Vincent Long, Australian Plenary Synod, Perspectives

Bishop Vincent Long OFM.Conv. delivered the 2021 Helder Camara Lecture.  A selection of paragraphs reminding us of approaches to Catholic life today – and the challenges.  The photos remind us that Catholics in Australia have different views on Vincent Long.  We support his views.

That is the kind of stretching of the imagination and dreaming of the transformation of the Church that many Catholics are thirsting for. Few Catholics have any appetite left for cosmetic changes, mediocrity or worst, restorationism dressed up as renewal. We have struggled under the weight of the old ecclesial paradigm of clerical order, control and hegemony with a penchant for triumphalism, self-referential pomp and smugness. We yearn for a Church that commits to a God-oriented future of equal discipleship, relational harmony, wholeness and sustainability. 

There is a sense in which the Church must change into a more Christ-like pattern of humility, simplicity and powerlessness as opposed to worldly triumphalism, splendour, dominance and power.

The model of the Church based on clerical hegemony has run its course. Insofar as it is deeply embedded in patriarchal and monarchical structures, it is incapable of helping us to meet the needs of the world and culture in which we live. We have long moved out of the Ancien Régime and the age of absolute monarchs. We are on this side of the secular state and the rise of democracy. Yet it seems that the deeply entrenched patriarchal and monarchical structures of the Church have failed to correspond with our lived experience.

The Church cannot have a better future if it persists in the old paradigm of triumphalism, self-reference and male dominance. So long as we continue to exclude women from the Church’s governance structures, decision-making processes and institutional functions, we deprive ourselves of the richness of our full humanity. So long as we continue to make women invisible and inferior in the Church’s language, liturgy, theology and law, we impoverish ourselves. Until we have truly incorporated the gift of women and the feminine dimension of our Christian faith, we will not be able to fully energise the life of the Church.

Pope Francis has applied a critical lens through which the Church is renewed for the sake of its mission for the poor. The Church is helped to decentralise and impelled towards the peripheries. The Church, the People of God, should walk together, sharing the burdens of humanity, listening to the cry of the poor, reforming itself and its own action, first by listening to the voice of the humble, the anawim of the Hebrew Scriptures, who were at the heart of Jesus’s public ministry.

MSC Cor Vitae, Notification about Webinar on Spirituality of the Heart and the Human Heart

News Update: (This site has posted items on Cor Vitae, Manila (which means Heart of Life) on December 17^th 2017 and July 14^th 2021 – check with the Search Engine on the Current News page.

On Sat 7^th August, Chris Chaplin MSC is conducting a webinar titled “Dealing with Emotions in Community Life”, all religious and lay are welcome to participate.

It is part of a broader course called, “Christ Jesus Before Our Eyes: The Spirituality of the Heart and the Human Heart of the 21st Century”.

Details attached; For those in Australia it will take place from 3:30pm to 5:30pm AEST (3:00pm-5:00pm ACST).

COR VITAE

c/o. Missionaries of the Sacred Heart,

22 Gilmore Ave., corner 4th Street,

1112 New Manila, Quezon City

PHILIPPINES

E-mail Address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

REMINDER

Dear Chevalier Family Congregations/Lay members,

Greetings from Cor Vitae, Manila.

Kind reminder for the forthcoming webinars.

Christ Jesus Before Our Eyes: The Spirituality of the Heart and the Human Heart of the 21st Century.

The course seeks to discover who is the human person/human heart of the 21st Century. Focusing on the human heart, it seeks to understand how the 21st century heart deal with its own emotions; how it functions within a 21st Century community life; how it manages differences and resolves conflicts; how could it live for, with and among others in this change of an era.

It will conclude with reflections on the openness/readiness of the heart of the 21st Century to be imbued with the Spirituality of the Heart. This will be done through presentations of St. Joseph, Model and Patron of those who love the Sacred Heart, and of Mary, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

Spirituality of the Heart.

Cor Vitae is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Spirituality of the Heart

Time: Jul 3, 2021 13:00 Singapore

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Some Significant Days for the Chevalier Family, August 2021.

Local OLSH Sisters and a re-enactment of August 1st 1887.

1 August, 1887

The first four FDNSC Sisters arrive at Yule Island, PNG.

3 August, 1899

First community of MSC Sisters is established in Hiltrup, Germany: two Sisters of Divine Providence and one MSC candidate. Sister Servatia, one of the Divine Providence Sisters, is appointed first Superior General of the MSC Sisters, Hiltrup.

4 August, 1859

The saintly Curé d\'Ars, Jean-Marie Vianney, dies, shortly after the visit of Father Chevalier on 14 July, 1859.

5 August, 1982

MSC Sisters open a Novitiate in Bangalore, India.

11 August, 1905

MSC General Chapter at Louvain, in Belgium. Decisions taken were:  to revise the Constitutions of Father Founder, to move the Generalate to Rome, and to drop the \'fourth\' vow. This \'Vow of Stability\' could be taken by individual members to stay in the congregation until death, and also included being willing to be sent on mission anywhere in the world by the Pope or religious superior.

13 August, 1904

The Baining Martyrs: Father M. Rascher, together with three MSC confreres, a Trappist Brother, five MSC Sisters and seven Catholic Bainings, are killed in the Baining Mountains, East New Britain, PNG.

14 August, 1895

Arrival of the first FDNSC in Nonouti, Gilbert Islands (Kiribati).

15 August, 1945

MSC Sisters in PNG are released from Ramale Camp, New Britain.

20 August, 1848

This date remembers the death of Jean-Charles Chevalier,  the father of Jules Chevalier.

27 August, 1837

This date recalls the birth of Marie-Louise Mestmann (Hartzer) in Wissembourg, France.

30 August, 1874

Foundation of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart by Father Chevalier in Issoudun, as a Sister Congregation to the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.

New Appointment Province Director, Province Care and Assisted Living, Catherine Molihan

Peter Hendriks MSC writes: I would like to introduce you to our first Director, Province Care and Assisted Living.

We are blessed that Catherine Molihan has accepted the role as Director, Province Care and Assisted Living for our Province. Catherine was born in country NSW and grew up in a large loving family. She lives in Randwick with her husband and has two adult daughters.

She has completed her nursing training and has since worked in a number of acute hospitals in Sydney. Having completed studies in Health Leadership and Management she moved into an Operational Nurse role and has completed projects which have resulted in improving patient and aged care.

Catherine has a caring and kind nature, and her main focus is to provide every person with compassionate care and the necessary supports to maintain their independence and wellbeing within the comforts of their own home.

She is very much looking forward to working within the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. Chris and I were able to meet her face to face today (her interview was via Zoom) and she is energised and genuinely looking forward to taking on this role.

Catherine will begin on Monday 30th August as she is keen to get started and her office will be based at Sacred Heart Monastery, Kensington.

Covid 19 situation in Vietnam worsens.  Peter Hendriks MSC, News Update, story and photos from MSC Vietnam

• Our MSC confreres in Vietnam are responding, with an inspiring MSC spirit, to the worsening Covid crisis in their country. Vu msc refers to the virus as a roaring lion.
  • They are just entering a martial law curfew for the next 14 days from 6pm to 6am. They have up to nearly 80,000 cases.
  • Many people are poor, homeless and hungry and the hospitals are overloaded with numerous temporary hospitals being built

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  • Our MSC Communities are giving of their own rice and vegetables to share with the very hungry and needy and obtaining travel permits to distribute this produce, as well as source more from wherever they can.
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  • Minh msc is in charge of this ministry and Chung msc writes that this activity “keeps our heart burning for our mission of spreading love of God for others”.
  • The Final Vows of a number of our men in Vietnam will unfortunately have to be postponed.

Thank you to all our Vietnamese msc brothers in Vietnam, Philippines and Australia for spreading the compassionate love of God by how you live your lives, wherever you are.  

To sign off with a traditional Vietnamese farewell – Go Thiên nga.

What happens to students from our MSC colleges?  Enjoy six achievement stories from Daramalan

So many brothers, priests and students taught at our schools in past decades.  Often they reminisnce – and, perhaps, at times, wonder about its worth.  Here are some stories from Daramalan (which in 2021 is in its 60^th year).

CONGRATULATIONS CAROLINE!

Each year, around 80% of our Year 12 students gain admission to University. So graduation stories are relatively plentiful and a strong testament to the Daramalan ethos.

But every so often, one particular student has a special story to tell, and in 2021 it’s Caroline Gouws (2012). This month, Caroline graduated from the University of Canberra as Doctor Gouws, with First Class Honours in Human Nutrition, the Dean’s Excellence Award, as well as winning the University’s ‘Parker Medal’ for the most outstanding PhD thesis of 2020. Huge congratulations Caroline, we are all very proud of you.

So if any of our Alumni are looking for the right applicant to fill a specialist food and nutrition role, I have just the person for you!

ROYAL LONGEVITY PUZZLE FINALLY SOLVED

With the passing of Prince Philip last Thursday aged 99, it is timely to remember the influence Daramalan had on the health of the British Royal household.

In 1973, Daramalan Fifth Form student Greg Turnbull (1974) was invited by Canberra ABC to participate in a TV program to speak with the Duke of Edinburgh on youth matters. Greg took the opportunity to ask HRH if he’d ever tried a sausage roll in a bun, the current Dara Tuckshop favourite. The Prince replied in the negative, but indicated he’d take the “recipe” back to the Queen, which helps explain how both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip lived such long and healthy lives. (Surely a knighthood can’t be far off?)
On another Dara connection, Greg is married to Yvonne Turnbull, who has been working at the College for the past 15 years.

JACK OF ALL TRADES

One of the great characters to graduate from Daramalan last year was “our Jack”, and I thought you might like an update on his progress, to illustrate that anything is possible - with and without a disability - if you have the right positive mindset.

Jack is now part of the Governor-General's household team at Government House for two days a week. He is seen here serving the Japanese Ambassador as well as the GG himself last week. All that Hospitality training in Ms Kline’s classes is really paying off!
But wait, there’s more! Jack is also working as an After-School Care Educator a day a week, then if that’s not enough, he is mowing lawns around his neighbourhood with his own small business Flash Mowing. Phew! What a positive and uplifting story about one of our inspiring ex-students.

DO WHALES LOOK FORWARD TO HUMP DAY?

It appears so, as Daramalan’s expert Vanessa Pirotta (2006) has just proven. Dr Vanessa turned up on Channel 10’s “The Project” and the ABC TV's "Breakfast" this week to explain her new humpback whale research. It looks like these mammals have been taking their name quite literally, with results showing humpback numbers now approaching those of pre-whaling days. Vanessa, who is leading the research group, described this recovery as “pretty exciting seeing these super-groups in Australian waters”. Excellent work Dr Pirotta

QUESTIONABLE BEHAVIOUR

Patrick Pigram (2017) was always the first kid with his hand up in class asking the hard questions, and last night he turned “professional” with his appearance on ABC TV’s Q&A “Budget Special” episode. His question? “Is this year’s Budget fiscally responsible considering I’ll be paying off the huge debt for years to come?” Good question Pat.

FILM AND THEATRE AWARD WINNER

Ex-student Daniel Widdowson (1998), now Dr Widdowson, is an Australian of the Year finalist, recipient of Best Director at the Florence Film Awards, Best Screenplay at the New York Film Awards and an Australian Playwright finalist. It’s that last bit that brings me to his latest production called “Rape & Other Acceptable Practices”.

Daniel’s one-act, three-person show is his commentary on unacceptable social problems which include rape, consent, silencing victims, speaking out and consequences, which he describes as “an intense, graphic, and uncomfortable show which presents a very important message”.

Daniel has a Doctorate in Performative Understanding, focussing on Shakespearean literature and theology, a Masters in Hermeneutics, and a Bachelor of Theology.

Eulogy and tribute to Bernie McGrane MSC

Sharing of memories, roses sent from friends from Japan days.

From Bernie’s brother, Mervyn, and sister, Moira (and souvenir family photos):

Although we are very very sad at Bernie’s passing, in reality the good Lord knew the best time to take him.

We both have very loving memories of Bernie, both in his youth and as a priest.

In Bernie’s words “it is only in our Fallen Human World that death is looked upon as the last enemy to be conquered. And yet death has a timely message for us all. It teaches us not to be too wedded to this world. For the Christian, there is the hope of eternal glory and the sharing in the glorious inheritance left to us by the Lord Jesus Christ. It is to this glory and inheritance that we must turn our eyes. The sufferings, pains, disappointments and even losses will all be restored.”

May you rest in peace and share in the glorious inheritance.

Your loving brother and sister
Merv and Moira

Eulogy and tribute, with thanks for Paul Jennings MSC

Bernard McGrane was born in West Wyalong, New South Wales, 25^th of May, 1926. The third of five children of Martin and Ita McGrane. He completed his secondary education and Downlands College, entered the MSC novitiate at Douglas Park and was professed an MSC 26th February, 1946. After studies at Croydon, he was ordained on July 27, 1952. He was ordained 69 years yesterday.

Bernie was sent to Eastern Papua as it was called in those days, In March, 1953 and immediately sent to the mission station to Daio over the next seven years. Daio is on the southern side of the bay and included also the Sagarai Valley area across the Pini range to the south.

Apart from 10 years in the 1960s when he worked in education, and 10 years from 1975 until 1985 when he worked at the Academy in Nagoya, Bernie spent the years until 2006 in Alotau with special responsibility for the Dayo area. He was variously the priest in charge of Daio while he was also parish priest and administrator of the Cathedral parish in Alotau on the northern side of the bay, parish priest after Daio was formally erected as a parish in 2003. He shared responsibility different times with Fr Arthur Stidwilll and work together with several OLSH sisters, especially Sister Bernadine and Sister Helen Warman.

Like all the MSC foreign missionaries of his time, Fr Bernie did not have an opportunity to study Missiology, but he did have a very important source of wisdom: the Manual for Missionaries, written by Archbishop Navarre and printed at Yule island in 1896. This manual contains six or seven principles for missionary activity, which included:

1.            LEARN THE LOCAL LANGUAGE

2.            RESPECT THE SOCIAL ORGANISATION OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY REGARDING LEADERSHIP.

3.            BE SLOW TO CONDEMN LOCAL CUSTOMS UNTIL THE LOCAL PEOPLE ARE BAPTISED AND ARE READY TO QUESTION THEIR BELIEFS AND CUSTOMS.

4.            USE CATECHISTS

5.            ESTABLISH SCHOOLS

6.            BE CHARITABLE, NOT WITH MONEY OR GIFTS BUT WITH ACTIONS.

Fr Bernie was committed to all these principles. I want to reflect especially on the first – the importance of local language. Many of us are aware of Bernie’s interest in and study of both Greek and Hebrew. He did this to help him find more accurate translation of the Bible readings of the Mass into Yaleba language and dialects; he was not satisfied to translate from English translations available at that time.

There were reasons why the Holy Spirit empowered the apostles, at Pentecost, to enable all the listeners to hear the good news in their own languages. The Good News is more likely to find a home when it is heard within the language and culture of the specific people. Language is at the heart of culture; people retain their culture when they retain their language. Bernie was one of the many missionaries who kept local languages alive by changing them from spoken only to both written and spoken language. It is beautiful to witness people today, especially young people, sitting quietly in the evening or on Sunday and reading their New Testaments in their own language.

The Constitutions of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart describe our Mission:

‘we are sent into the world to establish new churches and to be of their service; to help churches in need and bring those who are far from the world into the community of believers.’ (23).

When he wrote about his times as parish priest of the Daio, Yaleba area, Bernie wrote:

the purpose of missions is to plant and establish the church. And now, after 50 years, I have seen all this happening before my eyes. Happy indeed those who had such an experience. Those of us who have worked in Papua New Guinea are the privileged ones. When I started there were no local priests, very few local teachers or nurses, maybe one local Bishop. Now in one generation the local people lead the church at almost every level and local laity are strong and becoming better educated. I have witnessed and been part of a miracle of God’s grace.

Bill Cunningham in his book, 75 Years of Building the Church in Milne Bay, tells the story of Bernie McGrane and the planting of the Catholic Church at Buibui (Gibara) a village on the western edge of the bay.

One day in 1953, Fr McGrane was returning to Daio from his regular visit to the Sagarai Valley with his usual four companions. They noticed some young men standing by the side of the path. Fr McGrane continues:

walked past them, giving the usual greeting. Then one of the men, Nalogi, his name, called my companions back and told them he wanted to talk with them while I waited. The men wanted me to start a Catholic mission in their village. I told them I would return and discuss it on another day.

The outcome was that the people decided they would give a plot of land, build a church into school, and a room for father to stay when he came on his regular visits. The mission would provide teachers for the school. Two years after, the first baptisms were celebrated, when many of the sponsors (godparents) were Catholics from Daio Village. Thus bringing the two communities closer.

Fr McGrane concludes: it is a story that owes so much to David Nalogi, Maurice Towasai from Sagaarai  and many of the village leaders and of how the church becomes missionary through people under the guidance of the Holy Spirit who lives and works in them and opens the way for the good news in their lives.

We heard last night of the personal qualities of heart that described Fr Bernie McGrane. His quiet patience, his humour, his ability to sit and listen to stories – and to share them; his commitment to prayer and ongoing learning. I have tried to describe some of the ways our loving God used these qualities to develop God’s plan for the churches of Milne Bay and empower the children of God in Papua New Guinea.

May Bernard McGrane rest in peace.

MSC Pacific Province. News

Recently, we congratulated the establishment of the new Pacific Islands Province.

Google the Province Facebook page, set up by Robati Tebaiuea MSC

Gerald Warbrooke MSC, Suva, tells the story of the new Province.

And a note on the covid situation in Fiji from Warren Perrotto MSC.

On the 17th October 1998 the new formation house up in Wailoku, Suva was blessed and opened for the students and formators. Today candidates come not only from the traditional source of Kiribati, but also from Samoa, Fiji, Chuuk, and Wallis and Futuna.

Since the General Conference of 2014 in Guatemala the General Administration had journeyed with the Pacific Union offering support and guidance and on the 10th of May, 2021 the Province of the Pacific Islands was canonically erected.

At present there are 49 local members of the Province – 1 bishop, 24 priests, 7 Brothers and 17 students. Members from other provinces also help in the direction of the Province and its ministries: from Indonesia, Korea, Australia, Philippines, and the U.S. The membership of the Province is still generally young and the ministries and works of the PPI are geographically scattered over the Pacific.

The Province consists of two Districts. The Northern District consisting of the island nations of Chuuk, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati and Nauru. The Southern District consists of the Fiji Islands, Wallis and Futuna, Samoa and the Kingdom of Tonga.

We take this opportunity to thank the past and present General Administrations for their support and guidance through the years that we were a Union. We also thank the Australian Province and the Papua New Guinea Province who both played a major role in our growth towards becoming a Province. We also extend our sincere gratitude to all the entities of the Congregation who have generously provided us with finance and personnel over the years since the beginning.

As we begin this new chapter as a Province we are reminded that the Society of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart was born in the midst of the uncertainties and calamity of the French Revolution. In a similar way our Province is erected in a time of great suffering and misery because of the pandemic affecting countries all over the world. As a Province we want to be a sign of hope and love to everyone as we stand in prayer and solidarity with all those suffering from this deadly disease.

As members of a new Province, we will fix our eyes on Jesus and together contemplate his compassionate heart. It is in the compassionate heart of Christ, we can find true healing, peace and comfort at this challenging time.

May God bless and protect us all from this pandemic. May our Mother Mary, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart continue to intercede for us and protect our humble Province.

 Gerald Warbrooke, MSC

From the Northern District. KIRIBATI, MSC ASPIRANTS

Young men who are inspired to join the MSC after their "Come and See" programme and accepted to live and experience the community life for at least two years are known as MSC Aspirants. They have also the opportunity to study at Kiribati Pastotal Institute to achieve their Certificate of Theology. In the photos below are the MSC Aspirants of 2021, MSC House Teaoraereke, Kiribati. Photos credited @James A. Kakiabo

Covid 19 in Fijii.

“Since March, the COVID-19 virus has landed on Viti Levu, Fiji, via a repatriation flight. One passenger was contaminated. Different from the first wave, the 2021 invasion began to sweep at a rapid speed throughout the isle. The government and police have sanctioned restrictions, such as lockdowns and quarantines, including masks when going outdoors. The island also has a curfew, and all schools are closed until further notice.

However, the rapid pace of the virus throughout the island is primarily due to the lack of cooperation of persons not following the government’s restrictions, including not wearing a mask, not keeping social distance, such as social gatherings, drunkenness, and not following curfew hours (6.00pm to 4.00am). The arrest of these people does not seem to have much of an impact.

All of these things have a devastating effect on the Fijian economy. There is unemployment, lack of food and water supplies, marital violence, and violence among the youth, accompanied by psychological stress. On writing this, on June 27^th 2021, we have 3,329 active cases, 15 deaths, and 736 recoveries.

Australia and New Zealand deserve our appreciation. These two countries generously gave aid to Fiji. They have donated thousands of needles, food supplies, and necessary medical equipment. These have been a significant contribution to contain the virus from spreading. Most MSCs here in Fiji have received their first ‘jab’. We must wait three months for our second injection.

The real heroes and heroines in this pandemic are the nurses, doctors, volunteers, and police. Each day they risk their lives to assist and protect the people from this sickness. We thank them for their unwavering dedication.”

Warren Perrotto MSC

Silver Jubilee of Profession, Josef Senjuk MSC

Congratulations to Josef.

Josef first joined us over 50 years ago, from Adelaide and belonging to the Ukrainian rite. He had the opportunity to go to Canada and join the Ukrainian rite Basilians, living there for 20 years.  In the 1990s he returned to Australia and to Douglas Park, making his profession in 1996. He has been a member of the St Mary’s Towers community since then.

Josef has musical talent, playing the violin, one of his contributions to community life.

MSC activity in the Caribbean, MSC Dominican Republic Province…. Now, moving towards: Antilles

Although it is still called the Dominican Republic Province, it has already begun to be the province of the Antilles because there are members from the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Canada, as well as from Cuba.

We congratulate Juan Tomás and thank Juanito Rodríguez and the councillors who completed their service of leadership for the good of the mission in this Taino land, a land that has rhythm and music at its heart, a land full of very joyful and enterprising people.

The Antilles are known as a place of tourist paradises, of dreamy plains; but at the same time, it is a land of many challenges and new "frontiers-liminality-and clamours" that require this MSC Entity to continue with the processes of transformation of mentalities, apostolates, and structures of community life... for the good of the mission.

Our brothers and sisters are found in all the countries of the West Indies and Canada where, guided by the Gospel of Jesus, they serve the People of God, and are invited to allow themselves to be transformed and enlightened by the future as it emerges.

It was wonderful to note that the book by Lucas Lafleur, msc "Interpreting Life from the Heart of God" has now been published. It is the memory of 60 years of missionary life of our dearest Lucas whom so many of us know. Thank you, Lucas Lafleur for your witness and joy in mission and for being a translator in so many MSC Chapters and Conferences.