_{December 8th  MSC Foundation Day. The Mission Heritage}

_{We are all familiar with the Novena made by Jules Chevalier and Edouard Maugenest to end on the declaration day by Pius IX of the Immaculate Conception of Mary – and the donation that enabled the two to establish the congregation.}

_{As a tribute to this French spiritual and missionary heritage, here is the core of an address to the French Province by Rochus Tatamai MSC (now Archbishop of Rabaul) when he was on the Basilica staff in 2004.}

_{“As Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, you helped us to respect ourselves and to love each other, especially to love our traditional enemies. You gave us the teaching of Jesus Christ, the Good News. You baptized us into the Body of Christ.}

_{As linguists, you learned and you spoke our languages . You wrote our dictionaries and you taught us our own grammar.}

_{As diplomats, you negotiated with civil authorities for us. You taught us about our own human rights and about religious freedom.}

_{As mediators, you reconciled tribes that were at war. You promoted other cultural values such as the mutual exchange of gifts in order to reach reconciliation. You courageously opposed the traditional law of vengeance (pay back). You won the trust and respect of our people.}

_{As builders, you built our churches, our schools, our clinics, our roads, our bridges and our ports.}

_{As teachers, you taught us to read and write.}

_{As anthropologists, you studied our social structures and you entered into our Melanesian vision of the world. You used our chants and dances to express our faith in the liturgy and in the celebration of the sacraments.}

_{As mystics, you studied our religious beliefs and our initiation rites. You explored our sacred space and time. We recognize you as spiritual men, men of prayer, men of God.}

_{As experts in agriculture, you taught us new ways to cultivate the earth and to produce crops.}

_{As doctors, you healed us with your "miracles" when you gave us your medicine and your knowledge.}

_{And as Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, you gave us a God of love who fills us with hope.}

_{You are the entire religious province of France/Switzerland which has always considered my country a priority in the service of the mission, with all the Fathers and Brothers already deceased, often at a very young age, who gave their lives for us.}

_{To all of you great THANKS and to the God whom you have represented, glory and praise forever!”}