Dec 13, 2022
Advent is well underway at Croi Nua, our MSC spirituality centre in Co. Galway, with a three-day Christmas retreat taking place from Thursday, December 15th to Saturday, December 17th.
The Christmas retreat will be led by Fr Patsy Kelly MSC, in preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ. This special time of reflection will take place at 7.30pm to 9.30pm each evening from December 15th to 17th.
The retreat session will take place in person in Croi Nua Spirituality Centre, while a Zoom facility is also available for anybody who would like to take part remotely.
In addition, all are welcome to join what promises to be a beautiful Service of Reconciliation, which will take place on Wednesday, December 21st, at 7.30pm.
For more information, please contact Croi Nua Spirituality Centre:
Phone: 085 782 9855
Email: croinuacentre@gmail.com
Website: www.croinua.com
If you would like to join the Christmas celebrations online via Zoom,
please email croinuacentre@gmail.com to get the video link.
Dec 2, 2022
It’s Advent in South Sudan, which means that everybody is busy with endings and beginnings. It is a beautiful time here right now, as the rains ended in October and the land is still green. We have been enjoying a time of relative security for the last few months, which has allowed us to harvest the groundnut crop in peace.
This week in Loreto Secondary School is taken up with the end of term exams, so all of students are diligently going over their class notes, working in study groups, and preparing as best they can. I usually go for a walk around 6:00am, as the sun comes up and before the heat of the day sets in. Already, there are students sitting under trees or in classrooms getting ready. However, this is nothing unusual. It happens right throughout the year. The girls know that education is their best way of ensuring they and their family have a better future. School is serious business.
It’s not so serious though that they can’t take time to have fun or get involved in important extracurricular activities. Last Friday, a group participated in a local government project around the rights of women. On Saturday, our Peace Club staged a roadside play in the local village. Before a group of the chiefs, families, and school children, they debuted their new drama on the need for peace in South Sudan. There was also poetry, traditional dance, some speeches, and plenty of laughter. It was the first time that they, as a group of young women, addressed the chiefs about their hopes for the future. The Benydit, or head chief, was delighted with the work and encouraged them to continue.
   
In the Primary School the kids have been busy too. Last week, we had a fancy dress competition, where kids created wonderful papier mâché lions and cows, along with weather conditions, mathematical symbols and shapes, fruits and vegetables, and traditional costumes. On Thursday, the focus was on arts and crafts, again related to their studies. They drew pictures of insects for biology, model villages and farms for citizenship, and the water cycle for general science. Everything was made from scrap paper and reused cardboard. Their creativity was extraordinary.
   
While things are winding down for Christmas in the schools, we are only getting started in the Rumbek Campus of the Catholic University of South Sudan. We have had a new intake of students for our degree programmes in English and English literature and in business administration. Right now, they are taking part in an intensive six-week course in English and maths to improve their basic standard and prepare them to begin their classes at the end of January.
It is an exciting time, because it is hoped that from this group we will have a new generation of well-trained secondary school teachers and business leaders. We are carrying on with our partial scholarship for women to encourage greater participation. We already have quite a few enrolled and a number of these are mothers who are returning to education, something that rarely happens here.
In addition, we are refurbishing our library and student centre. Previously, the building we used was dilapidated and bats were in the process of eating through the ceiling. The entire power supply came from an old solar unit and a couple of second-hand car batteries. The floor was cracked and pockmarked, although potholed might be a better description. As I write, the builders are putting in a new ceiling. Once that is finished, they will plaster the walls properly and we have sourced a durable, but inexpensive, tile for the floor.
   
Some may argue whether this is the most urgent need. However, education is the essential foundation of a country that, if done properly, will ensure development that is sustainable for everyone. It is about giving someone a rod, instead of offering them fish year after year. Our students make real sacrifices to be here, whether they are in primary, secondary, or third level, but with their energy, vision, and commitment the future is bright indeed.
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
Nov 30, 2022
Now in its ninth year, our annual Light Up a Memory Mass has become a much-loved and highly anticipated tradition each year, since the first ceremony took place in November of 2014. This year’s candlelight memorial Mass took place on the evening of Saturday, November 26th at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork, and was another beautiful evening of reflection and prayer in honour of those we love who have gone to their eternal rest in the Lord’s embrace.
Fr John Fitzgerald, director of the MSC Missions Office, celebrated this year’s Mass with Fr Con Doherty, new parish priest at the Sacred Heart Church. Despite stormy skies and November weather, the church was filled with mission friends gathered together in prayer; “there are more than two or three,” said Fr John, “and where two or three are gathered, the Lord is.” Fr John also welcomed everybody who took part in the ceremony by watching our live stream, which saw almost 700 people joining us in prayer in everywhere from Ireland, the UK, and Europe, to South Africa, New Zealand, and the United States.
“We are living in hope tonight.”
“Tonight is all about memory,” reflected Fr John. “It is about lighting up something in our hearts… To pray and to pray well, to pay our respects, to honour our dead, to remember their lives, to mark their death, and to mark the saving power of the Lord.”
“We are living in hope tonight,” he continued. “This isn’t a remembrance around a tree or by the sea or anything, it is here, on this extended altar tonight, where we remember the soul or the spirit that sheds its earthly body as a tree sheds its leaves. But death is not the end of existence, it is the cessation in this place, and we believe in the life hereafter.”
  
As the weekend of our Light Up a Memory Mass coincided with the first weekend of Advent, Fr Con took the time to light the first candle on the Advent wreath during the ceremony, as Fr John prayed that the light of Christ would light up our hearts and our lives throughout the Winter months, and that bridge of time between this and Christmas.
Reflecting on the inevitable changes that death brings to each of our lives, Fr John said, “I think that, heavier than shouldering any coffin, is the weight that the death of a loved one presses on us, or impresses on us – we miss them… We’re lost without them for a while… At times, we suddenly realise they’re not sharing a bed with us, they’re not sharing a table, they’re not sharing a kitchen, and that they won’t walk in the door any more. And that is so natural, but it is so painful, and that is what our prayer here tonight is – we’re lighting up a memory light here for healing, not to rush the healing or anything like that, or to get it away so that we can go back into driving down the dual carriageway in life without thoughts of them, but just stepping through life with them.”
“Lord, as we walk from this place, let us walk gently, knowing that you are with us.”
This year’s Mass once again featured a wonderful musical accompaniment from Gerry and Deirdre Tuohy, while Fr John’s homily incorporated a selection of poems and prayers, from Patrick Kavanagh to Seamus Heaney, each one a fitting reminder of the power of grief, of faith, and of love everlasting as he prayed for those we have loved and lost, and for those who have nobody to remember them at all.
Bringing the ceremony to an end, Fr John prayed for protection, grace, and hope on this sacred night: “Look kindly upon us here tonight, Lord, as we remember our dead. We pray especially for all our benefactors who contacted us through the Missions Office, who gave in lists of their dead friends and relations; we pray for them tonight. For the people here, Lord, who are the living voice of your word, who are takers of the word tonight back through the arteries of the county here, and through the arteries of the street… Lord, as we walk from this place, let us walk gently, knowing that you are with us.”
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all who took part in this year’s Light Up a Memory celebrations, in the Sacred Heart Church and beyond. None of us have been untouched by the challenges of recent years, and the grief that has accompanied us through these times, in one form or another. Our 2022 Light Up a Memory Mass was a very moving way for us to commemorate treasured memories of those we hold dear, while praying for healing and hope in our hearts as we navigate life without them. Sincere thanks to all who took part in this truly special evening of prayer, reflection, and fond remembrance.
Click here to watch a recording of our 2022 Light Up a Memory Mass
*
Nov 29, 2022
As we come towards the end of the year, so too do we mark the beginning of a new chapter for the Sacred Heart Parish on the Western Road, Cork, as we bid a fond farewell to outgoing parish priest Fr Tom Mulcahy MSC, and welcome Fr Con Doherty MSC as he steps into the role, accompanied by new curate Fr Des Farren MSC.
Having served the Sacred Heart Parish with a warm and generous spirit in recent years, Fr Tom stepped down from his role at the end of October, when Bishop Fintan Gavin celebrated the official induction of Fr Con, along with new curate Fr Des, on Sunday, October 23rd, at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road. Fr Tom will remain a welcome familiar face, as he plans to continue with catechetical work, while we are delighted to welcome Fr Con and Fr Des in their new ministry in the parish.
A native of Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Fr Con joined the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in 1983, and was ordained by Bishop John Buckley in the parish of the Sacred Heart, here in Cork, in 1990. Since then, Fr Con has had a fascinating missionary journey, serving in St Alban’s Parish in the UK until 1995, before travelling to Russia to join his MSC brothers Fr Michael Screene and Fr Kevin Blade on our mission there. Fr Con remained in Russia for a decade, returning to Ireland in 2015, when he took up the role of chaplain in Cuan Mhuire in Co. Limerick, and there he ministered until his new appointment as parish priest at the Sacred Heart Church.
Fr Con gladly returns to the place of his ordination, some 32 years later, and is looking forward to getting to know our parishioners and mission friends together with Fr Des. Many of our regular website viewers will already have seen the new faces celebrating Mass on our daily live stream, while Fr Con also celebrated this year’s Light Up a Memory Mass with Missions Office Director Fr John Fitzgerald MSC, who introduced Fr Con as “our brand new parish priest – and an old warrior at the same time!”
It is with grateful hearts that we thank Fr Tom for his dedicated ministry as parish priest, and welcome Fr Con and Fr Des into the heart of a wonderful local community – and indeed beyond, as so many friends become part of our parish family daily through Masses on our live stream. Please keep our MSCs in your prayers as we set out on this new chapter together.
Images: Michael English
*
Nov 29, 2022
Christmas is the season of goodwill, giving, and love – and this year, you can embrace the spirit of the season by choosing a gift that gives back.
Our festive collection of Christmas keepsakes offer a whole host of gift ideas, for loved ones or as an extra-special touch for your own home this year. By choosing one of our Christmas gifts, you are also supporting the life-changing work of our missionaries all over the world. In recent years, our ongoing mission projects have come under tremendous strain as a result of the COVID pandemic and the global financial crisis. Times are difficult for everyone; nevertheless, our missionaries are continuing their ministry in the provision of education, healthcare, and community support in the most vulnerable and disadvantaged regions, often in unimaginably challenging circumstances as they continue in their efforts to combat the ongoing effects of the pandemic in areas lacking even the most basic of water, such as clean water and safe shelter.
Explore our range of festive cards and gifts, and share the joy of Christmas this year…
Give the gift of warmth and inspiration with a delicately crafted angel ornament, inscribed with thoughtful messages of peace and love.
A beautiful nativity scene captures the essence of the Christmas season, with the Holy Family wrapped in the peace and goodwill of angelic protection.
Our Christmas candle features a delightful nativity image with a special prayer on the back, while the LED flickering flame means that you can enjoy the warmth and glow of candlelight in safety, year after year.
We also offer a range of Christmas Mass Bouquet Cards, a wonderful way to send seasonal greetings to loved ones at home and abroad, or to remember someone special at this time of year. Those enrolled will be included in this year’s Christmas Mass Triduum, which will take place from December 19th to 21st at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork.
Whether you’re choosing a festive ornament for your own home, or sending a seasonal surprise to brighten a loved one’s day, you’ll find the perfect Christmas keepsake – and a gift that keeps on giving – in our seasonal range.
This Christmas, please consider giving a gift that makes a difference. Your goodwill is a gesture that reaches far beyond the holiday season, and gives real and lasting hope to those in need.
BROWSE OUR CHRISTMAS GIFT RANGE
*
Nov 24, 2022
Warmest congratulations to Fr Giacomo Gelardi MSC, who was ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, November 19th, 2022. The ordination ceremony was led by Bishop Fintan Gavin of Cork and Ross, who travelled to Italy for the great occasion, with the Mass taking place in Fr Giacomo’s home town of Urbino, Italy, at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart, a new beautiful church which was consecrated in September of last year.
Bishop Fintan concelebrated the ordination Mass with local Archbishop Mgr Giovanni Tanni, along with local diocesan clergy and members of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart from Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the General Administration in Rome. Irish Provincial Superior Fr Carl Tranter and Formator Fr Joe McGee were accompanied by MSCs Fr Michael O’Connell, Fr Tom Mulcahy, Fr John Finn, and Fr Con O’Connell, while MSC brothers Domenico Rosa and Jaime Rosique, who originally completed their novitiate programme with Giacomo in Myross Wood, West Cork, also travelled to Urbino to serve at the ordination ceremony as Deacons.
A host of friends travelled from Dublin and York to be with Fr Giacomo at this special time, along with Fr Pat Fogarty and parishioners from the parish of Carrigaline, Co. Cork, where Giacomo served as a Deacon in recent years. Everybody involved was delighted to join the celebrations with Fr Giacomo, his mother, Francesca, his father, Michele, his brother Luca and sister Maria, plus extended family members, friends, and parishioners.
“This was a beautiful celebration, presided by Bishop Fintan in Italian,” writes Irish Provincial Superior Fr Carl Tranter MSC. “We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Fr Giacomo and blessings on his priestly ministry as he commences a life of missionary service as an MSC.”
On the morning following his ordination, Fr Giacomo celebrated his first Mass at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart on the Feast of Christ the King. He will now return to Cork for the Christmas season, and will prepare to travel to the MSC Province of the Pacific Islands in January. Here, Fr Giacomo will embark upon a period of mission in Fiji, where he will work in our MSC parish in Suva, and at the Chevalier Training Centre, our trade school in Namosi.
   
We join our voices and prayers with Fr Carl’s in congratulating the newly ordained Fr Giacomo Gelardi MSC, with every blessing as he begins this new chapter as a Missionary of the Sacred Heart.
Please click here to watch a recording of Fr Giacomo’s ordination ceremony
at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart.
*
