I See A New World Emerging……..
Who We Are.
We are a religious missionary order of brothers some of whom have been called to the priesthood. However, we make no distinction between members we simply refer to each other as brothers. We each seek to share with the world our unique ‘heart spirituality.’ Who we are and how we engage with the world is deeply enshrined in our Constitutions (Rule of Life) We say of ourselves that: ours is a spirit of family and a spirit of brotherhood, formed in kindness and understanding, by compassion and mutual forgiveness, by gentleness, humility and simplicity, hospitality and a most importantly a sense of humour!. These are important values for us and tell you something about who we are, how we work and the kind of person who is called to be a Missionary of the Sacred Heart. We are a group of very ordinary men, part of a large and diverse network spread over 54 counties throughout the world. We are ordinary men who have answered an extraordinary call from God and continue to answer that call every day, to be signs of God’s compassion and generosity. We manifest this call through our wide variety of ministries. Those who know us when asked what the typical characteristics of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are. say that we are open, understanding, and approachable men and that we don’t stand on ceremony. That we are willing to be there in the difficult times as a shoulder to lean on, as compassionate support and at other times to share a joke and celebrate with. In other words, they say we are ordinary. Our great gift is our ordinariness and our willingness to serve God by making ourselves available and present at the most difficult, challenging and celebratory moments in people’s lives. This is a true testament to what we are all about.
Our Founder Jules Chevalier 1824-1907
We are an international missionary religious order with men drawn from every corner of the world, every culture and language, who share the same vision to be signs of God’s compassion in our world. This is the message our Founder, a French priest called Jules Chevalier (1824-1907) missioned us to bring to the world. He used the image of the heartbeat of God, to describe our mission as messengers of God’s compassion. Today this ideology is enshrined in our unique spirituality which we describe as a ‘spirituality of the heart’ and in our motto which is To be on Earth the Human Heart of God.’ This forms the bedrock of all we do whether in the overseas missions of our section (Province) of the order, in Venezuela, South Africa, and Texas. Or in Ireland and the United Kingdom our home territories. Our ministries are broad and diverse and always responding to the needs of the Church and local communities. Some of the brothers work in parishes, education (secondary and third level), chaplaincy (healthcare and prison). Some of us work in specialized ministries such as counselling, spiritual direction, coaching. So, if you are an ordinary man with a sense of humour who is struggling to understand God’s call then perhaps God is calling you to be a Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
So, if you are interested in exploring your call, our way of life, or our charism and spirituality our Vocations Team of Con and Tony would be happy to hear from you.
PRAYER: DISCERNING GOD’S CALL
Compassionate God,
friend and companion on life’s journey,
you call me to serve your world.
In these times of uncertainly
let me not be overwhelmed
by my own limitations and lose heart.
Grant me courage to follow in the footsteps of
Fr Chevalier who saw a new world emerging
from the heart of your Son.
Inspired by the courage of Jules Chevalier
may I too respond with openness and generosity
of spirit to the needs of our fractured world.
So, where my heart has been hardened by life – soften it.
Let me respond to your call and not try to control it:
– the call that missions me to be an agent of change
working to restore your creation to its original harmony.
– the call that asks me to embrace life with
a heart of compassion filled with kindness and humour.
Teach me to be a searcher after truth,
a seeker after justice,
a person of integrity.
Fill my heart with your love and make it a
visible sign of your heart for all those I encounter.
Amen
Our Vocations Team
Con O’Connell MSC
Con is a member of our Vocations Team. He lives in our Formation House in Dublin.