Share the joy of Christmas with gifts and keepsakes from MSC Missions

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
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An international celebration: Bishop Fintan Gavin travels from Cork to Italy to ordain Fr Giacomo Gelardi MSC

Warmest congratulations to Fr Giacomo Gelardi MSC, who was ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, November 19^th, 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.
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An invitation to join us in prayer at our 2022 Light Up a Memory Mass

November is a sacred time to remember, as we keep in our prayers family, friends, and loved ones who have gone before us. This year, we are glad to invite old friends and new to take part in our annual Light Up a Memory Mass, which will be celebrated on Saturday, November 26^th. The candlelight memorial service will take place at 6.30pm the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork, and will be streamed live for those who cannot attend in person.

Bereavement and grief touch us all, and the Month of the Holy Souls is a special time to honour fond memories and to pray for friends and family who have gone to their eternal rest in the Lord’s love. This November, we come together once again remember specially those who are no longer with us, and to light a candle in tribute to those whose memory we hold dear.

Now in its ninth year, our annual MSC Light Up a Memory Mass has become a much-anticipated tradition to close the Month of the Holy Souls. Each year, we invite mission friends to send the names of their dearly departed for remembrance, and the list is kept on the altar throughout the month as we pray for their perpetual peace. In a beautiful ceremony to mark the end of the month of remembrance, the Light Up a Memory Mass is a beacon of light and love in honour of our faithful departed.

The events of recent years have demonstrated more than ever the tremendous power of unity, community, and love. Those who cannot be with us in person on the night are very welcome to join us on our live stream, and to light a candle in their own homes or in our online candle gallery, where those listed will have a special place in the prayers of our MSC priests.

All are welcome to join us in reflection on this special night, and to submit the names of departed family, friends, and loved ones for remembrance. We would greatly appreciate your support for our ongoing mission projects, and in gratitude for your contribution, we will be glad to remember your intentions at our annual Mass. You can then submit the names of your departed loved ones online, and our MSC priests will remember them specially during our Light Up a Memory Mass.

Through the dark winter nights, the light of remembrance warms our hearts, and the flame of hope continues to burn brightly. Please join us for an evening of reflection and remembrance in honour of the loved ones who are always in our thoughts.

Find out more about our annual MSC Light Up a Memory Mass.

Please click here to watch the Light Up a Memory Mass, and all November Masses for the Holy Souls, on our live stream.

 

Mental Health & Wellbeing Workshops at Croi Nua

Croi Nua, our MSC spirituality centre in Co. Galway, are hosting two sessions on mental health and wellbeing as part of their 2022 Autumn programme.

The first session will be led by Eoghan MacDomhnaill from Jigsaw, the national centre for mental health, which offers a range of support services to young people around Ireland. Eoghan’s talk will cover the main issues on our mental health, and the importance of an adult support system, or One Good Adult, in a young person’s life.

This session will take place in person in Croi Nua Spiritual Centre on Wednesday, November 9^th, from 7.30pm to 9.00pm. A Zoom facility is also available for anybody who would like to take part remotely. Donations are appreciated, and all proceeds go directly to Jigsaw.

The second workshop, “Mindfulness & Self Compassion,” will be led by wellness coach Lizzie Harrison, focusing on self-care and addressing the different techniques that can be used to improve mental wellbeing.

Lizzie’s workshop will take place on Wednesday, November 23^rd at 7.30pm – 9.00pm, in person at Croi Nua and via Zoom for remote participants, at a fee of €20.

For more information, please contact Croi Nua Spirituality Centre:
Phone: 087 6683770
Email: croinuacentre@gmail.com
Website: www.croinua.com

If you would like to join either of these workhops online via Zoom,
please email croinuacentre@gmail.com to get the video link.

     

Planning for a hopeful future in Guatemala

As the school year comes to a close at the MSC-run Centro Faustino Villanueva in Guatemala, Fr Jairo Uriel Sevilla Mendoza MSC, Director of the centre, writes in gratitude for the support of mission friends here in the Irish Province, which is enabling great progress within the school community.

Founded by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in 1984, Centro Faustino Villanueva is a vocational centre that has been dedicated to helping vulnerable and disadvantaged youths in the rural region of San Agustín, Alta Verapaz, and its surrounds, for almost 40 years. Located in an extremely remote area with limited access, the school is situated approximately eight hours’ drive from Guatemala City, and is an invaluable resource for young people who would otherwise be isolated by their locality and the challenges raised by coming from backgrounds of poverty and hardship.

“In the past year, we have been reflecting on our journey here at the Centro Faustino Villanueva, with a view to improving and innovating our work in the training of our young people,” writes Fr Jairo. “We are in the process of finishing the programme for a new agricultural and livestock project, which will help us to take advantage of all the resources the centre has to offer, and to provide training in the areas of agriculture, livestock, and forestry, among others. As we are living in a rural area, this will motivate our students to continue in promising new ventures, developing farms and orchards that will also help to improve diet and nutrition for local families and communities.”

“We are also working towards opening our boarding school again; because of the effects of the COVID pandemic, we have not been able to have a functioning boarding section in recent times,” Fr Jairo continues. “At the end of October, our students will finish the term, followed by a week of training for our teachers. Then, we will have a vacation, and use this time to improve our plans for the new school year.”

“We are so grateful for the support of the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, which will be the foundation for this new phase. Together, we place our trust in God that with your ongoing support, we can move forward in our work. God bless you for your generosity; we remain, as always, united in the heart of Christ.”

As one academic year closes and hope springs afresh for the new year to come, we thank our mission friends for making it possible for us to help our MSC brothers to continue to make a great difference in the lives of disadvantaged youths and their families in Guatemala. United in the heart of Christ, we pray that the Lord will bless the Centro Faustino Villanueva community in their ongoing work, and bring every success in these plans for a hopeful new chapter for the school.

Images courtesy of Fr Jairo Uriel Sevilla Mendoza MSC, Director of Centro Faustino Villanueva.
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MSCs ministering to earthquake survivors in Haiti

This summer, the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have been working with the MSC community in southern Haiti, to support them in the construction of houses in the region of Camp-Perrin, where thousands of local families lost their homes in a devastating earthquake which took place in August 2021.

The people of Haiti have met with many challenges of varying severity in recent years, from natural disasters to political instability and a difficult economic climate. In January of 2010, an earthquake killed 300,000 people in Southern Haiti, and was followed just five years later by Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. This hurricane ripped through the south-west of the island, caused landslides, floods, and fire. As the country once more did its best to rebuild, in August 2021, another devastating earthquake hit 150km from the Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital, with its epicentre in the city of South St Louis.

       

A “crucial” time for southern Haiti

In addition, the country has reached crisis point in terms of political unrest. Criminal gangs are a very serious issue, with theft, kidnapping, and murder a constant threat hanging over the population. The further issues brought by the COVID-19 pandemic have added another layer of challenge and significant difficulty to a society that was already struggling severely.

Currently, the people of southern Haiti are attempting to overcome the fallout of the earthquake that took place on August 14^th, 2021.

“The great south of Haiti was terribly affected by the earthquake of August 2021,” writes Fr Juan Tomás García MSC. “At the moment, the consequences are crucial.”

Devastation in Camp-Perrin

Camp-Perrin, a mountain settlement, suffered great destruction, with immense damage affecting all aspects of life. The local economy was extremely weak prior to the earthquake, to the point that it could not respond to even 10% of the needs of the local population. This percentage has now fallen further as the economy continues to weaken. The agricultural sector has been almost completely demolished, firstly by the earthquake itself, and now because there is no access to seeds to replant. The landscape was badly damaged by landslides and collapses, especially in the mountains, where many people live. The few roads that did exist have been ruined, in many cases irreparably. Rivers have dried up, and the soil is so malnourished that it no longer has the ability to grow produce successfully.

The people too have suffered seriously in a psychological and emotional sense, especially children. Local water and electricity systems have been destroyed, and have not yet been repaired.

In Camp-Perrin, the figures speak for themselves.
3,200 homes were completely destroyed,
while a further 1,100 houses have serious – in many cases, irreparable – damage.
510 houses have reported minor damage.
Only 290 homes have remained intact in the region.

In addition to the homes that have been lost,
25 Catholic chapels and churches have been destroyed by the earthquake.

MSCs building for the future

MSCs ministering in the region are doing their best to help those who have lost so much in the wake of this terrible natural disaster. The MSC team there are currently in the completion stages of 14 homes in the region, and are working to raise funds to build 20 more anti-seismic, hurricane-proof houses in rural communities.

The Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart is proud to support the work being carried out by our brothers in Haiti who are working to fund the construction of these houses, which are being built with help from local volunteers and the families who will live in them. For people who have suffered so much in so short a time, these homes will be a lifeline, and a promise of hope for the years to come.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS

Masses for deceased MSCs and Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 2022

This year’s annual Masses for deceased MSCs and Daughters of the Lady of the Sacred Heart will take place around the country in November, as we remember those who have gone before us in the light of the Lord.

 

Annual Masses will take place at 3pm on Sunday 6^th November  in the following venues:

• Sacred Heart Church, Western Road, Cork (this Mass will be live-streamed here)
• Woodview House, Blackrock, Co. Dublin
• Croi Nua, Taylors Hill, Galway

and

On Sunday 13^th November at 2pm in St Patrick’s Church, Ballybay

 

We keep all our deceased members in our prayers.

 

We would like to invite you to pray with us during the month of the Holy Souls as we remember the MSCs and Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart who worked so hard to ensure that the Sacred Heart of Jesus is known and loved everywhere, and by everyone.
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A series of weekly reflections from Croi Nua, Co. Galway

All are very welcome to join us on two new series of reflections, led by Fr Patsy Kelly MSC every Tuesday and Thursday.

The sessions will take place at Croi Nua Spirituality Centre (Taylor’s Hill, Galway), and those who cannot attend in person are very welcome to join us online via Zoom.

The first series, entitled “At Home with your Bible: The Eucharist in Scripture and Liturgy,” will explore the connection between Eucharist and Scripture and why the Eucharist makes the Risen Christ constantly present to us. This will take place every Tuesday morning at 10.15am, and on Tuesday evenings at 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

The second series is titled “Good News Each Sunday,” and incorporates reflections on the readings of weekly Sunday Mass. This will take place every Thursday evening from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

For more information, please contact Croi Nua:
Phone: 091 520960 or 087 6683770
Email: croinuacentre@gmail.com
Website: www.croinua.com

If you would like to join the weekly sessions online via Zoom, please email croinuacentre@gmail.com to get the video link.

 

The MSC Message: Winter 2022

Welcome to the Winter 2022 edition of the MSC Message!

• Read a special greeting from Fr John Fitzgerald MSC, Director of the MSC Missions Office.

• Find out more about the latest updates from the MSC Centre for the Poor in the Philippines, where the MSC Centre for the Poor Agricultural Cooperative are working to bring brighter prospects to local communities, while nurturing and restoring harmony with the natural world.

• Catch up on the latest news from the mission fields, including updates from our MSC brothers in the Guatemala and Fiji, and our OLSH Sisters in Papua New Guinea and Burkina Faso, West Africa.

• Discover more about the work being done by MSCs in southern Haiti, where homes and communities must be rebuilt following a devastating earthquake in August 2021.

• Fr Alan Neville MSC writes from South Sudan, where he is currently ministering with the Loreto team in Rumbek.

• “Ordinary men answering an extraordinary call from God”: Read a message from Fr Con and Fr Tony, our Vocations Team.

• Find out more about recent celebrations in the Irish Province, where three of our MSC community recently celebrated 50 years of ordination at their Golden Jubilee.

Read the Winter 2022 edition of the MSC Message
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MSC Missions supporting Cancer Connect services in Co. Cork

The Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart is delighted to be able to support the tremendous work being done by the Cancer Connect team in Co. Cork, with a recent donation of €25,000 facilitating the addition of a new car to their fleet.

Cancer Connect is a charitable organisation that offers transport to Cork hospitals for passengers who need help getting to radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments, as well as other related appointments. Founded in 2011 and run entirely by a team of over 250 volunteer drivers, the Cancer Connect website states that over 34,500 passenger journeys have been recorded to date, with services now extending beyond the initial remit of West Cork to the broader County Cork area.

A five-seater Skoda Superb has now been added to the existing fleet of five cars, based in Skibbereen, Co. Cork. Fr John Fitzgerald MSC, Director of the MSC Missions Office, recently met with Cancer Connect chair Neilie O’Leary, board secretary David O’Brien, co-ordinator Helen O’Driscoll, and volunteer driver Majella O’Neill, to officially hand over the keys to the new car.

The Cancer Connect team have expressed their sincere gratitude for the donation, acknowledging that the new vehicle will make a real and valuable contribution to the driving team and their passengers.

Speaking of our friendship with the Cancer Connect team, Fr John Fitzgerald highlighted the vital work they do in easing the burden for those who are seriously ill.

“The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have a close association with West Cork, and many MSCs have ministered there over the years, including myself,” said Fr John. “We are well aware of the distances involved to get to the major hospitals in Cork City for treatment, and the importance of being able to travel easily and without additional stress at such a crucial time. We are delighted to be able to help sponsor a vehicle that will be used to transport people easily from their homes to and from their places of treatment.”

“We wish the Cancer Connect team and their voluntary drivers well. We hope everyone will be safe, and we remember all who are ill in our prayers.”

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Working together for change in Guatemala

Over the summer months, the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart has been working to support our MSC brothers in Guatemala, strengthening our long-standing friendship with the community at Centro Faustino Villanueva. A vocational centre dedicated to helping disadvantaged youths, Centro Faustino Villanueva was founded by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in 1984, in the rural region of San Agustín, Alta Verapaz.

The Centre was the first of its kind in the region, bringing opportunities for education and progression to poor people with no other hope. The facility initially worked with adults who had previously lacked access to any form of education or professional development, and has since become a large school for children that come from impoverished backgrounds or vulnerable family circumstances.

The school is situated more than eight hours’ drive from Guatemala City, in an extremely remote area that makes travel difficult for students of severely limited means. Boarding facilities are available; however, the effect of the coronavirus pandemic has meant that the Centre has suffered greatly in terms of funding and resources, and so the facilities offered have had to be limited as a result.

Bringing dignity to the lives of vulnerable youths

Fr Jairo Uriel Sevilla Mendoza MSC, Director of Centro Faustino Villanueva, writes: “To our benefactors in the Irish Province, who always keep us in mind, in solidarity and support as we continue on the path to bring dignity to the lives of vulnerable youths. Once again, we send our gratitude for all you have done by supporting us in our ongoing mission. Thanks to you, we are continuing to improve our educational facilities, and accommodating more young people who need the help of our establishment.”

       

“The year 2022 has been a new learning experience for us all, for many different reasons. The COVID pandemic continues to affect our population, and new protocols have been put in place by the Ministry of Education here in Guatemala. The economic reality of this has meant that the basic necessities are all costing more, among other factors. Faced with this reality, we have found ourselves having to work with a smaller group of students; we are currently working with a group of 70 students every day, and have arranged our rooms in accordance with government protocol for the safety of everybody in our establishment. It has been very difficult to turn away some students, as we always have waiting lists, even at the best of times, but all we can do is help as many young people as we safely can now.”

“At the moment, we have First, Second, and Third Basic years, and two specialised programmes in Business Administration and Intercultural Bilingual Education. Last year, in 2021, we took 200 students on a hybrid basis, where they came to school every fortnight. However, this proved to be extremely complicated, as in many of the students’ villages, there is no access to computers or the internet. In the end, most of the students graduated to the next level, as the Ministry of Education put in place an agreement whereby all students had to be promoted to the next grade; however, the issue is that these students do not necessarily have the required level of knowledge to graduate, due to all of the restrictions in place during the academic year. Therefore, we made the decision to take fewer students this year, in order to give each student more personalised attention in the space that we can use, and reinforce their level of learning.”

Generating positive prospects for disadvantaged students

The community at the Centre has been working on the establishment of an agricultural programme, which works on a dual level of benefits: students are learning new skills in the cultivation of vegetables and the care of livestock, which brings with it the potential for future job opportunities, while they are also contributing to the stock of food for the school, reducing costs there.

“We continue to move forward and feel happy and grateful for all that has been done,” writes Fr Jairo. The Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are currently supporting Centro Faustino Villanueva in the development of several different projects, which will help the community at the Centre to continue in the fundamental work that they do in generating positive prospects for the young people of the region, including:

• The continued development of the school’s agricultural programme, incorporating poultry, pigs, cattle, and vegetables. MSCs at the school are continuing their work in the development of a programme that will provide students with invaluable life skills, while also contributing to school costs in the future.
• Development of the rubber and teak plantations that are currently located on the property. Due to a lack of resources, these facilities are currently not being utilised fully; however, if they are properly maintained, these plantations will be able to generate a good source of income for the school. MSCs are the Centre are currently working to clean and prune the plantations, and to buy the necessary equipment to utilise them to their full potential
• Repairs and maintenance of two cisterns that serve the Centre. Over the years, they have deteriorated and are now leaking water. A fundamental necessity, both cisterns need to be repaired to ensure the safe provision of water to the school and MSC house.
• A scholarship being put in place for students who come from particularly difficult backgrounds, where some have lost one or both parents, and others are coming from circumstances of severe poverty.
• The provision of improved bathrooms and showers at the Centro Faustino Villanueva. As well as accommodating students, the Centre often facilitates pastoral care workers from the parish of San Agustín, and the current bathroom and shower facilities are inadequate in terms of space and hygiene.
• The implementation of technical courses and workshops, in conjunction with INTECAP, a facilitator of different technical workshops, in order to teach students new skill sets that will equip them with the ability to qualify for a wider range of jobs in the future. As with the agricultural programme, this aims to provide students with training and key tools to bring new skills home to their own villages and communities.

Please keep the community at Centro Faustino Villanueva in your prayers as they continue in their mission to bring hope and dignity to disadvantaged youths and their families in rural Guatemala.

IF YOU CAN, PLEASE SUPPORT OUR GLOBAL MISSIONS

A Golden Jubilee for Irish MSCs

Warmest congratulations to our MSCs Fr John Jennings, Fr Charles J. Sweeney, and Fr Diarmuid O’Murchu, who each celebrated their Golden Jubilee this summer.

On August 23^rd, each of the three MSCs celebrated 50 years since their ordination, with their Sacred Heart brothers on the Western Road, Cork. A beautiful Jubilee Mass was followed by a special celebratory lunch, attended by MSCs from across the southern communities.

Fr John is originally from Cork City, and has spent much of his missionary life ministering in Caracas, in Venezuela. Fr Charles, from Ardara in Co. Donegal, is currently based in Galway, where he is dedicated to pastoral ministry in Salthill. Fr Diarmuid, originally from Inchigeela in Co. Cork, is now based in Dublin, and is well renowned as an author and social psychologist.

Director of the MSC Missions Office, Fr John Fitzgerald, joined the Jubilarians on the day, offering his congratulations and good wishes:

“These are three MSCs who were ordained on the same day; they have completely different sets of gifts, they have travelled different roads in their ministries, they have each served very different groups of people, and yet, they still share one ambition in life – that the love of God will be known and experienced throughout the world.”

“At the Jubilee Mass, the benefactors and friends who supported the education and subsequent ministries of our three MSCs were remembered and prayed for in a very real way,” continued Fr John.

Our prayers and blessings echo Fr John’s as he says: “I wish our Jubilarians well, I wish them good health, and I pray that they will continue to serve their call for many years to come.”

A true commemoration of fellowship and unity, the Jubilee celebrations were a wonderful opportunity to recall the challenges and triumphs of the years gone by, and to look ahead to a future filled with hope, promise, and enduring love. We join Fr John in congratulating the Jubilarians, with every blessing on 50 years of dedication and care in their ministry, and with every good wish for enduring health and happiness as their individual and shared journeys continue.

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