20 May 2021
Heartfelt congratulations to the MSC community in the Pacific Islands!
On May 10th 2021, a new MSC province was born: The MSC Province of the Pacific Islands.
Previously the Pacific Union, approval for the new province was given by the MSC General Conference in 2019, and in May, the degree of erection was issued.
The preparation process was a long and complicated one, and it is with great joy and optimism that we congratulate Provincial Superior Fr Tamati Sefo MSC and the missionary community there.
In a celebratory video message, Fr Tamati says, “Today, the 10th of May 2021, is a historical day for all of us. It is a day for us to celebrate with gratitude and joy. Today marks the official erection of the Province of the Pacific Islands.”
May 10th is of special significance to the community, as it was on this date in 1888 that MSCs Fr Edouard Bontemps, Fr Joseph Leray, and Bro. Conrad Weber arrived in Kiribati from France, setting up their first MSC mission on the island of Nonouti.
Carrying on the mission of Our Lord with compassion and faithfulness
Fr Tamati went on to thank all those who contributed to the success of the province, from the first missionaries in the region, who began ministry there in 1888, to the “contributions of our benefactors, lay MSC members, staff, and parishioners over the years”.
“Today is a celebration of their hard work over the years, preparing us to become a province,” notes Fr Tamati, giving thanks to all who made it “possible for us to continue the mission that has been entrusted to us.”
The new province is now preparing for their first Provincial Chapter, where the Provincial and his Council will be elected. “The future of the Province of the Pacific Islands looks very bright,” assures Fr Tamati. “I am very confident that we will continue to grow in faith… I am also optimistic that the new Provincial and his council will continue to bring us together as brothers, in order to carry on the mission of Our Lord with compassion and faithfulness.”
The new province is made up of two districts: The Northern District (12 members), which consists of Chuuk, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, and Nauru, and the Southern District (34 members), which consists of Fiji, Wallis and Futuna, Samoa, and Tonga.
“We want to be a sign of hope and love to everyone.”
Fr Tamati casts us back to the origins of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, founded by Fr Jules Chevalier in 1854, during the French Revolution – a time of great conflict, fear, and upheaval. “It was then that our founder Jules Chevalier saw in the heart of Christ the remedy for our trouble,” recalls Fr Tamati. “Likewise, today, amidst the fear, suffering, and horror of the pandemic that is ravaging the world, our new province is emerging. We want to be a sign of hope and love to everyone.”
Standing in “solidarity and prayer”, Fr Tamati reminds us that “it is in the compassionate heart of Jesus that we can find peace and comfort in this challenging time.”
May God bless all in the new MSC Province of the Pacific Islands, as they begin a new chapter in our shared journey of spreading God’s light and the love of the Sacred Heart across the world.
Images via the MSC Province of the Pacific Islands and Ametur MSC on Facebook.