50 Years Ago – Poorman Masses Emerged.

John O'Connor MSC, who celebrated his Golden Jubilee of Priesthood last weekend reflects on this experience and his experience.

In 1969, some 50 years ago, “The Poorman Masses” began as part of celebrations for the Feast of the Sacred Heart at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne. After 10 years, the MSC care of the Sacred Heart Day needed new energy; but, how this was to be done was a real conundrum.

“Poverty is painful – even in Melbourne” became the theme that challenged the common belief that poor lived in foreign nations. Religious sisters ministering in public high rise tower housing found it was sadly too common.

In response to this, bringing gifts for the poor during the Eucharist on Sacred Heart Day took seed. The idea of asking people not only to attend Masses at the Cathedral but also to bring gifts for the poor seemed to be fool-hardy. Why make the task harder? The dean of the cathedral was sceptical that even one tea chest would be filled when told a dozen had been provided by a local business to place around St Pat’s.

Cyril Hoy manager of Ozanham House, Vinnies’ shelter for homeless men in Melbourne was enthusiastic in his support. St Vincent de Paul was a vital partner of Poorman Masses, especially in distributing gifts to the poor.     

A vital element of the promotion was a catchy title. The expression “a poorman’s …” denotes doing well with limited choices – a poorman’s Merc.  “Poorman’s Mass” was edgy. “Poorman Masses” was more accurate and easier to say.

MSC Philippines

A giant sign in red print was prominently displayed at the cathedral: “Friday 13^th Poorman Masses”.  Might it be read as a political manifesto?  Might Cardinal Knox object?

The media were contacted – including cinema advertising, radio, TV stations and press. Catholic schools received promotional material requesting they support the Youth Mass in the morning; but was it all whistling in the wind?

Friday 13^th finally arrived. As the bus bringing MSC seminarians from Croydon neared the cathedral, groups of school students were being herded along the footpath by teachers; each child clinging to tins of food or packets of breakfast food. What a welcome sight! There was at least this much response.

By the end of the day, there were big piles of food and clothing – including fine business suits newly dry-cleaned inside the cathedral. A pound of butter happily survived the day on the cold tile floor of the cathedral. The offertory procession was marked by Cardinal Knox wearing his mitre, receiving boxes of cereals and cans of baked beans which were placed around the altar.

At the end of the day, Cyril Hoy estimated about 10 tons of food and clothing had been donated during the day. He calculated the number of trips in his battered Holden station wagon weighed down to the axles to Ozanham House. Donated food was enough for a year at Ozanham House. What might result if all parishes hosted their own Poorman Masses?  Would this detract from the Sacred Heart Day at the Cathedral? It was decided it be best that all parishes be involved in future. This of course, meant much dedicated organization by MSC students and priests from then on.

What emerged at the end of the day was a conviction that regardless of the work and the risks taken, this result was the work of the Spirit; success or failure was irrelevant.

Serving the poor is a work of love – a glass of water in his name; do unto others as you would they do unto you; whatever you did to the least, you did it to me … such are familiar Gospel axioms.

“The Poorman Masses” expresses other theological values.

One could ask who is the poor man? Is it those who gain help from Vinnies; or, perhaps, those who come selflessly to worship; or, perhaps Christ himself who emptied his divinity to become fully human? Biblical poverty is the gift of being free to be open to God without compromise.

The Jewish prayer – the Berakah is an ecstatic prayer of selfless gratitude to God for all that one is and has; as in the Offertory “Blessed are you Lord God of all Creation for through your goodness we have this bread to offer, fruit of the earth and work of human hands. It will become for us the bread of Life!” The Eucharist is joyful thanksgiving with no self-concern; we are transformed into the movement of the Son to the Father.

The biblical tradition of dedicating the first fruits, the best of the best as a selfless offering of all that one is and has appears in later traditions of harvest festival liturgies. Liturgists see the Sunday collections as equivalent for today’s urbanised society.

Sacred Heart is the icon of God’s heart with limitless love on fire for all - especially the sinful and hopeless. It is the image of what we are called to be – happily selfless in service of all and of God – so the Sacred Heart of Jesus may be everywhere loved forever. In the Poorman Masses, we express liturgically and wholeheartedly our thanks to God in a simple yet rich combination of a variety of themes that at heart speak of selfless love to God.

This is best expressed by Mary in her Magnificat and as seen by Jules Chevalier as “Our Lady of the Sacred Heart”.

The task of continuing the Poorman Masses down the years has been taken on by many dedicated MSC and others. It seems to have served the Church for many years beyond the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

In recent years, it seems to have largely disappeared from parishes; but, it does survive in modest form here and there at school liturgies and retreats. It goes without saying that self-perpetuating is hardly part of its spirit.

With thanks to the recent MSC Magazine

MSC World Statistics

The current statistics (based on 2019 questionnaires) of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart around the world have been made available by the General Administration on the Facebook website, Ametur.

The congregation is present in 48 different countries. The statistics list the number of professed members and those in formation.

They indicate the growth areas in different provinces, unions and regions – as well as the diminishment in older provinces. The principal province by far is that of Indonesia. Interestingly, the largest European province is that of Ireland. There are three provinces in Brazil. The Vietnamese members are incorporated into Australia.

The areas of increasing membership are in areas of Asia and the Pacific as well as Africa and Latin America.

May 9^th, Celebrating Golden Jubilees of Priesthood, John O’Connor, Greg McEnnally, John Graham.

Congratulations to our Golden Jubilarians – who will be celebrating in different places because of the covid-19 lockdown.  John O’Connor is at Sacred Heart Monastery, Kensington, Greg McEnnally at the Little Sisters of the Poor, Randwick, John Graham in Japan.

John O’Connor has worked in MSC schools, including a long time at Monivae. He was also part of the travelling Education team.

For some years he organised and led pilgrimage tours to Europe. His ministry has included hospital chaplaincy and parish work, work in the Northern Territory and, most recently, nine years as parish priest at Kings Meadows, Launceston.

Greg McEnnally has worked in MSC schools, a long time at Monivae. He has also worked in MSC parishes, especially in Randwick which is his home parish. For several years he worked in China teaching English as a second language. This ministry led to his writing three books on travels in China. He is chaplain to the Little Sisters of the Poor, Randwick.

John Graham is not so well-known as other members of the Australian province. He has spent most of his life as an MSC working in Japan.

John was a ‘late vocation’, making his first profession on February 26^th 1965, ordained on 9^th May 1970. After some time on the staff at Chevalier College, he was appointed to Japan, serving in various parishes staffed by the MSC. He is one of the last three Australian MSC working in Japan (along with Brian Taylor MSC and Keith Humphries).

VE Day, 75^th Anniversary of the end of the war in Europe, May 8^th

These days there is language of the war on covid-19, that we are living in a war situation. The 75^th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe, after almost six years of living in occupation, blitzes, armed combat is celebrated on May 8th.

In the last week or so, we have had 75 years since opening of Dachau concentration camp, Hitler’s death, the taking of Berlin

…

How much parallel is there between our times and the war? There is a lot of war rhetoric.

Today, we take the opportunity to remind ourselves of MSC history during those years, the Nazi occupation of France, Belgium, Holland. The experiences of the German provinces in wartime. The involvement of war chaplains in Australia and English-speaking countries. Issoudun was bombed in June 1940.

In August, we will remember the dropping of the atomic bombs, the surrender of the Japanese and the end of the war in the Pacific – with its repercussions for the Philippines, Indonesia, China, Papua New Guinea, the United States and Australia.

VE Day, Melbourne 1945

What to do in Lockdown - at least at the Formation community, Cuskelly House, Blackburn

Some novel ways to pass the time during this pandemic, brought to you by Cuskelly House:

• Attend to running repairs around the house
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• Start a vegie patch

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• Replace tattered lines off of the Hills Hoist
• 

• Start an avocado farm:
• 

• Pick up a vacuum cleaner off the street and repair it
• 

• Pick up a hobby:
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• Repair some gutters and downpipes:
• 

• Pretend to study:
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• Pick up an eagle-kite, a sherrin and a high-powered water pistol, again off the street, because it seemed like a good idea at the time….
• 

• Dig and concrete-seal a new drainage pit:
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• Sit in on a Zoom session
• 

• Write a book
• 

• Write another book
• 

Frank Natale MSC becoming pastor/ parish priest of Watertown, New York.

Frank Natale MSC is a member of the US province. Many in Australia will remember him since he did some of his formation in Australia, especially his novitiate at Douglas Park. In fact, his novice director was Chris McPhee.

He has been appointed parish priest in Watertown – the first overseas mission from Europe. Previous Superior General, Mark McDonald, was from Watertown.

US Provincial, Richard Kennedy writes:

Fr. Frank Natale will be leaving Holy Family Parish on June 15, 2020, to become pastor of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish, Watertown, NY. Fr. Frank has the qualities to become a well-beloved pastor. Please continue to pray for him as well as for all the MSC priests and brothers.

Further changes indicate how there is international collaboration in the congregation these years with members from India and Indonesia in the US.

On June 15, Fr. Frank will be replaced by Fr. Franklin Dass, MSC, originally from India, who is presently Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish, Roseto, PA. 

Pastor, Rev. Joseph Tobias, MSC has decided to take the opportunity to retire from Holy Family Parish near the end of June and take up residence at Sacred Heart Villa, Center Valley, PA. Fr. Tobias has been blessed with over 50 years of successful ministry as an MSC priest. His decision to retire was not an easy one to make. But he leaves Holy Family Parish knowing that he is leaving a vibrant and growing parish community, an effective Catholic school and religious education program, a parish of many active groups, a church known for its beautiful liturgies, and a wonderful new Parish Center.

The new pastor is Fr. Jonas Tandayu, MSC, born in 1955 and raised in Indonesia. He was ordained an MSC priest in 2001. Fr. Jonas spent a year at Holy Family as Parochial Vicar before accepting the pastorate at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Watertown, NY, eight years ago.

Letter to the Province, Chris McPhee MSC

Chris McPhee has been re-elected as Provincial of the Australian Province. The ballot was conducted by mail. The re-election was ratified by the General Administration. See the letter below. The second term begins on January 1^st 2021.

Monday, 4 May 2020

Dear brothers MSC,

During this time of extraordinary disruption and anxiety due to COVID-19, may I take this opportunity to sincerely, humbly and with much gratitude convey my heartfelt thanks to all of you who have overwhelmingly affirmed me as your Provincial for another term.  Truly, your affirmation, support and encouragement has touched me deeply and for that I would like to say a big Thank You.

I would also like to express my appreciation to the Provincial team working here at Treand House, who day in and day out keep the Province running.  Firstly, a big thank you to Stephen Dives MSC and Frank Dineen MSC, who both over the past two and a half years have been fantastic in their loving support, encouragement and yet provided me with positive challenges – thank you.  For the administration support from Gloria Macinante, Meta Jackman, Andrew Mir, Phil Reilly MSC, Maria Oei and Anne-Marie Snelling – thank you.  To our Provincial Council who have been central in their guidance and direction of the Province – thank you.

During this Easter period, we again heard the story of the road to Emmaus. This was the same reading that was used at our final mass of the Chapter of 2016. There, in our thanksgiving mass I quoted the disciples sharing: “Did not our hearts burn as we walked… did not our hearts burn within us.”

This story always touches something deep within all of us. In a way, it touches our own experience of being touched deeply by his Heart…

As I have often shared with you all in past letters… It is a heart on the outside – a heart vulnerable – a heart open to failure – a heart open to compassion, to love, and to intimacy. A heart being poured into ours.

This COVID-19 pandemic reminds us that we are—deep down—Spiritual beings and makes us recognize that the problem of coronavirus is right here in our community, today, both locally and internationally. It is the challenge that we MSCs face today; it is a challenge that calls us to be MSC men of compassion; to be witnesses of the one thing we are all certain about – the intimate love of God.  To be there, in the face of all anxiety, that we are not alone, that we too together with all humanity, walk the road to Emmaus.

Though the COVID-19 crisis has brought the world to a halt and sadly, the health and economic impact will be disastrous, I feel that we can take heart from our MSC past.  This is not the first time we as a community have had to face major challenges.  This past week we have just remembered all the ANZACS, and at the same time we remember all those MSC who gave of their life for a future.  We remember people like Ted Harris MSC, Clifford Brennan MSC, Dave McCullagh MSC, Peter Tarot, and the list could go on… to the MSC martyrs of Indonesia, like Johannes Aerts and five MSC priests and eight MSC brothers… not to mention other MSC from a different period of history from Guatemala, El Salvador and Spain.  All these men lived out of their own conviction of being a missionary of the One who loved them into life.  As Simone Veil said once; the love of God is the unique source of all certainty.

It is this source of all certainty that we need today – this love that comes from God that will ground us and eventually lead us into the direction we are being taken.  As Chevalier contemplated the Heart of Christ, in whom is revealed the compassionate love of the Father, he discovered there the remedy for the ills of the world.  Inspired by that love and guided by the Holy Spirit, he founded within the Church the Society of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. [CN#3] It is this certainty, the Heart of Christ, that we can all hold on to. It is what all those MSC who have gone before us lived by – was the source, the love of God, of all certainty.

Back in 2016, I quoted the Archbishop of Canterbury saying something like “we cannot see down the road … we just cannot see down the road.”  At that time, I thought this to be extraordinary for a bishop to be saying such a thing – in the past we all thought that the Church would have had all the answers.  But today we just do not know.  None of us can see down the road.

Finally, like the two on the road to Emmaus, in this COVID-19 period and beyond, if we strive to transform our shared vulnerability, our shared isolation into an opportunity for communal solitude, we might discover that it is, as it has always been, an opening to the Source of all certainty – the love of God.  Like the two who sat with the stranger on the road to Emmaus, who broke bread and shared wine,  we too will meet the Risen One… we will meet hope… we will meet love… and finally we will meet our direction and our meaning in all this disruption and anxiety… we will meet the heart of Christ – the One who loves all of us into life.

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved!

With much loving gratitude and support as we move together into the future,

In His Heart

Chris R McPhee msc

Provincial MSC Australia

MISSIONARI DEL SACRO CUORE

Via Asmara, II - 00 I 99 Roma                                                                                                        

Tel. 06.862.20.61 - Fax 06.862.15.627

Rome, April 21, 2020 Prot. N. 20/Secr/20

Fr. Christopher McPhee, MSC MSC Province of Australia PO Box 252

Coogee NSW 2034

AUSTRALIA

Dear Fr. Chris,

I am happy to convey to you the official confirmation, by Father General, Mario Abzal6n Alvarado Tovar, of your election on April 21th, 2020 (According to provincial statutes 3.1), as Provincial of the PROVINCE OF AUSTRALIA  for a second mandate of three years, in accordance with CS 170 § 4, beginning on January 1st 2021.

All the members of the General Administration extend their good wishes and prayers for a fruitful ministry and service.

Sincerely in the Heart of Christ,

 Michael Miller, MSC Secretary General

Last weekend saw World Day of Prayer for Vocations. We add a poster.

Memoir of Fr Chevalier, written after his death by Brother Jan van Heugten MSC, Fr. Chevalier’s valet

MANUSCRIPT, BY BROTHER BERNARDIN

(Jan van Heugten msc)

On a winter evening towards the end of 1905, when everybody, Father Chevalier included, was getting ready to go to bed as usual, I was suddenly informed that there was a fire in the chimney of his office that we had just left. Without getting upset, the good Father went quickly to bed. I hastened to have a look and especially to try to stop the fire, but this was not so easy, for there was really a very big fire in the chimney, so much so that neighbours, firemen and soldiers came around without delay.

In the meantime I heard the ringing of the little bell of Father Chevalier, as loud as possible; I had of course not thought any more of the good Father, and even less of bringing him his cup of milk which he usually drank before going to bed. Going up to his room I thought that he was going to blame me for not telling him about the situation of the fire, but no, the first thing he told me was: “What are you thinking about? Bring me quickly my cup of milk, so that I can go to sleep.” I thought: that is strange; he does not even mention the fire. I answered him: “But Father, that was not just a small fire in the chimney of your room downstairs; our neighbours, the firemen and the soldiers even came to help us.” He just repeated: “Bring me my cup of milk, so that I can go to sleep.” And he added: “That fire will soon go out by itself; it is not the first time that this happens. The only thing we can do is to let it burn; tomorrow morning it will have gone out. Just bring me my cup of milk.”

I was surprised that he was so calm. When he had drunk his milk, he told me: “It would be good to watch a bit so that they will not put everything in my room in disorder. Close the room afterwards, and tomorrow morning we will see.”

After working almost the whole night, in the morning the fire went out almost completely as the Father had told me, but the furniture and the parquet floor were in an awful state. After a few days things were repaired.

During spring a year later, on April 12[1], the good Father entered his 81^st year, a year that was remarkable for its many sufferings and its merits before God. Several hemorrhages succeeded one another so that his general condition, which for his age was very good, started to decline very much, and notwithstanding the indefatigable care of his good and dedicated doctor, who tried the best medicines to make him overcome such a great weakness, his sickness became ever more serious, and everybody who saw him in that stage — except two: he himself and his dedicated doctor — thought that his precious life was in great danger. A swollen state appeared, first his legs and soon his whole body.

In that critical state – one could even say: between life and death – the good Father did not worry about his sickness but led a very active life as if he was in good health. He never failed to say his breviary and his rosary, he received people, answered many letters, and often, I think, he forgot his own sufferings to dedicate himself completely to others.

While the Very Reverend Father suffered so much and seemed to forget himself, many others thought of him and prayed for him. Fervent prayers and novenas have doubtlessly done violence to heaven. How many religious communities have offered their good works, their mortifications and their merits to obtain the recovery of the good Father; some even offered the heroic sacrifice of their life to save his life. After so many prayers and good works God permitted that the good Father was soon out of danger, even almost suddenly. Especially his swollen state disappeared in two or three days, to the great surprise of the doctors.

Soon Father Chevalier resumed his former occupations: he started to say Mass, first in his room, where he had a nice little chapel and he had the permission of the Holy Father to say Mass there, but his zeal was not satisfied, soon he wanted to go to the parish church to hear confessions there and to preach. I still see him before me: he walked, happy to meet his dear parishioners. What a joy this was for him, but also for everybody else, for who did not know Father Chevalier? Even those who were most hostile towards religion, and the poor. They were happy to meet him on his way to or from the church, for to meet him at home was not always easy. I have often noted that he gave without measure; when he found a coin of five cents, or of one or two francs, he gave what he happened to lay his hands on, often without looking how much he gave; the poor knew it very well.

The good Father continued his ministry, but God knows how it tired him. His vicars were very willing to lighten his work, especially regarding the Sunday mass, but he accepted their offer rarely; only when he was absolutely unable to do it; he considered the ministry of the mass for the parish as his personal duty, and he wanted to do it till the end.

Soon other trials followed. The anti-religious law directed its hatred not only against the churches and their cult, but also against the parish priests, and after having seen them make an inventory of the parish church – against which he protested as much as he could – some time later he had to leave his presbytery also.

 Sent  by Tim Brennan

[1] Fr Chevalier was born on March 15^th; April 12^th was the feast of St. Jules, his name-day.

A range of MSC stories – Australia, PNG, India

• 2020 MSC communication, visually.

The community that Zooms together, stays together. From Blackburn to Kew to Mont Albert to Northcote to Moonah.

Roger Purcell is speaking on the MSC Mission Office site, Mission Alive.

Chevalier Institute hosted the Webinar on “God and Science – can they co-exist”, featuring Krish Mathavan and Paul Compton.  April 28^th.

*     RIP, Military Chaplain, PNG, EMMANUEL KOROI MSC

A small burial ceremony was held at the Chevalier Cemetery at MSC De Boisemenu Colledge, Bomana with the military officers, Families & friends with the MSC Brothers and Fathers. All gathered to bid farewell to Major Emmanuel Koroi MSC and to put him to rest.

Major Emmanuel Koroi is an MSC priest who dedicated his life as the chaplain of Defense force at Murray Barracks. He passed away few weeks ago due to long illness. 

• The death of Sister Gottfrieda MSC, from Germany to Australia, 26 years, to India, 40 years

SISTER GOTTFRIEDA KLAAS MSC  RIP

MSC Sisters, Fathers, Brothers and Friends, especially those who have grown up in India or have lived there, will appreciate that the end of an era has been reached with the death on Monday night of Sister Gottfrieda Klaas msc.

Then, last night, amid the heavy personal distancing restrictions currently in force in India, her Requiem Mass was celebrated in the famous Infant Jesus Church at Vivekanagar, Bangalore, next door to which is the Convent (Sneha Bhavan – the House of Love) that was effectively founded by Sister Gottfrieda more than forty years ago in the middle of what was then a large conglomeration of slums. In the live-streamed Mass last night, a surprising number of concelebrants and mourners gathered to commend Sister Gottfrieda’s soul to God, to honour her mortal remains and above all, to celebrate and thank God for her very long life’s achievements.

At 94 years of age she had lived 67 years of religious life as a Missionary Sister of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

I first met Sister Gottfrieda in 1982 when I was asked by our Generalate to do a study of the advisability and utility (or otherwise) for the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart – male branch – to have a foundation in India. Sneha Bhavan was my base for 3 months, while I travelled around India investigating the possibilities. Ultimately, in the process of our coming into being and establishing our Congregation on a firm foundation in India, Sister Gottfrieda was a very knowledgeable and efficacious support. On my many return visits to India during the last 15 years I have never failed to visit the MSC Sisters and have watched as the debilitating stroke Sister suffered more than 10 years ago, wore down her commanding presence. In spite of her waning faculties, Sister always seemed to manage for me an acknowledging smile and a struggle to communicate, remnant from many years of collaboration. 

Sister Gottfrieda Klaas was born in 1926 at Wippingen in North-West Germany, close to its border with the Netherlands. She joined the Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus at Hiltrup, Germany, at 24 years of age. Her spiritual formation had begun in a traditionally Catholic family, in her hometown and parish; then in a Congregation that had been founded only 50 years previously. Soon after her First Profession in 1953, she left as a missionary to Australia, where she lived and worked for 26 years. Sister acquired an Australian passport while working here.

In 1979 the relatively new Indian district of the MSC Sisters was slowly developing and one of the German pioneers, Sister Jacintha, a very experienced nun, who was guiding the young Indian aspirants, fell ill. Sister Gottfrieda arrived in a hurry from Australia with the intention of bringing Sister Jacintha back here for further treatment. However, Sister Gottfrieda was unable to realise this plan because Sister Jacintha rapidly got worse and died. I was told that it was a nightmare for the young pioneer Sisters: they felt they were left like sheep without a shepherd. Sister Gottfrieda, dynamic as she was then, felt the need and the urgency to stay on with the young Sisters. She so decided forthwith and in fact remained in India for the next 40 years. She worked tirelessly to give her congregation a solid foundation there. She refused to take holidays back in Germany for fear that she might not be able to get back into India because of its strict visa regulations.

Sister Gottfrieda spent most of her religious life far away from her family and native land, ministering in foreign countries for a total of 66 years. Throughout her life as an MSC Sister, Sister Gottfrieda displayed great commitment, patience and a strong faith. And I have witnessed her strength and endurance in the face of great physical disability, before she finally went to God two days ago. I have also witnessed the extraordinary care and affection shown her over so many years, especially by Sister Alis, as well as by all the other Sisters in the Sneha Bhavan Community.

As an Australian MSC and perhaps in some way  representing our Province, I would like to convey condolences to Sister Gottfrieda’s surviving family members in Germany, several of whom I met over the years, as well as to the MSC Sisters in India, in Germany and here in Australia.

Sister Gottfrieda Klaas was an iconic Missionary Sister of the Most Sacred Heart. May she rest in peace.

Father Malcolm Fyfe msc

Vicar General Diocese of Darwin

first friday, may 2020, message from chevalier family justice and peace.

Chevalier Family JPIC sends out its monthly poster.  It makes mention of World Diversity Day, May 22^nd.

We can also note that Pope Francis has invited us all to join him to celebrate Laudato Si week, May 16^th-24^th

Claude Mostowik is MSC Justice and Peace Director.