OLSH Novitiate, Villa Verius, Yule Island,  MSC Mission Office Project

We are writing to express our sincere gratitude for your generosity towards us. We are very grateful to say that we have received four tanks to fill enough rainwater for our basic needs.

As soon as they arrived, we helped to put them up with our workman, Alan, and then the rain fell just as we finished and they are now full.

We now have water for our kitchen and also reserve when we will again experience the dry season. THANK YOU SO MUCH, and may God in His own time and way reward you. We take this opportunity too, to wish you all a Peaceful and Grace-filled Christmas and a fruitful and Safe New Year 2021.

From the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart NOVITIATE COMMUNITY, VILLA VERIUS NOVITIATE.

Kevin Guthrie, eulogy, photos – wake, funeral, burial.

Eulogy by Des Guthrie.

Photos by Trieu Nguyen MSC

Funeral Mass, Our Lady of the Rosary, Kensington.

Our brother, Kevin Francis Guthrie, was born on 20^th August 1936, in Temora, to Ned and Mary Guthrie.  Kevin was fifth in line in a family of twelve children, so he became part of a very hectic household.

Home to the family was “Innisfail”, on the beautiful farming property of Pine Tree Falls, situated between Temora, Ariah Park and Coolamon. It was here that Kevin grew to love the farming life.

School life began at the one-teacher Bectric Primary School, after which Kevin began his secondary education at the Temora High School.

 After achieving above average results in his final year, Kevin was happy to return to life on the farm, even though the Headmaster of Temora High made a special trip to Bectric, to entice Kevin to continue with his school studies, and obtain his Leaving Certificate.

But farming won the day.

Kevin’s expertise on the land not only included successful cropping, but also the raising of sheep, cattle and pigs.  This in turn led to his pursuit of shearing as an occupation, and over the years he gained a reputation of being a class act – with clean and fast results.  So much so, that even after Kevin joined the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, his parents were receiving phone calls from top breeders wanting him to shear their stud sheep – knowing no harm would come to them under his blade.

Life wasn’t all hard work though.  Kevin was a talented sportsman, enjoying Aussie Rules and playing for both Ariah Park and Coolamon.  Participation in this sport came to a sudden end, after he was sidelined with a badly broken jaw.

He played with, and represented, Temora in cricket, and enjoyed a social game of tennis for Bectric.  Kevin’s well-known nickname of Yardley came about because of his left-handed batting style, which was not unlike that of the great English batsman, Norman Yardley.

As with most hard-working farmers and shearers, Kevin was always happy to end the week catching up with mates over a cold ale, or two, or three. Kevin’s social life also had a part to play during these years.

There was a memorable trip to Queensland in the off-season, when Kevin thought he might improve on his shearing prowess.  He took five days to get there, which suggests he might have been having second thoughts.  The fact that he no sooner arrived than he began his five day return journey home would support that.  Also that he didn’t even get to shear a sheep! We weren’t sure what to blame – the heat, or homesickness.

Kevin’s love of the land complemented his ever-increasing love of his God and his faith.  To the extent that he would drive 20 miles each way, into Temora for 7 a.m. daily mass, before starting his day’s work. Even though Dad found this a bit hard to take, knowing all the work in store for the day, I can’t help but wonder if Mum’s habit of casually leaving copies of the “Annals” and “Far East” magazines on his bed had anything to do with this, and eventually to his calling as a missionary brother.

Later in life, Kevin sent many prayers, devotions and leaflets to his family, inviting them to share in his great love for the Blessed Virgin Mary.

No doubt Kevin’s farming success and knowledge helped him when, as a missionary brother, he made great inroads into the improvement of farming methods in both Papua New Guinea and Fiji.  Clearly his work in these developing nations left a legacy.

 On news of Kevin’s passing, Father Tomati Sefo, m.s.c. sent a message of condolence recalling Kevin’s time in Fiji, and his kindness to the people there, and on visits to Australia, when Kevin would be a welcoming presence.

Kevin approached everything he did - from farming to the practise of his faith – with great care, grace and thoughtfulness.

We, his brothers and sisters , would like to thank you, his m.s.c. family,  for your love and support to Kevin, and in particular, your care and concern for him these past months, and keeping in touch with us during his illness. 

Thank you, and God bless you. 

'

Burial at St Mary's Towers, Douglas Park

January 10th, 2021. Centenary of the death of Eileen O’Connor, foundress of Our Lady’s Nurses for the Poor.

We join the Sisters in celebrating, remembering the life of Eileen O’Connor, her commitment and work. As Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, we also celebrate her collaboration with Fr Ted McGrath MSC.

In 2020, there was the official opening of her cause.

1000 people filled St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney for the official opening of the cause for beatification and canonisation of Australia’s next possible saint, Eileen O’Connor on 20 February, 2020.

Beatification is the first of two major steps to being officially declared a saint by the Church; Eileen has already been accorded the title ‘Servant of God.’

Born in Melbourne in 1892, Eileen Rosaline O’Connor suffered a broken spine at the age three and lived in in constant nerve pain from what was later diagnosed as tuberculous osteomyelitis.

She co-founded Our Lady’s Nurses for the Poor with local priest Father Edward McGrath msc in 1913 to care for the sick and dying poor in their homes.

Lovingly known as ‘Little Mother’, she measured only 115cm tall when she died aged 28 in 1921.

In his homily, Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP said God makes far more saints than are recognised, but that “the Church is graced to recognise a few”.

“For a century now the Church in Australia has kept alive the memory of the ‘Little Mother’,” he said adding that it has seen “many answers to prayers through the intercession of Eileen”.

“So far Australia has only one recognised saint so can we produce more saints?” he asked. “Has our dry continent suffered a holiness drought also?”

“We pray that Eileen O’Connor might be raised to the order of Australia’s second saint.”

The next steps in the process which would raise her to the altars, official confirmation of her reputation for holiness and indications from God [in the form of two miraculous healings], will require from Catholics ‘the patience of a saint’, he said.

A Peter Hendriks MSC Story, Our New MSC Deputy Provincial

This is a brief interview with Peter Hendriks from The Catholic Weekly. At the time of this interview his ministry was Vocation work. Since this interview back in 2015 Peter was transferred from Monivae College to being parish priest of St Paul's Nightcliff, Darwin. Reprinted in the MSC Magazine, Summer 2020.

At our October Provincial Council Meeting Peter was invited to be the next Deputy Provincial. Peter, with openness and willingness accepted.

The following is an interview dated August 5th 2015, and is still very relevant today.

"MISSIONARIES of the Sacred Heart Father Peter Hendriks says his life proves that God “writes straight with crooked lines”.

Fr Peter knows this reveals the truth that his heart was difficult to settle.

“I was inherently restless,” he said.

Straight after university Peter joined the Jesuits and was with them for five years.

“I spent a lot of that time discerning if it was for me. I grew a lot emotionally and I discerned. Decided and hoped that priesthood wasn’t for me,” he said.

For the next 12 years Peter wandered through different career paths.

He was a school teacher, completed his Theological studies, did some more teaching, completed a Social Work degree and worked as a probation/parole Officer.

His restlessness was still keeping him in good company.

He continued attend retreats to help discern his vocation and life.

“One day while I was on retreat I was expressing my absolute frustration with God that he was not being clear enough about what I should do,” he said.

“God’s response to my prayer was wonderful.

“It was simply this, ‘Peter if you want to be a layperson and get married then do so. If you want to be a priest then do so. My only vocation for you is to know that I love you’.

“God has a habit of being right. To know oneself as deeply loved by God is the root to any vocation”.

After Peter was accepted into the MSC’s, restlessness was still being a faithful pest.

“One moment in the novitiate when I found myself struggling, God said, ‘The only way out is through’,” he said.

Peter identified that there was often strong feelings of fear and anxiety in his day.

Once those emotions were addressed he found he was able to stop the pattern in his life of “moving on” or “backing out” and was able to settle into a life commitment.

Six years on from being ordained as an MSC he feels grateful to live the charism ‘To be on Earth the Heart of God’.

For all people discerning their vocation Fr Peter said: “God has a vocation for you that no one else can fulfil. The answer lies in knowing that God loves you. I love the saying, ‘The one who walks with God always gets to their destination. Keep walking with God, talking with God and listening to God. God will reveal the best path to take, it will be a path of love’.”

MSC Magazine, Be on earth the Heart of God, Summer 2020

You’re right, that isn’t a photo of the cover of the Magazine (in fact, photo below; it is accessible on the Home Page of the site and under ‘Current News’ or link here; hard copies from Treand House, 1a Waltham St Coogee, 2034.

However, it seemed an eye-catching illustration for a story (not yet in the MSC Magazine);

MSC LEADERSHIP AND LOCAL INCULTURATION.

Our Superior General, Abzalon, has visited Australia, but here he is seen in an inculturating experience, eating Vegemite. It is a savory-tasting spread, long beloved by Australians from schoolhood days, popular on sandwiches. (Some Americans who have ventured on this inculturation have asked whether it is a medicine.)

For further information: from Wikipedia, where the subtitle is ‘Food’:

Vegemite (/ˈvɛdʒɪmaɪt/ VEJ-i-myte) is a thick, dark brown Australian food spread made from leftover brewers' yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives. It was developed by Cyril Callister in Melbourne, Victoria in 1922.

A letter from Joe Ensing MSC, Eastern Papua

             [We received this letter from the now ‘Deputy Emeritus’, Steve Dives, who is now involved full-time as Community Leader of the Kensington Campus, the     Monastery, Chevalier Resource Centre, St Joseph’s.]

This is a standard letter to take the opportunity of Christmas / New Year season to renew contacts.

Christmas Day has come and gone, so I am a bit late with my greetings. Sorry, but as they say, better late than never and we are still in the season and spirit of Christmas.

So as we continue to celebrate the birth of our Saviour at Bethlehem, may God bless you at this very special time. I also pray that you may experience God’s blessings of peace, joy, happiness and goodwill in the New Year of 2021.

All continues to go well with me in Papua New Guinea, also known as the land of Paradise and it is surely living up to this name in regard to the Corona Virus Pandemic. My most recent official figures of 10/12/20 country wide is only 8 deaths and 720 confirmed cases out of a population of about 8 million. Even allowing for the low level of testing there are no reports of possible serious outbreaks at present. Our Capital City, Port Moresby has recorded the vast majority of confirmed cases at 360 out of the 16 Provinces, with my home province, Milne Bay at only 2 cases.

Where ever I go, particularly to town, life is much as usual. Not much evidence of social distancing, and masks only in shops and places of business such as banks, with notices of warnings and advice to avoid the disease.

Pray that we may continue to be spared any major outbreak in this country which has very limited medical resources to cope.

I continue on at our Diocesan Pastoral Centre for the formation and training of local Church lay leaders in a variety of Ministries.

Early this year, February, I was invited to Christchurch, New Zealand, for the wedding of my nephew, James to Eva, and on my return to PNG I took part in celebrating my older brother’s, 80^th birthday at Caloundra, Queensland Australia.

The rest of the time has been at home taking part in short courses and seminars, apart from 3 weeks last month, November, traveling around the islands to the East, from Misima to Rossel, on behalf of the Bishop. I was happy to do this as I spent about 20 years in that area at Nimowa Parish.

Kind regards,

Joe

Some significant January days for the Chevalier Family, 2021

 MSC Pioneers:

Archbishop Andre Navarre MSC, January 16^th

Archbishop Louis Couppe MSC, See January 15th and January 31^st

Fr Hubert Linckens MSC, January 29th

1 January,
Motherhood of God

6.January,:
Feast of the Epiphany - one of Chevalier's favourite feast. The true nature of God is manifested through the flesh of the infant Jesus.

10 January, 1854
Father Maugenest, 1829-1919, is appointed curate of Issoudun.

10 January, 1979
The FMI Sisters ~ The Daughters of Mary Immaculate ~ founded by Bishop Louis Couppé, MSC, in Papua New Guinea in 1912, elect their first General Superior. Since their foundation a FDNSC sister had been their 'Superior'.

12 January, 1877
The first MSC Constitutions are approved for 10 years by Rome.

13 January, 1985
The cause for the canonization of the lay Papua New Guinean catechist, Peter To Rot, is opened.

13 January,
World Day for Migrants and Refugees ... Chevalier responded to the evils of his time. In our time, we respond to the inhumanity of our world ... with compassion of the Heart of Jesus.

15 January, 1927
Archbishop Couppé, MSC, who died 20 July 1926 at Douglas Park, Australia, is reburied at Vunapope, Papua New Guinea.

15 January, 1930
Marie-Thérèse Noblet dies. She was Mother of the Handmaids of the Lord, who were founded in Papua New Guinea by Bishop Alain de Boismenu, MSC, in 1920.

16 January,

Anniversary of Archbishop Navarre, MSC, vicar apostolic of British New Guinea.

20 January, 1925
The cause of beatification of Bishop Henri Verjus and of the Baining martyrs is introduced.

21 January, 1852
The young Father Chevalier receives his second appointment after ordination. He becomes assistant priest at Châtillon-sur-Indre.

21 January, 1907
The aged Father Chevalier and his curates are expelled from their home, the presbytery in Issoudun.

22 January, 1811
Jean-Charles Chevalier and Louise Ory, the parents of Father Jules Chevalier, are married in Richelieu.

24 January,
Feast Day of St Francis de Sales (1567-1622).

The 'heart' is the central image for Francis and Jane de Chantal, in their attempt to portray who God is, who the human person is and how they are intimately related. Both these figures appear in stain glass windows in the Richelieu Church.

29 January, 1861
Birth and Baptism of Father Hubert Linckens, MSC, in Wijlre, Netherlands. Linckens is the historical founder of the Missionary of the Sacred Heart Sisters of Hiltrup.

31 January, 1885
The first five Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart arrive in Australia, accompanied by Fathers Couppé, and Verjus, and three Italian Brother Novices.

Some New Year Cheer

This list of humour was sent by Chris Chaplin from the General House in Rome (and his email address refers to Consigliere Generale Terzo – which those of us who know The Godfather would associate with advisers to the Mafia heads!).

Italy is in heavy lockdown and Chris notes that a number of clergy and religious have contracted covid-19.

So, from a hard situation, here are some smiles:

You come from dust and to dust you will return. That's why you shouldn't dust. It could be someone you know.

When one door closes and another door opens, you're probably in prison.

If you answer your phone  with "Hello. You're on the air", most telemarketers will quickly hang up.

Or...please hold on while I get something to record this with.

Sometimes, someone unexpected comes into your life out of nowhere. It makes your heart race and changes you forever. We call these people cops.

Being popular on Facebook is like sitting at the cool table in the cafeteria of a Mental Hospital.

It's not the ups and downs that make life difficult; it's the jerks. (Charlie Chaplin)

They say marriages are made in Heaven. Then again, so is lightning and thunder.

Maybe the worst time to have a heart attack is during a game of Charades..

Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't come to yours. (Yogi Berra)

This "killing them with kindness" is taking way longer than I expected.

I started out with nothing. I still have most of it.

One minute you're young and fun. And the next you're turning down the stereo in your car so you can see better.

The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back in your pocket. (Will Rogers)

Never miss a good chance to shut up.  (Will Rogers - again)

And finally -  Can we all agree that in 2015 not a single person got the answer correct to the question "Where do you see yourself 5 years from now".

January 1^st. 2021.  New Year Blessings.

The liturgy for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of Jesus, begins with the Blessing from the Book of Numbers. Paul to the Galatians reveals that God sent Jesus as his blessing – and we are all heirs of that Blessing.  May this be the spirit with our New Year greeting.

And, with the pandemic still rampant in so many countries, may that Blessing include courage and generosity -

Jesus blessing every nation and people.

RIP, Kevin Guthrie MSC

Steve Dives writes:

It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of our dear Brother Kevin Guthrie msc. Kevin died peacefully this morning at Sacred Heart Hospice Darlinghurst at 5.30am after his struggle with cancer.

He deteriorated rapidly in the last few days. He was comfortable and peaceful under the loving care of the staff at Sacred Heart Hospice. He had many MSC visitors over the past couple of weeks.

Brother Kevin Guthrie has died at the age of 84.  Kevin made his first profession on February 26^th 1965. He would have celebrated 56 years of religious in February.

During those 56 years, Kevin spent time in MSC schools, some time in missions. He was interested in studying for the priesthood but that was not to be.

In the 1990s, Kevin was at the Sacred Heart Monastery as it made the transition to the Croydon parish and had a sabbatical experience in Europe.  In recent decades he has been at the Sacred Heart Monastery, Kensington. He was heavily involved in Charismatic Renewal which had an intense influence on his perceptions of religious life. At Kensington, he was always available for driving community members and visitors to appointments, the airport…