Fr. Alan meets Francis in World Youth Day

Okay, so the title is a little misleading, but the event itself is spectacular! MSC Vocations is over in Rio for World Youth Day 2013. The weather is perfect! We’re right next to Copacabana Beach! Pope Francis is en route! The atmosphere is AMAZING! Over the week you can follow our blog to keep up to date with all that’s happening in Brazil for the largest youth gathering on the planet!

Day 1 Next Stop Rio (more…)

Celtic Volunteer in South Africa

Kevin Murphy is an electrician from Scotland. He arrived in the Holy Family Centre at the beginning of July. In addition to teaching the older teenagers about basic construction skills Kevin will introduce the kids to the wonder of Celtic FC! He’ll also be running football games, organising crafts afternoons, taking part in days out and fixing broken lights. With over seventy children in Holy Family a handyman is always in demand!

 

Kevin writes …

 

My time with the MSCs and in the Holy Family Centre has been an amazing experience so far. The training weekends in the MSC house in Western Road were fantastic and very well organised. Myself and the other volunteers were welcomed with great hospitality and a lot of humour. Both training weekends took in all the rules and regulations, but also had great fun coming up with children’s games, activities and group building exercises for the volunteers to get to know each other. (more…)

Walking the Way – Camino de Santiago

How to describe our first few days on the Camino de Santiago. Well it rained. Then it rained some more and then for good measure it kept on raining. Being from Ireland there’s very little I haven’t seen when it comes to precipitation, but I saw every type possible over those first few days. I felt like Forrest Gump in Vietnam: “One day it started raining, and it didn’t quit for four months. We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin’ rain… and big ol’ fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath. Shoot, it even rained at night…”

However our spirits were undimmed, even if our clothing was more than slightly damp. We had a great group of people on the Way. All told we started with seven, but the Camino, being the Camino that number soon grew. It’s a pilgrimage that seems to attract a certain type of person, who is looking for something, even though they’d struggle to say what it was. There are easier ways to spend a week, but the beauty of the countryside, the camaraderie of the pilgrims and the sense of solitude you carry with you make it an unforgettable journey. (more…)

Vocations Ireland Summer Seminar

Yesterday was all about engagement. It’s more than just a buzz word. It’s about looking at how we as a Church in general and as vocations directors in particular outreach to young people. Sixty vocations directors from a wide variety of religious congregations gathered in the Emmaus Centre in Dublin to share, brainstorm and realise new and exciting ways of making contact with people considering a call to religious life and the priesthood. (more…)

exploreAway with Vocations Ireland

For those who are considering the possibility of a vocation to priesthood or religious life this coming Sunday something special is happening. As part of Vocations Ireland’s exciting new exploreAway programme for 2013 we are holding a taster afternoon for those who want to find out more about exploreAway, with no strings attached. (more…)

Vocations Sunday – A Sign of Hope

What does it mean to be called by God? Many people who consider that they may have a vocation to the priesthood or religious life often feel that they are not good enough. They haven’t had the dramatic moment of conversion or call like Matthew, Peter or Paul had. They think that they must be wrong, because God couldn’t possibly be calling them! Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. (more…)

Pope Francis speaks about WYD 2013 in Rio

It’s getting nearer and the excitement is building! It’s less than four months to WYD 2013 and we’re all getting ready for our trip to Rio. It was hoped that there would be over 3,000,000 people in attendance, but now it’s going to be at least 3,000,001. Pope Francis gave special emphasis to importance of young people in our Church during his recent Palm Sunday homily. He invited young people from all around the world to stand together, celebrate their faith and grow in love. So far Pope Francis has stressed the role of all young people in building up the future of the Church. He clearest message was made, not with words, but with actions, when he washed the feet of some young people in  juvenile detention centre of Casal del Marmo, Rome. This symbolic gesture is a key part of the Holy Thursday celebration, echoing Jesus’ challenge for each of his followers to serve those in need. (more…)

Youth Pilgrimage on the Camino

If you are looking for an altogether different experience this summer you can find yourself on The Way. For the first time we are organising a pilgrimage for young adults between the ages of 18 and 35 to walk along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela or the Way of St. James this June. It’s an outward and inward spiritual journey, where we take the time to walk together, reflect and enjoy an unforgettable experience that continues to draw people from all around the world.

 

Our Camino pilgrimage will take place from the 18th to the 25th of June. We should have people coming from both the UK and Ireland, so the plan is that we’ll meet in Biarritz airport in the afternoon of the 18th. Flights from Dublin and London with Ryanair both arrive around 3:00pm. From there we’ll journey by train to St. Jean Pied de Port where we’ll have dinner together and then start our journey the following morning.

 

On our first day we’ll walk through a wooded pass in the Pyrenees, crossing over from France to Spain. Then we’ll descend into the beautiful Navarra region of Northern Spain. Over the following six days we’ll journey along the ancient route that has been followed by pilgrims for well over a thousand years, as it winds its way through towns, forests, countryside.

 

It’s an opportunity to take time out from a busy world and to walk in a relaxed manner. Each morning as the sun rises we will start with a simple prayer and reflection. Then shouldering our packs we set off for the horizon, meeting people along the way or perhaps walking in solitude, depending on what you feel like at the time. In the evening there’s an opportunity for Mass if you wish and then a meal with a glass of wine as the sun sets.

 

This first week of the Camino will finish in the ancient Roman town of Logroño, capital of the La Rioja region. For those who are planning to continue we’ve arranged the dates of this pilgrimage so that they should reach Santiago in time for the feast of St. James on the 25th of July. We plan to walk the next week of the Camino in the summer of 2014 and continue each year until we arrive at Santiago de Compostella.

 

The cost of the pilgrimage is pretty reasonable. People will arrange their own flights and transfers to Biarritz and back home. Accommodation along the Camino is in Albergues or dedicated pilgrimage hostels. They cost around €10 / £8.50 a night. Then you need to account for food. The towns where we will stay offer pilgrim menus for around €12 / £10 for a simple three course meal. You can pick up other basics during the day in the many small stores along the route. Excluding flights and transfers about €40 / £35 a day should be more than adequate.

 

If you’d like some insight into the Camino check out the film The Way released in 2010, starring Martin Sheen. It gives a good flavour of what you can expect.

 

If you’re considering it and are not sure feel free to email me or give me a call on (075) 26764236 (UK) or (086) 7857955 (Irl). People may be concerned about the level of fitness necessary. You don’t need to super fit, but a moderate level of fitness is desirable. We are planning to meet before the actual in pilgrimage for a walk to get to know one another and help us to get started.

 

It promises to be an incredible experience. Find yourself on The Way.

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World Day for Consecrated Life

In 1997, John Paul II called for consecrated life to be promoted throughout the universal Church. He declared February 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, to be observed as World Day for Consecrated Life (WDCL). The celebration of World Day for Consecrated Life invites all the Church to reflect on the role of Consecrated Life within the Christian community. Those who choose to live a consecrated life do so for the sake of the Gospel.

Some Christian women and men respond to God’s call to become followers of Jesus through profession of vows and a life dedicated to prayer and service. They live out the consecrated life in different ways. Religious sisters, nuns, brothers, religious priests, and monks consecrate their lives through their profession of the evangelical vows and live as part of a community. Single lay people may choose to be consecrated virgins and make private vows to the local bishop as they live out their vocation in various walks of life. Secular institutes are another form of living the consecrated life as single people. Those who become followers of Jesus through the consecrated life bless the Church.

As Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, we are an apostolic missionary community of priests and brothers. We work together to bring the message of God’s love to the world in the life we lead and the ministry we undertake. We usually live together, in a life marked by communal prayer, ministries of service and the vows of celibacy, obedience and poverty. We work in Ireland, England, South Africa, Venezuela, Namibia, Russia and the USA. Missionary work abroad is voluntary, but we support each other in what we do in all sorts of ways.

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Prayer for Vocations

Holy God,
during this Year of Faith,
With gratitude in our hearts,
we praise you for your love and your fidelity.
You have shown us the way to holiness
through Mary and Jesus
and many faithful witnesses.
You continue to call men and women
to dedicate their lives through the vows of
poverty, chastity, and obedience.
Give them courage to respond generously
to your call with “Here I am, send me!”
Blessed by your Spirit,
may we always proclaim your love
with our lives. Amen.

Vocations Ministry in 2013 – Get Ready

Vocations ministry in 2012 hit the ground running. From the launch of our website in February we’ve been around the world and back again and we’ve taken part in loads of exciting festivals, events and celebrations. 2013 however is going to be bigger, better and even more exciting!

We’ll continue with many of the events of last year. There’ll be a pilgrimage to Lourdes with the Irish Pilgrimage Trust after Easter. The exploreAway discernment programme will run through Spring, as six young people consider their call to religious life and priesthood. The Knock Summer Festival and the Brightlights WYD gathering are among the highlights of the summer. (more…)

MSC Group for World Youth Day 2013

Yes! It’s happening! The MSCs are going to Rio for World Youth Day 2013! We’ll join over 3,000,000 other young people from around the world next for two week this coming July. WYD is a fantastic occasion for people to gather together, to celebrate their faith, and have an unforgettable time.

The MSC group will include five young people from St. Albans, two from Princethorpe College, one from Liverpool and one from Drimoleague, as well as myself. We’re going to join up and travel with the pilgrimage from the Archdiocese of Westminster. During the course of the event we’ll also link in with other MSCs from Venezuela, Indonesia, Canada and of course Brazil itself.

The week is filled with activity and celebration, most of which takes place on the famous Copacabana Beach. There will be afternoons of catechesis, tours of local sights ( including a trip up to Christ the Redeemer ), volley ball on the beach, open mike and concert sessions, as well as creative liturgical celebrations culminating in the final Mass with the Pope.

For more information, as it happens, watch this space

Volunteer Day at DCU

On Thursday coming we’re going to be launching the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Volunteer Programme at the DCU Volunteering Expo. We’ll be in the Venue – Students Union from 11:00am to 3:00pm, so if you’re around make sure to say hello. Below you’ll find details of the Programme.

With the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Volunteer Programme you will work with a community who need your skills, talents and enthusiasm. It’s about being in partnership with others, teaching and learning at the same time, and sharing of yourself in order to make a real difference in your world.

 

The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Volunteer Programme (MSCVP) is a new initiative that:

– looks to provide enriching, challenging and meaningful short term voluntary experiences.
– seeks to share the talents of our volunteers with our partner projects.
– works towards promoting responsible volunteering in our partner projects in South Africa.

We are looking for young men and women, between the ages of 25 and 40, who are interested in                  undertaking three months of volunteering work abroad over summer. Ideally applicants should have relevant skills, such as a teacher, mechanic, carpenter, nurse, electrician, doctor, etc. All necessary training will be provided. Part of the expenses for the trip will be provided, but there will be a need for fundraising.

If you would like further information you can contact Fr. Alan on (086) 7857955 or by email fralan@mscvocations.ie