Building blocks for the future as the MSC ecobrick project tackles plastic waste in the Philippines

The MSC community in Manila, capital of the Philippines, have been working on an ongoing project where discarded plastic bottles are repurposed and made into “ecobricks”, finding new life as fences, planter boxes, outdoor furniture, altar decorations, and even chapel walls.

Part of the “Sowing Hope for the Planet” campaign, a worldwide movement to promote environmental awareness, the ecobricks project is just one of many efforts in the MSC mission for ecological sustainability and care of our common home. MSCs in the Philippine Province are also extremely active in the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, a Vatican initiative based on Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, not least with the remarkable efforts of the community at the MSC Centre for the Poor and their accompanying agricultural co-operative.

Fr James Espuerta MSC was rector at the Manila seminary from 2018 to 2023, where he led countless workshops in the construction and use of the ecobricks. Each brick is comprised of a 1.5 litre plastic bottle, which is then stuffed with smaller pieces of plastic, all compressed with a bamboo stick. Often, the plastics and bottles are painted in bright, appealing colours. The creation of a single brick is time-consuming, and can take a full day to be produced.

“If we have plastics, instead of throwing them away or into the trash or to the garbage cart, better to keep them and then organize ecobrick-making,” says Fr James.

A recent article by Earthbeat reports how the MSC ecobrick initiative began in 2019, at the seminary in Manila, and has since expanded into 15 parishes in the care of our MSC brothers. A chapel in Santo Nino Parish, on Camotes Island in Cebu, has been constructed using ecobricks, and several plastic banks are in operation, whereby people in need can trade plastic they bring from home, or pick up on the street, for food.

Ecobricks help to reduce the costs of building materials while also promoting recycling and ecological awareness, and MSCs in the Philippines are very much aware of the need to reduce the use of single-use plastics in addition. “We have to care for our common home. And plastics destroy creation,” explains Fr James. “Human beings are not the only residents in the world. We also have our brother creatures, and we have to take care of them.”

“Being responsible for the use of the plastic could be a good way to save our environment,” Fr James says. With the support of our mission friends here in the Irish Province and around the globe, MSCs in the Philippines continue in their mission to work in harmony with the natural world, while developing sustainable and self-sufficient lifestyles for the vulnerable and disadvantaged communities in their care.

Original article and images via Earthbeat:
https://www.ncronline.org/earthbeat/science/philippines-catholic-priests-tackle-plastic-waste-brick-brick
*

The MSC Message: Summer 2024

Welcome to the Summer 2024 edition of the MSC Message!

• Read a special greeting from Fr John Fitzgerald MSC, Director of the MSC Missions Office.

• Read all about the ordination of Fr Gabriel Shikongo MSC, which took place in Swakopmund, Namibia, as he celebrates his first year as an MSC priest.

• Catch up on the latest news from the mission fields, including updates from the Holy Family Care Centre in Africa, from our OLSH Sisters in Papua New Guinea and Burkina Faso, West Africa, and from our MSC brothers as they celebrated Holy Week & Easter around the world, .

• Join us as we celebrate the new Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in India.

• Find out the latest updates from the team at the MSC Centre for the Poor in the Philippines.

• Discover more from Centro Faustino Villanueva in Guatemala, where staff and students are celebrating 40 years of ministry at the MSC-run vocational centre this year.

• Fr Alan Neville MSC writes from South Sudan, where he is currently ministering with the Loreto team in Rumbek.

Read the Summer 2024 edition of the MSC Message
*

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!
*

“Feeding our Future”: The MSC Centre for the Poor completes stage one of their feeding programme for children in the Philippines

The MSC Centre for the Poor in the Philippines has launched the first phase of a feeding programme for vulnerable children in Libis Baesa, a highly populated region in the city of Calcoon.

The feeding programme will run for several months, with this first stage haven taken place over a six-week period throughout February and March, feeding 40 children in Libis Baesa Elementary School. The second phase of the programme will take place in April, in the regions of Libis Dulo and Reparo, and the third stage is planned for May, covering East Libis and Centro.

The Facebook page for the MSC Mission Office in the Philippines shared these photos from the programme, noting “Observe the joy on the faces of the children currently benefiting from the feeding program in Libis Baesa.”

The MSC Centre for the Poor is highly active in its ministry throughout several regions of the Philippines. Its core values centre on working together in harmony with the earth – nurturing our natural environment, while reaping its benefits in creating a sustainable lifestyle that will help poor and struggling families and communities to build the foundation for a brighter future. From agricultural programmes, to clean water projects, to plastic-free and zero-waste initiatives, the MSC Centre for the Poor encourages participants to develop the skills needed to create and maintain an improved quality of life for disadvantaged communities in both urban and rural areas.

The community at the Centre are also extremely responsive in terms of providing emergency aid where necessary, providing urgent care to survivors of the typhoons and tropical storms that frequently hit the country. From building and repairing homes to distributing emergency care packages, their outreach programmes provide practical and very necessary help to families and communities in real need; these photos of the Libis Baesa children receiving much-needed nourishment is a testament to the wonderful work they do at the most fundamental level.

A whole host of willing participants came together to make the food drive possible, with posts on the Facebook page expressing sincere thanks:

“On behalf of the MSC Center for the Poor, we extend our gratitude to the volunteer cooks, the Principal of Libis Baesa Elementary School, Teacher Myrna, the MSC Brothers, Chapel Presidents, Fr. Gab, and Fr. Sam.

Special thanks to our sponsors, RJF Primo Corporation, Felicidad T. Sy Foundation, and Casao Kids. May God bless you abundantly.”

“We are grateful for the visit from our donor, Mrs. Falcon, accompanied by her daughter Cazandra and her classmates from Miriam College: Aurora, Althea, and Jan Jan. The children greatly enjoyed their presence and were overjoyed with the gifts they received.

We also wish to express our thanks to our IC brothers, Bro Erwin and Bro Borge; to the Principal of Libis Baesa Elementary School, Ms. Maria Idel C. Malay; to the Teacher Coordinator, Mam Myrna; the Coordinator of MSC Center for the Poor, Ms. Joy; the MSC Mission Office Board of Trustees and Staff, and the MSC Manila District, Fr. Sam & Fr. Gabby.”

Please keep our MSC communities in the Philippines in your prayers as they continue in their remarkable work in bringing hope to people who people who have very little, and in putting food on the plates of children who would otherwise go hungry. We wish them every blessing in support and friendship as they look ahead to phase two of this vital programme.

Images via the Facebook page for the MSC Mission Office Philippines, Inc.

IF YOU CAN, PLEASE SUPPORT THE MSC CENTRE FOR THE POOR

Fr Alan in South Sudan: Holy Week in a Heatwave

Phone calls from home have bemoaned the state of the weather with a familiar regularity. Ireland, they say, is a great country, if only you could roof it. While a strong argument could be made for such a national feat of engineering, I believe that the constant rain, drizzle, mist, and downpours have shaped our psyche in a way that has left an optimistic, if somewhat damp mark on the people. It has to stop sometime, surely, or so we hope. In spite of only hazy memories of sun as a child, such as the time it was so hot the butter melted on a primary school trip to Bere Island (certainly a shock to all of us), rain certainly predominates my image of growing up in the seventies and the eighties.

So it was something of a challenge to find myself in South Sudan, with six months of heavy, if sporadic rain, followed by six months of absolute roasting aridity. After over three years here I thought I was coming to terms with the worst my new home could offer, but this year it really outdid itself. You know something is up when at the end of March the National Ministry of Education and General Instruction decided to close schools for two weeks because of an especially acute heatwave.

On the surface this could be welcomed, as many children walk more than five kilometres a day to get to school, and while the morning can be cooler, the return journey in 43ºC is a problem. The issue for us is that our primary school offers children food during the day, along with access to our clinic, and the closure meant the former was no longer available and the latter was seriously curtailed. The school made an effort with a mobile outreach by our nursing team into the community to help support those in most urgent need.

Our secondary school, despite being a boarding school, was ordered to close too and most students had to head home. A small group of about forty remained, as they lived far enough away that it would have been almost impossible to make it home and return again. So, our community for Easter this year was greatly diminished, but still full of life. Our Palm Sunday procession from the convent to the secondary school was solemn and prayerful. I had considered getting a donkey, but after an unfortunate incident during an outdoor Nativity production in a barrio in Caracas that had Mary and Joseph walking most of the way to Bethlehem (a story for another day), I swore I’d never work with animals again!

During Holy Week the University continued, heatwave or no. The lecture halls have a corrugated metal roof, but no ceiling, turning them in to a large-scale oven by the early afternoon. In fairness to the students, they did not complain, especially as exams are beginning this coming Monday. We bought extra water pots and placed the around the campus to help alleviate the problem. This year we’re hoping to fix up the building completely, installing windows, a proper floor, ceilings, and (God willing) some fans.

“No matter how overwhelming the darkness, the light of one Easter candle is enough to set the world on fire.”

Maundy Thursday’s Mass of the Last Supper was beautiful. It began in the cool of the later afternoon, just before the sunset. Our twelve Apostles were drawn from students, interns, teachers, members of the clinic team, and people from the local community. The washing of the feet by Jesus in John’s Gospel was a powerful reminder for all of us of the need to see the ministry we offer as an act of humble service. Like Pope Francis washing the feet of women in a prison in Rome this year, all that we do should try to echo the authenticity and humility of Jesus.

On Good Friday at 7:00am we ferried all our students to Sacred Heart Parish in Rumbek for the Stations of the Cross. The Loreto Interns had been practicing all week and getting costumes ready to lead the event. It was a live-action Stations and we made our way through the centre of the town towards Holy Family Cathedral. As we walked, sang, and prayed, you could see that those we passed were moved. There is something visceral about the suffering and humiliation Jesus endured for us that speaks to all hearts. On arrival at the Cathedral, Jesus and the two thieves were tied to their crosses and hoisted into position. After finding a bit of shade, I spent the rest of the liturgy praying fervently that the crosses wouldn’t collapse and our students wouldn’t be crushed. Thankfully, our Romans knew their jobs.

The highlight of Easter is of course the Vigil. The entire celebration from the lighting of the Paschal fire and blessing of the candle, to the readings from the Old and New Testaments, the renewal of our baptismal vows, and the Eucharist are liturgy at its best. The symbols of fire and water, light and darkness, hope and resurrection would move even the most stoic of hearts.

As you can see from the photos, our teachers in Loreto were all in for the preparation of the Paschal fire and the flames reached up to Heaven itself. As South Sudan continues to struggle in these early years of independence and persistent difficulties are everywhere, it is good to remember the promise of our Catholic faith, that no matter how overwhelming the darkness, the light of one Easter candle is enough to set the world on fire.

Happy Easter,
Fr Alan

Read more from Fr Alan’s missionary journey in South Sudan:

• Looking for a Sign on the Way to South Sudan
• Building a Better Future in South Sudan
• Christmas Greetings from Fr Alan in South Sudan
• A Cup of Sugar and Maybe a Goat
• Mock Exams and Real Life in South Sudan
• As Easy as Baking a Cake
• Holy Week on the Move
• Three Arrivals and a Party
• Celebrating the Missionary Life
• Seeds of Hope
• Young People Fighting COVID-19 in Rumbek
• Ticket to Ride
• Lions, Snakes, and the World’s Deadliest Predator
• Vaccine Status: Denied
• Christmas in South Sudan
• A Bigger Shovel
• A Week in the Life of Loreto – Bishops, graduations, an ambassador, and the Pope
• Sowing Seeds
• A visit from the MSC Superior General
• Advent
• Do They Know It’s Christmas Time?
• The Papal Visit
• Life Goes On
• Give Peace A Chance
• The Surprising Grace of Hospitality: Part 1
• Everyone is included, The Surprising Grace of Hospitality: Part 2
• Highs and Lows in South Sudan
• Those Who Can, Teach

Alleluia! A global celebration of Holy Week & Easter 2024

It is with joyful hearts that we look back at a truly glorious celebration of Easter for some of
our MSC communities at home and around the world.

A message of hope from Mozambique

The Easter celebrations in Mozambique were led by Fr José Eduardo Paixão and Fr Roney Lima, where local families and communities came together throughout the district of Metuge. A beautiful Palm Sunday procession was followed by several Holy Week ceremonies celebrated by Fr Eduardo in the parish of St Anthony of Metuge, including the washing of the feet on Holy Thursday in a prayerful “moment of deep spirituality and communion”.

Good Friday saw Fr Roney mark the Passion of the Christ with the community of St James in Ngalena, before presiding over the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday in the community of São Carlos Luanga, where he was joined by the Santa Bakhita and São Tiago communities. The Facebook page for the Mozambique mission posted a selection of wonderful photographs from this Vigil Mass, saying “Father Roney Lima presided over this solemn moment when the Church, all over the world, breaks the silence and sings Hallelujah!”.

On Easter Sunday, Fr Eduardo celebrated Easter Mass in the Sede community, welcoming the parishioners of St Anthony of Metuge, and sharing a great message of hope for us all: “Celebrating the Lord’s Passover is living in the hope that we can be better, we can be Light in the midst of darkness. Sin cannot take away the brightness of the resurrection that reaches upon us.”

Easter celebrations in the Province of the Pacific Islands and the Philippines

The Facebook page for the MSC Province of the Pacific Islands shared a whole host of photographs from Easter celebrations across the Province and beyond, including:

The Stations of the Cross at the Pacific Regional Seminary in Fiji

The Easter Vigil at the Pacific Regional Seminary in Fiji

The Formation Communities at the Holy Spirit Parish in Veivatuloa, Fiji, on Easter Sunday

Easter celebrations in Indonesia

Celebrations in Caloocan, in the Philippines 

Sunrise celebrations at the Sacred Heart parish in Cork

The much-loved tradition of the annual Easter Dawn Mass took place once again this year at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork, where mission friends and parishioners gathered to pray together as the sun rose on Easter Sunday 2024.

Over the course of Holy Week and Easter, almost 6,000 people joined us via our website to pray with us on our live stream, including viewers from Ireland and the UK, across Europe and America, and far-flung corners of Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Tanzania – to name but a few!

Our annual Easter Garden has lit up the Sacred Heart Church once again this year, with our heartfelt gratitude to all who take such care with its construction and maintenance. As ever, the Family Tree of Life Book has enjoyed a special place in our Easter Garden, celebrating the joy of family and the importance of unity as our MSCs pray for all those enrolled throughout the Easter season.

Strengthened by the Easter hope that radiates its redeeming light over us all, from the Western Road in Cork to Mozambique, Fiji, Indonesia, the Philippines, and everywhere in between, we welcome and embrace the brighter days ahead, with every grace and blessing of the Sacred Heart to our mission friends everywhere, this Easter season and throughout the year ahead.

Photos from Mozambique via the Facebook page for MSC Mozambique 
Photos from the Province of the Pacific Islands and the Philippines via the Facebook page for the MSC Province of the Pacific Islands

 

 

 

Celebrating the new MSC Indian Province

Warmest congratulations to our MSC brothers in India,
on the establishment of the new MSC Indian Province!

Previously the Indian Union, Saturday, March 16^th saw the official erection of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart India as a formal Province. Fr Darwin Thateus MSC, who has been the Indian Union Superior since 2019, will continue to act as Provincial Leader until December of this year.

Celebrations on the day also included a commemoration of the 200^th anniversary of the birth of MSC founder Fr Jules Chevalier, the Ordination to the Diaconate of three MSCs, and the official opening and blessing of the Chevalier Academy, a primary and secondary school at Bellandur Gate in Bangalor.

The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have been active in their ministry in India for over 30 years, from training enthusiastic new MSCs to tending to those living in often unimaginable poverty in urban and rural shantytowns. Our MSC brothers have ministered to vulnerable communities living in the slums of Bangalore, have worked to educate thousands of local children at the Chevalier Academy in Dindigul, have helped survivors of severe flooding in Kerala, and maintain a dedicated formation house for new MSCs at Hridhayala, or the Temple of the Heart, in Mysore.

The Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart has an enduring relationship with our MSC brothers in India, with our mission friends and benefactors here providing immeasurable support throughout the years, from helping to MSC pre-novitiates on their missionary journey, to funding dedicated presbyteries in disadvantaged parishes, to facilitating desperately needed emergency aid during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart also helped MSCs in Coimbatore to raise funds to set up the Chevalier Centre for Change, a day-care centre for the elderly with the aim of “changing the lives of those who have little hope”.

Meanwhile, this year, our mission friends here in the Irish Province have been helping MSCs in Therkukalidaikuruchi Village, in the Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu, to raise funds to establish a new environmentally sustainable agricultural programme that will preserve and encourage the local ecosystem, while also providing opportunities for employment in the rural population.

We continue to support and encourage our MSC brothers on our shared missionary journey, and we keep the communities of the newly erected Indian Province in our prayers as they look to a hopeful future. May God bless them all as they embark on this new chapter in our united mission of making the love of the Sacred Heart known all over the world.

Selected images via misacor.org.au, with credit to Fr Tijo.
*

From Papua New Guinea to West Africa: Thank you from our OLSH Sisters

It is with glad hearts that we received recent news from our friend Sr Jenny Christie FDNSC, International Development Officer for the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, with an update from the OLSH Global Outreach Projects that are blessed with such generous support from our mission friends here in the Irish Province.

Educating children in Burkina Faso

In our 2023 World Projects Appeal, the Sisters asked for help in funding the development of classrooms at their school in Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso, West Africa. Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world, and the Sisters in Ouagadougou have been working in the region since 2007 to help young children who would otherwise have no prospects of education and advancement. The demand for places at the school is overwhelming, and the Sisters strive to accommodate as many children as possible, which has led to severe issues with overcrowding in recent years.

Thanks to the wonderful response to our 2023 appeal, which raised funds to create separate classrooms in the existing school space, the work has already been completed to great effect. Teachers and students now have the use of four new classrooms, giving the children a safe, comfortable space to learn and grow together.

Caring for the elderly in Papua New Guinea

Sr Jenny also shared photos from her recent visit to Port Moresby, in Papua New Guinea, where funds raised by our 2021 World Projects Appeal funded a laundry area in the Hartzer Centre, an aged-care facility for elderly OLSH Sisters and MSC missionary priests. Prior to the installation of the laundry room, the nurses at the centre had to carry the residents’ dirty laundry through the dining room at the adjacent convent in order to reach the communal washing area, a significant hygiene issue throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and in subsequent years.

Now, the centre has its own dedicated laundry area, with a drying spot outside to hang clothes, and indoor lines to dry washing in rainy weather. “The Sisters are deeply appreciative of the difference this has made to their lives,” writes Sr Jenny. “Sincere thanks once again to the very generous donors.”

With thanks to Sr Jenny for sharing these very welcome updates with us, and to you, our mission friends, for making this work possible through your ongoing support and friendship. Every day, your compassion is touching lives all over the world, in ways that you can’t imagine. On behalf of our OLSH Sisters and MSC missionaries everywhere, we thank you, sincerely, for your kindness. We keep the OLSH communities of Ouagadougou and Port Moresby in our prayers as they continue in their dedicated work, with gratitude for the encouragement of our extended Sacred Heart family.

IF YOU CAN,
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR OLSH SISTERS IN THEIR GLOBAL OUTREACH

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.

IF YOU CAN, PLEASE SUPPORT OUR GLOBAL MISSIONS

Praying through Lent in Mozambique

As we journey together towards Holy Week and Easter, we are united in prayer with our MSC communities all over the world – though separated by miles, we remain connected in prayer on our Lenten progress. The images below, shared by our MSC mission in Mozambique, show the beautiful ceremony led by Fr José Eduardo Paixão MSC to celebrate the first Sunday of Lent in the community of St Antonio de Metuge.

Our MSC mission in Mozambique marks its sixth anniversary this month, having originally been established in 2018 in what is a very poor part of Mozambique. Serving the Diocese of Pemba, the mission is continuously adapting to serve the many and changing needs of the vulnerable and displaced, from emergency response to natural disasters, to the brutal impact of violence and political unrest. In a volatile climate, our MSC community is working to adapt and act responsively in accordance with current needs.

       

The Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have a well-established relationship with our Mozambique mission, as we work to support them in their ongoing ministry. Thanks to the friendship and compassion of our mission friends and benefactors here at home, we have been able to bring about positive change to disadvantaged communities made up of thousands of people across the Diocese of Pemba. Civil war in the region has brought about huge hardship, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced from their homes and their lives since 2017, and many others killed or reported missing. In recent years, we have been working alongside Fr José to raise funds to support those in real and urgent need, helping to provide essential aid and brighter prospects in a region where hope is in short supply.

       

Though local issues persist, the people of Pemba are not alone, and throughout it all, the inestimable spirit of faith, hope, and perseverance prevails at the heart of our Mozambique mission. The enduring power of unity and community shines through in these wonderful pictures of their Lenten celebrations, and we ask that you please join us in keeping our friends and brothers in Mozambique in your prayers this Lenten season as they continue to share the message of God’s love in the most challenging circumstances.

Images via the Facebook page for MSC Mozambique, with credit to Abudo Manara.
*

Remembering Mother’s Day with MSC Missions

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, a day to celebrate the strength and love of the wonderful women who raised us. It might be the case that you don’t go a day without seeing your mum, or maybe you talk on the phone every week. Perhaps your time with your mother is a precious memory now, to be held dear. It may be that you’re showing your gratitude for a grandmother, an aunt, or a treasured friend or another mother figure. However you celebrate, Mother’s Day is a time to stop and remember a love like no other.

This year, Mother’s Day falls on Sunday, March 10^th
– and you can make it a day to remember with a thoughtful card, gift, or keepsake
from our Mother’s Day range.

 

Our special Mother’s Day candle features a poem to commemorate a beloved mother, celebrating the women who light up our lives with unconditional love.

A selection of delightful angel statues inscribed with affectionate messages are a special way to thank you own personal guardian angel on earth!

       

The traditional Madonna and Child image honours maternal love in its purest form. With a white resin holy water font and a hand-painted statue to choose from, these are timeless gifts to celebrate a mother’s love.

       

Our beautifully designed Mother’s Day cards all include a thoughtful Prayer for my Mother, and each one includes remembrance in a special Triduum of Masses, which will take place this year from Saturday, March 9^th to Monday, March 11^th at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road in Cork. Those enrolled are very welcome to join us in prayer and watch the daily Mother’s Day Masses on our live stream. This is also an especially lovely way to remember those mothers who are no longer with us, and whose memories are carried in our hearts always.

       

 

A perpetual enrolment in our Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Blue book and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart prayer’s and Masses is also a beautiful way to honor our beloved Mother’s who are in Heaven before us.

Remember, when you choose from our range of Mother’s Day cards and gifts, you’re not just making a special gesture for your mother, but you’re also reaching out to help vulnerable mothers and their families all over the world. Each and every order we receive helps our MSCs to continue to bring the gift of hope to families in need across the globe – from mothers doing their best to care for the children with very little, to young children who have no mothers at all. On a day where we celebrate a mother’s love, you in turn are helping us to bring warmth, love, and friendship to the homes of young families where hope is in short supply. Thank you for your part in spreading kindness this Mother’s Day!

BROWSE OUR MOTHER’S DAY RANGE

MSC World Projects Appeal 2024: OLSH Global Outreach

OLSH Global Outreach

MSCs from all over the world continue to work in partnership with the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH), providing help and support to the poor and vulnerable on our shared mission: “May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved.” 

OLSH ministry in South Africa

The Congregation of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart work together at the Holy Family Care Centre in Limpopo, South Africa, where they provide residential care for orphans and sick and vulnerable children.

At the Holy Family Care Centre, a community of Sisters, volunteers, and local staff care for between 75 and 80 children. Many of these children are living with chronic illnesses such as HIV/AIDs, TB, and other critical conditions. The children are mostly orphaned, and all are vulnerable. The community here work closely with the Department of Social Development to provide the best possible opportunities for the children in their care.

At the moment, the boys’ dormitory accommodates 23 children and two staff members. It is very crowded, with no space between the beds. With your help, the Sisters would like to buy new bed linen and mattresses, as most of the current ones are now 15 years old, and to replace some of the beds with bunk beds to give the children who sleep here more space.

The Holy Family Sisters are currently working to raise a total of €6,000
to provide more space in the dormitory for boys aged 2 to 10 years.

The onsite crèche at the Holy Family Centre helps the Sisters, along with their volunteers, to care for up to 25 children. To cater for the changing requirements of the youths in their care, they would like to build an extra toilet block so that the children can be toilet trained on low junior toilets suited to their needs. Unfortunately, due to rising costs, the Sisters need your help to fund the construction and fitting of this toilet block.

€4,900 will make a great difference in the Sisters’ ability to provide comfortable facilities
for the toddlers in their care.

In South Africa, “load shedding” is an unfortunate and frequent aspect of daily life, when the electricity in the Care Centre has to be cut. The Centre has its own back up generator, but this is only used when it is vital, as the cost of diesel continues to increase. The Centre would like to install solar panels to power their bore water well and sewerage pumps. The solar panels would ensure savings on power, which in turn will help reduce costs and prevent major systems from failing.

€9,900 will enable the Holy Family community to pay for solar panels to be installed,
including batteries and labour.

“The Holy Family Centre hopes to help each child to regain their childhood. We aim to address their physical, emotional, psychological, educational, and spiritual needs. Our main focus is to create an environment where they feel safe, loved, happy, and to extend them kindness and guidance.”
“Our Vision” ~ OLSH Sisters, South Africa

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR OLSH SISTERS IN THEIR GLOBAL OUTREACH

OLSH outreach in Brazil

In a Eldorado, a small city in Brazil, lives Sr Bruna. Here, she administers to the spiritual needs of the local community with the help of Eucharistic ministers. Together, they visit members of the parish who cannot attend Mass due infirmity or illness, bringing Holy Communion to those in need and providing spiritual solace to people who are often alone.

€900 will enable Sr Bruna FDNSC to purchase 12 pyx cases to help bring the Holy Eucharist
to sick, elderly, and infirm parishioners who cannot attend Mass.

The Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in San Paulo, Brazil, run a special programme for senior parishioners. The Sisters here have reached out to the seniors in the community to give them access to computer classes, a local choir, and other activities such as yoga and crafts for the aged. These workshops are free and are held twice a week. The meeting place for the senior groups is in great need of renovation, including a new roof and the repair of the floors. The newly renovated roof will also capture rain water, which can then be used sustainably in the toilets and gardens.

€16,000 will provide immeasurable help to the Sisters as they continue to provide a place for the seniors of the parish to gather for friendship and personal development.

Sr Maria Jose is a teacher in San Paulo, Brazil, who works with a youth group who meet weekly. She is appealing for our help in raising funds to purchase some musical instruments, enabling local youths to learn new skills individually and as a group, and to develop their musical talents. Sr Maria Jose would like to buy a keyboard, an electric guitar, a cajon, and a ukulele, to bring the youth group together in harmony and in prayer.

€1,000 will buy musical instruments to encourage unity and personal growth
for members of the youth group.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR OLSH SISTERS IN THEIR GLOBAL OUTREACH

OLSH ministering across Africa

The OLSH Sisters have a nursery school and primary school in Zagtouli, Burkina Faso, where they provide two snacks and a meal each day for the pupils. In this way, they guarantee that vulnerable children receive muchneeded nourishment. The Sisters would now like to build a dining room, so the children can eat in comfort, and will no longer need to eat in their classrooms or outside.

€20,000 will enable the Sisters to build a dining room for the children attending the school.

The Sisters also minister in the region of Fada N’Gourma in Burkina Faso, where they have been caring for the local community since 2013. The population of this town is 34,000, with 40% of the people living below the poverty line. Taking into consideration the needs of the people of this area, the Sisters have recently managed to acquire some land and hope to build three classrooms on this site. With your support, they can help local children and their families to look forward, with hope, to a better future.

€20,000 will provide the funds needed to start building three classrooms on the new site.

“To the wonderful benefactors in the Irish Province, we thank you sincerely for the assistance you give to us. It is very much appreciated! We remember you in prayer, with deep gratitude.”
~ Sr Jenny Christie FDNSC
International Development Officer for the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR OLSH SISTERS IN THEIR GLOBAL OUTREACH