MSC Missions in Panama: World Youth Day 2019

Every three years, young Catholics from all over the world gather together to celebrate World Youth Day – and this year, Panama was lit up in the spirit of faith, prayer, and an overwhelming joy.

Fr Alan Neville and the MSC Vocations team travelled to Panama to join this year’s celebrations, and even the intense heat and early starts couldn’t dampen their enthusiasm!

A 2.30am start for their flight to Panama on January 18^th was no deterrent to these early birds, and on the first day of the event, they met with fellow pilgrims from Venezuela, Poland, and the USA.

This was the perfect chance to explore Panama City, and Day 2 offered the opportunity to visit the BioMuseo, where our MSC team met with a group of pilgrims from Guatemala along the way.

January 22^nd marked the official opening of World Youth Day 2019, and what an event it was! Prayer, music, good food, and new friends made for a day to remember in the Panama sunshine.

A morning of catechesis with Bishop Edward Burns, from Dallas, Texas, proved powerful for our MSC group. “Bishop Ed spoke about the joy he encounters in living his vocation,” says Fr Alan as he recalls the bishop’s words: “To say ‘Yes!’ to the Lord is to enter into the mystery of God’s love for us.”

January 26^th saw the MSC team join pilgrims from over 140 countries at the St John Paul II Park for the Vigil Mass, while the following day demanded a 5.00am alarm clock ahead of the Papal Mass at 8.10am.

Fr Alan was up with the lark and ready to go! “I’ve got the gúna (it’s Irish – you might need to Google it),” he posted on the MSC Vocations Facebook page, “and we’re good to go.”

In a beautiful Mass, Pope Francis spoke of the necessity of building bridges rather than walls, and said that although the celebrations were coming to an end, the fruit of World Youth Day continues in parish and communities around the world as pilgrims make their way home. Cardinal Farrell also announced that plans for the next World Youth Day celebrations are already well underway, due to take place in Lisbon in 2022.

January 29^th brought Fr Alan and our MSC group back to home soil. “What an amazing week and a fantastic group,” wrote Fr Alan. “Thanks Panama – you were amazing. Roll on World Youth Day in Lisbon 2022!”

If you’d like to read more about World Youth Day celebrations in past years,
take a look at these posts from Rio de Janeiro in 2013 and Krakow in 2016.

World Youth Day 2013 – Celebrating Faith With Millions

World Youth Day 2016 – The Road to Krakow

World Youth Day 2016 – The Gathering

Communion & Confirmation 2019: Celebrate with MSC Missions

With Communion and Confirmation season just around the corner, young boys and girls all over the country are making preparations for their big day – and we have everything you need to make their special day one to remember.

From gold-foil embossed cards to a specially selected range of gifts, you’ll find the perfect keepsake to mark the big day.

Our beautifully designed Communion and Confirmation cards each contain a prayer for the child celebrating the sacrament, and those named in each card will be remembered in the Masses and prayers of our MSC priests at this special time.

From prayer books and missals to photo frames and albums, our collection of gifts and keepsakes has something for everyone.

Our First Holy Communion and Confirmation sets make a wonderful gift with all of the essentials to celebrate the day. Choose from a boy’s, girl’s, or classic white set, each one containing a prayer book, a set of Rosary beads, and a pendant or rosette.

Our classic Roman Missals are an ideal gift for a special Confirmation Day, with elegant gold highlights and gilt-edged pages. Choose from a pure white or dark blue cover, which is also made with Balacron for extra durability.

Of course, no Communion or Confirmation day would be complete without photographs to mark the occasion! From decorative resin to classic silver-toned photo frames, you’ll be sure to find a lovely way to display treasured memories of a very special day.

Remember, when you choose from our range of cards and gifts, you’re not just making a special gesture for a loved one, but you’re also reaching out to help vulnerable children across the globe. Your support helps us to continue bringing the gift of hope to families and communities in need all over the world. Our MSCs work in regions of extreme poverty and hardship, bringing vital aid to people who have nowhere else to turn, and every order we receive makes a real and valuable difference.

BROWSE OUR COMMUNION & CONFIRMATION RANGES

MSC World Projects Appeal 2019: Safe Transport in the Congo

The MSC Pre-Novitiate Formation House in Righini, Congo, currently houses 15 MSC students and two formators. It is a place of reflection, of learning, and of prayer, as young men embark on the missionary journey.

The residents of the formation house live primarily on a grant provided by the MSC French African Union – a grant which allows each person a sum equivalent to €11 per day. The formation house also owns an old minibus, and until recently, the students and their formators used this to attend the local university daily, as well as travelling for parish ministry.

In April 2018, the minibus broke down and is now beyond repair.

The pre-novitiates now travel on public transport every day, a situation which is unpredictable and time-consuming.  The students are unable to travel together, and often cannot keep to their daily schedule.

The MSC community in Righini are now raising funds to purchase a new minibus, which will allow the pre-novitiate students to travel safely and securely. This will also save a significant amount of money, as the minibus requires $30 worth of fuel per week, as opposed to the $10 per day spent on public transport.

MSC pre-notivitiate students in the Congo are in great need of a new minibus to transport them safely and securely as they undertake their daily studies and go about their parish ministry.

MSCs in the Congo have already raised a significant portion of the money
needed to pay for the minibus, and are now €15,000 away from the total cost.
Can you help them to raise the funds they need to reach their goal?

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS IN THE CONGO

MSC World Projects Appeal 2019: OLSH Global Outreach

An important part of the Sacred Heart family, the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH) work all over the world under our shared motto: “May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved.”

OLSH Global Outreach Programmes

Survivors of domestic abuse in Kiribati

Kiribati is a country in the Pacific Ocean, composed of many separate islands. The Daughters have ministered there for many years.

One vital role they play is in the area of assistance to women escaping situations of domestic violence. In many cases, women often have to leave their homes in a hurry, without time to pack  essentials such as clothes, toiletries, or food for their children.

€15 will provide a family with the essentials they need in an emergency situation of domestic abuse.

Catechism books in Maranhão, Brazil

In Maranhão, Brazil, the Sisters are in great need of books to help them with the teaching of the catechism. The people there are very poor and would greatly appreciate the gift of books.

€10 will buy one of the 30 books needed.

Street children in the Philippines

The Sisters in Manila provide an after-school tutoring programme for young children from a local slum area.

Many of the children work on the streets during the day, selling sweets or flowers and other small items, and so they miss out on a formal education.

This programme helps 80 children keep up with some formal study, while also providing a simple feeding scheme and a health and hygiene programme to teach these youths important life skills.

€10 will help to teach a disadvantaged child essential life skills.

Kurisanani Education Project, South Africa

The Kurisanani outreach project is run from Tzaneen, in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. One element of this outreach programme is the provision of funds for vulnerable children to access education. 200 children are currently benefitting from the programme.

€15 will provide a child with a school resources pack, including pencils, pens, exercise books, and a backpack.

Educating women in South Sudan

In Mapuordit, a remote area of South Sudan, three Daughters minister to local communities. Many young women here are forced into marriage and are denied a basic education.

The Daughters here support young mothers in their return to education by providing them with bicycles and solar lamps.

The bicycles allow them freedom to travel to and from school, as well as helping with chores such as collecting water and gathering firewood. The time saved by cycling long distances, rather than walking, helps them them to keep up their studies, while the solar lamps allow the young women to study at night, despite the fact that there is no electricity in their village.

€90 will buy one bicycle and €30 will buy one solar lamp to help the education of vulnerable young women.

Convent repair in Venezuela

Three Sisters from Brazil currently minister to locals in a remote area of Venezuela. The convent here has fallen into disrepair, and the Sisters are raising funds to paint some of the damaged areas.

€100 will buy the paint required to repair the ruined areas.

OLSH saving young lives in Africa

The Holy Family Care Centre is situated at the foot of the Drakensburg Mountains, in the far north of the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart founded the centre in 2001, in response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Currently, 70 children are in care there.

“The children in our care come for many reasons, but always because it is a last resort – when all other avenues of care have been explored,” writes Sr Sally Duigan OLSH, Director of the Holy Family Care Centre. “They are admitted with a court order after their local social worker takes their case to the nearest magistrate.”

“The reasons for admission vary, but many children have been abandoned, sexually abused, physically abused, orphaned, or made vulnerable because of HIV/AIDS.”

“This is a place where we OLSH can really live our charism of compassionate love,” says Sr Sally. “Here, we learn to love these children unconditionally.”

PLEASE SUPPORT OLSH GLOBAL OUTREACH

MSC World Projects Appeal 2019: Natural Disasters in Indonesia

In 2018, the people of Indonesia suffered the devastating effects of a series of disasters. On September 29th, an earthquake and tsunami killed almost 2,300 people in the regions of Palu, Sigi, and Donggala. With over 220,000 displaced, over 1,300 are still missing. On December 22nd, a deadly tsumani swept along Sunda Strait, injuring over 14,000. MSCs in Indonesia are working to rebuild lives in the wake of these catastrophies.

Drilling water wells

The lack of a clean water supply is an urgent issue. MSCs in affected regions are raising funds to drill water wells in three points, including water storage tanks and public toilet facilities for use by local communities.

Each water well will cost approximately €18,200, and will provide vital clean water and essential hygiene facilities for the affected areas.

Building houses

Thousands of houses have been destroyed beyond repair, and many survivors are currently living in temporary accommodation. The Indonesian Province of the MSC propose to build seven houses in affected regions.

Each house will cost approximately €3,050 to build and will offer renewed hope to a displaced family.

Scholarships for affected children

Education has been severely impacted by the disasters, as children have been orphaned or have been forced to leave school in order to work and help to support their families. Together with the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, the Indonesian Province of the MSC will provide scholarships for vulnerable children to allow them to continue their education. The MSC will have the responsibility of funding 100 students for three years.

€15 will cover the cost of one month’s education for a scholarship student.

Essential household goods

Many families affected by these disasters have lost everything, even the most basic necessities. The Indonesian Province of the MSC will help 100 affected families by providing essential kitchen tools for cooking and eating.

€50 will provide kitchen essentials including cooking and eating utensils for one family.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS IN INDONESIA

MSC World Projects Appeal 2019: MSC Ministry in India

The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have been working in India for over 30 years. MSCs currently minister in seven parishes in rural India and one parish in Bangalore.

Presbyteries in Mulakaluru and Janakipuram

In Mulakaluru and Janakipuram, two parishes made up of six villages, MSCs are ministering to marginalised Catholics who are challenged daily by prejudice and poverty. Since 2010, local MSCs have been renting houses to allow them to be close at hand to these Catholic communities. The presence of MSCs in these areas, ministering to the spiritual, social, and political needs of local Catholics, has been extremely rewarding and empowering.

Rent for each house is 6,000 Indian rupees, or approximately €75, per month, and MSCs often have to move when landlords take the properties back.

Facilities in these rented accommodations are extremely poor, and MSCs struggle to do their best with the little that they have.

MSCs in Mulakaluru and Janakipuram are in great need of dedicated presbyteries, where they can live, work, and pray. The money currently spent on rent will be put to far better use, while the MSC communities will be able to conduct more effective mission outreach from a secure space and proper living conditions.

Without MSC ministry in these areas, local Catholics have little chance of being able to practice their religion in freedom and security. Can you please help us to give them an opportunity to flourish?

Mysore House & MSC Formation Programme

In summer 2016, mission friends in the Irish Province helped us to raise funds for the construction of the formation house of Hridhayala, or the “Temple of the Heart”, in Mysore.

There are currently 24 candidates for the priesthood studying at Hridhayala, led by three formators.

Mysore student ministry includes parish ministry, education for underprivileged children, youth ministry, visits to the elderly, and prison visits.

While great work has been done thanks to the generosity of our mission friends, the formation house remains unfinished. We need your help to complete the construction work and create a safe, secure space for students and their teachers to learn and pray.

 

 

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS IN INDIA

Gospel Reflection for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time | January 20th

Gospel Reflection
Reflection & Dialogue with Questions of the Day:
Wedding vision with reality

The Gospel (John 2:1-11):
This was the first of the signs given by Jesus: it was at Cana in Galilee.

Combining vision with reality is no easy matter, be it in religious, political, or other areas. Vision sustains us. It gives direction and courage to work for personal ambitions and the social structures one believes in. Israel’s prophets, in particular after the disaster of the Babylonian exile, were rich in their vision and their hope for the nation’s future, for beloved Zion. We have a good example of this in today’s first reading. The biblical narrative also tells us that the course of Israel’s history did not conform to this vision. A prophetic vision gives God’s plan. How this works in reality will depend on the human response. From Israel and Zion, this prophetic vision was transferred to the Church.

The Gospel reading on the wedding feast at Cana also contains a vision of Christ’s work. This began with the first sign at Cana and was completed at the hour of his glorification at the crucifixion and ascension. It symbolised the transformation of Jewish ritual and festivals. But this transformation, this divine mystery, had to be lived out in each Christian community, with all the attendant weaknesses and pettiness. We have an example of it in the Church at Corinth. Paul had to alert the followers of Christ to the dangers arising from the loss of concentration on the central truths of Christianity.

“By all means let us keep our vision alive, but let us wed it with reality.”

The problem of wedding vision with reality in a constant one Church life. As a current example, we may take the Second Vatican Council. It gave a new formulation of the Christian message, intended to have the Gospel message address the men and women of our own day. Sometimes today there is strong criticism of the Church for not having implemented the teaching, the vision, of Vatican II. In general, by using the term “the Church” in such a context, what is meant is what is often referred to as the institutional Church. In this regard, two points may be made. First of all, the Church first and foremost is the entire people of God, and one must thus ask how much have they implemented the Council’s teaching. Secondly, when there is a call to return to the “spirit” of the Vatican Council, in this and in other matters one must not forget the changes that taken place in Church matters since the Council: the growing movement of secularism and atheism, and various clerical scandals. By all means let us keep our vision alive, but let us wed it with reality.

Fr Martin McNamara MSC

Fr Michael visits Venezuela: News from Caracas

On the first leg of his trip to Venezuela, Fr Michael has been visiting the city of Caracas, where the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have two houses, the Casa Misionere and the parish house in Santa Cruz.

Fr Michael brought with him a suitcase full of donated toiletries and basic hygiene products, and distributed some of these items after Mass in Santa Cruz. The gifts were very warmly received, as inflation in Venezuela has sent the cost of necessities rocketing. A packet of baby wipes costs 3,900 Venezuelan bolívars, and toiletries such as soap and shampoo are similarly priced – an astronomical amount when you take into account that up until the middle of January, the average monthly wage was just under 5,000 bolívars.

The value of the bolívar has fluctuated wildly, even in the space of the first week of Fr Michael’s visit. “When I arrived on Friday, January 4th, the average wage of 5,000 bolívars was worth USD $7 on the black market,” says Fr Michael. “A week later, on Friday, January 11th, the same 5,000 bolívar wage was worth just USD $2. A big loaf of bread costs 1,200 bolívars, a kilo of cheese costs 3,000 bolívars, and 24 eggs cost 6,000 bolívars – so forget having an egg every day when the average wage is just under 5,000 bolívars a month.”

During Fr Michael’s stay in Caracas, the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, announced that the minimum wage would be increased to 18,000 bolívars per month in order to combat the struggles that the people of Venezuela are facing because of inflation. This change came into effect from January 15th, and it is hoped that it will help local people to regain some quality of life following recent struggles.

Here are some pictures of the Mass at which Fr Michael distributed the gifts. Fr John Jennings MSC, originally from Cork, Ireland, blesses the congregation, and locals give each other a very warm and enthusiastic sign of peace!

Following his stay in Caracas, Fr Michael will next visit MSC parishes in Maracaibo, where Irish MSCs first began their work in Venezuela over 50 years ago. Be sure to check back for more updates as he continues on his travels.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS

Find out more about our missionary outreach in Venezuela

Read about Fr Joseph McGee’s trip to Venezuela in 2017

 

MSC Pilgrimages 2019

A journey that begins with a single purpose often ends with much more…

As January gets into its stride, we look ahead to a year full of promise and new opportunities – and the 2019 MSC pilgrimages are a wonderful way to embrace the spirit of faith, hope, and unity over the coming year. This year, we will be going on pilgrimage to Fatima in May/June, and to Lourdes in September.

Each year, pilgrims join us for different reasons. Some may be struggling with illness, grief, stress, or other personal challenges. Other wish to take part in a traditional pilgrimage journey with like-minded travellers, sharing stories, experiences, and reflections on life. Many wish to simply pray, reflect, and offer thanksgiving for their blessings. The experience of pilgrimage is different for every individual, but one thing remains the same on every journey – a sense of great joy in the awareness of being part of something bigger, of something more.

“A powerful, life-changing experience… The invitation is open to all.”

“Pilgrimage is about freedom,” says Fr Alan Neville MSC. “It’s about walking to the horizon – and when you get there, you keep on going. It’s about taking part in something that is at the same time enjoyable and profound. I’ve yet to meet one person who regretted making the trip. For every one of them it has been a powerful, even life-changing experience. The invitation is open to all, so what’s keeping you?”

With a true sense of friendship, companionship, and community, our pilgrimages offer a warm welcome to all.

“Each pilgrim brings a special wish in their hearts, a prayer.”
– Pope Francis

MSC Pilgrimages 2019

Pilgrimage to Fatima
May 30th – June 3rd (4 nights full board)

Pilgrimage to Lourdes
September 14th – 19th (5 nights full board)

For further information, please contact Joe Walsh Tours on +353 (0) 1 2410803.

Read about our 2018 pilgrimage to Lourdes.

Fr Michael visits Venezuela

On Thursday, January 3rd, Fr Michael O’Connell, Director of the MSC Missions Office in Cork, embarked on a three-week visit to Venezuela, where he will visit MSC parishes and spend time with the communities who benefit from the care of our missionaries.

Venezuela is currently in the grip of the worst political, social, economic, and humanitarian crisis ever experienced in the country’s history, and local people struggle daily with extreme poverty and hardship. The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart first started their work in this deeply troubled country over 50 years ago, when four Irish MSCs began the first MSC mission in Maracaibo, and today, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are the only Irish priests working to bring relief to local communities who are trapped in the dreadful conditions brought about by the current social and political unrest.

The situation has become increasingly worrying in recent years. Former Irish Provincial Leader Fr Joseph McGee MSC was greatly affected by his trip to Venezuela in 2017. “The most difficult thing I witnessed was seeing people scavenge in the rubbish heaps for scraps that have burst through the overflowing rubbish bags and appear to be edible,” he recalls. “People are doing all they can to leave the country and start a new life”.

In October 2018, we reported that Pope Francis had encouraged the Venezuelan bishops to “stay close to the people of Venezuela, especially to those who are suffering,” while Simon Coveney, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, addressed the “serious, volatile, and rapidly deteriorating situation,” where “reports of human rights violations are a cause of real concern”.

Having marked 50 years of ministry in Venezuela in the summer of 2017, the our MSCs continue to do all they can to help vulnerable families affected by the ongoing crisis. On this trip, Fr Michael is travelling with an extra suitcase filled with essentials for local families who are enduring the consequences of hyperinflation, which has pushed the cost of necessities sky-high – far beyond the reach of parents who don’t know where their children’s next meal is coming from. His case is packed full of supplies including toothpaste, soap, nappies, and other basic hygiene products – everyday items that we might not think twice about using, but which will be very welcome to families who have very little.

Be sure to check back in the coming weeks, as Fr Michael continues on his travels and keeps us updated on the MSC Venezuelan mission.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS

A Christmas Blessing from Fr Michael

Dear Friends,

Another year has flown by! 2018 is almost at an end, and from international celebrations at the World Meeting of Families to my own adventure on the Camino walk, it has been a year to remember for many reasons.

Without doubt, these are challenging times for us all. From social and political turmoil, to devastation caused by natural disasters around the world, it can seem that every time we turn on the news, we hear of death and destruction. However, even in the depths of despair, hope remains, and thanks to the support of our great community of faith around the world, we have been able to continue to bring the gifts of hope, faith, and love to vulnerable families all over the world.

This summer, along with Pope Francis and hundreds of thousands of people around the world, we celebrated the love of the family, and at Christmas time, we reflect once again on the blessing of family – our own immediate families, and our extended families, made up of friends, neighbours, and brothers and sisters in Christ.

I often refer to you, our mission friends, as a family of faith, and together, we are part of a much bigger picture. I include our MSCs working in far-flung corners of the world, away from the embrace of home and hearth this Christmas season. I include the communities to which they minister, and the children who have been orphaned by illness or violence. I include those who are surrounded by loved ones, and those who may be spending the Christmas season alone. I include all who are struggling with challenges of different kinds. Love knows no bounds, and we are every one of us a loved and valued part of this great family of faith.

As another year begins to wind towards its end, I thank you for all that we have achieved together over the past months. Thanks to your friendship, the power of God’s mercy continues to be seen in all its glory around the world. Our strength comes from your kindness and we are truly grateful.

In the spirit of the season and on behalf of our MSC community around the world, I’d like to extend my warmest wishes for a joyful Christmas, and I pray that the coming year will bring you and yours an abundance of peace, happiness, and blessings.

Wishing you and yours a happy and holy Christmas,

Fr Michael O’Connell MSC

Congratulations to the winners of the 2018 MSC Christmas Raffle!

MSC Christmas Raffle 2018

Prize Winners:

1st Prize: Shopping voucher to the value of €1,000

K. Taaffe

Shannon Harbour, Birr, Co. Offaly

2nd Prize: Twelve Days of Christmas Hamper to the value of €500

B. Flynn

Kilcormac, Co. Offaly

3rd Prize: Supreme Christmas Hamper to the value of €400

A. McAnearwney

Banbridge, Co. Down

4th Prize: Festive Feast Christmas to the value of €350

M. Doherty

Ardmore Road, Co. Derry

5th Prize: Christmas Carol Hamper to the value of €250

R. Kinsella

Coton Green, Tamworth, England

6th Prize: Deck the Halls Hamper to the value of €150 

D. Long

Thomond Gate, Limerick

7th Prize: Deck the Halls Hamper to the value of €150

G. Potter

Abbeyknockmoy, Tuam, Co. Galway

8th Prize: Deck the Halls Hamper to the value of €150 

D. Cumane

Ballinlough, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon

9th Prize: Deck the Halls Hamper to the value of €150 

J. Murphy

Caim, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford

10th Prize: Deck the Halls Hamper to the value of €150

M. White

St John’s, Trim, Co. Meath

Special Members Sellers Prize: Christmas Carol Hamper to the value of €250

C. Wallace

Drumree, Co. Meath

This year’s Christmas Draw took place on Wednesday, December 19th 2018.

We would like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone for taking part. 

Click here to read a special Christmas message from Fr Michael