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
Apr 5, 2018
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are very sad to announce the passing of Fr Mark McDonald, our former Superior General.
Fr Mark McDonald passed away on April 2, 2018 at the Sacred Heart Villa in Center Valley, Pennsylvania at age 75. Father McDonald was born July 22, 1942 in Watertown, New York, the son of Donald and Anna Murrock McDonald. He was a graduate of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School and Immaculate Heart Academy.
Fr McDonald attended St. Bonaventure University for two years and began his studies to become a Missionary of the Sacred Heart (MSC) in 1961. He completed his philosophy studies in Quebec, Canada and graduated from Laval University in Quebec City in 1964. He completed his theological studies in Rome, Italy and graduated from the Angelicum Pontifical University in Rome in 1968. He was ordained a priest of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart on June 29, 1968 in Watertown by Bishop Thomas Donnellan.
After ordinaton, Fr McDonald taught at the Sacred Heart Preparatory Seminary and Immaculate Heart Central High School (IHC), both in Watertown. In 1972, he became Vice Principal at IHC. In 1976, he became Director of the MSC Retreat and Renewal Center in Shelby, Ohio. In 1983, he became Formation Director for the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Bogota, Colombia and in 1985 became Sectional Superior of the MSCs in Colombia.
In 1991, Fr McDonald was elected Provincial of the MSCs in the United States headquartered in Aurora, Illinois. In 1997, he became Pastor of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart parish in Watertown. In 1999, he became Director of Cor Novum (the MSC retreat and renewal center in Issoudun, France). From 2005 to 2017, he was Superior General of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart worldwide located in Rome, Italy. Fr McDonald became semi-retired in 2018 and was residing at the Sacred Heart Villa in Center Valley, Pennsylvania.
Please keep Fr Mark McDonald in your thoughts and prayers.
Fr Mark McDonald MSC, 1942 – 2018
Source: Watertown Daily Times
Jan 6, 2018
Sr Orla was in contact with us this new year to update us on the ongoing struggles facing the Loreto School Rumbek and their local community in South Sudan.
December was a violent month in Maker Kuei (Mah-kher Kew-way). What started as cattle raids became overt attacks with both sides committing immense acts of aggression. Over a period of just 5 days, 173 people died, over 200 were wounded and 1800 were displaced. The main fighting area was just 8 km from where the Loreto School Rumbek is located and many of the community’s young men were involved in the fighting. During this crisis, the Loreto School and its faculty was able to keep the spirit of the holiday and welcomed around 60 families (about 350 women and children) into the compound for protection.
“It is during these times, and especially during the Christmas season that we reflect on the year and give thanks for all that we have.”
The Loreto Sisters were able to provide essential meals to these displaced families, medical support to both families and wounded, and to provide a secure area for these families seeking shelter from the violence. Thankfully, with the help of the local Chief and assurances from the military for security, the situation stabilized and the community celebrated a peaceful Christmas.
PLEASE HELP US TO SAVE LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
To read more about Sr Orla Treacy and the Loreto Schools Rumbek, click here.
Visit the Loreto Schools Rumbek’s new website.
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
