Jun 14, 2022
“Itâs time to sow seeds in South Sudan. The rains have finally arrived and the whole school is out in the afternoons cultivating. There is a celebratory feel to the whole affair, or at least there would be for me if it wasnât so hot and humid. The students of Loreto Rumbek are utterly undeterred by such trivial matters like working in an environment where you could fry an egg on a stone. No matter the weather, they are out with their jembes (a sort of bent shovel that everyone uses here) and watering cans, tilling, weeding, and tending their crops. In a matter of weeks, land that had previously looked totally dry and lifeless will be green and thriving, with plants growing taller than me. Just this evening on a walk around the campus, a couple of them were sitting in their plot, tired but justifiably proud of their work.
Food insecurity is a constant threat, and many people are just one bad rainy season away from serious malnutrition. The governor of the state has designated Friday as a day for cultivation and has mandated that all public offices are closed to facilitate the work. In the Catholic University where I am now working in the afternoons, lecturers will take advantage of the three-week break in between semesters to go back to their villages to farm their land. Farming here is more than a serious business; it is a way of life.”
“[We are sowing] a seed that will flourish in a future yet to come. That will be a harvest worth waiting for.”
“This time of year is the most challenging. By now, many families will have used their last food stores and it is a delicate balancing act deciding how long to wait before harvesting. The longer they wait, the greater the amount of food grown, but sometimes time is a luxury that families cannot afford. It is a situation that is very much part of the Irish story. While we are now a prosperous, developed country, with a thriving, modern agricultural sector, we have inherited memories of what it was like not to have enough to eat and to be forced to leave our country or starve. They are so powerful that they continue to shape our identity even today.
It’s not all work though in Loreto. Three afternoons a week, the students have sports, and they approach them with their typical boundless enthusiasm. By the time I venture out around 5:00pm, the temperature has dropped to a more reasonable 36C. While I wouldnât manage five minutes (a wildly optimistic estimate) running up and down the pitch, the girls have already been busy for an hour playing volleyball, basketball, and soccer. We are in the process of setting up netball and already there is a growing list of names who want to sign up.
One of the first albums I ever bought myself was by a Cork band called The Sultans of Ping FC. Aside from having an off-beat, energetic sound, they espoused a philosophy of world peace through football. Thatâs a lesson weâre happy to practice here. Sports are about more than exercise and fun. They teach our young people the value of fair play, teamwork, and determination. Our school has adopted a policy for many years of including people from different ethnic groups to help promote unity and peace. A game of volleyball with students from all around South Sudan may not seem like much in the grander scheme of things, but it sows a seed that will flourish in a future yet to come. That will be a harvest worth waiting for.”
Ben Nhialic areer kek a yin,
Fr Alan
Read more from Fr Alan’s missionary journey in South Sudan:
PLEASE HELP US TO TRANSFORM LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
Jun 9, 2022
Sincere thanks to all who took part in our recent fundraising event for the children of the Holy Family Care Centre, a care facility run by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, with the support of the MSC, in Ofcolaco, South Africa. The fundraising event took place at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork, across the last weekend of May, and raised a running total of âŹ5,200 for the Holy Family community, with donations still coming in.
The plant and cake sale took place during the weekend Masses, where local treats such as home-made brown bread and fresh free-range eggs were also on sale. Teas and coffees were available for all to enjoy while they browsed, while John and Richie kept the atmosphere light and lively with marvellous music on the accordion and mandolin.
A group of five alpacas took a star turn over the weekend, as Pat and Nora Casey from Macroom were kind enough to bring them along to take part in our fundraiser. âA few of alpacas were due a grooming session,â reported Fr John Fitzgerald, our MSC Missions Office Director. âLuckily, Fr John Finn was at hand with his farming skills to shape their fringes and add to their overall good looks.â
Founded in 2002, the Holy Family Care Centre in South Africa has been run by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart with the support of the MSC for 20 years, under the leadership of Sr Sally Duigan FDNSC. The Holy Family Care Centre is an invaluable facility for young children who are very ill and who, in many cases, have been orphaned or abandoned. These children are primarily HIV positive and are in need of specialised care. With the resources to accommodate 70 children, the Centreâs facilities are stretched to full capacity and beyond on a daily basis; Sr Sally admits that the team at the Centre does its best never to turn a child away, and the Sisters there sometimes find themselves with 80 children in their care.
âThe reasons for admission to the Holy Family Centre vary, but many children have been abandoned, sexually abused, physically abused, orphaned, or made vulnerable because of HIV/AIDS,â says Sr Sally. âSome come from horrific backgrounds and arrive here very ill, malnourished, frightened, lacking social skills, and generally very bewildered.â
The Holy Family Care Centre is, above all, a place of family, unity, and love. âWe love these children unconditionally,â says Sr Sally. âIt doesnât take long for them to feel at home and to change once they feel loved and cared for.â
    
A sanctuary for children in need, the team at the Holy Family Care Centre care for the children on a 24/7 basis, and the Centre feels more like a home to one big happy family. The availability of funding is an ongoing concern, as the Centre relies on donations and the generosity of MSC mission friends and the local community for the upkeep of buildings and equipment, and to be able to continue doing the work that they do â â[giving] our children love, security, and care, in the hope they will thrive,â in the words of Sr Sally.
âSince our parishioners here in Cork cannot visit Holy Family, or help them directly, the plant and cake sale is a wonderful way of supporting Sr Sally and her team in keeping the Centre going, without having to worry about the immediate future,â said Fr John. âIn addition, it was great fun for all involved!â
    
IF YOU CAN, PLEASE SUPPORT THE HOLY FAMILY COMMUNITY
Mar 10, 2022
“It has been a busy week. There are rarely quiet weeks in Loreto, but this last one has certainly kept us all on our toes. Thankfully it has all been positive, and in light of the challenges we see on the news now, we are especially grateful.
Last Monday the Irish Ambassador to Ethiopia, Djibouti and South Sudan, Nicola Brennan, visited the school with a member of her team. Their arrival meant a 50% increase in the number of Irish people in Lakes State. It was only for a day, but in that short time they saw all of the exciting ministry that Irish missionaries are involved in, including the schools, the Primary Health Care Clinic, the Catholic University, outreach to people living with leprosy, and the local parish run by the Spiritans. It is the same anywhere around the world. The Irish are a small group, but we punch well above our weight.
Ash Wednesday brought not just the beginning of the Lenten season, but also the news we had been waiting nearly a year for, the date for the consecration of Bishop-elect Christian Carlassare. Fr. Christian was shot several times last April in a home invasion in the Holy Family Cathedral. After a period of convalescence, he is ready to return and will be consecrated on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25th.
With just over three weeksâ preparation time, everyone has leapt into action. We are expecting anywhere between 5,000 and 7,000 people to attend from all over the Diocese and South Sudan. Some will even come from as far away as Italy, the Bishop-electâs home country. It will be a wonderful, grace-filled, joyous, prayerful, and chaotic day. His return will mark a new chapter for the Church here that will seek to address the desire for vision, reconciliation, and evangelisation.
“The challenges we face are formidable.”
Last, but by no means least, on Friday we had the graduation of our Senior 4 students. They will soon finish in Loreto altogether and sit their final national exams. Many hope to go on to university and study law, teaching, journalism, healthcare, business, IT, and a host of other subjects.
On the day the students were joined by 1,000 family members and friends who celebrated the day with them. While this ceremony is similar to many taking place around the world about now, here it is remarkable. These young women have had to fight against almost insurmountable odds to stay in school. When they began four years ago in Senior 1, there were ninety of them. This yearâs graduating class was comprised of fifty-two students. Many were taken out of school for forced early marriage, and, despite the very best efforts of the team here, did not return. It is important to note that when it comes to retention of students and completion of studies Loreto ranks among the very best in the country, but the challenges we face are formidable.
During their graduation, the girls spoke of their own hopes and dreams for the future. Their time in Loreto has helped them to reach a standard that will give them a say in their future that many young women here will be denied. After the Graduation Mass, the morning programme of speeches was interspersed with cultural dances and songs. Parentsâ representatives spoke of their pride in their daughters and their belief that these will be the future economic, social, and political leaders of South Sudan. The day was also a good opportunity to showcase the work of the school with the visiting political dignitaries and bring them on board with the work we do.
Now that the week is over, another one has begun and it looks to be exciting as well. Please keep our preparations for the Bishop-electâs consecration in your prayers. Iâll keep you updated on the coming and going. Thank you for all the support that you have given to our ministry here. During the week the MSC Missions Office transferred money that was given for our work in South Sudan. It is just enough to complete a new project for a toilet block, replacing outdated pit latrines. Little by little we are improving every day.
Ben Nhialic areer kek a yin,
Fr Alan
P.S. Almost forgot. We also got news that Pope Francis is coming to South Sudan in July. We are already planning our walking pilgrimage to meet him in Juba. Itâs only 427km!”
Read more from Fr Alan’s missionary journey in South Sudan:
PLEASE HELP US TO TRANSFORM LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
Feb 11, 2022
It is an Irish truism that if you dig a good ditch, you donât get time off, you get a bigger shovel. Apparently this is not just Irish wisdom, but South Sudanese as well. In addition to the work in Loreto College, I have been drafted by the Diocese of Rumbek to help run the local Catholic University. At this point of life youâd imagine Iâd have learned to keep my head down.
It may sound a grand affair, but it is certainly a lot more simple than youâd imagine. We have a roof, but no ceiling; windows, but no glass; and floor with no tiles. The less said about the two pit toilets that serve the campus the better. Just today we had the cleaner in to take care of the bat infestation in the library, that also serves as the office. Having droppings continually fall on the desk during an academic meeting is distracting to say the least.
“Group photo from the My First Mass at the University showing the library with all the bats right behind!”
Initially I took on the role with the expectation that it would be a short term appointment. In fact, early on there was even a discussion around closing the University altogether. Still, it is one thing to consider in a meeting room, surrounded by pages of accounts, and entirely another to act out once you have met our students.
At the moment we have a sum total of 59 women and men studying either business administration or teaching with a focus on English literature.They are almost all from Rumbek, with only a couple from further afield. Some have come straight from school, while others are looking for new opportunities later in life. All are committed and enthusiastic about their third level studies. It is something to see really.
It takes a lot of energy to get worked up about a computer class, without computers, but with a drawing of a Windows home page on a blackboard.
This was one of the first classes I visited when I began. Since that experience of âtheoretical computingâ we have been able to set up a relationship with a Jesuit community not so far away that runs a computer course â with actual computers!
We are also seeing an exciting new development. In traditional culture here, once a woman has her first baby she leaves formal education to focus full time on child rearing and subsistence farming. However, so far I have met a number of young mothers who are coming back to study, with their new born under their arm. It is unprecedented and we are looking at ways of supporting them and their young families. I mentioned the idea of a creche, but so far Iâve been met with looks of incomprehension. Honestly, if it wasnât for the initiative of a particularly creative Donegal MSC setting up a parent and toddler group in one of my old parishes I wouldnât have a clue either. Weâre working on it. Watch this space.
“My first Mass at the University.”
For me the main reason the University is so important is that we are the newest country in the world and we really need to develop the local economy. It has to be stimulated by well trained, committed teachers and hardworking, innovative business people. Charity is excellent for crisis situations. Itâs an act of solidarity and compassion for someone you will never meet, but who you are ready to call brother or sister. However, charity is not a long term strategy and instead we need to increasingly invest in people on the ground to effect their own change, not just raising up themselves and their families, but entire communities as well.
The motto our small University is, The Truth Shall Set You Free. Our faith underlies everything we do here. Religious sisters, brothers, and priests are among the best educated in the area and they are working as lecturers in ethics, management, business, and education. We have great local educationalists who are taking the lead too. I spoke with one them today, as we were cleaning up the last of the bat droppings from the top of my desk, that in five years weâll look back and have a good laugh at everything we went through to become a real third level college. In the meantime there is a lot of work to do. Iâd better get my shovel.
Bi Nhialic arrer kek yin,
Fr Alan
Read more from Fr Alan’s missionary journey in South Sudan:
PLEASE HELP US TO TRANSFORM LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
Jan 27, 2022
The Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH) are a vital part of our Sacred Heart Family,
working all over the world, often in partnership with MSCs, under our shared motto:
âMay the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved.â
OLSH MINISTRY IN BRAZIL
There are currently 30 Sisters living in a house for aging members of the OLSH community in Vila Formosa, SĂŁo Paulo. Several of these Sisters need special care, and Sisters in Vila Formosa are raising funds to purchase 3 bath chairs, 2 hospital beds, 2 hospital chairs, a digital pressure device, and 10 sets of linen for the hospital beds.
âŹ2,600 will provide enormous comfort for aging OLSH Sisters who are in ill health.
OLSH Sisters in Alfenas run a second-hand clothing shop, where money raised from sales is used to buy food supplies for poor families in the area.
Every month, OLSH Sisters in Alfenas distribute 65 food parcels to families in real need. The Sisters are currently renovating the shop to make it more practical and attractive, for the dual purposes of encouraging donations, and also to make the shopping experience a more pleasant one for those in need, who go to this shop to cater for their own needs.
The Sisters need âŹ2,000 to continue the necessary renovations,
and âŹ400 for washing powder to launder the clothes for resale.
OLSH Sisters in Marahao are asking for your help in buying essential liturgical items for Mass, such as missals, chalices, and lectionaries, for several of the 18 mission stations they cover in remote locations across northern Brazil.
âŹ2,300 will provide liturgical items for families in remote communities
to continue to celebrate Mass together.
The Daughters of the Lady of the Sacred Heart in SĂŁo Paulo run a social centre which facilitates a number of workshops, including English lessons, yoga, and crafts for the aged. In addition, the elderly are taught how to comfortably use computers and smartphones.
The centre is currently using 15 old computers, 12 of which are in serious need of repair. The Sisters are working to raise funds to bring their computers back to working order, and continue to provide a comfortable, pleasant space for local people to learn valuable skills and share friendships.
âŹ7,500 will repair the computers, allowing the Sisters to continue
to provide a space for people to meet, to learn, and to share.
HEALTH CARE IN MAKA KAHONE, SENEGAL
The OLSH Sisters in Maka Kahone, Senegal, run a health centre named for MSC founder Fr Jules Chevalier. Caring for the medical needs of families and vulnerable individuals who are living in conditions of severe poverty and hardship, the Sisters experience serious and concerning issues with security. The threat of violence and theft is an extremely worrying one, and the OLSH Sisters in Maka Kahone are appealing for funds to erect a security fence at the medical centre, along with metal grilles on the windows.
âŹ9,200 will give the Sisters the opportunity to minister to their patients safely,
providing patients with peace of mind to recover.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR OLSH SISTERS IN THEIR GLOBAL OUTREACH
EMPOWERING YOUTHS IN INDONESIA
OLSH Sisters in Indonesia are appealing for help in running an Empowerment and Basic Leadership Training Youth Programme in Central Java.
The programme will provide leadership training for young people, giving the youths involved a wonderful skill set to use as they embark into the world of work, along with the confidence to implement it.
âŹ4,000 will pay for four retreats, an LCD projector, a guitar, a keyboard,
20 floor mats, and a projector screen.
OLSH OUTREACH IN AFRICA
OLSH Sisters in Burkina Faso are responsible for the running of the Jules Chevalier School in the town of Zagtouli, where 198 students currently attend the pre-school, and 321 students are enrolled in the primary school.
Over 500 children are provided with one main meal and two nutritious snacks every day – a lifeline to children coming from backgrounds where poverty is rife and diet is poor, who are in real need of sustenance and good nutrition.
The OLSH community in Burkina Faso are working to raise
âŹ19,465 to install a solar energy system in the school,
and to renovate a large area of the school to create a safe learning area for students.
The Bakhita Village Outreach Project is run by OLSH Sisters in Dwars River. This programme allows for OLSH Sisters to visit vulnerable girls in their villages twice weekly, ensuring their safety and healthy development, teaching basic life skills, and keeping up with their educational progress, including school attendance, homework, and general behaviour. The carers also deliver food parcels, toiletries, and clothing.
The Bakhita Village Sisters need âŹ10,000 to cover daily costs,
allowing them to continue to support and encourage young girls.
The Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart has a long-standing friendship with the Holy Family Care Centre in Ofcolaco, a residential home that cares for children up to the age of 18, who suffer with life-threatening illnesses and have often been orphaned or abandoned.
The care centre is home to 75 children, from newborns to teenagers. Sr Sally Duigan, OLSH Regional Leader and community leader at Holy Family, is currently raising funds to help with the daily costs of running the centre.
âŹ10,000 will be allocated to vital health care for seriously ill children, essential educational supplies,
and outreach programmes for children who are being reunited with their families.
The OLSH South Africa Outreach Programme cares for 150 families in Nzhelele, including children living with HIV/AIDS, and families who have suffered bereavements or abandonments, and are run by grandmothers or older children.
The Nzehele Outreach Team are working to raise âŹ10,000 to establish a vegetable garden project,
which will contribute to the nutritional needs of children living with HIV/AIDS,
while teaching valuable skills and promoting self-sufficiency.
RENOVATING A MATERNITY WARD IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
The Jules Chevalier Health Centre was established by the OLSH community in Mbandaka, in Democratic Republic of Congo, 10 years ago, and serves as a maternity clinic for local women in the extended area. Many of the women who use the health centre live across the Congo River, and even making the journey can in itself prove hugely difficult.
Currently, whenever it rains, a significant amount of water gets into the maternity ward at the centre, making conditions extremely uncomfortable and unsanitary for women in varying stages of pre- and post-natal care.
Renovations to stop the leaks will cost a total of âŹ9,887.
Can you help?
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR OLSH SISTERS IN THEIR GLOBAL OUTREACH
