2023, the MSC year that was…
Each year we post the overview of the province requested by the General Administration – an opportunity to look back at some of the highlights of the year. For a weekend read...
On the world stage, 2023 was a very sad year – wars in Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, Gaza and the Middle East. There could be no 2023 Nativity celebrations in Bethlehem.
On the other hand, 2023 was a very positive year for the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. General Chapter, Provincial Chapter.
April saw the Provincial Chapter held at the Josephite Centre at Baulkham Hills, Sydney. There were 65 voting participants, nine from Vietnam. The students in pre-novitiate and in temporary vows were present staffing the chapter, an opportunity to appreciate something of the life of the province and hopes for the future.
Andre Claessens from the General Administration was the delegate at the chapter. Not only were the MSC present, but quite a number of lay women and men involved in the life of the province, at provincial administration, secretarial, finance, safeguarding, education, aged care, Chevalier Institute, Heart of Life Centre.
There was an atmosphere of Communal Discernment, days opening with prayer and reflection, a range of celebrants for the daily Eucharist, the Eucharist and meal with Bishop Vincent Long OFM.Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, the diocese where the Chapter took place.
There were formal presentations but much of the discussion took place in groups made up of the cross-section of the province, findings formulated, coordinated by the secretarial group, worked on for final statements by the Resolutions Committee. Amongst the key issues were support for the Indigenous Voice, issues of Senior Living, Laudato si, safeguarding, the future of St Mary's Towers, administration in Japan, Vietnam. The agenda came from the report from Provincial, Chris McPhee.
Delegates were elected for the General chapter: John Mulrooney, Peter Carroll, substitutes Peter Hendriks, Chris McPhee.
Stephen Hackett was elected the new Provincial Superior. He later appointed as his council: KimI Venivesilevu, First Councillor, Phil Hicks, Dominic Gleeson, Pat Mara, Thoi Tran and Peter Hendriks as Provincial Secretary.
The Australian presence at the General Chapter: Stephen Hackett, Provincial Superior, delegates, John Mulrooney, Peter Carroll, General Councillor, Chris Chaplin, responsible for Safeguarding, Tim Brennan.
There were three deaths in the province in 2023: Tony Young who died in Eastern Papua aged 87 and was buried there; John Conroy who died at the Little Sisters of the Poor, Randwick, aged 88;
and the senior member of the province, Albert Yelds, 53 years professed, 70 years ordained, aged 98, a veteran promoter of Devotion to the Sacred Heart, missionary in India, missionary decades in Kiribati.
Much the 17th saw the ordination to the diaconate of Kenji Konda at Kensington monastery. December 2nd saw the making of Final Profession by Trieu Nguyen and Daniel Magadia at St Thomas’, Blackburn.
After some time living in the community at Blackburn, Nang Dinh Vu and Van Long Tran began their pre-novitiate training at Douglas Park, under the direction of Dominic Gleeson.
2023 was also the year of celebration of 25 years of the MSC Australian Mission Office, under the direction of Roger Purcell, Sean Donovan member of the office for many years. Celebrations included a Mass at Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney, presided over by Cardinal John Ribat, with the presence of a number of international delegates from Asia and the Pacific who had come for the Mission Office conference and formal meetings. There were items in the Mission Office Newsletter (in print and on-line), a booklet on the 25 years, and many episodes of the daily podcast, Mission Alive.
As regards missions and the Australian MSC presence, there are now only three Australian MSC in Japan, in their 80s, Brian Taylor, John Graham, Keith Humphreys. With the death of Tony Young and Russell Anderson and Paul Guy coming south, there are only two Australian MSC in PNG, Joe Ensing in Eastern Papua, Brian Cahill at Tarpini. With the SVD coming to the Tiwi Islands and Peter Huan moving from Daly River, the MSC in the Northern Territory are: Malcolm Fyfe, vicar general, resigning in September after many years, John Kelliher, parish priest of Nightcliff, Leo Wearden, parish priest of Wadeye, and Peter Huan at The Ranch. Colin Sinclair is in Fiji.
The MSC spirit in the Colleges is very strong, witnessed, for instance, by the significant celebrations for the Feast of the Sacred Heart and Chevalier Day. Mark McGinnitty is representative for MSC education. The Chevalier Institute, under the direction of Anne McAtomney, runs programs for our schools and staffs. There are College Board meetings, MSC Education Board meetings. For some years, interrupted by Covid, there have been MSC Education pilgrimage tours in Issoudun.
The MSC presence in colleges: Downlands, Vince Carroll; Chevalier, John Mulrooney, (John Franzmann transferring to Kensington); Ted McCormack in retirement at Monivae; chaplaincy at Daramalan with Kimi Venivesilevu, parish priest of Kippax.
With the diminishment in numbers in the province, the MSC withdrew from Henley Beach at the end of 2022, from Kings Meadow, Launceston, at the beginning of 2024. Our Indian confrere, Bartha, is parish priest of Moonah. Our other Indian confrere, Michael Nithan, is on the staff at Randwick parish. Thang Nhu Nguyen, Chaplain at the Prince of Wales Hospital, moved from Coogee to Randwick. We continue to serve the four parishes in Sydney. Our other southern parishes are in the ACT, Kippax, and in Victoria, Blackburn.
One of the key challenges to the province is the future of St Mary’s Towers, Douglas Park. Situations have changed, especially since Covid, with those coming to make retreats, diminishing numbers. Consultants offered some plans for consideration at the Provincial Chapter. A committee will consider options, possibilities, plans during 2024.
Most of the Australian MSC are located in New South Wales, especially at Kensington monastery which includes the Chevalier Resource Centre as well as St Joseph’s Home for aged care, as well as at Douglas Park. Key to the care of those at Kensington, is the presence of Catherine Molihan, responsible for aged care in the province. There is a significant increase in the numbers of men in the province who have Aged Care packages of government support. There are also 20 MSC in the Victoria-Tasmania community, most in Melbourne, six in their 80s, and, students and formator, five in their 30s. And some in between.
A highlight of 2023 was the celebration of 40 years of the Heart of Life Centre, renamed in 2017 the Heart of Life Centre for Spiritual and Pastoral Formation. MSC on staff are Peter Malone and Khoi Nguyen. Robyn Reynolds OLSH finished years of lecturing and, sadly, died in October.
There were several special events and special programs offered. However, the main celebration took place on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, a large gathering of former participants in programs, the staff, an MSC presence including Provincial Superior, Chris McPhee, and, guest of honour, the founder of Heart of Life, Brian Gallagher. Chris McPhee provided at the Eucharist, a book of testimonies to the impact of Heart of Life and, especially, of Siloam, the Spiritual Directors Program, Celebrating 40 Years: Reflections on a Ruby Anniversary, edited by Brian Gallagher, was launched, as was the continuation of the previous History of Heart of Life, by Peter Malone.
In the 40 years of Heart of Life, the centre has rented premises from different religious congregations. In the latter part of 2023, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart bought the Croydon property (where priests at the Scholasticate celebrated daily masses) of the Family Care Sisters, popularly known as the Great Sisters. Their farewell Mass was celebrated at Croydon Parish Church which is the former Chapel of the Scholasticate, enlarged. And, the 2023 graduation ceremonies were held there as well.
This means that Heart of Life now has a permanent home, owned by the MSC. The move from the previous premises, Kildara, Malvern, took place in December after finalising of the sale on December 1st. At year’s end, some repairs and renovations are underway, the academic year 2024 beginning at Kewn Kreestha, name of the property, the Rest of Christ, the Family Care Sisters’ name for their home for care for mothers.
This is the Australian report. There is a separate report on the MSC Vietnam, written there.
