Apr 18, 2019
In January 2019, MSC Missions Office Director Fr Michael O’Connell spent three weeks in Venezuela, visiting MSC parishes in the cities of Maracaibo and Caracas. Here, he shares his experiences and his thoughts on a country in crisis.
“Water is now becoming a problem, especially in Propatria, Caracas. They pump water into Caracas around three days a week. Fr John Jennings says that you know when water is coming, because there are leaks in the street – then you know that the municipality is directing water into the area. The locals are very proud; I saw people out sweeping the streets during my visit. Even though it was mucky and the sewage smelled terrible, they still wanted to keep it clean.
This year, more than ever, I noticed more blue tanks on the roofs of houses and buildings. These are containers to conserve water, and there are far more in place now because of the water shortages. People often come to the MSC house to shower and wash their clothes. People are bringing water to their houses, like bringing water to a home from a well in rural Ireland.”
“The current climate is taking its toll.”
“Venezuelan people are very clean; they shower and wash their clothes a lot. They are very proud, and very image conscious. You won’t see them out and about with rollers in their hair! Our MSCs know if water hasn’t been sent to the district for a while – people won’t come to the church, as they wouldn’t be clean. The lack of water affects their social life, and church is a social occasion where they meet up and chat together. I did notice that many people weren’t able to keep themselves as well this year – there was a lot more grey hair showing and people are a lot thinner. The current climate is taking its toll.
I brought with me a suitcase full of toiletries kindly donated by parishioners of the Sacred Heart Church in Cork, and they were given out after Mass, while some were kept back for people who called to the door. The poorest people call to the door of the MSC house for help. When we gave out toiletries after Mass, the smell of soap lingered around the church – and from the pictures, you can see the sheer joy it brought people. There was a queue for the toiletries, and they would have taken more if we had it.”
“Living spaces are small and cramped; there is no privacy.”
“Back in Maracaibo, I noticed that there are a lot of houses for sale – more houses than the last time I was here, certainly. Over three million people have now emigrated. They have left Venezuela for Panama, Chile, Peru, Columbia, Brazil… Nearby countries where people might be able to find work.
Once again, theft is a real problem. In the church, fans are chained to the wall because of theft, and speakers are kept in metal cages. There are railings on balconies, even when they are many storeys high – people will attempt to break in, no matter how high up you are.
Living spaces are small and cramped in the barrios (slums); there is no privacy. If you breathe in one room, somebody will hear you in the next room. Space is at a premium – one of my photographs shows a house extension in progress. There had been a landslide, which cleared the ground, so people then had room to extend.
We visited one house located up a hill so steep that Fr John wouldn’t bring his car up the final run, in case he couldn’t get it back down again. We took the last leg of the journey on foot, to give Holy Communion to a lady who was very ill. One of her family members who had come to Mass that day brought us to see her.”
“Our MSCs do their best to make life more tolerable for parishioners.”
“In Maracaibo, there are a lot of little markets popping up, selling bits and pieces. Houses are selling food, and little ice-creams called Coffey. People are now selling their clothes. Tyre repairs and replacements are on the go 24 hours a day. Tyres for a Ford Fiesta would cost about 20 million bolívars – around USD $76.
Fr Vincent Screene has given out water cooler boxes to parishioners in Maracaibo, so they can make and sell fruit juice using local fruits, particularly mangoes. These coolers have a tap on then, and they can hold about 44 litres of liquid. They cost around USD $30, but people can sell juice and make some money in the long term. Fr Vincent has also provided coffee grinders and vacuum flasks to parishioners, so they can make their own coffee and sell it. All of these things help people to gain back a little bit of independence and self-sufficiency, and help to make life more tolerable for families. Fr Vincent has also bought beds and mattresses where he could, especially for children.”
“Our parishioners are wonderful, warm people who are simply doing their best in the face of an impossible situation.”
“The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs recommends that you don’t go to Venezuela unless you have to, and if you do go, stay away from certain areas – such as Maracaibo. The people of Caracas seem to be treated better by the government. Caracas is the capital, and the government appear to be more keen to keep people there happy, for fear of rebellion. Caracas contains more barrios, and more people who live there immigrated from other countries when the standard of living was better. People who were not born in Caracas are living in severe poverty, and there’s a fear they might rebel, so the government keep the system rolling. In Maracaibo, I noticed far more issues with electricity outages and with problematic internet – and the food boxes that the government are supposed to issue to every household each month are very rarely, if ever, seen there.
Despite hardship, poverty, and hunger, our parishioners are very generous, and are a very patient people. They give what they can. We have had extremely poor people bringing gifts of food to one of our MSCs who was ill. They are also extremely enthusiastic in their faith. Our parishioners are wonderful, warm people who are simply doing their best in the face of an impossible situation.”
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS
Find out more about our missionary outreach in Venezuela
Read more about Fr Michael’s visit to Venezuela:
Visiting Caracas
An Economy in Crisis
Food for Thought
On the Road
In the Classroom
Apr 17, 2019
The 30 lucky winners of the €100 shopping vouchers are as follows:
1. M. Murnane – Innishannon, Co. Cork
2. M. Dinneen – Macroom, Co. Cork
3. A. Blanchfield – Smallheath, Birmingham, England
4. M. Campbell – Dungannon, Co. Tyrone
5. M. Kennedy – Finaghy Road North, Belfast
6. M. Heffernan – Kenmare, Co. Kerry
7. H. Griffin – Castletownroche, Co. Cork
8. E. Osborne – Ardfinnan, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
9. S. Butler – Ballyragget, Co. Kilkenny
10. P. Meehan – Raheen, Co. Limerick
11. C. Tierney – Birr, Co. Offaly
12. A. Halpenny – Navan, Co. Meath
13. S. Ryan – Glasson, Co. Westmeath
14. T. Nyhan – Ballineen, Co. Cork
15. E. McCann – Dungannon, Co. Tyrone
16. M. O’Reilly – Portumna, Co. Galway
17. K. Smith – Hall Green, Birmingham, England
18. K. O’Mahony – Rathcormac, Co. Cork
19. P. O’Malley – Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo
20. N. Higgins – Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
21. N. O’Mahoney – Mitchelstown, Co. Cork
22. M. Doran – Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford
23. R. Kelly – Clarinbridge, Co. Galway
24. M. O’Donoghue – Cappoquin, Co. Waterford
25. N. Grannell – Kilronan, Co. Galway
26. P. Walsh – John’s Hill, Waterford
27. A. Treanor – Tydavnet, Co. Monaghan
28. N. Rahill – Newtown Forbes, Co. Longford
29. J. Martyn – Sligo Town
30. D. Jones – Donnybrook, Dublin 4
Congratulations to you all!
GO BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE
Apr 17, 2019
The 10 lucky winners of the €200 shopping vouchers are as follows:
1. V. McElroy – Omagh, Co. Tyrone
2. M. Delaney – Nenagh, Co. Tippeary
3. P. Flannery – Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo
4. M. Kennedy – Thurles, Co. Tipperary
5. V. Devlin – Navan Road, Dublin 7
6. D. Finan – Newcastle, Co. Galway
7. K. Mackey – Cobh, Co. Cork
8. P. Leonard – Ennis, Co. Clare
9. K. & N. Maher – Carrigrohane, Co. Cork
10. R. Doolan – Newcastle, Dublin 22
Congratulations to you all!
GO BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE
Apr 17, 2019
MSC Easter Draw 2019
Congratulations to the winners of this year’s MSC Easter Draw!
Prize Winners:
1st Prize: €2,000 Cruise Travel Voucher
A. Jelliffe
Schull, Co. Cork
2nd Prize: €1,500 Sun Holiday Voucher
T. Kelly
Fenit, Co. Kerry
3rd Prize: €1,000 City Break Voucher
N. Greene
Ennis, Co. Clare
4th Prize: €1,000 TV/Audio Voucher
A. Grennan
Loughrea, Co. Galway
5th Prize: €1,000 TV/Audio Voucher
M. Conway
Cobh, Co. Cork
6th Prize: €1,000 Home Furniture Voucher
G. Drummond
Sneem, Co. Kerry
7th Prize: €1,000 Home Furniture Voucher
I. Finlay
Greystones, Co. Wicklow
8th Prize: €500 Weekend Break Voucher
C. Norris
Tullow Road, Co. Carlow
9th Prize: €500 Weekend Break Voucher
M. Flynn
Dublin Rd., Galway
10th Prize: €500 Computer/Tablet Voucher
J. Mannion
Ballinasloe, Co. Galway
11th Prize: €500 Computer/Tablet Voucher
M. Cunniffe
Strokestown, Co. Roscommon
12th Prize: €500 Home Decor Voucher
K. Carroll
Arklow, Co. Wicklow
13th Prize: €500 Home Decor Voucher
D. McConnell (Jnr.)
Ardrahan, Co. Galway
14th Prize: €500 Garden / Outdoor Voucher
J. Lennon
Kilnamanagh, Dublin 24
15th Prize: €500 Garden / Outdoor Voucher
M. Foster
Dundalk, Co. Louth
16th Prize: €500 Home Appliances Voucher
J. O’Leary
Ennis, Co. Clare
17th Prize: €500 Home Appliances Voucher
C. A. O’Neill
Omagh, Co. Tyrone
18th Prize: €500 Hot Air Balloon Voucher
K. Hubbard
Kilkee, Co. Clare
19th Prize: €500 Driving Lessons Voucher
S. Gillespie
Boyle, Co. Roscommon
20th Prize: €500 Cookery Class Voucher
M. Cashman
Rocklands, Co. Wexford
All winners will be notified individually.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who took part in this year’s draw.
This year’s MSC Easter Draw took place on Wednesday, April 17th 2019.
Apr 11, 2019
In January 2019, MSC Missions Office Director Fr Michael O’Connell spent three weeks in Venezuela, visiting MSC parishes in the cities of Maracaibo and Caracas. Here, he shares his experiences and his thoughts on a country in crisis.
“The Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School in Maracaibo currently has approximately 850 to 900 students, from infants right up to teenagers. Of these students, only 300 are registered on the government official registration site at the moment, as the government only opens up registration every so often. Therefore, it’s a slow process, but the school are very confident that it will be done.
The government has introduced a day for teachers, but this year, they didn’t have a big celebration; in the current climate of hunger and poverty, there isn’t much to share. The municipality has asked every school to name a Teacher of the Year and to give them a present. The teachers here asked Fr Vincent Screene MSC for some money so they could buy a present for the Teacher of the Year.
The head teacher at the school is paid a total of 5,200 bolívars a fortnight. She is the head teacher at a school of over 850 children and approximately 45 staff. She has a university degree and a Masters, and her total pay is 10,400 bolívars per month. A kilogram of meat costs 2,400 bolívars, a kilogram of cheese costs 2,300 bolívars, and a kilogram of flour is 800 bolívars. Basic food for a week costs around 6,000 bolívars, and her weekly wages are 2,600 bolívars. She doesn’t have a car; she walks to school.
Similarly, one of the other department heads made it clear how much teachers struggle financially. At a meeting of the heads of department, one of our MSCs asked one of the teachers if she used WhatsApp, and she replied, ‘I don’t even have a piece of tin – I don’t have a mobile phone’.”
“Some schools have to run classes for just three days a week.”
“Teachers are leaving schools in many places. Some schools have to run classes for just three days a week. Despite their low wages, the teachers here are still doing their best, and are even trying to provide a feeding programme for the children.
As we travelled to the Sisters’ school in Maracaibo, we drove along the side of a lake, and there were things like rice, fish, flour, and vegetables for sale. It seems that a lot of food has come in from Columbia; this area is very near the border, so there is a lot of smuggling going on, or across-the-border buying and selling. People were standing at the side of the road selling anything and everything – diesel, petrol, oil, even bags of vegetables. These were long, thin plastic bags that would have enough vegetables for one meal, maybe two, and each bag cost half a dollar, or 1,500 bolívars.
In the Sisters’ parish, they had never seen one of the food boxes that the government is supposed to issue to every household each month. The government do support the school feeding programme, but the Sisters want to do more. The government are supplying a new kitchen, with cookers and facilities. The Sisters would like to set up a feeding programme to feed 150 children every Saturday, using the school kitchen facilities. They need USD $300 per month to feed 150 children a week – a total of 600 meals for the children per month. Parishioners would help with the cooking.
There are new bathrooms in the secondary school, and water filters on the site. They have converted the laboratories into classrooms to accommodate numbers. We donated money to the school for new classrooms, and the contribution meant that an outdoor corridor is now walled in, where before there was a steep drop.
The school are in real need of more computers, but they are struggling with leads, connections, and parts going missing. Theft is a real problem; they have to put cages around the light bulbs because people were able to get their hands in to steal them. The school received 32 laptop computers from the government, but today, there are only 18 there. 14 laptops have disappeared and are under investigation.”
“There is a great sense of community, faith, and care.”
The school hall is also used by local church parishes. There are three projects underway in the school at the moment. One is to collect toys for the play area in the preschool. The second is a shoe-making project, where they want to make shoes for the children manually, teaching the children how to do it so they will be equipped to make their own shoes and perhaps be able to sell them. The third project is to provide breakfast. The government do not supply food boxes here, so the Sisters are planning to try to give breakfast to the students. This would encourage more children to come to school; when they’re hungry, they don’t attend school, and so numbers are greatly reduced. Parents would be willing to help in this plan, buying food in Columbia and bringing it to the school. However, for this plan to be undertaken successfully, it would require a large investment – they would have to get cooking utensils, fridges, and security to prevent theft.
The school community is like a family – everybody supports each other and looks out for each other. While I was visiting the school, the US dollar was worth 3,300 bolívars. The parental contribution to the school is 100 bolívars – the equivalent of 3 cents. One of the teachers is sick at the moment, and the school is still supporting them, out of Christian charity, really. During my visit, I attended a school meeting of department heads, with the head teacher and seven other heads of department. The meeting began with two hymns, and the teachers sang. I’ve heard of meetings that begin with a prayer, but never with the singing of hymns – they sang together and they clapped. There is a great sense of community, faith, and care, despite the daily hardships the people here endure.”
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS
Find out more about our missionary outreach in Venezuela
Read more about Fr Michael’s visit to Venezuela:
Visiting Caracas
An Economy in Crisis
Food for Thought
On the Road
