Celebrating the sacraments on our Mozambique mission

The beginning of July brought great celebrations to the parish of St Antônio de Metuge in Pemba, Mozambique, shared by Fr Eduardo on the MSC Moçambique Facebook page this week.

The community of St Charles Lwanga marked the feast day of their patron saint on July 3^rd, with a very special day of ceremony and prayer. St Charles Lwanga was a young Ugandan man who lived in the 1800s, and who was martyred for his devotion to his faith at the age of 26. On the anniversary of his death, which took place in 1886, Fr Eduardo and the community came together for a day of prayer and sacred celebration in his honour.

Throughout the day, 48 baptisms took place, while nine young people received their First Holy Communion. Fr Eduardo and the community also celebrated especially the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, which took place this year on June 29^th, as St Paul is the patron saint of the diocese of Pemba.

        

The people of Mozambique have suffered terribly from the atrocities of war since 2017, with many people who have been displaced or forced to flee from their homes seeking refuge in Metuge. Days like this, where hope and joy and faith prevail, are a welcome and much-needed reminder of the strength to be found in unity, community, and the love of the Lord. With our blessings to all who celebrated the sacraments on this wonderful day, and to our ongoing Mozambique mission as we pray for the communities served by our MSCs in Metuge.

Images via the MSC Mozambique Facebook page.
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The MSC Message: Summer 2022

Welcome to the Summer 2022 edition of the MSC Message!

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

• Find out more about the visit of our MSC Superior General, Fr Absalón Alvarado MSC, to the Irish Province.

• Catch up on the latest news from the mission fields, including updates from our MSC brothers in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique, and our OLSH Sisters in Brazil and Papua New Guinea.

• Read more about the latest updates from our global COVID-19 relief ministry, with a report from the Pacific Islands.

• Discover the ways in which our MSC community in the Philippines is helping survivors of Typhoon Odette.

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

• Read all about recent celebrations in the Venezuelan Region, where two members of the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have marked milestone steps on their missionary journeys.

 

Read the Summer 2022 edition of the MSC Message
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“He is Risen!” Easter celebrations in Metuge, Mozambique

Our MSC community in Mozambique have shared wonderful photographs from their ceremonies and celebrations throughout Holy Week and Easter, when local families joined in prayer across the parish of Metuge in the Pemba region.

Fr José Eduardo Paixão led the celebrations, including:

Palm Sunday processions across the parish of St Anthony of Metuge and the community of Santa Terezinha.

Holy Thursday Mass and the ceremony of the washing of the feet.

The celebration of the Lord’s Passion.

The Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday.

A joyous celebration of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Our MSC Mozambique mission recently marked its fourth anniversary; it was in March 2018 that two MSCs from the São Paulo Province, Fr Angelo and Fr Eduardo, arrived in Pemba to establish the mission in what is a very poor part of Mozambique, with little to no church infrastructure or active pastoral ministry. Since then, the community has gone from strength to strength, growing together in faith and prayer even in the face of what often seemed like insurmountable challenges. Our MSCs were on hand when two cyclones ripped through Pemba, one after another, just a year after the mission began; with the support of our provinces around the world, the helped local families to rebuild homes, livelihoods, and lives, and today, they continue in their shared journey to make the love of the Sacred Heart known and felt across the district of Pemba.

With Easter blessings and warmest wishes to our MSCs and the communities they serve on our Mozambique mission!

Images by Abudo Manara via the MSC Mozambique Facebook page.
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A prayerful Ash Wednesday in Metuge, Mozambique

The beginning of Lent was cause for great prayer and occasion in Metuge, Mozambique, where our MSCs celebrated with communities of the St Anthony of Metuge parish, in the Sede, São Paulo, Santa Terezinha, and São Tiago regions.

Masses and prayers took place across the parish – with unexpected challenges arising along the way, in the midst of the rainy season. Our MSCs encountered two separate incidents of trucks stuck in the river as they travelled to and from one of the Santa Terezinha communities, one on the way there and one on the return journey. They were able to help in the recovery of the first, but the muddy riverbed and powerful waters won the battle on the second. “This is how it is,” reads a post on the MSC Mozambique Facebook page. “This is our mission in this rainy season.”

The MSC Mozambique Facebook page also shared pictures of Mass in the region of São Tiago, where the community is made up almost entirely of people who have been displaced by war, violence, and unrest. In the face of such troubles, and now more than ever in such tumultuous times around our world, our faith is a refuge and a comfort, and these Masses marking the beginning of the Lenten season were very special occasions of hope and unity for all involved.

Now in its fourth year, the MSC Mozambique mission has celebrated with local communities in times of joy, and has walked with them and helped them rebuild in the wake of natural disasters. Please keep our MSC community and the families they serve in Mozambique in your prayers this Lenten season.

Images via the MSC Mozambique Facebook page.

PLEASE HELP US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN MOZAMBIQUE

Together in prayer in Mozambique

In early February, MSCs on our Mozambique mission celebrated Mass with the community of St Augustine, in the parish of Saint Anthony in Metuge.

As there is no church in the area, Masses and prayers were celebrated by our MSCs in families’ homes, with a great spirit of unity and togetherness. God’s love is a hugely compelling factor for these families and communities, and they celebrate their faith in any and every way possible, given the lack of facilities in the region.

Just a few weeks earlier, the community in Metuge had a wonderful day in the celebration of several sacraments, including confessions, baptisms, First Holy Communions, and marriages. Once again, all of these events took place outdoors in the shade of the trees, with an enormous sense of unity and community.

Now in its fourth year, the MSC Mozambique mission has celebrated with local communities in times of joy, and has walked with them and helped them rebuild in the wake of natural disasters. Our MSC missionaries continue to make the love of the Sacred Heart known in this area of real need; please keep our MSC missionaries and people they serve in your prayers.

Images via the MSC Mozambique Facebook page.
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Celebrating the sacraments: A joyful day in Metuge, Mozambique

The end of January marked a day of momentous celebration in Metuge, in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.

On Sunday, January 23^rd, MSCs in Metuge presided over a host of celebrations in the community of São Mateus of the Parish of Santo Antônio de Metuge, including confessions, baptisms, First Holy Communions, and the marriages of two couples.

A day of true unity and community, the spirit of celebration was a joy to behold for all involved.

 

The Mozambique mission began in March 2018, with MSCs from Brazil ministering in the Pemba diocese – an area of extreme poverty and hardship, where up until that point, local families had no access to church infrastructure or pastoral ministry.

Our MSCs have been tireless in their work to bring about positive changes for local communities, in spite of a number of serious challenges, including the impact of two devastating cyclones which took place just six weeks apart, a year and a half after the mission began.

MSC missionaries had already been working to rebuild struggling communities in the area before the cyclones hit, and in the wake of these disasters, they continued to help those who had lost friends and family members in the disasters, as well as over 21,000 people who had been left homeless.

Our MSC missionaries have been helping local families to rebuild their lives and livelihoods over the past four years, continuing in their mission to share the message of God’s love in this area of real need. The strength, resilience, and spirit demonstrated by local communities is an inspiration to behold, and days such as these provide much-needed encouragement and motivation to all involved in the mission. This wonderful day of celebration in Metuge has been a great success for the local community; with blessings and good wishes to our MSC brothers and all who took part!

Images via the MSC Mozambique Facebook page.

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Praying together: 2019 Pastoral Assembly in Mozambique

At the end of October, the 2019 pastoral assembly took place over a period of three days in the missionary area of Melquibi, Mozambique.

Over 70 people from the surrounding regions joined in the assembly, celebrating the work that has been done and the progress that has been made over the past year, along with discussion and reflection on the year to come.

This year’s theme was “Being the Church, Being People of God”, a wonderful celebration of faith and unity in the Lord’s love, with a specific focus on how our MSC missionary work can continue to make positive change in the region in 2020.

As the MSC Mission in Mozambique began just a year and a half ago, in March 2018, it is especially rewarding to see the great sense of community that is already evident between local areas. The mission has been faced with some extremely challenging setbacks, namely the devastation caused by the two cyclones that hit in the space of six weeks earlier this year, but this has not deterred our Mozambique family of faith – indeed, their strength, resilience, and faith been truly inspirational in the face of destruction and despair.

We send our congratulations and blessings to the MSC Mozambique Mission on a successful 2019 assembly, and we wish them a positive, prayerful, and productive year ahead.

Images via the MSC Mozambique Facebook page.

A “revolution of tenderness” for Our Lady of Fatima de Meluco, Mozambique

At the end of September, our MSC mission in Mozambique had their first youth meeting in the community of Our Lady of Fatima de Meluco, bringing together young people from the region in a celebration of faith and unity.

Together, the youths and their leaders prayed that they will be able to work successfully as a group to bring about a “revolution of tenderness” in the community, focusing on the importance of acceptance, understanding, and the sharing the message of the love of the Lord in the region.

The group met again in early October, and were joined on this occasion by the co-ordinator of pastoral work for the youth of the region of Pemba. Once again, the meeting was a great success and was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

“With the grace of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit, we continue to walk with the youth of the community of Our Lady of Fatima de Meluco,” posted the MSC Mozambique Facebook page. “May this group be the builder of bridges and not walls.”

With continued blessings to all involved on our Mozambique mission, particularly the newly formed youth group in the community of Our Lady of Fatima de Meluco.

Images via the MSC Mozambique Facebook page.

Celebrating the Feast of St Matthew with a day of baptism on our Mozambique mission

This year, our MSC mission in Mozambique marked the Feast of St Matthew with a wonderful day of baptisms in the community of Ravia.

On September 21^st, the people of Ravia and beyond joined together to mark St Matthew’s feast day. It was a joyous day indeed, as 80% of the members of the community who had not already been baptised celebrated the sacrament together.

“It was a great celebration,” the MSC Mozambique Facebook page posted on the day. “Now, the faithful people of Ravia have been baptised.”

The Mozambique mission began in March 2018, with MSCs from Brazil ministering in the Pemba diocese – an area of extreme poverty and hardship, where up until that point, local families had no access to church infrastructure or pastoral ministry.

Despite challenging setbacks, our MSCs have been tireless in their work to bring about positive changes for local communities – the most pressing being the two cyclones that hit north-eastern Mozambique over the space of six weeks earlier this year. Hundreds lost their lives, and over 21,000 people were left homeless by the disasters. Homes, crops, and livestock were destroyed by floods and mudslides, while wells were contaminated, leaving the local drinking water unsafe for consumption, with the threat of cholera and malaria a real danger.

Our MSC missionaries have been helping local families to rebuild their lives following this catastrophe, while also continuing in their mission to share the message of God’s love in this area of real need. The baptism day in Ravia has been a great triumph for the local community and our MSC mission in the region. Blessings and best wishes to all who took part!

Images via the MSC Mozambique Facebook page.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS IN MOZAMBIQUE

The MSC Message: Winter 2019

Welcome to the Winter 2019 edition of the MSC Message!

• Read a special seasonal greeting from Fr Michael O’Connell MSC, Director of the MSC Missions Office.

• Catch up with the latest news from the mission fields, with updates from our ongoing projects in Mozambique, Africa, and Venezuela.

• Find out about this year’s MSC pilgrimage to Fatima.

• MSC Cardinal John Ribat speaks out about climate change and the vital importance of awareness and education.

• Read all about Br Giacomo Gelardi’s missionary journey and the path that led him to a vocation with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.

Read the MSC Message Winter 2019

A “blessed” visit to Mitepo, Mozambique

We were very pleased to see these wonderful photographs from our MSC mission in Mozambique, when the community of Our Lady of Fatima paid a visit to the village of Mitepo at the end of July.

It was especially nice to see so many children and young people join the gathering, where they “animated the celebration” with their joyful presence.

This was a “very meaningful and blessed morning” for our missionary community, said the MSC Mozambique Facebook page. The visit ended with a special lunch – which, in Mitepo, is referred to as “a glass of water”.

The Mozambique mission began almost a year and a half ago, in March 2018, when MSC missionaries from Brazil began ministering in the Pemba diocese. This is an extremely poor part of the country, which was sadly lacking in any church infrastructure and functioning pastoral ministry. Here, our MSC brothers began the construction of a community house from which they could undertake their ministry and parish outreach, and they immediately began working to bring positive change to the district.

Just a year after the mission began, in March and April 2019, two cyclones hit north-eastern Mozambique over the space of six weeks, killing hundreds and rendering over 21,000 people homeless. Floods and mudslides destroyed homes, crops, and livestock, with no means of recovery. Many houses in the area were built of mud, bamboo, and wood, and so they didn’t stand a chance against the tremendous force of nature that struck them. “We have lost everything,” said one survivor. “Our house and most of our belongings were taken by the wind and the waves.”

MSC missionaries had already been working to rebuild struggling communities in the area before the cyclones hit, and in the wake of these disasters, they have been continuing to help devastated families to restore the shattered pieces of their lives.

We are sending every blessing to our MSC brothers and the communities they serve in Mozambique, from all in the Irish Province.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS IN MOZAMBIQUE

The first MSC community retreat takes place on the Mozambique mission

In July, the MSC community in Mozambique celebrated their first retreat together, with the community of Our Lady of Fatima in Meluco.

The Mozambique mission began in March 2018, when MSC missionaries from Brazil began ministering in the Pemba diocese, an extremely poor part of the country with no church infrastructure or functioning pastoral ministry. Here, they initiated construction of a community house from which they could undertake their ministry and parish outreach, and they immediately began working to bring positive change to the district.

A year after the mission began, in March and April 2019, two cyclones hit north-eastern Mozambique over the space of six weeks, killing hundreds and rendering over 21,000 people homeless. With many houses in the area built of mud, bamboo, and wood, floods and mudslides destroyed homes, crops, and livestock, with no means of recovery. “We have lost everything,” said one survivor. “Our house and most of our belongings were taken by the wind and the waves.”

MSC missionaries had already been working to rebuild struggling communities in the area, and in the wake of these disasters, they have been helping devastated families to restore the shattered pieces of their lives.

July’s retreat was a wonderful opportunity for the MSC community and their parishioners in Meluco and beyond to join together in prayer, reflection, and unity. The MSC Mozambique Facebook page posted about the experience, saying that it was a special “moment to withdraw and pray, deepening our experience of God”.

With blessings and best wishes to our MSC brothers and the communities they serve in Mozambique – may this be the first of many powerful and positive retreats for you all.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS IN MOZAMBIQUE