26 Mar 2012
Fr. Jules Chevalier MSC
When our founder, Fr. Jules Chevalier, established the group in 1854 he did not believe we should be tied to just one type of work. As a result you will find Missionary of the Sacred Heart ( MSC ) brothers and priests living and working throughout over 50 countries, engaged in all sorts of ministry. Hospitals, prison, schools, colleges, universities, parishes, local community projects, counselling centres and many more locations provide the settings for MSC members to carry out the overall mission of being and bringing the Good News of God’s love to the people we meet.
One of the key ways we try to live out our MSC spirit is in the whole area of retreats and spiritual direction. A time of spiritual retreat (for a day, a weekend, a week or even 30 days in some cases!) is a getaway with God! Space to stand back from the busy routines and demands of everyday life gives us perspective and a chance to rest, reflect, be refreshed and renewed; a time of walking with God and listening to God! Missionaries of the Sacred Heart involved in retreat ministry try to enable each person to discover a personal experience God’s love for them and to allow that love to touch and transform their lives. This is done by a variety of means such as group work, one to one spiritual accompaniment, use of Scripture, art, guided meditation, tailored to the needs of the group or individual. The retreat time honours and deepens the unique faith journey of each person.
The group pictured are Vincentian Volunteers, a group of young people who commit for one year to live community life and serve in various pastoral placements. They had a weekend retreat recently with Dave Nixon msc at Ampleforth Abbey, near York in England.