RIP, Joseph Heggelin MSC
Sad news from Issoudun
Ad Vitam Aeternam...
A few days ago, we received news that Fr Joseph Heggelin MSC,had contracted covid-19.
P. P. Jozef Hegglin, MSC passed away tonight in Nitra, Slovakia.
Born in 1946 in Lucerne. He studied philosophy in Freiburg and theology in Strasbourg, where he graduated from ThLic. He was ordained a priest in 1972 and worked in Switzerland, France, Kiribati and Slovakia.
Tribute from Robati MSC, Kiribati
He studied spiritual accompaniment for a year at ISL Institute Chicago. He has completed several courses and training in ignatian spirituality and psychology in Nebraska and Philadelphia, USA, Paris and Munich. For the past 15 years, he has been conducting spiritual exercises and various programs in the ′′ House of the Heart of Jesus ′′ in Nitra.
We entrust our brother to God's mercy.
About 13 years ago, Joe Heggelin produced a video about the new foundation in Slovakia, in 2014 he wrote to us – it is a memoir of his life and ministry.
Thanks for sending me regularly the Australian MSC Province News! I appreciate, that I am not forgotten in Australia! During my time in the Pacific Union I was for 15 years very much connected with your Province, that is why I enjoy reading its “News” and hearing from and about old acquaintances!
It might be up to me to tell you and those, who remember me, a bit about my life and work. After leaving Oceania in 1993, I was six years leader of the French Province, spent a sabbatical in Chicago and have been working since the year 2000 in Nitra. The MSCs came to Slovakia in 1994 and opened four years later a spiritual center in Lukov Dvor, two kilometers outside of Nitra. It is a very beautiful, house surrounded by a big park. We can take in some 30 people at a time.
Since 2002 four OLSH sisters from Kiribati look after the “House of the Sacred Heart” as it is called. Together with a team (Pavol, our superior, three psychologists-psychotherapists and three sisters of the Congregatia Jesu) I give courses and retreats. Several times a year we offer a 6 day "Life's Healing Journey", individual retreats, a “home made” weeklong program about self-esteem as well as weekends with various topics such as “Nonviolent Communication" etc.
We consider teaching the language of the heart - of the human heart and of the divine heart – as our mission. Jesus' heart is open to all who come to him, especially to those, who search for love, for understanding, for healing. And many people come to Lukov Dvor with wounded hearts. For the last 10 years I have been working with women, who were as children sexually abused. I am very grateful to your MSC Mission Office which has supported this apostolate financially.
Besides accompanying quite a few people in spiritual direction I got involved in still another ministry: last year the bishop asked me to become the diocesan exorcist. He knew, that I had some experiences in this area while in Kiribati. Thanks to the Australian Annals I heard about a famous Spanish exorcist, Jose Fortea, who gave a couple of talks in Sydney. I got in touch with him. In some way he has become my mentor!
