Letter to the Province, Chris McPhee MSC
Chris McPhee has been re-elected as Provincial of the Australian Province. The ballot was conducted by mail. The re-election was ratified by the General Administration. See the letter below. The second term begins on January 1st 2021.
Monday, 4 May 2020
Dear brothers MSC,
During this time of extraordinary disruption and anxiety due to COVID-19, may I take this opportunity to sincerely, humbly and with much gratitude convey my heartfelt thanks to all of you who have overwhelmingly affirmed me as your Provincial for another term. Truly, your affirmation, support and encouragement has touched me deeply and for that I would like to say a big Thank You.
I would also like to express my appreciation to the Provincial team working here at Treand House, who day in and day out keep the Province running. Firstly, a big thank you to Stephen Dives MSC and Frank Dineen MSC, who both over the past two and a half years have been fantastic in their loving support, encouragement and yet provided me with positive challenges – thank you. For the administration support from Gloria Macinante, Meta Jackman, Andrew Mir, Phil Reilly MSC, Maria Oei and Anne-Marie Snelling – thank you. To our Provincial Council who have been central in their guidance and direction of the Province – thank you.
During this Easter period, we again heard the story of the road to Emmaus. This was the same reading that was used at our final mass of the Chapter of 2016. There, in our thanksgiving mass I quoted the disciples sharing: “Did not our hearts burn as we walked… did not our hearts burn within us.”
This story always touches something deep within all of us. In a way, it touches our own experience of being touched deeply by his Heart…
As I have often shared with you all in past letters… It is a heart on the outside – a heart vulnerable – a heart open to failure – a heart open to compassion, to love, and to intimacy. A heart being poured into ours.
This COVID-19 pandemic reminds us that we are—deep down—Spiritual beings and makes us recognize that the problem of coronavirus is right here in our community, today, both locally and internationally. It is the challenge that we MSCs face today; it is a challenge that calls us to be MSC men of compassion; to be witnesses of the one thing we are all certain about – the intimate love of God. To be there, in the face of all anxiety, that we are not alone, that we too together with all humanity, walk the road to Emmaus.
Though the COVID-19 crisis has brought the world to a halt and sadly, the health and economic impact will be disastrous, I feel that we can take heart from our MSC past. This is not the first time we as a community have had to face major challenges. This past week we have just remembered all the ANZACS, and at the same time we remember all those MSC who gave of their life for a future. We remember people like Ted Harris MSC, Clifford Brennan MSC, Dave McCullagh MSC, Peter Tarot, and the list could go on… to the MSC martyrs of Indonesia, like Johannes Aerts and five MSC priests and eight MSC brothers… not to mention other MSC from a different period of history from Guatemala, El Salvador and Spain. All these men lived out of their own conviction of being a missionary of the One who loved them into life. As Simone Veil said once; the love of God is the unique source of all certainty.
It is this source of all certainty that we need today – this love that comes from God that will ground us and eventually lead us into the direction we are being taken. As Chevalier contemplated the Heart of Christ, in whom is revealed the compassionate love of the Father, he discovered there the remedy for the ills of the world. Inspired by that love and guided by the Holy Spirit, he founded within the Church the Society of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. [CN#3] It is this certainty, the Heart of Christ, that we can all hold on to. It is what all those MSC who have gone before us lived by – was the source, the love of God, of all certainty.
Back in 2016, I quoted the Archbishop of Canterbury saying something like “we cannot see down the road … we just cannot see down the road.” At that time, I thought this to be extraordinary for a bishop to be saying such a thing – in the past we all thought that the Church would have had all the answers. But today we just do not know. None of us can see down the road.
Finally, like the two on the road to Emmaus, in this COVID-19 period and beyond, if we strive to transform our shared vulnerability, our shared isolation into an opportunity for communal solitude, we might discover that it is, as it has always been, an opening to the Source of all certainty – the love of God. Like the two who sat with the stranger on the road to Emmaus, who broke bread and shared wine, we too will meet the Risen One… we will meet hope… we will meet love… and finally we will meet our direction and our meaning in all this disruption and anxiety… we will meet the heart of Christ – the One who loves all of us into life.
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved!
With much loving gratitude and support as we move together into the future,
In His Heart
Chris R McPhee msc
Provincial MSC Australia
MISSIONARI DEL SACRO CUORE
Via Asmara, II - 00 I 99 Roma
Tel. 06.862.20.61 - Fax 06.862.15.627
Rome, April 21, 2020 Prot. N. 20/Secr/20
Fr. Christopher McPhee, MSC MSC Province of Australia PO Box 252
Coogee NSW 2034
AUSTRALIA
Dear Fr. Chris,
I am happy to convey to you the official confirmation, by Father General, Mario Abzal6n Alvarado Tovar, of your election on April 21th, 2020 (According to provincial statutes 3.1), as Provincial of the PROVINCE OF AUSTRALIA for a second mandate of three years, in accordance with CS 170 § 4, beginning on January 1st 2021.
All the members of the General Administration extend their good wishes and prayers for a fruitful ministry and service.
Sincerely in the Heart of Christ,
Michael Miller, MSC Secretary General
Last weekend saw World Day of Prayer for Vocations. We add a poster.
