Aug 20, 2026
It has been a busy summer for our MSC community in the Philippines, with the MSC Centre for the Poor hosting community development sessions and their annual Scholars’ Summit, while the Philippine Province also welcomed four new postulants for the new formation year.
Community bonding
June saw a two-day community bonding programme for the staff, scholars, and volunteer community of the MSC Centre for the Poor, in a “meaningful and joyful” experience in Marihatag, Surigao del Sur.
From June 12th – 13th, the team worked on a communication programme, meditation sessions, and fun team-building activities. One of the main focuses was on “the importance of honest and trusting communication as the foundation of a healthy community,” explains the Facebook page for the MSC Centre for the Poor.
“Filled with laughter, fellowship, and valuable insights, the two-day gathering strengthened relationships and renewed the community’s commitment to journey together in unity and service.”
Celebrating a new missionary journey
On July 14th, the Philippine Province formally welcomed four new postulants for the new formation year, in a special Mass celebrated by Provincial Superior Fr Edwin Borlasa MSC.
The Facebook page for MSC Philippines shared photos of this wonderful event, posting from Valenzuela City: “Join us in praying for our brothers Nichols Miano (Pagadian City), John Paul Nudalo (San Francisco, Camotes, Cebu), Mark Lemuel Plata (Batangas City), and Jennel Barzo (Bantayan Island, Cebu).”
Scholars’ Summit 2026
Finally, the end of July brought the 2026 Scholars’ Summit for the MSC Centre for the Poor, at Kamalig Rest House in Brgy. Sabang, Butuan City, with the theme: “Committed to Grow, United to Serve, Building a Better Community Together”.
This gathering takes place every year, and serves as a “meaningful and successful” way for the scholars to “reflect, grow, and prepare for the year ahead”.
“The program began with a meaningful formation on self-awareness and life’s processes, followed by the planning of the scholars’ activities for the entire year,” posted the Facebook page for the MSC Centre for the Poor. “The summit concluded with a creative Group Mandala artwork, symbolizing unity and shared purpose. The following day, the activity culminated with the blessing of our scholars during the Holy Mass.”
As ever, our prayers are with our brothers in the Philippines as they continue in their remarkable work, from emergency aid in the face of natural disaster, to dedicated sustainability practices encouraging self-sufficiency and ecological awareness while providing poor and disadvantaged communities with the skill sets and means to build a positive and productive future.
Images via the Facebook:
The MSC Centre for the Poor
MSC Philippines
Aug 13, 2026
The MSC Centre for the Poor and the extended community in the Philippines have been working throughout the summer to bring aid to survivors of an earthquake and flash flood that devastated the region of Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental, in July.
“Help is on the way!” posted their Facebook page in mid-July. “The MSC Center for the Poor team is on its way to Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental to bring hope and support to families affected by the recent earthquake and flash flood.”
The team were armed with a plan to support 250 families affected by the disaster, through the distribution of relief packages and Psychological First Aid. “Together, may we become instruments of compassion and hope for our brothers and sisters,” wrote the Facebook page for the MSC Centre for the Poor.
Two days later, the Facebook page posted news of the team’s successful arrival at the relief site. “Despite the challenging and hazardous road condition, the MSC Center for the Poor Relief Team has safely reached one of the communities severely affected by the earthquake and landslides in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental,” they wrote.
Finally, on July 18th, the relief team posted news of a successful mission accomplished. “The MSC Center for the Poor successfully carried out its Relief Operation and Psychological First Aid for families affected by the earthquake and flash floods in Brgy. Magulibas, Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental last July 16, 2026. A total of 100 families received assistance through the provision of rice, food packs, cash support, and psychological first aid, bringing hope and comfort during this difficult time.”
The project aimed to reach 250 families, but extremely hazardous conditions made further travel impossible at this time. The mission still ensured that the emergency supplies reached those in need, although the full team were unable to get to the site. “Although our team was unable to reach the devastated community of Brgy. Nuing due to landslides that made the roads impassable, we were still able to extend our support by sending 150 sacks of rice, 10 boxes of drinking water, and food items through the parish to ensure that help reached those in need.”
“Despite the long, difficult, and dangerous journey, our mission was successfully accomplished through God’s grace and the generosity of many compassionate people.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the MSC Mission Office for facilitating the donation drive, to all our donors, benefactors, volunteers, and everyone who supported this mission. Your generosity has become a source of hope and healing for our brothers and sisters affected by this disaster.
Together, we continue to be instruments of God’s love and compassion. May God bless you all!”
Our prayers remain with all those affected by the earthquake and flash flood, and all who have worked so hard and given so much to help at the MSC Centre for the Poor and beyond.
Images via the Facebook page for the MSC Centre for the Poor.
Aug 3, 2026
Welcome to the Summer 2026 edition of the MSC Message!
• Read a special greeting from Fr John Fitzgerald MSC, Director of the MSC Missions Office.
• Find out more about our latest crisis relief aid in the Philippines, where approximately 500 families received crucial support following severe flooding and destructive fires.
• Read all about the five young men who are beginning their formation journey on the Mozambique mission.
• Catch up on the latest news from the mission fields, including updates from Cameroon and Ecuador.
• Join us as we take a walk down Memory Lane, in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the MSC Missions Office on the Western Road, Cork.
• Find out the latest updates from Fr Alan Neville in South Sudan, where we are helping to support a care programme for vulnerable baby twins.
Read the Summer 2026 edition of the MSC Message
Jul 23, 2026
We are glad to share this wonderful video message from the MSC Centre for the Poor in the Philippines, where MSCs and the local community work together in harmony with the world around them to build a more positive future for poor and struggling families.
In a region all-too-often ravaged by soaring temperatures and natural disasters, the MSC Centre for the Poor are a lifeline for families who face countless challenges in their daily lives. This video gives us a snapshot of just some of the extraordinary work done by the MSC Centre for the Poor and their extended community.
Click here to watch the full video from the Philippines.
“Your heart can reach the Philippines today.”
In every generation, there are people who choose to love beyond borders. They are called the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, a Catholic missionary congregation founded more than 170 years ago, serving the poorest and most vulnerable across the world. In the Philippines, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart carry a mission rooted in one belief: that God’s love must be felt, not just preached. This mission is carried forward through the MSC Centre for the Poor, dedicated to transforming compassion into concentre action.
Across the Philippines, countless families face hardship every day, from natural disasters, to lack of clean water, to children struggling to stay in school. For them, hope often arrives quietly, through clean drinking water, through education, through relief during moments of crisis. Your donation makes this possible, because when you give, you are not just donating money – you are rebuilding homes after typhoons, providing safe water to entire communities, supporting education for disadvantaged youth, and restoring dignity to families who feel forgotten. The MSC Centre for the Poor ensures that every gift is used with care, transparency, and accountability, working directly with communities, parishes, and mission partners. This is not charity from a distance; this is mission with heart. Your generosity becomes a lifeline, your compassion becomes a future, your faith becomes action. No matter where you are in the world, your heart can reach the Philippines today.
Click here to watch the full video from the Philippines.
Find out more about how we’re helping to promote sustainability in the Philippines this summer.
Apr 9, 2026
There’s something powerful about these wonderful pictures shared by the Facebook page for the Fr Jules Chevalier MSC Mission Centre in the Philippines.
Together, the community at the Centre, which is located in Lapu-Lapu City, celebrated Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28th. This year’s Earth Hour was a particularly special one, as it marks the 20th anniversary of the event, which encourages people all over the world to switch off their lights for one hour, instead learning about, promoting, or helping the environment in ways that have a positive impact on the world around us.
“The MSC Center joined Earth Hour last Saturday from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM. We turned off all lights, using only candles and a bonfire to create a calm and reflective atmosphere,” posted the Facebook page.
“The evening began with the Holy Rosary, followed by a sharing on how we can help care for the Earth, and concluded with a joyful praise and worship through song. It was a meaningful reminder of our faith, unity, and responsibility for creation.”
Earth Hour is a particularly meaningful event for the community in the Philippines, where the MSC Centre for the Poor and their accompanying agricultural co-operative are devoted to creating sustainable and self-sufficient lifestyles, nurturing our natural world and living in harmony with the earth. Earth Hour is the perfect opportunity to join in with a global movement championing our environment and our world, and to pause for prayer in a moment that is so beautiful in its simplicity.
Images via the Facebook page for the Fr. Jules Chevalier, MSC Mission Centre.
