigon City, due to rising patient numbers and an urgent need for additional care.
Tien Minh NGUYEN, Hung Quoc LE, Thanh Vu NGUYEN, and Vu Thanh NGUYEN were granted permission to volunteer at the hospital, with Australian Provincial Fr Chris McPhee MSC noting, “I am very impressed by their eagerness and their openness to help, to be MSC men who are willing to volunteer, to be on the frontline and to be of service. This makes me very, very proud.”
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Australia website posted a recent communication from MSC student Hung, who sent pictures from the front line.
“Vũ and I are well here,” he wrote. “The number of patients with COVID-19 is reducing but it could increase when Vietnam opens again. We hope we can manage this situation.”
The images he sends show the stark reality of the care centre in Saigon City, where our MSC students continue to help in any way they can.
Please keep our MSC volunteers in your prayers as they continue their volunteer work in assisting the medical team and caring for COVID-19 patients in Saigon City.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR GLOBAL MSC COVID-19 RELIEF MINISTRY
Images via the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Australia website.
*
Oct 21, 2021
At the beginning of September, four MSCs in Vietnam requested permission to volunteer as assistants at a COVID-19 treatment centre in Saigon City.
As reported by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Australia website, the Saigon Archdiocese had called for volunteers from religious congregations in the area to volunteer their services at the COVID-19 treatment hospital in Saigon. “Personnel are desperately needed as the number of patients increase every day,” the MSC Australia site reports.
Tien Minh NGUYEN, Hung Quoc LE, Thanh Vu NGUYEN, and Vu Thanh NGUYEN have all finished their studies and are currently in pastoral ministry. Following a period of prayer, discernment, and discussion, these four MSCs asked for permission to volunteer at the hospital.
Australian Provincial Fr Chris McPhee MSC wrote to grant the request, noting that their desire to help in a time of such desperate need highlights that these are “truly men of the heart”.
“You know, I am really concerned for the wellbeing of our men, and the risk that this could lead them into catching COVID-19,” Fr Chris wrote to Fr Hoàng, MSC Superior in Vietnam. “However, I am very impressed by their eagerness and their openness to help, to be MSC men who are willing to volunteer, to be on the frontline and to be of service. This makes me very, very proud. Truly men of heart.”
His letter continued, “Please, Hoàng, please let Tien Minh NGUYEN, Hung Quoc LE, Thanh Vu NGUYEN, and Vu Thanh NGUYEN, know how proud I am, please let them know that they can go with my blessing, love and support, and please let them know that they will be very much in our prayers.”
Please keep our MSC volunteers in your prayers as they minister to those in need in Saigon City, continuing in our shared mission to be on earth the heart of God.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR GLOBAL MSC COVID-19 RELIEF MINISTRY
Images via the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Australia website.
*
Aug 24, 2021
August 15th 2021 marked the 18th anniversary of the foundation of our MSC community in Vietnam, which was established in 2003. MSC Fr Hoàng, one of the original MSC students in Vietnam and current leader of the MSC community there, shared a letter celebrating the 18-year anniversary with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Australia website.
18 years of grace of MSC in Vietnam: 2003 – 2021
August 15th
Dear brothers,
A journey of 18 years, it is a quite long enough period with so many memories and graces for our small MSC community here in Vietnam. It is a great chance for us to stop and look back in the attitude of thanksgiving to God and expressing our deep gratitude to our mother Province, the Province of Australia and to those who have journeyed and been part of us, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Vietnam for the last 18 years.
The presence of the community in Vietnam has been found and fostered constantly and generously by the Australian Province, since during the time of Jim Littleton as Provincial, till the decision to begin during the time of Bob Irwin, with the support, development and encouragement during time of Tim Brennan, John Mulrooney and now Chris R McPhee. And of course there have been so many other MSCs of the Province being present with us during those times. They have brought so many good things to us, their zeal, love, simplicity, humor, wisdom, …, above all MSCness and Spirituality of the Heart.
In the 18th anniversary of MSC in Vietnam, we would like to give thanks to God for His grace and His Son’s Heart, Jesus Christ our Lord, through the charism of the Holy Spirit that He gave to our Founder, we have chance to experience God’s deep love and bring His love to everywhere and everyone. We also express our gratitude to all those who have been with us in many ways. May God continue to bless us.
A blessing and happy anniversary to everyone!
Because of the pandemic that we cannot gather for this special celebration, thus each house will have mass in the house with the same intention of thanksgiving to God’s grace and gratitude to the Province. And then each house may have a simple ‘meal’ together.
Once again, happy the foundation day of MSC in Vietnam.
In Jesus’ Heart!
Hoàng MSC
Find out more about MSC COVID-19 relief ministry in Vietnam
Images via the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Australia website.
Aug 12, 2021
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Australia website has reported on the current COVID-19 situation in Vietnam, where our missionaries are responding “with an inspiring MSC spirit”.
The people of Vietnam are currently under a martial law curfew between 6.00pm and 6.00am since the beginning of August, with approximately 80,000 cases at the beginning of the month.
With one of our MSCs in Vietnam referring to the virus as “a roaring lion”, we read that “many people are poor, homeless, and hungry”. The hospitals are full beyond capacity, with temporary hospitals being built as quickly as possible to accommodate the overflow of patients in need.
MSC communities in Vietnam are doing all they can for those who need their help. As well as sourcing food from wherever they can, they are also sharing their own rations of rice and vegetables with the poor and hungry, obtaining travel permits so that they can move around their local regions distributing food and necessities.
While the final professions of several of MSCs waiting to take their vows in Vietnam will have to be postponed due to the current restrictions, MSC Fr Chung writes that the ministry of MSC communities in the region “keeps our heart burning for our mission of spreading love of God for others”.
We join our voices with our Australian brothers as they say: “Thank you to all our Vietnamese MSC brothers in Vietnam, the Philippines, and Australia, for spreading the compassionate love of God by how you live your lives, wherever you are.”
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR GLOBAL MSC COVID-19 RELIEF MINISTRY
Images via the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Australia website.
