After some input from Tim we went into group to share the safeguarding journey from each of our MSC Provinces or Unions. We looked at the progress to date, difficulties and challenges.  Also we spent time imagining what could be the next steps in our Provinces and Unions. 

Tim went to a great deal of effort to be with us because the zoom session finished for Tim at about 1:30 am (Rome time) in the morning. We were very grateful for Tim’s input. 

In the afternoon we looked at some reflections on JPIC in the context of the APIA conference.  We pondered on the theme entitled ‘The Pope, the environmental crisis, and the frontline leaders”.  Fr Andreas then showed participants a segment of the film, “The Letter”.    After this we went into group again and we shared our experience of what’s happening in our countries; what are the challenges; what is the climate telling us and what are the possibilities for the present and for the future.  Of particular importance was the reflection on, ‘what are the positives and the challenges that have you been living through in your country of origin.’

RIP. Gerard (Gerry) Burke MSC

Word has come that Gerry died this afternoon, peacefully at St Joseph’s, Kensington. He was 88 

Gerry went to school at Chevalier College, made his novitiate at St Mary’s Towers, Douglas Park, and made his profession on August 5, 1953. We are acknowledging 66 years of profession and MSC ministry.

In looking at the many decades of Gerry’s life as an MSC, the words from St John’s Gospel come to mind, that if everything about Jesus was to be written down, there would not be enough room in the whole world for the books!

But, here is a brief attempt. First of all, Gerry worked for many years in MSC schools, especially in Monivae. Chevalier and St John’s in Darwin. And, in early years, he was at the Sacred Heart Monastery in Croydon. That was just for some starters…

With Eugene Hurley, retired bishop of Darwn

In many years in Darwin from which he retired to Chevalier several years ago, he was on the staff of St John’s College, at Mission headquarters, a prison chaplain, visited the sick… Speaking of the sick, he did a CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) program in Canberra, drawing on this experience at such places as the hospital in Mackay, and he was one of the directors of Encompass in Sydney.

At Chevalier 2022 with MSC Students

In recent months he moved to Kensington monastery. And a joyful memory of Gerry, Sacred Heart Day, Chevalier, 2022

Vietnam, letter and photos from Uncle Bob

Nuns and coffee crop next door to the convent

Dear Friends,

Greetings again from Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

I hope that you and yours are all doing ok as we all race towards Christmas.

I thought it was that time to send some news about MSC Vietnam, busy as usual.

Parish council – Danh and deacon Quy Jr

Recently we had our first tsunami of the season: in MSC Viet talk it means that a crowd of MSC students have swept into my apartment, and several hours later have left, leaving cupboards and refrigerator bare: not quite true, of course, but close! It is a nice custom; Friday pm, short English class, mass, dinner, socialise.

Entry to Novitiate, English, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Hindi

We welcomed our 3 new deacons on 30^th Oct…and what a gathering it was! Two days later I left for Manila to meet up with MSC Viet there and their formators in the scholasticate and novitiate, including Gene, the previous novice master, who is thankfully coming on staff here in Vietnam next year. After a few days there it was back to Vietnam, and refreshingly, no bribes were needed at the borders! But my next visa will require a trip to the dreaded Cambodia border!

Novitiate hermitage

On the Sunday that St Brigid’s Coogee celebrated its centenary, (really sorry I missed it) a bus load of us travelled 4-5 hours north to attend the funeral services for the father of Minh. There were many similarities with the Oz ceremonies but with local customs including: scheduled visits/prayers/ hymns by different groups to the house for viewing.

Mass Mass for Minh’s father in front of the family home

The MSC visited/prayed at 3.30 pm, then held a mass in the front yard at 8pm. The requiem mass, in a packed huge church, next morning was at 5am, prefaced by bells and drums from c.4.15am, then procession to the cemetery followed by multi course breakfast for many people. Meals at functions here are soooo generous, and when you have had enough, hot pot!

Prayer for Minh’s father

Later that morning, Danh and I headed further north to the fantastic hills covered in coffee trees, fruit,  near Dalat, where we stayed with one of the new deacons and the PP (Thoi’s brother) and assistants…which meant I got to meet a good number of locals, including aboriginal/indigenous mountain folk at house blessing, masses, meals etc. Extraordinary experience… constant generosity and hospitality from all. Beautiful countryside and beautiful people.

Thoi’s brother and mother

 Nov 24 is Vietnam Martyrs day…and it surprises most people that Christians first came here in the 1500s and up until c. 1890 there were at least 130,000 Vietnamese Catholics martyred for their faith. Today the country has many temples and many churches. A country of amazing variety.

The mountains and local food

Will leave you alone. Thanks for reading this! All the best to you and yours.

Danh Fishing

Spare us a prayer when you can. Take care and God bless. Uncle Bob (Irwin)

Uncle Bob is the one with the hat

APIA Conference 2002, Fiji.  Second report

Day 3. 

Thanks to Dominic Gleeson.

We began today praying with the “Journey to Emmaus” story and we spent some time as a group co-discerning where Jesus is leading us throughout our experience as MSC.

We then continued with the ‘Instrumentum Laboris’ on MSC initial formation with the resulting outcomes from our reflections to be presented to the worldwide meeting of MSC formators in Rome in 2023. 

In the afternoon we looked at a document which was composed in 1991/92 from a worldwide, MSC formation conference which was held in Spain (Valladolid).   The document is named after the place of the early 1990’s conference.  

The day was spent reflecting on many things outlined in the document and our time was spent being present to our group process, our prayer and the sharing of those places of the heart.   As we become more familiar and at home with each other the deeper the prayer is becoming in the group . The intercultural experience, listening to others stories and life experience is very inspiring and has brought us closer together. 

Problems with power cuts during the day and the high humidity did not dampen the enthusiasm and energy of the group as each of us personally and as an international MSC community journeyed through to our own Emmaus. 

The Eucharist then provided the foundation point and our inspiration to go on with God - and all was explained to us more clearly at the breaking of the Bread. 

Day 4

We commenced our time together this morning with a ‘presencing’.  The group shared any experiences that were inspiring to them from yesterday and perhaps as a further reflection on previous topics from earlier days of the Conference .  There was some sharing from each us about our experiences and Humberto led us through the process. 

The gathering was presented with a new topic for this morning which we carefully read through as group.  We looked at – the possibility of international formation houses. This was as a follow up to the online MSC General Conference from 2021 where the Superiors began the discussions on possibilities and some of the procedural elements to chart the way forward. 

The document that we studied was entitled, ‘International houses of formation and common MSC novitiates’.  We entered into some group work and fortunately the gathering was able to contribute very wisely to some of the more important aspects that need to be considered at the International meeting of formators in Rome in May 2023 and then to the MSC general chapter in 2023.  

As an activity, the gathering was able to look at some advantages and disadvantages, some weaknesses and some threats all encapsulated in this very engaging idea. We were certainly able to come up with more positives and more strengths and possibilities - than anything negative.

We were able to then come together to pray as a group and to express our sense of communion with one another and to give a vote of thanks – to Humberto, who let the Conference so expertly, our gracious Fijian, and Pacific Island hosts as well as each other. We felt very much at home with each other during these days and the journey will continue over the next few days as we venture into some social time together to experience the wonderful MSC Province of the Pacific Islands - and all that this new Province has to offer to us and into the world at large. 

Chevalier Family Justice and Peace, First Friday intention – and prayer from the APIA Conference.

Chevalier Family Intention

Prayer for APIA Conference

The APIA conference 2002, Fiji.

With thanks to Dominic Gleeson for sending these reports and photos.

The APIA conference began this evening. Rey Tibon, msc, the secretary is the photographer and he is going to put the photographs on his Facebook page.

he 2022 APIA conference began this evening with the joy filled celebration of the Eucharist presided over by  Humberto Enriques, msc  and Andre Claessons, msc - members of the Generalate leadership team.  The MSC students led the jubilant singing in harmonies and there was the traditional ‘Bula’ welcome.  Tamati Sefo, msc Provincial, welcomed MSC representatives from Korea, Indonesia, Australia, Pacific Island Nations, India, Philippines, Japan, Vietnam to APIA 2022.   Participants were then honoured by a traditional Fijian feast as well as the Kava ceremony with the official welcome given by elders of the Fijian community, paying their respects and honouring MSC visitors from foreign lands.  Celebrations went long into the night with an array of traditional dancing and singing to bring a spiritual harmony to the days ahead”.

Day 1.

Today’s reflection/sharing by Umberto Henriques msc, centred on the MSC Congregation’s mission and the MSC Congregation’s hope for the future.  APIA members involved in initial formation ministry have been asked to contribute to the conversation first mentioned at the Korean MSC General Conference of 2019.    The purpose being to begin to attempt to listen more deeply to a) each other, b) to the whole congregation.  What best describes what God and the MSC want to be for each other? 

We continued looking at identifying some of the best opportunities/ possibilities for the MSC congregation going to the future. We looked at some of the realities calling us forward. Humberto led the conference members on a journey to help enter into a new paradigm to listen together. And we then continued to pray in the style of communal discernment as we began to open up where the Spirit was leading us in the present and towards an evolving future - in God. 

The conference then looked at the question, what does it mean to be a formator?   and, what is your experience of formator – what is your understanding of being a formator?  We spent the afternoon reflecting and pondering on those questions and we went into group – a group process, and throughout the afternoon we spent sharing together our communal wisdom.

Col had a fall, consequence, black eye,  Sympathy

Day 2.

We began our time together with a time of extended prayer - communal wisdom. 

We then continued with reflecting on and trying  to answer questions about our lived experience.  How can my experience of life, of living the vows - be of service for the whole congregation? After some time deliberating and discerning this we met in groups to discuss, to reflect on and then to share. 

We then studied “Theory U” as explained to us by Humberto.   This modelling helped us to focus on our MSC future and gave some strategies to be engaged in to breathe life into what the future might hold for us as a worldwide congregation of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.  We then encapsulated this within the context of our own charism - our Spirituality of the Heart of Jesus - with a specific focus on initial formation and in the context of the four places of the heart of Jesus; encounter, intimacy, conversion and mission. 

As for MSC formators - who is God calling us to be and what outcomes are needed to make for a fruitful process to live in the Charism for the entire MSC world?  We then spent most of the time in the afternoon into the evening with the Instrumentum Laboris on initial formation. 

We then brought our day to the celebration of the Eucharist.  

Episcopal MSC - a tribute to our past.

Our first bishop, Henry Verius, Yule Island

Last week, we listed current bishops. Now the honour list of the past.

Interesting to note countries of dioceses and countries of origin of the bishops.

Deceased Bishops (13 Archbishops, 47 Bishops)

Other Former Prelates (9)

http://www.gcatholic.org/orders/014.htm

Auguri and Congratulations to our confrere Giacomo Gelardi MSC

The Australian province and website have been following Giacomo’s MSC life, Italian, Irish province, novitiate, profession, ministry, diaconate…

Concurring with the Irish Province: Warmest congratulations to Fr Giacomo Gelardi MSC, who was ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, November 19th, 2022. The ordination ceremony was led by Bishop Fintan Gavin of Cork and Ross, who travelled to Italy for the great occasion, with the Mass taking place in Fr Giacomo’s home town of Urbino, Italy, at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart, a new beautiful church which was consecrated in September of last year.

Bishop Fintan concelebrated the ordination Mass with local Archbishop Mgr Giovanni Tanni, along with local diocesan clergy and members of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart from Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the General Administration in Rome. Irish Provincial Superior Fr Carl Tranter and Formator Fr Joe McGee were accompanied by MSCs Fr Michael O’Connell, Fr Tom Mulcahy, Fr John Finn, and Fr Con O’Connell, while MSC brothers Domenico Rosa and Jaime Rosique, who originally completed their novitiate programme with Giacomo in Myross Wood, West Cork, also travelled to Urbino to serve at the ordination ceremony as Deacons.

A host of friends travelled from Dublin and York to be with Fr Giacomo at this special time, along with Fr Pat Fogarty and parishioners from the parish of Carrigaline, Co. Cork, where Giacomo served as a Deacon in recent years. Everybody involved was delighted to join the celebrations with Fr Giacomo, his mother, Francesca, his father, Michele, his brother Luca and sister Maria, plus extended family members, friends, and parishioners.  “This was a beautiful celebration, presided by Bishop Fintan in Italian,” writes Irish Provincial Superior Fr Carl Tranter MSC. “We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Fr Giacomo and blessings on his priestly ministry as he commences a life of missionary service as an MSC.”

On the morning following his ordination, Fr Giacomo celebrated his first Mass at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart on the Feast of Christ the King. He will now return to Cork for the Christmas season, and will prepare to travel to the MSC Province of the Pacific Islands in January. Here, Fr Giacomo will embark upon a period of mission in Fiji, where he will work in our MSC parish in Suva, and at the Chevalier Training Centre, our trade school in Namosi.

And at the end of the week in Formation at Blackburn, Lectors Trieu and Daniel

Officiating Chris McPhee

And concelebrating,  Khoi, Mark and Alo, Long serving

In reading action

MSC Formation, a busy week at Blackburn.

This last week has been busy at Cuskelly House, Blackburn:  end of year Mass at the Yarra Theological Union, 50 years’ Jubilee, Heart of Life end of year Mass and Khoi and Chung graduating the Siloam program, a visit from Meta Jackman, the Province Professional Standards Director, Daniel turning 30, a Provincial visit and birthday (more than twice Daniel)…

Khoi has sent a report and photos of :

REPORT ON SEXUALITY PROGRAM 23-25 NOVEMBER 2022; By Khoi Nguyen msc

For the last three years or so, sexuality has been a constant theme in the formation and ongoing formation agenda for our men. In July last year, you probably remember we had a week program on this topic and it was a meaningful and life-giving experience for those who were in initial formation and those young MSC priests who just arrived from overseas to work in Australia. So, this year, we decided to continue this journey of exploring and understanding more about sexuality in terms of emotional maturity and integration on Nov 23-25, at Cuskelly House, Blackburn. This year’s participants are: Trieu, Vincent, Daniel and Hoa from the post-novitiate, and Bartha (Randwick), Michael Nithan (Kippax) and Chung (recent Siloam Graduate), and Mark Hanns (post-novitiate director, sitting in for some sessions).   

On the first day, we started the day with recapturing what we had covered in the past. Then, we went into reflecting on our experiences of loneliness. In the afternoon, we did a similar process of reflecting and sharing with our experiences of awe and wonder. On the second day, we welcomed Dr Katrina Anderson, a medical doctor and doctor-training lecturer (also holding a Master’s degree in Theology) and who also works with different male and female congregations for workshops and ongoing formation. She spent a day talking to us about living life wholistically, recognising and learning from our vulnerability and needs, establishing physical boundary in ministry and life relationship. On the third day, I facilitated some case study on healthy/unhealthy relationships and their boundary, and on pornography in religious and married life.

Overall, it was a time where we come together, share our experiences with one another non-judgementally, and hopefully go away with a sense of being supported and cared for in community. These days are not academic experience per se but a hearted experience which I hope gives us enrichment and nourishment from one another, and ultimately from God’s very self, who is the source of all sexualities.      

(And of Sunday Trieu and Daniel will be Lectors and Acolytes) 

Not every moment is serious!