Healing, mercy, and forgiveness: Our 2024 MSC Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

Our sincere and heartfelt thanks to all who participated in our 2024 Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, which took place from Saturday, August 31st to Sunday, September 8th at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork.

It was a wonderful thing to welcome friends and parishioners to the Sacred Heart Church for this year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart – we were delighted to see familiar faces and of course to welcome new friends. In addition, almost 10,000 people joined us in prayer via our live stream over the course of the nine days, reminding us of the tremendous spirit of our extended Sacred Heart family, at home and across the world, and reinforcing that remarkable sense of community and connection that comes with being part of our great family of faith, wherever we may be. Our Novena is always a very special time of the year, a time dedicated to prayer and reflection before we come into the darker days of late Autumn and Winter, and it is with grateful hearts that we came together once again to celebrate the sacred tradition of prayer to our Blessed Mother, placing the “intentions of our hearts” on the altar each day, as Fr Con Doherty reminded us.

Fr John Finn opened our 2024 Novena, taking us through the first three days of prayer, including a special Day of Reconciliation on Day 3. We were then honoured to have three very special guest speakers join us for Days 4, 5, and 6; Margaret Griffin, Miriam Dunne, Christine O’Hara, and Ann Keating all provided us with great food for thought as they gave us a glimpse into their own personal journeys of faith, and shared the joy and solace their have found in their different relationships with Our Lady. Irish Provincial Leader Fr Joe McGee journeyed down from Dublin to lead us in the final three days of the Novena, with a beautiful Day of Healing on Day 7. Fr John Fitzgerald, Fr Con Doherty, and Fr Tom Mulcahy were among several other MSCs who joined us throughout the nine days of prayer and thanksgiving.

Each of our speakers provided us with great pause for thought in their daily reflections, and in our closing Mass, Fr Joe McGee reminded us of “the importance of simply taking time with each other and time with those we love,” reminding us that God loves each one of us, individually and personally. “God looks on this congregation and he doesn’t just see a group of people,” he reflected. “God sees each one of us individually, he sees each one of us and whatever it is that’s troubling us; whatever it is, either physically or spiritually, that makes us deaf or prevents us from speaking out. He sees and intimately unites himself with us and listens to our prayers, and that, for us, is what spirituality of the heart is all about, that God personally knows each one of us by name. In these last eight days, we have united ourselves with Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, who herself is intimately united with the heart of her son, and she too absorbs that personal concern for each one of us, and she then prayers for us to her son and presents our prayers to his father and our father.”

“There’s a real promise to you and to me that gives us the assurance that during this Novena our loving God, our father, through Jesus his son, by the intercession of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, will personally hear the prayers of each one of us, will personally take a real interest in our needs or the needs we bring for other people, in whatever it is that troubles us, and he will respond – maybe not instantly, maybe not in the way we would like, but if we just take time to attune ourselves to the spirit, we will come to know that God is indeed hearing our prayers.”

Fr John Fitzgerald, Director of the MSC Missions Office, also took the time to thank all who participated in the Novena for the generous contributions that are already making a real and valuable difference to people in urgent need around the world. For example, Fr Joe McGee recently returned from a visit to our Venezuelan mission, where our MSCs are running soup kitchens that are providing many families with the only nourishment they will have on a daily basis. Returning from his trip, Fr Joe explained how we need to do more to help the families and communities out there, but with funds running low, it is an uphill challenge. The donations received from the Novena have been an invaluable boost to our missions around the world, says Fr John: “Thanks so much, from the bottom of our hearts, because today we are celebrating the love of God for everybody and there’s absolutely, absolutely no question – because of the help that yourselves have given, there are people eating meals today and tomorrow in different places because of you.”

Each year, the MSC Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart offers a great sense of peace and comfort to all who take part, as we bring our personal intentions before the merciful heart of our Holy Mother. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who took part in what was a truly blessed occasion this year, and for your ongoing friendship and support throughout the year. God bless you all.

If you would like to watch this year’s Novena Masses,
please click here to view recordings of all nine days.
*

Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 2024

Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 2024

Our annual Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is a beautiful time of reflection and thanksgiving, when we bring our prayers and petitions before Our Lady.

Our Novena of Masses runs for nine days and will take place from Saturday, August 31st to Sunday, September 8th.

All are welcome to join in this year’s Novena Masses, which will take place daily at 10.00am and 8.00pm at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork. Daily Novena Masses will also be available to watch live from the Sacred Heart Church, as we welcome those who cannot be with us in person.

Céad míle fáilte! The Sacred Heart Parish welcomes each and every one of our mission friends and parishioners, from near and far, to pray with us during this year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

 

Be part of this year’s Novena to the Sacred Heart

At this special time of year, you can help us to help others by supporting our ongoing mission projects, and in gratitude for your contribution, we will be glad to remember your intentions at our daily Novena Masses. You can then submit your personal prayers and intentions online, and our MSC priests will remember your petitions specially throughout the course of the Novena.

The theme of year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart will centre on “The ultimate and effective remedy for broken hearts and a world unhinged.”/“Who am I that the Mother of my Lord should visit me?” (Lk 1:43). Our Novena Masses will be celebrated by our MSC priests and guest speakers over the nine days.

Each year, the Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart offers great solace and comfort to all who take part, as we bring our prayers and personal intentions before our Holy Mother. As we navigate the ongoing challenges of our troubled world, we come together in the spirit of hope, reflection, and thanksgiving at this sacred time. All are very welcome to join us, in person and online, for our Novena Masses as we come together to reflect and give thanks in the grace and love of Our Lady.

OLSH Novena at the Sacred Heart Church, Western Road, Cork

Daily Novena Masses:
10.00am & 8.00pm

Saturday, August 31st
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr John Finn MSC
“Woman behold thy son, son behold thy Mother.”
“He listens to our prayers… Let us live like You in the Love of our Son!”
Adoration & Confession: After 10.00am Mass until 1.00pm

Sunday, September 1st
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr John Finn MSC
“Lead all to the source of Living Water that flows from His heart.”
Adoration & Confession: 5.00pm – 8.00pm

Monday, September 2nd
Day of Reconciliation
Reconciliation Services celebrated by
Fr John Finn MSC
“Mary refuge of sinners, and the afflicted,
hope of the hopeless and cause of our joy.”
Confession: After 10am Mass until 12 noon

Tuesday, September 3rd
Guest speaker:
Margaret Griffin
Mary’s Flame of Love –
A call to be an Apostle of the Universal remedy of all our ills.
“Receive this flame of love, add your own and pass it on.”
Adoration & Confession: 5.00pm – 8.00pm

Wednesday, September 4th
Guest speaker:
Christine O’Hara
“Joining forces – hearts united – the Rosary Prayer.
This proven ‘X’ Factor never fails in our struggles
to overcome additions, depression, and anxiety.”

Thursday, September 5th
Guest speaker:
Ann Keating
To Jesus through Mary!
Mary – Star of the new Evangelisation.
Come to me in the Blessed Sacrament and be empowered
to go “make disciples of all Nations,
Baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit,
teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you.
Lo – I Am with you always until the end of time!”

Friday, September 6th
Day of Healing
(Anointing available at Novena Masses
at 10.00am & 8.00pm, and at 3.00pm in the hall)
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr Joe McGee MSC
“Lord, the one you love is ill!”
“See our trust in You, answer our prayers,
show yourself always our Mother, Amen.”
First Friday Devotion
“I am the Immaculate Conception.” (Our Lady of Lourdes)

Saturday, September 7th
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr Joe McGee MSC
Mary’s Immaculate Heart –
An oasis and harbour of peace and calm
amidst the trouble and struggles of life.
First Saturday Devotion
Adoration & Confession: 5.00pm – 8.00pm

Sunday, September 8th
Feast of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr Joe McGee MSC
“My soul glorifies the Lord,
My Spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.”
Thanksgiving!
“Gratitude – the hinge on which Peace & Joy swings!”

Dates to Note

• Day of Reconciliation: Monday, September 2nd
• Day of Healing: Friday, September 6th

For those who cannot be with us in person, you are very welcome to join us for our daily online Novena Masses on our live stream, united in spirit as we pray together as a great family of faith.

We welcome each and every one of you to this year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

We hope and pray that these nine days of prayer will be a grace-filled and blessed time for all of us.

TAKE PART IN OUR 2024 OLSH NOVENA

Novena to the Sacred Heart 2023

Thursday 8th June – Friday June 16th 2023

 

Céad Míle Fáilte!

On behalf  of the Sacred Heart Parish we wish to extend a sincere and warm welcome to Our Novena to the Sacred Heart  2023, with masses daily at 10am & 8pm, a beautiful time of reflection when we bring our prayers and petitions before the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

You can also partake online  by watching our daily Masses live from the Sacred Heart Church in Cork.

Thursday 8th June

Novena Mass 10am & 8pm. Theme: A Wound deep in our Heart. Brother Barry & Alexian Brother.

Adoration & Confessions after 10 am Mass – 1pm

Friday 9th June

Novena Mass 10am & 8pm. Theme  “Living with a Wounded Heart”.

Saturday 10th June

Novena Mass 10am & 8pm. Theme  “Healing our wounds”

Saturday Vigil 6.30pm

8pm: Reconciliation Service with Confession

Sunday 11th June

Novena Mass 10am & 8pm. Theme  “Sacred Heart & Family ” with Fr Con O’ Doherty MSC

Corpus Christi Procession ~Invitation to assemble at Cathedral, St Mary & St Anne for Annual Corpus Christi Procession at 2.30pm.

Monday 12th June

Novena Mass 10am & 8pm. Theme  “Jules Chevalier and Spirituality of the Heart for Today” with Fr. Manus Ferry MSC.

Tuesday 13th June

Novena Mass 10am & 8pm. Theme  “Sacred Heart – Bereavement , Grief & Loss. Stages : Acceptance & Peace”.

Wednesday 14th June

Novena Mass 10am & 8pm. Theme  “Sacred Heart & Healing”

3pm Anointing / Healing Service.

Thursday 15th June

Novena Mass 10am . Theme: Sacred Heart & Eucharist

Adoration & Confessions after 10 am Mass.

3pm- 5pm Frances Hogan :” Introduction to the Gift of Living in the Divine Will” in the MSC Hall.

Novena Mass 8pm: Theme “Sacred Heart & Divine Will”.

Friday 16th June

Novena Mass 10am . Theme “Sacred Heart & Divine Will”.

3pm-5pm Meeting with Divine Will Prayer groups in MSC Hall.

Novena Mass 8pm: Further exploration “Sacred Heart & Divine Will”.

 

Novena Prayer to the Sacred Heart

O Divine Jesus, who said,
“Ask and you shall receive”,
I kneel at your feet.
From whom shall I ask if not from you,
whose heart is the source of all blessings.
With a lively faith in you,
I come to ask…
Share your petitions silently with the Sacred Heart.
I admit I am most unworthy of your favours, Jesus,
but this is not a reason for me to be discouraged.
You are the God of mercies and you will not refuse a contrite heart.
Look with pity on me,
I beg you, and your compassionate Heart
will find in my weakness a motive for granting my request.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me.
Amen.

 

We welcome each and every one of you to this year’s Novena to the Sacred Heart.

We pray that these nine days of prayer will be a grace-filled and blessed time for all of us.

 

A season of compassion: MSC Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 2022

Sincere thanks to all who participated in our 2022 Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, which took place from Tuesday, August 31st to Wednesday, September 8th at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork.

It is with great delight that we were able to welcome friends and parishioners back to the Sacred Heart Church for this year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, after such a prolonged period of private prayer due to COVID-19 restrictions. In addition, almost 7,500 people joined us in prayer via our live stream over the course of the nine days, from all over the world, reminding us once again of the remarkable spirit of our extended Sacred Heart family, at home and across the globe. This is always a special time of year to put aside for prayer before the late Autumn and Winter seasons come upon us, and it was with grateful hearts that we celebrated the much-beloved and sacred tradition of prayer to our Blessed Mother.

The theme of our 2022 Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was “Mary, Mother of Compassion,” and Masses were celebrated by several of our MSC priests and brothers over the nine days.

Fr John Finn opened the Novena, welcoming those present in person and via our live stream, and starting us off with a simple thought: “We begin simply by inviting Jesus to touch our hearts and our lives. We ask Mary to lead us to the heart of forgiveness, the healing love and compassion of Jesus her son.”

Having reflected on the meaning of compassion during our first Novena Masses, Br Giacomo Gelardi returned with a second sermon on Day Two, reminding us that, “We need to return to the simplicity and enthusiasm, to the beauty of realising that we are instruments of the spirit.” In essence, “Let your heart beat in harmony with God’s heart,” he told us.

Day Three saw Fr Tom Mulcahy sharing the powerful message that “God is forgiveness – it isn’t that God gives forgiveness, God is forgiveness, God is compassion, God is mercy.” Following this, Day Four saw Fr Seamus Kelly pray for us all to listen to God’s signs to us as we bring his love to others, and “for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit on each and every one of us, that we too can bring the love of Christ to people throughout the world.”

On the fifth day of our Novena, Fr John Finn returned with a homily on faith, and the importance of our attitude towards our daily lives – whether we live, or simply endure. “Each day you have, each moment you live, is God’s gift, it is given to us as a gift, as something to be lived, not as a torture to be endured,” he reminded us. “Faith calls us to life. Faith calls us that when moments hit us and pierce our soul, we too would have that trust, that no matter what happens, God is present, God is there.”

Fr John Fitzgerald celebrated Mass on Day Six, with a reflection on Mary and Suffering, reminding us of the fact that Mary was human too, and “that is how we connect with her, on these days of suffering, the days when we need her”. Drawing from the theme of suffering the light of hope, Fr John prayed “that we might have patience, that we might be courageous as well, and that we might hold hope in our hearts.”

Fr John returned on Day Seven of the Novena, a special day of healing. “Our prayer today is for healing in our bodies, for healing today, physical and emotional and spiritual,” he said, along with praying for the healing power of acceptance of those things that we may not be able to change. Together, we prayed for all who are sick, suffering or in pain, for those who are healing from a broken heart in any form, for those healing through learning to walk with their past, for those suffering with anxiety, darkness or depression, addiction, and mental health issues, and for those learning to accept sickness and heal in a recovery of the soul. Fr John finished for a prayer for healers everywhere, giving thanks for the “magnificent people who are carers and healers in our world”.

Fr Joe McGee journeyed from Dublin to celebrate the final two days of the Novena, bringing a blessed nine days of prayer to a beautiful close. “My wish for all of us at the end of the Novena, for all of us here and those joining us online, that in some way this Novena will bring us closer to Mary, who brings us closer to the Lord, who helps us to ponder the mysteries of our lives,” he said.

At the closing Masses, parish priest Fr Tom Mulcahy paused to thank everyone who contributed to making this year’s Novena such a special one, particularly as it is the last Novena that he will prepare as parish priest of the Sacred Heart parish. Giving sincere thanks to everybody involved in the preparation and the celebrations, Fr Tom also prayed in gratitude for all who took part in this year’s Novena Masses, in the Sacred Heart Church and on our webcam streaming service. “We thank God for your presence,” he said. “I hope it has been a blessing for you as it has been for us.”

“May God bless you, and all your prayers that you have placed in the hands of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart; she is the hope of the hopeless,” Fr Tom continued.

“The Lord knows how to work, and the mother of the Lord is always with us. God bless you all.”

Year upon year, the MSC Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart offers great solace and comfort to all who take part, as we bring our prayers and personal intentions before our Holy Mother. Once again, we send our heartfelt thanks to everyone who took part in what was a truly blessed occasion this year, and for your ongoing friendship and support. God bless you all.

If you would like to watch this year’s Novena Masses,
please click here to view recordings of all nine days.
*

Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 2022

Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 2022

Our annual Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is a beautiful time of reflection and thanksgiving, when we bring our prayers and petitions before Our Lady.

Our Novena of Masses runs for nine days and will take place from Wednesday, August 31st to Thursday, September 8th.

All are welcome to join in this year’s Novena Masses, which will take place daily at 10.00am and 7.30pm at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork. Daily Novena Masses will also be available to watch live from the Sacred Heart Church, as we welcome those who cannot be with us in person.

The Sacred Heart Parish welcomes each and every one of our mission friends and parishioners, from near and far, to pray with us during this year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

 

Be part of this year’s Novena to the Sacred Heart

At this special time of year, you can help us to help others by supporting our ongoing mission projects, and in gratitude for your contribution, we will be glad to remember your intentions at our daily Novena Masses. You can then submit your personal prayers and intentions online, and our MSC priests will remember your petitions specially throughout the course of the Novena.

The theme of year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart will be “Mary, Mother of Compassion”, and it will be celebrated several of our MSC priests and brothers over the nine days.

Each year, the Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart offers great solace and comfort to all who take part, as we bring our prayers and personal intentions before our Holy Mother. As we emerge from the immediate difficulties of the past two and a half years, and continue to navigate the ongoing challenges of our troubled world, we come together in the spirit of hope, reflection, and thanksgiving at this sacred time. All are very welcome to join us, in person and online, for our Novena Masses as we come together to reflect and give thanks in the grace and love of Our Lady.

OLSH Novena at the Sacred Heart Church, Western Road, Cork

Daily Novena Masses:
10.00am & 7.30pm

Wednesday, August 31^st 
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr John Finn MSC & Bro Giacomo Gelardi MSC

Thursday, September 1^st 
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr Tom Mulcahy MSC & Bro Giacomo Gelardi MSC

Friday, September 2^nd
Day of Reconciliation
Penitential Services celebrated by
Fr Tom Mulcahy MSC

Saturday, September 3^rd
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr Seamus Kelly MSC

Sunday, September 4^th
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr John Finn MSC

Monday, September 5^th
Reflection on Mary & Suffering
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr John Fitzgerald MSC

Tuesday, September 6^th
Day of Healing
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr John Fitzgerald MSC

Wednesday, September 7^th
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr Joe McGee MSC

Thursday, September 8^th
Novena Masses celebrated by
Fr Joe McGee MSC

Dates to Note

• Day of Reconciliation: Friday, September 2nd
• Reflection on Mary & Suffering: Monday, September 5th
• Day of Healing: Tuesday, September 6th

For those who cannot be with us in person, you are very welcome to join us for our daily online Novena Masses on our live stream, united in spirit as we pray together as a great family of faith.

We welcome each and every one of you to this year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

We hope and pray that these nine days of prayer will be a grace-filled and blessed time for all of us.

TAKE PART IN OUR 2022 OLSH NOVENA

“We dare to hope”: Celebrating Easter 2022

It is with grateful hearts that we thank all who joined us in prayer throughout the glorious Easter season this year – a triumphant celebration of the Resurrection that was all the more beautiful for seeing friends and parishioners in person at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork, after all of the lockdowns and restrictions of the past two years.

Over the course of Holy Week and Easter, over 6,000 people prayed with us via our live stream, from here at home in Ireland and the UK, to far-flung corners of the globe including Malaysia, Mauritius, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago – and everywhere in between! On Easter Sunday alone, over 1,300 people tuned into our live stream to join in with our Easter celebrations, beginning with our Easter Dawn Mass at 6.00am.

Our Easter Garden took pride of place in the Sacred Heart Church once again this year, with our sincere gratitude to all who took such care in its construction and maintenance. Our Family Tree of Life Book, a lovely Easter tradition that celebrates the joy and value of family at this special time of year, was positioned on the altar as our MSCs pray for all those enrolled throughout the Easter season.

On Easter Sunday morning, MSC Missions Office Director Fr John Fitzgerald celebrated our annual Easter Dawn Mass, reflecting, “There is something there that seems to stretching us, to imagine that from this winter and from this darkness, something is coming, something is coming forth. There is a stretch. There is a stretch in the evenings, the grasses are stretching, and the catkins on the trees are stretching, the lambs in the field are stretching… There is an awakening, a pushing of a boundary, and we are asked to respond.”

“We need this time of the year”, Fr John continued. “We need this time of the calendar year and the liturgical year to survive, where we plant new seeds, where we plant new crops, and we move from the darkness and the harshness, and we take a chance getting up in the morning, knowing that even with the cloud, the sun will rise.”

In celebration of the Resurrection, the theme of hope and light sprang forth on Easter Sunday morning – a theme that resonates with each one of us, as we continue to navigate a global landscape of war, violence, political unrest, and the ongoing pandemic. “We are a people of hope,” said Fr John. “We are a people who must hope a lot, and we dare to hope… It seems like a dangerous world, and yet we dare to come here today to celebrate hope and encouragement.”

It is with this hope singing in our hearts that we welcome the light, the stretch, and the brighter days of spring and summer to come, with every grace and blessing of the Sacred Heart to our mission friends everywhere, this Easter season and throughout the year ahead.

Click here to watch a recording of our 2022 Easter Dawn Mass.
*

A virtual celebration: The 2021 MSC Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

Heartfelt thanks to all who participated in our 2021 Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, which took place from Tuesday, August 31st to Wednesday, September 8th at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road, Cork.

While this year’s Novena once again took place behind closed doors due to COVID-19 restrictions, it was nonetheless a truly blessed celebration of a much-loved annual tradition. It is of course difficult to navigate a new way of living, and in this case, a new way of praying, but the fact that we could not come together in person did not take from the wonderful sense of community and connection that comes with being part of our great family of faith. Over 9,300 people joined us in prayer via our live stream over the course of the nine days, reminding us of the tremendous spirit of our extended Sacred Heart family, at home and across the world.

The theme of our 2021 Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was “Hope of the Hopeless”, and Fr Paul Clayton-Lea was the lead celebrant this year.

Fr Paul is a priest of the Archdiocese of Armagh, who has enjoyed a wide and varied ministry to date and is currently the priest in residence in the parish of Termonfeckin, Co. Louth. Having studied Education and Family Ministry at Fordham University in New York in 1988, he also ministered in the Riverdale area of the Bronx at the time, and has since served as a teacher of politics and religion, a college chaplain at DKIT, a Diocesan Advisor for Religious Education, and a parish priest. Author of In The Light Of The Word: Family Life Through The Lens Of Scripture, which was published by Veritas in 2018, Fr Paul is also about to resume his position as editor of Intercom, the monthly magazine of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference. We were delighted to welcome Fr Paul to the Sacred Heart Church, and we are very grateful for his contribution to this year’s celebrations.

“May Mary and her merciful heart bless all of us.”

Fr Paul provided us with pause for thought in his daily sermons, summing up our great blessings in the closing Mass on the evening of September 8^th. “Wouldn’t it be beautiful to be free of the lure of the world?” he asked. “Free from the things that draw us in and suck us in all the time, making us want this and want that and want more. Mary may not offer us all the wealth that we want, all the success that we want, but she will make sure that we do not want.”

“May Mary and her merciful heart bless all of us,” he concluded.

At the closing Mass, Fr Tom Mulcahy MSC spoke on behalf of Fr Michael O’Connell, who had travelled to Dublin on the final day of the Novena to attend the Perpetual Profession of Br Giacomo Gelardi to the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. “Fr Michael asked me to speak to you to thank you for being with us and walking with us,” said Fr Tom. “We’re a tremendous outreach in the world; I remember being at an international conference and one of the Indian brethren said, ‘If it weren’t for the Irish Province of the MSCs, we couldn’t continue’. So, we’re helping so many other people. You’re helping so many other people. You walk with us and pray with us and celebrate with us.”

Once again, we send our sincere thanks to everyone who took part in what was a truly blessed occasion, and for your ongoing friendship and support. God bless you all.

If you would like to watch this year’s Novena Masses,
please click here to view recordings of our 2021 MSC Novena to the Sacred Heart.

 

Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 2021

Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 2021

Our annual Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is a beautiful time of reflection and thanksgiving, when we bring our prayers and petitions before Our Lady.

Our Novena of Masses runs for nine days and will take place from Tuesday, August 31st to Wednesday, September 8th.

All are welcome to join in the Novena by watching our daily Masses live from the Sacred Heart Church in Cork. These Novena Masses will take place daily at 10.00am and 7.30pm.

Please note that this year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart will be streamed online only, due to ongoing COVID-19 government restrictions.

 

Be part of this year’s Novena to the Sacred Heart

At this special time of year, you can help us to help others by supporting our ongoing mission projects, and in gratitude for your contribution, we will be glad to remember your intentions at our daily Novena Masses. You can then submit your personal prayers and intentions online, and our MSC priests will remember your petitions specially throughout the course of the Novena.

The theme of year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart will be “Hope of the Hopeless”, and it will be celebrated by Fr Paul Clayton-Lea.

Fr Paul is a priest of the Archdiocese of Armagh, who has enjoyed a wide and varied ministry to date and is currently the priest in residence in the parish of Termonfeckin, Co. Louth. Having studied Education and Family Ministry at Fordham University in New York in 1988, he also ministered in the Riverdale area of the Bronx at the time, and has since served as a teacher of politics and religion, a college chaplain at DKIT, a Diocesan Advisor for Religious Education, and a parish priest. Author of In The Light Of The Word: Family Life Through The Lens Of Scripture, which was published by Veritas in 2018, Fr Paul is also about to resume his position as editor of Intercom, the monthly magazine of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference. We very much look forward to welcoming Fr Paul to the Sacred Heart Church as we celebrate this year’s Novena together.

Each year, the Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart offers great solace and comfort, as we bring our intentions before our Holy Mother. The past year and a half has brought with it enormous challenges, and now, we look to the future with renewed hope; all are very welcome to join us online for our Novena Masses as we come together to reflect and give thanks in the grace and love of Our Lady.

OLSH Novena at the Sacred Heart Church, Western Road, Cork

Daily Novena Masses: 10.00am & 7.30pm

Day of Reconciliation: Friday, September 3rd
Day for the Dead: Monday, September 6th
Day of Healing: Tuesday, September 7th
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: Thursday, September 9th (10.00am – 2.00pm)

All are very welcome to join us for our daily online Novena Masses on our live stream. While we continue to be restricted in our ability to pray together in person, we remain ever united in spirit as part of our great family of faith.

We welcome each and every one of you to this year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

We hope and pray that these nine days of prayer will be a grace-filled and blessed time for all of us.

TAKE PART IN OUR 2021 OLSH NOVENA

Welcome back to the Sacred Heart Church and the MSC Missions Office!

We are delighted to be able to open our doors once again, and welcome old friends and new safely back to the Sacred Heart Church and the MSC Missions Office on the Western Road in Cork.

After a long period of restrictions and closures, it is with great joy that we see the return of familiar faces and greet new acquaintances here on the Western Road.

Last Monday, May 10^th, saw a return to worship in the Sacred Heart Church and churches all over the country, while our MSC Missions Office was permitted to re-open a week later, on May 17^th. Our first caller was at the door at 9.00am, to collect her Blue Book of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, and Fr Michael and Anne were waiting with a warm welcome!

The Sacred Heart Church remains open for Masses and daily prayer, and the MSC Missions Office is open daily from 9.00am to 4.50pm.

We are also operating as usual online, where you can participate in our daily Masses, or choose from a selection of Mass cards, Mass enrolment books, and special gifts to be delivered straight to your door.

With every blessing and best wishes to shops, businesses, and services who are re-opening across the country. May this be the beginning of a time of new hope for us all. Take care and stay safe as we enjoy venturing out once again!

A Journey with St Patrick ♣

This St. Patrick’s day we will be having a special reflection evening in the Sacred Heart Church on Western Road with Music, Song and Poetry on our Live Stream at 7pm.

 

 

 

 

Novena to the Sacred Heart 2020

The Novena of the Sacred Heart is a very special time of the the year for us and with our recent challenges and lifestyle changes now  is a great time for us to reflect and pray with each other during the Novena this year which is happening from the 11th-19th June (albeit behind closed doors) and finishing with the celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart on the final day. All our MSC’s will be participating in this year’s Novena online and you are more than welcome to join us during  by watching our daily Masses live from the Sacred Heart Church in Cork. These Novena Masses will take place daily at 10.00 am and 7.30 pm, with a special Angelus session each day at noon.

SCHEDULE

 

THURSDAY 11TH JUNE – WELCOME TO THE UNIQUE NOVENA   Homilist Fr John Finn MSC

FRIDAY  12TH JUNE –  PRAYER BY YOUR FIRESIDE  Homilist Fr John Fitzgerald MSC

SATURDAY  13TH JUNE –  MARY AS MOTHER AND DISCIPLE Homilist Fr Des Farren MSC

SUNDAY  14TH JUNE –  CORPUS CHRISTI/PETITIONS  Homilist Fr Michael O’Connell MSC

             “Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened” Mt 11:28

                    “This is my body given up for you. Do this in memory of me” Lk 22:19

MONDAY   15TH JUNE – VOCATION & MISSION  Homilist Fr. Alan Neville MSC

TUESDAY 16TH JUNE – FAMILY Homilist Fr. Seamus Kelly MSC

WEDNESDAY 17TH JUNE – REMEMBERING OUR DEAD Homilist Fr. John Fitzgerald MSC

THURSDAY 18TH JUNE – HEALING AND FORGIVENESS Homilist Fr. John Finn MSC

FRIDAY 19TH JUNE – FEAST OF THE SACRED HEARTHomilist Fr. Alan Neville MSC

 

Be part of this year’s Novena to the Sacred Heart

This year’s pandemic has caused a devastating effect on us all and now more than ever is a good time to support those less fortunate and you can help us to help others by supporting our ongoing mission projects, and in gratitude for your contribution, we will be glad to remember your intentions at our daily Novena Masses. You can also submit your personal prayers and intentions online, and our MSC priests will remember your petitions specially throughout the course of the Novena.

 

Novena Prayer to the Sacred Heart

O Divine Jesus, who said,
“Ask and you shall receive”,
I kneel at your feet.
From whom shall I ask if not form you,
whose heart is the source of all blessings.
With a lively faith in you,
I come to ask…
Share your petitions silently with the Sacred Heart.
I admit I am the most unworthy of your favours, Jesus,
But this is not a reason for me to be discouraged.
You are the God of mercies and you will not refuse a contrite heart.
Look with pity on me,
I beg you, and your compassionate Heart
will find in my weakness a motive for granting my request.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me.
Amen.

SUPPORT MSC MISSION PROJECTS

Sacred Heart parishioners fundraising for Venezuela

On Sunday, September 22^nd, the parishioners of the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road in Cork came out in great style for a family fun day, to raise funds for our Venezuelan mission. Our MSCs have spent over 50 years working in regions of profound hardship in Venezuela, and today, the population is deep in the worst political, social, economic, and humanitarian crisis ever experienced in the country’s history.

The day began after 10.00am Mass, and was filled to the brim with fun, games, and a sweet treat or two! There were raffles, face-painting, art projects for children, tables selling jewellery, bags, clothes, Delph, lamps, cushions, and homeware, plus enough tea, coffee, and cakes to keep everyone going through the day.

At 2.00pm, there was music and entertainment, and at 7.00pm that evening, participants in a table quiz filled the hall. There were plenty of spot prizes awarded during the evening’s festivities, and everyone involved had a wonderful time.

Fr Vincent Screene MSC is currently back in Ireland from the Venezuelan mission. He came to support the fundraising on the day, and explained to those in attendance just how much of a struggle life is for the people of Venezuela in the grip of the current social and political turmoil.

The fundraising day raised over €8,000 for our Venezuelan mission. This will make an enormous difference to the communities served by our missionaries in the troubled region, and we send our sincere and heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated for their enthusiasm and generosity of time and spirit.

“With the help and support of friends, a lady called Mary Kate made this possible,” said Fr Michael O’Connell MSC, director of the MSC Missions Office on the Western Road. “Special thanks to Mary Kate, our friends, and all the businesses who so kindly donated spot prizes.”

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS IN VENEZUELA

Find out more about our missionary outreach in Venezuela

Read Fr Michael’s diary from his 2019 visit to Venezuela