A season of compassion: MSC Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 2022
Sincere thanks to all who participated in our 2022 Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, which took place from Tuesday, August 31st to Wednesday, September 8th at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork.
It is with great delight that we were able to welcome friends and parishioners back to the Sacred Heart Church for this year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, after such a prolonged period of private prayer due to COVID-19 restrictions. In addition, almost 7,500 people joined us in prayer via our live stream over the course of the nine days, from all over the world, reminding us once again of the remarkable spirit of our extended Sacred Heart family, at home and across the globe. This is always a special time of year to put aside for prayer before the late Autumn and Winter seasons come upon us, and it was with grateful hearts that we celebrated the much-beloved and sacred tradition of prayer to our Blessed Mother.
The theme of our 2022 Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was “Mary, Mother of Compassion,” and Masses were celebrated by several of our MSC priests and brothers over the nine days.
Fr John Finn opened the Novena, welcoming those present in person and via our live stream, and starting us off with a simple thought: “We begin simply by inviting Jesus to touch our hearts and our lives. We ask Mary to lead us to the heart of forgiveness, the healing love and compassion of Jesus her son.”
Having reflected on the meaning of compassion during our first Novena Masses, Br Giacomo Gelardi returned with a second sermon on Day Two, reminding us that, “We need to return to the simplicity and enthusiasm, to the beauty of realising that we are instruments of the spirit.” In essence, “Let your heart beat in harmony with God’s heart,” he told us.
Day Three saw Fr Tom Mulcahy sharing the powerful message that “God is forgiveness – it isn’t that God gives forgiveness, God is forgiveness, God is compassion, God is mercy.” Following this, Day Four saw Fr Seamus Kelly pray for us all to listen to God’s signs to us as we bring his love to others, and “for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit on each and every one of us, that we too can bring the love of Christ to people throughout the world.”
On the fifth day of our Novena, Fr John Finn returned with a homily on faith, and the importance of our attitude towards our daily lives – whether we live, or simply endure. “Each day you have, each moment you live, is God’s gift, it is given to us as a gift, as something to be lived, not as a torture to be endured,” he reminded us. “Faith calls us to life. Faith calls us that when moments hit us and pierce our soul, we too would have that trust, that no matter what happens, God is present, God is there.”
Fr John Fitzgerald celebrated Mass on Day Six, with a reflection on Mary and Suffering, reminding us of the fact that Mary was human too, and “that is how we connect with her, on these days of suffering, the days when we need her”. Drawing from the theme of suffering the light of hope, Fr John prayed “that we might have patience, that we might be courageous as well, and that we might hold hope in our hearts.”
Fr John returned on Day Seven of the Novena, a special day of healing. “Our prayer today is for healing in our bodies, for healing today, physical and emotional and spiritual,” he said, along with praying for the healing power of acceptance of those things that we may not be able to change. Together, we prayed for all who are sick, suffering or in pain, for those who are healing from a broken heart in any form, for those healing through learning to walk with their past, for those suffering with anxiety, darkness or depression, addiction, and mental health issues, and for those learning to accept sickness and heal in a recovery of the soul. Fr John finished for a prayer for healers everywhere, giving thanks for the “magnificent people who are carers and healers in our world”.
Fr Joe McGee journeyed from Dublin to celebrate the final two days of the Novena, bringing a blessed nine days of prayer to a beautiful close. “My wish for all of us at the end of the Novena, for all of us here and those joining us online, that in some way this Novena will bring us closer to Mary, who brings us closer to the Lord, who helps us to ponder the mysteries of our lives,” he said.
At the closing Masses, parish priest Fr Tom Mulcahy paused to thank everyone who contributed to making this year’s Novena such a special one, particularly as it is the last Novena that he will prepare as parish priest of the Sacred Heart parish. Giving sincere thanks to everybody involved in the preparation and the celebrations, Fr Tom also prayed in gratitude for all who took part in this year’s Novena Masses, in the Sacred Heart Church and on our webcam streaming service. “We thank God for your presence,” he said. “I hope it has been a blessing for you as it has been for us.”
“May God bless you, and all your prayers that you have placed in the hands of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart; she is the hope of the hopeless,” Fr Tom continued.
“The Lord knows how to work, and the mother of the Lord is always with us. God bless you all.”
Year upon year, the MSC Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart offers great solace and comfort to all who take part, as we bring our prayers and personal intentions before our Holy Mother. Once again, we send our heartfelt thanks to everyone who took part in what was a truly blessed occasion this year, and for your ongoing friendship and support. God bless you all.
Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 2022
Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 2022
Our annual Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is a beautiful time of reflection and thanksgiving, when we bring our prayers and petitions before Our Lady.
Our Novena of Masses runs for nine days and will take place from Wednesday, August 31st to Thursday, September 8th.
All are welcome to join in this year’s Novena Masses, which will take place daily at 10.00am and 7.30pm at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork. Daily Novena Masses will also be available to watch live from the Sacred Heart Church, as we welcome those who cannot be with us in person.
The Sacred Heart Parish welcomes each and every one of our mission friends and parishioners, from near and far, to pray with us during this year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
Be part of this year’s Novena to the Sacred Heart
At this special time of year, you can help us to help others by supporting our ongoing mission projects, and in gratitude for your contribution, we will be glad to remember your intentions at our daily Novena Masses. You can then submit your personal prayers and intentions online, and our MSC priests will remember your petitions specially throughout the course of the Novena.
The theme of year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart will be “Mary, Mother of Compassion”, and it will be celebrated several of our MSC priests and brothers over the nine days.
Each year, the Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart offers great solace and comfort to all who take part, as we bring our prayers and personal intentions before our Holy Mother. As we emerge from the immediate difficulties of the past two and a half years, and continue to navigate the ongoing challenges of our troubled world, we come together in the spirit of hope, reflection, and thanksgiving at this sacred time. All are very welcome to join us, in person and online, for our Novena Masses as we come together to reflect and give thanks in the grace and love of Our Lady.
OLSH Novena at the Sacred Heart Church, Western Road, Cork
Daily Novena Masses:
10.00am & 7.30pm
Wednesday, August 31st
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr John Finn MSC & Bro Giacomo Gelardi MSC
Thursday, September 1st
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr Tom Mulcahy MSC & Bro Giacomo Gelardi MSC
Friday, September 2nd
Day of Reconciliation
Penitential Services celebrated by
Fr Tom Mulcahy MSC
Saturday, September 3rd
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr Seamus Kelly MSC
Sunday, September 4th
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr John Finn MSC
Monday, September 5th
Reflection on Mary & Suffering
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr John Fitzgerald MSC
Tuesday, September 6th
Day of Healing
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr John Fitzgerald MSC
Wednesday, September 7th
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr Joe McGee MSC
Thursday, September 8th
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr Joe McGee MSC
Dates to Note
- Day of Reconciliation: Friday, September 2nd
- Reflection on Mary & Suffering: Monday, September 5th
- Day of Healing: Tuesday, September 6th
For those who cannot be with us in person, you are very welcome to join us for our daily online Novena Masses on our live stream, united in spirit as we pray together as a great family of faith.
We welcome each and every one of you to this year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
We hope and pray that these nine days of prayer will be a grace-filled and blessed time for all of us.
TAKE PART IN OUR 2022 OLSH NOVENA
“We dare to hope”: Celebrating Easter 2022
It is with grateful hearts that we thank all who joined us in prayer throughout the glorious Easter season this year – a triumphant celebration of the Resurrection that was all the more beautiful for seeing friends and parishioners in person at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork, after all of the lockdowns and restrictions of the past two years.
Over the course of Holy Week and Easter, over 6,000 people prayed with us via our live stream, from here at home in Ireland and the UK, to far-flung corners of the globe including Malaysia, Mauritius, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago – and everywhere in between! On Easter Sunday alone, over 1,300 people tuned into our live stream to join in with our Easter celebrations, beginning with our Easter Dawn Mass at 6.00am.
Our Easter Garden took pride of place in the Sacred Heart Church once again this year, with our sincere gratitude to all who took such care in its construction and maintenance. Our Family Tree of Life Book, a lovely Easter tradition that celebrates the joy and value of family at this special time of year, was positioned on the altar as our MSCs pray for all those enrolled throughout the Easter season.
On Easter Sunday morning, MSC Missions Office Director Fr John Fitzgerald celebrated our annual Easter Dawn Mass, reflecting, “There is something there that seems to stretching us, to imagine that from this winter and from this darkness, something is coming, something is coming forth. There is a stretch. There is a stretch in the evenings, the grasses are stretching, and the catkins on the trees are stretching, the lambs in the field are stretching… There is an awakening, a pushing of a boundary, and we are asked to respond.”
“We need this time of the year”, Fr John continued. “We need this time of the calendar year and the liturgical year to survive, where we plant new seeds, where we plant new crops, and we move from the darkness and the harshness, and we take a chance getting up in the morning, knowing that even with the cloud, the sun will rise.”
In celebration of the Resurrection, the theme of hope and light sprang forth on Easter Sunday morning – a theme that resonates with each one of us, as we continue to navigate a global landscape of war, violence, political unrest, and the ongoing pandemic. “We are a people of hope,” said Fr John. “We are a people who must hope a lot, and we dare to hope… It seems like a dangerous world, and yet we dare to come here today to celebrate hope and encouragement.”
It is with this hope singing in our hearts that we welcome the light, the stretch, and the brighter days of spring and summer to come, with every grace and blessing of the Sacred Heart to our mission friends everywhere, this Easter season and throughout the year ahead.
Click here to watch a recording of our 2022 Easter Dawn Mass.
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A virtual celebration: The 2021 MSC Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Heartfelt thanks to all who participated in our 2021 Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, which took place from Tuesday, August 31st to Wednesday, September 8th at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork.
While this year’s Novena once again took place behind closed doors due to COVID-19 restrictions, it was nonetheless a truly blessed celebration of a much-loved annual tradition. It is of course difficult to navigate a new way of living, and in this case, a new way of praying, but the fact that we could not come together in person did not take from the wonderful sense of community and connection that comes with being part of our great family of faith. Over 9,300 people joined us in prayer via our live stream over the course of the nine days, reminding us of the tremendous spirit of our extended Sacred Heart family, at home and across the world.
The theme of our 2021 Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was “Hope of the Hopeless”, and Fr Paul Clayton-Lea was the lead celebrant this year.
Fr Paul is a priest of the Archdiocese of Armagh, who has enjoyed a wide and varied ministry to date and is currently the priest in residence in the parish of Termonfeckin, Co. Louth. Having studied Education and Family Ministry at Fordham University in New York in 1988, he also ministered in the Riverdale area of the Bronx at the time, and has since served as a teacher of politics and religion, a college chaplain at DKIT, a Diocesan Advisor for Religious Education, and a parish priest. Author of In The Light Of The Word: Family Life Through The Lens Of Scripture, which was published by Veritas in 2018, Fr Paul is also about to resume his position as editor of Intercom, the monthly magazine of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference. We were delighted to welcome Fr Paul to the Sacred Heart Church, and we are very grateful for his contribution to this year’s celebrations.
“May Mary and her merciful heart bless all of us.”
Fr Paul provided us with pause for thought in his daily sermons, summing up our great blessings in the closing Mass on the evening of September 8th. “Wouldn’t it be beautiful to be free of the lure of the world?” he asked. “Free from the things that draw us in and suck us in all the time, making us want this and want that and want more. Mary may not offer us all the wealth that we want, all the success that we want, but she will make sure that we do not want.”
“May Mary and her merciful heart bless all of us,” he concluded.
At the closing Mass, Fr Tom Mulcahy MSC spoke on behalf of Fr Michael O’Connell, who had travelled to Dublin on the final day of the Novena to attend the Perpetual Profession of Br Giacomo Gelardi to the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. “Fr Michael asked me to speak to you to thank you for being with us and walking with us,” said Fr Tom. “We’re a tremendous outreach in the world; I remember being at an international conference and one of the Indian brethren said, ‘If it weren’t for the Irish Province of the MSCs, we couldn’t continue’. So, we’re helping so many other people. You’re helping so many other people. You walk with us and pray with us and celebrate with us.”
Once again, we send our sincere thanks to everyone who took part in what was a truly blessed occasion, and for your ongoing friendship and support. God bless you all.
If you would like to watch this year’s Novena Masses,
please click here to view recordings of our 2021 MSC Novena to the Sacred Heart.
Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 2021
Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 2021
Our annual Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is a beautiful time of reflection and thanksgiving, when we bring our prayers and petitions before Our Lady.
Our Novena of Masses runs for nine days and will take place from Tuesday, August 31st to Wednesday, September 8th.
All are welcome to join in the Novena by watching our daily Masses live from the Sacred Heart Church in Cork. These Novena Masses will take place daily at 10.00am and 7.30pm.
Please note that this year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart will be streamed online only, due to ongoing COVID-19 government restrictions.
Be part of this year’s Novena to the Sacred Heart
At this special time of year, you can help us to help others by supporting our ongoing mission projects, and in gratitude for your contribution, we will be glad to remember your intentions at our daily Novena Masses. You can then submit your personal prayers and intentions online, and our MSC priests will remember your petitions specially throughout the course of the Novena.
The theme of year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart will be “Hope of the Hopeless”, and it will be celebrated by Fr Paul Clayton-Lea.
Fr Paul is a priest of the Archdiocese of Armagh, who has enjoyed a wide and varied ministry to date and is currently the priest in residence in the parish of Termonfeckin, Co. Louth. Having studied Education and Family Ministry at Fordham University in New York in 1988, he also ministered in the Riverdale area of the Bronx at the time, and has since served as a teacher of politics and religion, a college chaplain at DKIT, a Diocesan Advisor for Religious Education, and a parish priest. Author of In The Light Of The Word: Family Life Through The Lens Of Scripture, which was published by Veritas in 2018, Fr Paul is also about to resume his position as editor of Intercom, the monthly magazine of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference. We very much look forward to welcoming Fr Paul to the Sacred Heart Church as we celebrate this year’s Novena together.
Each year, the Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart offers great solace and comfort, as we bring our intentions before our Holy Mother. The past year and a half has brought with it enormous challenges, and now, we look to the future with renewed hope; all are very welcome to join us online for our Novena Masses as we come together to reflect and give thanks in the grace and love of Our Lady.
OLSH Novena at the Sacred Heart Church, Western Road, Cork
Daily Novena Masses: 10.00am & 7.30pm
Day of Reconciliation: Friday, September 3rd
Day for the Dead: Monday, September 6th
Day of Healing: Tuesday, September 7th
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: Thursday, September 9th (10.00am – 2.00pm)
All are very welcome to join us for our daily online Novena Masses on our live stream. While we continue to be restricted in our ability to pray together in person, we remain ever united in spirit as part of our great family of faith.
We welcome each and every one of you to this year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
We hope and pray that these nine days of prayer will be a grace-filled and blessed time for all of us.
TAKE PART IN OUR 2021 OLSH NOVENA
Welcome back to the Sacred Heart Church and the MSC Missions Office!
We are delighted to be able to open our doors once again, and welcome old friends and new safely back to the Sacred Heart Church and the MSC Missions Office on the Western Road in Cork.
After a long period of restrictions and closures, it is with great joy that we see the return of familiar faces and greet new acquaintances here on the Western Road.
Last Monday, May 10th, saw a return to worship in the Sacred Heart Church and churches all over the country, while our MSC Missions Office was permitted to re-open a week later, on May 17th. Our first caller was at the door at 9.00am, to collect her Blue Book of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, and Fr Michael and Anne were waiting with a warm welcome!
The Sacred Heart Church remains open for Masses and daily prayer, and the MSC Missions Office is open daily from 9.00am to 4.50pm.
We are also operating as usual online, where you can participate in our daily Masses, or choose from a selection of Mass cards, Mass enrolment books, and special gifts to be delivered straight to your door.
With every blessing and best wishes to shops, businesses, and services who are re-opening across the country. May this be the beginning of a time of new hope for us all. Take care and stay safe as we enjoy venturing out once again!
A Journey with St Patrick ♣
This St. Patrick’s day we will be having a special reflection evening in the Sacred Heart Church on Western Road with Music, Song and Poetry on our Live Stream at 7pm.
Novena to the Sacred Heart 2020
The Novena of the Sacred Heart is a very special time of the the year for us and with our recent challenges and lifestyle changes now is a great time for us to reflect and pray with each other during the Novena this year which is happening from the 11th-19th June (albeit behind closed doors) and finishing with the celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart on the final day. All our MSC’s will be participating in this year’s Novena online and you are more than welcome to join us during by watching our daily Masses live from the Sacred Heart Church in Cork. These Novena Masses will take place daily at 10.00 am and 7.30 pm, with a special Angelus session each day at noon.
SCHEDULE
THURSDAY 11TH JUNE – WELCOME TO THE UNIQUE NOVENA Homilist Fr John Finn MSC
FRIDAY 12TH JUNE – PRAYER BY YOUR FIRESIDE Homilist Fr John Fitzgerald MSC
SATURDAY 13TH JUNE – MARY AS MOTHER AND DISCIPLE Homilist Fr Des Farren MSC
SUNDAY 14TH JUNE – CORPUS CHRISTI/PETITIONS Homilist Fr Michael O’Connell MSC
“Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened” Mt 11:28
“This is my body given up for you. Do this in memory of me” Lk 22:19
MONDAY 15TH JUNE – VOCATION & MISSION Homilist Fr. Alan Neville MSC
TUESDAY 16TH JUNE – FAMILY Homilist Fr. Seamus Kelly MSC
WEDNESDAY 17TH JUNE – REMEMBERING OUR DEAD Homilist Fr. John Fitzgerald MSC
THURSDAY 18TH JUNE – HEALING AND FORGIVENESS Homilist Fr. John Finn MSC
FRIDAY 19TH JUNE – FEAST OF THE SACRED HEARTHomilist Fr. Alan Neville MSC
Be part of this year’s Novena to the Sacred Heart
This year’s pandemic has caused a devastating effect on us all and now more than ever is a good time to support those less fortunate and you can help us to help others by supporting our ongoing mission projects, and in gratitude for your contribution, we will be glad to remember your intentions at our daily Novena Masses. You can also submit your personal prayers and intentions online, and our MSC priests will remember your petitions specially throughout the course of the Novena.
Novena Prayer to the Sacred Heart
O Divine Jesus, who said,
“Ask and you shall receive”,
I kneel at your feet.
From whom shall I ask if not form you,
whose heart is the source of all blessings.
With a lively faith in you,
I come to ask…
Share your petitions silently with the Sacred Heart.
I admit I am the most unworthy of your favours, Jesus,
But this is not a reason for me to be discouraged.
You are the God of mercies and you will not refuse a contrite heart.
Look with pity on me,
I beg you, and your compassionate Heart
will find in my weakness a motive for granting my request.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me.
Amen.
Sacred Heart parishioners fundraising for Venezuela
On Sunday, September 22nd, the parishioners of the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road in Cork came out in great style for a family fun day, to raise funds for our Venezuelan mission. Our MSCs have spent over 50 years working in regions of profound hardship in Venezuela, and today, the population is deep in the worst political, social, economic, and humanitarian crisis ever experienced in the country’s history.
The day began after 10.00am Mass, and was filled to the brim with fun, games, and a sweet treat or two! There were raffles, face-painting, art projects for children, tables selling jewellery, bags, clothes, Delph, lamps, cushions, and homeware, plus enough tea, coffee, and cakes to keep everyone going through the day.
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- Rallying together for the MSC mission in Venezuela at the Sacred Heart Parish fundraising day.
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- Rallying together for the MSC mission in Venezuela at the Sacred Heart Parish fundraising day.
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- Rallying together for the MSC mission in Venezuela at the Sacred Heart Parish fundraising day.
At 2.00pm, there was music and entertainment, and at 7.00pm that evening, participants in a table quiz filled the hall. There were plenty of spot prizes awarded during the evening’s festivities, and everyone involved had a wonderful time.
Fr Vincent Screene MSC is currently back in Ireland from the Venezuelan mission. He came to support the fundraising on the day, and explained to those in attendance just how much of a struggle life is for the people of Venezuela in the grip of the current social and political turmoil.
The fundraising day raised over €8,000 for our Venezuelan mission. This will make an enormous difference to the communities served by our missionaries in the troubled region, and we send our sincere and heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated for their enthusiasm and generosity of time and spirit.
“With the help and support of friends, a lady called Mary Kate made this possible,” said Fr Michael O’Connell MSC, director of the MSC Missions Office on the Western Road. “Special thanks to Mary Kate, our friends, and all the businesses who so kindly donated spot prizes.”
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS IN VENEZUELA
Find out more about our missionary outreach in Venezuela
Read Fr Michael’s diary from his 2019 visit to Venezuela
Celebrating a blessed 2019 Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Our 2019 Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart took place from Saturday, August 31st to Sunday, September 8th, at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork.
A number of MSCs celebrated our daily Novena Masses over the nine-day period, including Fr Michael O’Connell, Fr Tom Mulcahy, and Fr Vincent Screene, who recently returned home to Ireland from the Venezuelan mission.
The Sacred Heart Church was beautifully decorated, with a very special feature this year. A wonderful statue of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart stood on the altar throughout the course of the Novena, which had been carved by the late Fr Jerry O’Riordan MSC, who ministered in South Africa and Indonesia.
It was wonderful to see the familiar faces of old friends return to the Sacred Heart Church every day, and to welcome new acquaintances to our Novena Masses every day. We were also delighted to see over 2,200 people pray with us via the live stream on our website over the nine days of the Novena – a sure sign that our great community of faith is growing all over the world!
The theme of year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was “Mother-Disciple”, with Sr Merle Salazar FDNSC acting as the special guest speaker at each of our daily Masses.
It was with great joy that we welcomed Sr Merle back to the Sacred Heart Church, following her wonderful reception as leader of the Sacred Heart Novena in 2018. With a fascinating history and varied career path to date, Sr Merle is a firm favourite with parishioners in Cork and beyond.
Born, raised, and educated in the Philippines, Sr Merle was a certified public accountant prior to her decision to join religious life with the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in 1995. As a young religious sister, she taught accountancy, did treasury work in a parish school, and coordinated a nutrition program in the remote village of Cebu, located in central Philippines. She also obtained a Masters degree in Religious Studies, and following her final profession, she has ministered in Formation and Leadership. She has also taught Marian Theology and Scripture at three theology schools in Manila, and is currently the First Councillor to the General, residing in Rome.
Sr Merle was welcomed with open arms once again this year, and we thank her, and everybody who contributed to this year’s celebrations, in person or online, for taking part in another successful, prayerful, and blessed Novena.
Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 2019
Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 2019
Our annual Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is a beautiful time of reflection and thanksgiving, when we bring our prayers and petitions before Our Lady.
Our Novena of Masses runs for nine days and will take place from Saturday, August 31st to Sunday, September 8th.
All are welcome to join in the Novena by watching our daily Masses live from the Sacred Heart Church in Cork. These Novena Masses will take place daily at 10.00am and 8.00pm.
Be part of this year’s Novena to the Sacred Heart
At this special time of year, you can help us to help others by supporting our ongoing mission projects, and in gratitude for your contribution, we will be glad to remember your intentions at our daily Novena Masses. You can then submit your personal prayers and intentions online, and our MSC priests will remember your petitions specially throughout the course of the Novena.
The theme of year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart will be “Mother-Disciple”, and it will be led at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork, by Sr Merle Salazar FDNSC.
Sr Merle was born, raised and educated in the Philippines. Prior to her joining religious life with the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in 1995, she was a certified public accountant. As a young religious sister, she taught accountancy, did treasury work in a parish school, and coordinated a nutrition program in the remote village of Cebu, located in central Philippines.
She also obtained a Masters degree in Religious Studies, majoring in Scripture. Following her final profession, she has ministered in Formation and Leadership. She has also taught Marian Theology and Scripture at three theology schools in Manila.
In 2011, at the General Chapter of her congregation, she was elected onto the General Council, and was re-elected at the 2014 Chapter. She is currently the First Councillor to the General and resides in Rome. We are delighted to welcome Sr Merle to Ireland, and especially to pray with us during our Novena at the Sacred Heart Church in Cork.
OLSH Novena at the Sacred Heart Church, Western Road, Cork
Daily Novena Masses: 10.00am & 8.00pm
Sacrament of Reconciliation: Tuesday, September 3rd
Sacrament of Anointing: Thursday, September 5th at 10.00am & 8.00pm
Special Mass of Healing: Thursday, September 5th at 3.00pm
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: Thursday, September 5th at 10.00am – 2.00pm
All are welcome to attend. Tea and coffee will be served in the Sacred Heart Centre following all sessions (except Sunday morning). You are very welcome to come along and relax, meet new friends, and renew old acquaintances.
We welcome each and every one of you to this year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. We hope and pray that these nine days of prayer will be a grace-filled and blessed time for all of us.
TAKE PART IN OUR 2019 OLSH NOVENA
Share some festive cheer with MSC Christmas Mass Bouquet Cards
Remind family, friends, and loved ones that they’re always in your thoughts this Christmas with a beautifully designed Mass card from the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
In an age of email, text, and social media, it’s something special to find a surprise popping through the letterbox, and never more so than at Christmas time. Whether you’re sending festive greetings to friends and family you see every day, or reaching out to loved ones around the world, our Christmas Mass Bouquet cards are a wonderful way to let those you hold dear know that you’re thinking of them at this special time of year.
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- Share some festive cheer with Christmas Mass Bouquet Cards from the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
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- Share some festive cheer with Christmas Mass Bouquet Cards from the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
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- Share some festive cheer with Christmas Mass Bouquet Cards from the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
Each card is designed with care and brought to life with stunning gold highlights and embellishments. Cards can be ordered individually, or in sets of five, with a selection of different designs to choose from. Every card contains a thoughtful blessing and is signed by MSC Missions Office Director Fr Michael O’Connell MSC for inclusion in our annual Christmas Triduum of Masses in December.
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- Share some festive cheer with MSC Christmas Mass Bouquet cards.
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- Share some festive cheer with MSC Christmas Mass Bouquet cards.
Don’t forget, when you choose to send one of our Christmas Mass Bouquet Cards, it is far more than a kind festive gesture. Your support helps us to continue bringing the gift of hope to vulnerable families and communities across the globe, at Christmas and throughout the year. While we celebrate in the warm embrace of home and family this festive season, our MSCs are continuing their work in regions of extreme poverty and hardship, bringing vital aid to people who have nowhere else to turn – and every order we receive makes a real and valuable difference.
The best Christmas gifts can’t be wrapped in a bow – capture the true spirit of Christmas and give the gift of prayer to your loved ones this year.
MSC Christmas Mass Bouquet Cards are available to order online, and from our MSC Missions Office on the Western Road in Cork.
A lovely range of Christmas gifts is also available.