A happy day for the Australian MSC Province – Trieu and Daniel make their first profession.

Saturday, December 12^th.  In the chapel at St Mary’s Towers, Douglas Park,  Trieu Nguyen and Daniel Magadia made their first vows as MSC.

Trieu came from Vietnam some years ago.

Daniel is from Adelaide, his family originally from the Phillippines.

Douglas Park Community Leader, Dominic Gleeson, welcomed those present.

Celebrant was the Provincial Superior, Chris McPhee.

During the Mass, Vincent Phuong served, Music by Gerard McCormick MSC, Josef Senjuk, new novice, Anh, and including Daniel.

1^st Reading: Samuel 3: 1-10 (Fr. Peter Day).  2^nd Reading: Romans 8: 31-39 (Sr. Katrina Zhang RSM)

Gospel: Mark 1: 9-11 (Provincial)

Prayers of the faithful: Peter Harvey-Jackson, Novice Director, Kimi, Kenji, Josef Senjuk, Anh,

David Magadia (Daniel’s younger brother)

Witnesses: Daniel (Len Helm & Tony Arthur), Trieu (Michael Fallon & Frank Dineen)

With Pre-novitiate Director, Khoi

And the Profession cake.

Celebrating 166 years of MSC Foundation Day in the MSC Vienam Community

Our Correspondent, Quang, writes that he is to be our correspondent with MSC Vietnam news. We welcome his future articles

Before Dec 8th, there were some cases of positive Covid-19 around our community, but the government quickly controlled it and it did not affect much the life of people. So, our Foundation Day was celebrated in the spirit of unity, happiness, joy and gratitude without any worry of virus.

Our celebration was organized at Le Van Sy house (house of MSC scholastics) with all MSC Vietnamese members, one postulant, two OLSH sisters, and three MSC sisters. In this celebration, we had Mass together, and followed by Agape meal.

For the Mass, Fr. Hoàng, MSC as superior of MSC community in Vietnam was presider. He invited us to look back the legacy of our Founder, Fr. Jules Chevalier, particularly the times of trial or difficulty of him in the early years of founding the MSC Congregation. From that, he encouraged all members of the MSC family to enhance and value the sense and spirit of unity among members of the MSC family in Vietnam. We are so grateful for this sharing. It reminds us about what Fr. Jules Chevalier desired for all MSC members: “The greatest charity, the most perfect unity will always prevail among members of the little community of the Scared Heart of Jesus” (Jules Chevalier, 1855).

Happy the feast of MSC Foundation Day to all members of the MSC family all over the world. May this celebration energize us to go through all the hardships and bring remedy of Jesus’ Heart to all kinds of evil of our time.

By Quang Vu BUI, MSC

Prison Ministry 

From the MSC Magazine: Barry Dalton recounts a meeting with Peter Carroll MSC, longtime chaplain at Long Bay, and developing a prison ministry - with some support from the MSC Mission Office.

Our introduction into the prison ministry began almost 8 years ago when Fay and I met Fr. Peter Carroll (MSC) who has been a Prison Chaplain for 16 years. From that auspicious occasion, we became involved in a number of areas in this wide and varied ministry.

Firstly, we are part of a team of 24 women and men who volunteer at the Downing Centre Courts in Sydney. We serve tea/coffee at the morning tea and lunch breaks to the people in the holding cells down in the basement.  Sandwiches are supplied at lunch by Correctional Services.  However we provide biscuits for morning tea funded by MSC Mission and the SOJ Sisters at Mary Mackillop Place North Sydney.

The other areas we work in are: - Visiting Inmates in Prison; Supporting chaplains with Sacramental      services; Conducting Positive lifestyle programmes; Escorted day leave for long-term prisoners;           Supporting ex-offenders under a special post release EAST-works programme. (Acronym for EAST is: - Education; Accommodation; Spiritual support; Transitional services)

An often-asked question is “Why do you do this work and how does it relate to our Christian faith, the charism of Jules Chevalier and MSC Spirituality of the heart”?  My response comes from Karl Rahner who said “We are not essentially different from the prisoners whom we visit in prison.  It is only circumstances distinguish us and we must be grateful to God for these circumstances”.

Saint Augustine asked the question, “What does love look like”? He then said, “It is the hands that reach out in need. It is the feet that hasten to the poor.  It is the eyes that see misery and want.  It is the ears that hear the cries and sorrows. That’s what love looks like”. We are Jesus’ hands and feet; we are His eyes and ears. Jesus asks us to be His presence in our world today.  People who are the outcasts of our society or those who are in prison, may not only have lost control of themselves but have lost the most precious thing of all--- their SENSE of DIGNITY and WORTH.  Without this, nothing good can ever happen in a person’s life.  I guess that is what we are trying to do in our ministry, helping them to realize that they do have dignity and     value, that they are a person.  “Every time you have done these things to one of these little brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me” (Mt25: 40). 

Barry and Fay Dalton

Superior General, Abzalon Tovar MSC in Mozambique

After social unrest and some natural disasters in recent times, the MSC mission in Mozambique is a difficult and isolated ministry. Superior General, Abzalon, has gone to Mozambique for some weeks as moral support.

Cyclone devastation, 2019

Celebrating MSC Foundation day with Fr Jose Eduardo Paixao.

After so many suffering and despair we are living in. We discover that we are full of God's grace. We celebrate with great hope the foundation day of our Congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - MSC. We need to have heart of flesh, open heart in times of Lockdown.

A reminder of the foundation of the mission, 2018.

The MSC assumed one of the most difficult places in the immense Diocese of Pemba, Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique. We are again willing to go where many do not want to go. The two companions have to start from scratch both at the level of apostolate and infrastructure. The mission area is immense with three districts (municipalities): Melucco, Quissanga and Ibo Island, with very high poverty rates, very precarious means of communication, great distances between them and a very high level of Muslim presence. But the seeds of the Kingdom are there in the Heart of the Makua and Maconde people.

The MSC will live in Melucco, which is 215 km from the seat of the diocese and a great part of that distance is on dirt roads. Both Bishop Luiz Fernando Lisboa and the religious Sisters from different missionary areas were very welcoming and made our MSC companions feel like a family. A great inter-congregational fraternity is experienced in the mission.

Joane Sigarara MSC retires from active military service.

Today our military chaplain, Fr Ioane Sigarara, MSC retired from active military. He served our military well in many places. May he be blessed in the next part of his life journey. I'm sure he leaves behind many friends who had their lives enriched through his friendship and service.

Looking back:

From the website, 15^th December, 2011.

From the website, 9^th May, 2014

EASTER IN AFGHANISTAN. Update from Fr. Ioane Sigarara, MSC  [From the US MSC website]

Fr. Ioane, who serves as an Army Chaplain, was in Afghanistan during Holy Week.

'Easter blessings to all of you. We had some truly memorable Holy Week and Easter Services here in Afghanistan.

To begin with, the chief pastor of the Archdiocese for the Military services was here on his pastoral visit over Holy Week. I wrote him requesting that he confer the ministry of lector to one of my flock. The ceremony took place during mass on the Tuesday of Holy Week. So for us it was a double celebration, getting to be with the Archbishop and witnessing one of our own being invested to the ministry of lector in theater.

Due to a very international population here, one of the things I introduced at Sunday Masses was to have the readings and prayers of the faithful done in the various languages. So on a normal Sunday the 1st reading would be in French, 2nd in Italian and the prayers of the faithful in Portuguese, Tagalog, English, Spanish, Indian and Vietnamese etc.

For the Easter Vigil it was the full gamut of languages which made it very special. Having two extra priests was great indeed as I had five camps to cover. In all the celebrations went really well.

Abi Wood, THE COLLEGIAN, Hillsdale,USA.offers a memoir.

The Reverend Ioane Sigarara of Saint Anthony Catholic Church in Hillsdale, once a Fijian military man, will enter the United States Navy in January to serve as a chaplain.

Ioane grew up in Fiji-the islands where there are only two seasons: cool and dry or warm and wet. Ioane said he would describe Fiji as the place where fish and octopus are eaten raw for increased flavour, electricity is almost non-existent and "running water" is the creek out back.

Another unique characteristic of the Fiji Islands is the love of rugby that they inherited from British colonisation. Ioane said he played quite a bit growing up, and when he came to Hillsdale in 2007, he visited the college rugby club practice to provide insight into how to better their rugby game.

Ioane's passion was not limited to this sport, however. He said the Catholic community in Fiji is very strong, and even as a young boy, Ioane said he desired to become a priest.

As soon as he graduated high school, Ioane joined the military, as was expected by his family. His dreams of becoming a priest were put on hold. Ioane spent six years in the Fijian Navy. His duties ranged from serving on a minesweeper vessel to guarding the Israel/Lebanon border.

During his time in the navy, Ioane said he felt again the call to pursue priesthood. As he encountered countless young men and women returning from battle permanently scarred by the sights they had beheld, Ioane said he also developed a passion for counselling. Ioane returned home to become a priest.

Ioane said that this was a revolutionary decision in Ioane's family since everyone in his family was either a teacher or part of the military. They had trouble accepting this decision, he said. "They thought I was mad to become a priest," Ioane said, Nevertheless, Ioane followed through with his education, keeping his ties with the Fiji Armed Forces so he could minister as a chaplain.

December 8^th  MSC Foundation Day. 166 years.

We are all familiar with the Novena made by Jules Chevalier and Emile Maugnest to end on the declaration day by Pius IX of the Immaculate Conception of Mary – and the donation that enabled the two to establish the congregation.

The General Administration team prepared the following panels.  For a fuller set, go to Facebook, Ametur MSC

MSC Appointments, Northern Territory

Vicar General of the diocese of Darwin, Malcolm Fyfe MSC, has listed the appointments – and, at the end, information about ministry in the Tiwi Islands.

Baptism at St Paul's Nightcliff, Peter Henriks:  :Welcome Lillian! Lillian started coming to St Paul’s with her grandfather and has since made the decision to join our faith community. Lillian was baptised, confirmed and received her first holy communion this morning at the 8:30am Mass. She was joined by family and friends for the occasion."

Father Peter Hendriks msc has been appointed Assistant Provincial for the Australian Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.  We congratulate him on this appointment and wish him God’s special blessing in this new role, at a time of much change and challenge.

Father Peter will be leaving Darwin on January 11, 2021.

Father John Kelliher msc, already well known in the diocese from his earlier teaching at St John’s College, his ministry at Santa Teresa and his time as Administrator at the Cathedral parish, has been appointed to St Paul’s parish Nightcliff. Bishop Charles confirms his appointment as Parish Priest.  Father John Kelliher will arrive in Darwin early January. We warmly welcome Father John back to the diocese.

After completing 6 years on the Tiwi Islands, Father Pat Mara msc will spend 9 months next year engaged in a Graduate Certificate in Aboriginal Studies course at Notre Dame University in Sydney

Adequate pastoral care arrangements for Wurrumiyanga (Bathurst Island) are being worked out for the period of Father Pat’s absence.

Father Nguyen Thanh Danh Doan MSC’s appointment assisting Father Pat Mara on the Tiwi Islands will come to a close in early January. Father Danh Doan will spend 2021 at the Heart of Life Centre in Melbourne before returning to Vietnam. We warmly thank Father Danh Doan for his generous contribution as a Missionary during his time with us.

Father Francis Jayakody is a priest from the Colombo Archdiocese and has been working in the diocese of Sale VIC. He has volunteered to work in the diocese of Darwin for the remainder of his Visa period. We are in the final stages of organising his inter-diocesan transfer. Bishop Charles has offered him a ministry appointment in the parish of Pirlangimpi/Milikapiti (Melville Island). We expect Father Francis will arrive to take up this post as soon as the ACMRO approve the transfer and travel options become available

An interview with Fr Peter Hearn msc       

Here is some weekend reading – Peter Hearn finishing his ministry as parish priest of Randwick. Some photos of him over the decades and thanks to the OLSH Parish Bulletin.

‘The move through five bus stops took me from Coogee to Randwick’ so wrote Fr Peter Hearn on 29 January 2009 to become OLSH’s 17^th Parish Priest.   And many steps along the way as this interview tells.

The Early Days

Fr Peter was reared by one of his aunts as his mother had tragically died when he was two. His early schooling was at St Patrick’s Primary School in Port Fairy, Vic. where his love of music was developed by the Good Samaritan nuns. In the early 1960s, he won a prize for his music ability at the MSC Monivae Secondary College at Hamilton. ‘As religious teachers, the MSCs were quite humane and approachable for their time. All 24 on the staff were MSCs, well-informed, but strict as teachers were in those days’ says Fr Peter.

Did you always want to be a priest?

‘The idea became more focused in the last years of Secondary school. For the first two years after leaving school I worked in the public service while doing part-time Arts studies at Melbourne University’.  In 1968 he entered the Novitiate at Douglas Park and was professed on 1 March 1969 at OLSH Randwick. ‘Although I looked at a couple of other orders, I was hugely impressed with the MSCs desire to help poorer people in developing nations such as PNG. Some of the teaching priests often told us they would have preferred to be ‘in the missions’ rather than teaching us. (Occasionally we probably hoped they would see their desire fulfilled.) They were very passionate about their desire to help the struggling people of this world.’ The eight years of studies for the priesthood combined both university and seminary studies and he was ordained on 5 June 1976 at Port Fairy’s St Patrick’s church. Following ordination, he taught for two years at the MSCs Daramalan College, Dickson, ACT.

By 1979 the Northern Territory beckoned?

‘Yes.  Pat Dodson, then a priest at the Mission Station in Port Keats, now Wadeye, invited me to assist him in his work with the Aboriginal community. It was a largely chaotic time as the Missions, were being transformed into Government settlements under a local council’. The life there took on more and more the shape of a parish as the religious and lay missionaries withdrew from administration and the work force. The Church was responsible for the school and hospital-clinic and assisting in the movement to the tribal out-stations. The Aboriginal people were well disposed and appreciative of the OLSH Sisters and MSCs. ‘A fascinating cross-cultural experience. One can’t help but love the people who are so vulnerable in our fast-changing world’.

1982 saw the start of varied appointments

First to St John the Apostle Church at Kippax in the ACT followed by a totally unexpected push by superiors to become Vocations Promoter for the next four years based in Coogee. It meant a lot of travel as then there were numerous MSC parishes in every state and five schools to be visited. ‘Somehow we did get vocations’. In 1988 he was back in the Northern Territory, being appointed the Administrator (similar to a Parish Priest) at Darwin’s St Mary’s Cathedral, where Fr Ted Collins (OLSH parish priest from 1978 to 1985) was the Bishop. ‘A fine cathedral, the largest church in the city, lovely people and such a very pleasant place to be’.

Then an unusual appointment

In 1995 there was a proposal, pushed by the shortage of priests rather than an alternative model of Church, for the MSC priests to hand over the administration of Our Lady of the Rosary church at Kensington to the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Two Sisters were to take over the presbytery and administration of the Parish and the MSC would have sacramental duties but living at the Monastery. He was asked by the Provincial to defer his study leave planned for Belgium and help with this process for two years. In the event, the transfer occurred within that year. He enjoyed his brief sojourn there.

Travelling again in 1996

‘Yes, travelling to Belgium to begin studies for a Master of Theology at the Catholic University of Leuven. The course there would normally be for two years, but I returned to Kensington to begin research for a thesis on the MSC-OLSH Missions in the NT. The Monastery archives, together with those in NT, were extensive but largely unresearched. To make a long story short this eventually grew into a doctorate which was conferred in Sydney in 2003’.

1999 was a big year.

‘A very big year. I was already appointed to the NT when the Provincial reversed that appointment and made me Superior of the Kensington Monastery. Quite a reversal of expectations. In April a violent hailstorm decimated buildings in Sydney and especially in Kensington. The monastery was not spared. The roof was badly damaged; tradesmen were scarce but the hospitality offered to them of living on site made it easier to effect repairs. An offer was made to move most of the elderly community out of the Monastery. But they refused to budge – explaining that many of them had been through wars and cyclones and a hail storm was of no consequence. So we worked around them – heavy physical work for me, which I didn’t mind. The following years the entire Monastery was upgraded for fire, electrical and IT and another 10 ensuited rooms suitable for the elderly were added. Including those at St Joseph’s Nursing Home and four or so in chaplaincies outside the Monastery. We numbered 44 in community. All the while the research on the NT Missions evolved and the thesis was published in 2003’.

Then you turned your attention to a different form of study.

‘Yes, I enrolled in a course on Teaching English as a Second Language for Adults and, for a break from studies and the somewhat heavy Monastery load, I was given permission to teach English in Beijing, including to members of the Organizing Committee for the Olympics Games - hugely competent and vibrant young people. I only had them for two and a half hours on a Thursday evening. The rest of the time was full time in a Tertiary College.’

But while his employers in Beijing would have liked him to continue into the new year, Fr Peter was involved in a different type of organizing in 2004 as the MSCs were moving their formation of new members into parish settings. They needed a large house for parish staff and postulants (first year entrants). Willoughby parish had a disused Josephite Convent and the Broken By diocese were happy to have the parish under the care of the MSC – which lasted for 10 years. And he spent some time, again, being the Vocations Promoter. Again, vocations arrived.

For the next four years Fr Peter was involved in mainly administrative roles as assistant to the Provincial, Fr Tim Brennan - a class mate from Monivae - at Treand House, Coogee. ‘Administration is not something I naturally warm to.  During my Coogee appointment I was asked to organize the MSC involvement for the World Youth Day in Sydney, 2008. With a small committee we set ourselves to raise $200,000 to bring people from MSC-OLSH areas in the Pacific: Rabaul, Kiribati, Fiji, Eastern Papua, with a sprinkling from the Philippines and other areas. We somehow managed to raise the money. That few weeks would be worthy of a movie – many humorous and delightful occasions to recall with much involvement with OLSH Randwick. I ended up with a flu-like illness for about 4 months following WYD and vowed it would be my last. However, I have attended three more as chaplain to Antioch Groups while at Randwick and enjoyed them immensely.’

Then the five bus stops moment in 2009.

‘There was a fleeting moment or two where I thought I might go to an overseas Mission, perhaps Africa with the MSC and OLSH, but that was probably too romantic. Instead I moved those 5 bus stops to Randwick’.

‘On occasions, from Treand House, I had come to OLSH Randwick for Masses when priests were on leave or elsewhere. It is a beautiful Church, and there is such a long and rich history of parish life with MSC and laity intertwined. Such good lay and religious leaders make Randwick a great community. One thing I noticed on my Mass visits was the various music groups at the Masses, and on coming here, I suggested that perhaps they could combine for the major ceremonies of Holy Week and other occasions – which happily came about. Music is such an important aspect of our worship and the feel of a Parish. My motto was ‘From Plainsong to Hillsong via Mozart and Lloyd Webber’. There is amazing and generous talent within the Parish and not only for music. The generosity of our parishioners, especially towards the struggling here and overseas, and our help for the MSC Mission office and other organisations (more recently the Asylum Seekers) is, for me, a key indicator of our spirituality being lived. Generosity, hospitality, compassion are truly of the Heart of Jesus. Putting more focus on the Shrine and the place of Mary in our spirituality as MSC has been a source of rich blessings for me and for so many who come to her. I thank the helpers, especially the OLSH Sisters who have been the mainstay of the Novena’.

 ‘I have been blessed beyond measure to be a part of this community, with the MSC, religious and laity. The introduction of Overseas MSC, mainly our Indian community, has enabled the parish to continue to function with our many ministries, while the lay volunteers in so many areas are quite amazing. Also, eight men have made their way to seminaries, including the MSC, over the past 11 years. I pray more will continue to find their calling as priests and religious and that lay involvement continues to grow.

And 2021?   ‘After 12 years as Parish Priest, 2021 was to be a year of great plans. Back to Beijing, the Holy Land at Easter, a Pilgrimage Following in the Footsteps of St Paul, a visit to the MSC Motherhouse at Issoudun, France, and a summer course at Leuven, were on the menu. Not so.  ‘It’s now a different Covid world.  What will be, will be – Broken Hill and Bundeena are looking good!’ says Fr Peter.

Chevalier Family Committee for Justice and Peace.  First Friday of December 2020.

Fr Andre Claessens MSC, one of the General Assistants at Via Asmara, Chevalier Family Justice and Peace, writes:

What can we do?

For 2 years now, in our first Friday campaign for the Chevalier family, we have been giving tips to change our behavior personally and collectively. We will continue to do so next year. In the spring of 2021, the Jubilee for the Earth program will also unfold a 7-year plan to bring about sustainable change. Every citizen can contribute to reducing the ecological footprint: insulate buildings, use cars and planes less, and travel more by public transport or by bicycle or on foot, so we use less fossil fuels, eat less (red) meat and eat more vegetables, local and seasonal products. Investing more in renewable energy by promoting solar panels and wind turbines, etc. ...

Billions of euros and dollars will be needed to revitalise the world economy after covid. This is the right time to make the right choices. Thanks to the coronavirus, we have had to press the ‘pause’ button. It would be wise not to simply press ‘play’ again, without wondering what direction we need to take in order to give our common home a future! What will policymakers decide at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021? Will there be more political courage than in the past? Will the pandemic have taught them something about justice, vulnerability, sustainability, fraternity and social friendship ?

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P. Andre Claessens, Rome (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Bob Irwin writes about the MSC students in Vietnam and the Novices in the Philippines.

Delving into our photo archives for Bob and the students

I recently wrote to the Vietnamese guys. I thought that you might like to tell people some of what I gleaned from some replies..

As you know, Vietnam itself has been very good at controlling the virus, and has locked its borders, as Australia has done. The MSC in Vietnam are all well, in fact all the students had health check ups just last week...great news. Some of the students are currently preparing for first semester exams! Also, the first part of the building of the scholasticate building is nearing completion.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, according to Nords, their novice master, the 5 Vietnamese in the first year novitiate are all well and being kept busy with their modular classes. The two in second year are in a placement with the mountain people, under MSC care, and are safe. Furthermore, the four Vietnmaese men who were professed recently and are stuck in the Philippines, are also well ,and studying with the Jesuits.

But despite their good physical health, they must be experiencing some hard times, being so far from home and being in the Philippines, which still has many cases of Covid19.

They would appreciate being kept in our prayers.