A CELEBRITY MSC IN HIS DAY, MICHAEL FORREST

March 6^th sees the 50^th anniversary of the death of Fr Michael Forrest.  His brother was Fr John Forrest MSC, his sister Sister Mary Brendan (Bridget) FDNSC.   Born 11^th December 1883 at Korong Vale, Victoria.  Died March 6^th, 1970, aged 86.

Here is a report from the Sydney Morning Herald from 1939 (30 years before he died).  His several books can be found in the archives at Kensington.

REV. M. D. FORREST. Professorial Appointment. Missionary priest, lecturer, ecclesiastical professor and publicist, the Rev. M. D. Forrest, M.S.C;, who recently returned to Sydney after a long absence abroad, has been appointed to a professorial position at the Novitiate and Apostolic School of the Society of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, "St. Mary's Towers," Douglas Park.

Father Forrest is one of the most widely travelled members of the Australian priesthood. He has exercised his ministry in America, England, Ireland, in addition to Australia and New Zealand.

He is widely known as a contributor to ecclesiastical magazines in those countries, and is the author of several books on religious subjects. Before he began his studies for the priesthood in 1903 he was for four years a teacher in the Victorian Education Department.

After his ordination in 1912 at St. Mary's Cathedral, Father Forrest taught theology for three years at the Sacred Heart Monastery, Kensington, at which seminary he had previously been a-student. In 1923 he went to America, where, as a member of the Sacred Heart Order, he worked for seven years. While there he lectured extensively in many American States. Before his recent return to Sydney Father Forrest was for several years on the professorial staff at the Sacred Heart College, Cork. Ireland. from Sydney Morning Herald 19/8/1939

THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN DAUGHTER OF OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART, MARGARET MARY SWEENEY

Most MSC don’t know this story.  Here is a glimpse in the context of the arrival of the Sisters from France. Some details of her in the photo – from OLSH College, Bentleigh, where one of the houses honours her memory.

In 1882, Fr. Chevalier appointed Marie Louise Hartzer in charge of the community. On 9th September, 1884, the first profession ceremony took place, including that of Marie Louise. The Congregation now had 5 professed members. Just two years later, in 1884, on October 17th, five sisters set out for the great mission of Oceania and landed in Sydney on January 31, 1885. Their destination was the missions of Oceania.

Two had made their vows a few hours before. They had the great sum of 25 francs between them, (out of which had to be bought a pair of shoes for one person in Marseille)! What faith!

They were met by Fr. Navarre, MSC who had come from Thursday Island to greet them, and by Fr. Joly, a Marist who was waiting to take them up the Harbour to Villa Maria, the headquarters of the Marists. A small house on the property was placed at their disposal until they could have a convent of their own.

Also meeting them was a 19 year old girl, Margaret Sweeney, from Ryde, who became the first Australian Daughter of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

Archbishop Moran offered a place to the MSC/OLSH if they established a parish and school. They accepted Botany. Four of the sisters were French, but one was Irish, Sr. M. Xavier Ryan. Sr. M. Xavier began a small school beside the church on Botany Road in April, 1885. It was here that the work of the OLSH sisters in Australia began. It has taken us to all States except Western Australia.

Margaret Sweeney was the first of many young Australian women to join the Daughters.

THE FACE/FACES OF YOUNG RELIGIOUS IN AUSTRALIA

The MSC Australia Formation Committee, including representatives from Vietnam.

Those professed in Australia in the last ten years, we have: 1 from Australia, 2 from Vietnam, 1 from Singapore, 1 from Fiji, 1 from Australia/Japan; our Novices, 1 from Australia/Philippines, 1 from Vietnam; our pre-novices, 1 from Vietnam, 1 from Australia/Vietnam.

Opening Mass for the YTU Academic Year - and some Blackburn parish connections,

Anand and Aber Rego (Blackburn parishioners - he former PPC chair, daughter Aber scored 99.3 in the VRC) accompanying Chris Monaghan in the music

Bernard Marmion (Blackburn parishioner, SRC president for 2020 and in final year of undergraduate theology), whose wife, Anne, is a member of the Australian MSC Lay Council and is Chair of the St Thomas, Blackburn, parish council.

The Students Representative Council – a variety of students from so many countries.

SRC: Bernard Marmion (president), Hong Duc Le (treasurer), Wifred Robsy (secretary), committee members: Douglas Tapi, Aruna Wannappu, Marcolino Gomes, Quoc Cuong Dang, Minh Tin Trinh, Duc Trung Vu

SOME SIGNIFICANT MARCH DAYS FOR THE CHEVALIER FAMILY, 2020

MSC Sister have quite a number of significant March days, including the foundation and some mission outreaches.

The item of March 17^th is a reminder of the attacks on religious by the Nazis.

5 March, 1877
During a stay in Rome, Father Chevalier met Don Daniel Comboni, founder of the Combonian Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus  and pro-Vicar of the mission of Central Africa, who had consecrated his large Vicariate to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart on 8 December, 1875.

9 March, 1906
The first Superior General of the MSC Sisters is elected. She is Sister M. Franziska Fleige.

10 March, 1865
The 'Pious Union', a movement centred on devotion to the Sacred Heart and founded by Blessed Louise Thérèse de Montaignac de Chauvance (1820-1885), becomes a Third Order of the MSC Congregation. It is a Third Order for women without vows and is associated with the MSC Congrégation until March, 1874.

12 March, 1965
The first two German MSC Sisters leave Hiltrup, Germany, to establish a foundation in Korea. They arrive on the 24 March, 1965 and the next day, 25 March, 1965, is the Foundation Day of the Korean Mission of the MSC Sisters.
As of December 31, 2011, there are 193 professed members in the Korean Province
as well as enthusiastically committed lay members.

15 March, 1824
Jules Chevalier is born in Richelieu, France. The following day he is baptized in the parish church, "Notre Dame", at Richelieu.

17 March, 1935

MSC Sisters and a Third Reich injustice story:

Mother M. Electa, Superior General of the MSC Sisters, and the Procurator General, Sr. M. Gerberga are arrested by the Gestapo in Hiltrup. They are falsely accused of trafficking foreign currencies by Joseph Goebbels, Minister of the Propaganda of the German Third Reich. Mother M. Electa will be released from prison one year later, on the 18 March, 1936.

17 March, 1943
Three FDNSC, three MSC from Manus, PNG, eight MSC from New Ireland, PNG,
together with 39 SVD missionaries and Holy Spirit Sisters, are killed at sea between Kavieng and Rabaul, PNG, during the Japanese war in the Pacific.

18 March, 1900
Father Alain de Boismenu is ordained Bishop in Montmartre, Paris.

20 March, 1886
Father Hubert Linckens, MSC, who becomes historical founder of the MSC Sisters,
is ordained at s'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

25 March, 1859
Construction commences on the Basilica in Issoudun.

25 March, 1882
Marie Louise Hartzer enters the FDNSC Congregation in Issoudun after a lengthy period of discernment.
The once thriving new community established in 1874, by 1882 does not show signs of growth, in fact, quite the opposite!
However, Marie Louise is very much attracted by the charism of Jules Chevalier so she decides to enter the small community.
She becomes the First Superior General.

25 March, 1901
First Profession ceremony of 10 MSC Sisters in Hiltrup.

25 March, 1918
Foundation of the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Lord in Papua New Guinea by Monsignor Alain de Boismenu.

25 March, 1977
Foundation Day of the Indian Mission of the MSC Sisters.

28 March, 1937
Father Heinrich Kellner, MSC, from the North German Province dies in captivity in China.

OLSH GENERAL CHAPTER   MARCH  2-23.

In her letter of January 26, 2019, Sr. Marife Mendoza officially announced that

the 20th General Chapter of our Congregation will be held on March 2-23, 2020

at Casa di esercizi spirituali Nostra Signora Madre della Misericordia, Monte Cucco, Rome

with the theme “Together, being missionaries of hope in a new world emerging.”

Sister Marife

The facilitator of the General Chapter 2020 will be Sr. Maria Pilar Serrano (aka Piluca) Benevente. She was also our facilitator at the 2017 General Conference in Rome. Together with her, the general administration has designed a one-year pre-general chapter preparation process.

In her letter dated October 14, 2019, Sr. Marife mentioned that one of our aims is to link the themes, the fruits, the vital issues of the General Conference to the Provincial Chapters and the General Chapter. Therefore, reflection papers on the five vital issues which the participants of the General Conference identified as matters that will affect the future direction of our Congregation, were sent to all the Provinces. The General Administration was sincerely grateful to the Provinces for all the responses!

After their initial meetings with Sr. Piluca, the general council saw the need and the value of creating a Chapter Commission which main task  would be to collate, analyse, synthesize and prepare the working documents for the general chapter.

Expectation of the Chapter: That the entire congregation be awakened, inspired, united and missioned by the articulation of a common vision that is firmly grounded in our history, charism and spirituality.  Such a vision would need to embrace our story, our present and evolving global reality, as well as propel us forward, priming us for future developments.  This vision could also serve as an ongoing evaluative ideal/guide for all the congregation throughout the following six years. Gerardine Doherty OLSH

MSC MISSION OFFICE TO BE RELOCATED – A STORY OF GREATER SPACE.

Director of the Office, Roger Purcell MSC reports:

In late 2019 the Blue Room on the ground floor of Chevalier Resource Centre was offered to the us by the Provincial and Superior as a new location. This was a great offer as our present Office in the Monastery is too small and we occupy five other rooms with files and books.

We accepted the offer, and after some disussion with the community there and respecting their situation and needs, we are now in the process of moving. The situation at Chevalier Resouce Cente has changed and the community there is finding its way forward. This will mean a lot of work to relocate all our operation, files and resources to this room thus freeing those rooms in the Monastery.

We hope to have the new Office operational in the near future as we acquire new future for storage and archives as well as the needs for office and meeting space. The room is such that we can comfortably fit our whole operation in this one space.

It is interesting that the Mission Office grew out of a request in 1997 at our Mission Conference near Cairns for a “Mission Desk”. Twenty years later there is a new Director and one year after Adrian’s death we move to this new location. We look forward to a new time for the Mission Office as we continue the work begun, seek new directions and methods while remaining faithful to the mission and charism.

For further developments, literally watch this space.

CONGRATULATIONS, DIAMOND JUBILEES OF PROFESSION: PAT AUSTIN, JOHN BOSMAN, JOHN CONROY, PHILIP MALONE.

Celebrating 60 years of religious life and ministry.

Pat Austin has spent most of his time in parishes like Park Orchards, supplying in Wilcannia Forbes Diocese at Balranald, but a long time in mission work in the NT and PNG. He lives at the Sacred Heart Monastery, Kensington.

John Bosman is visiting The Netherlands with his twin sister for celebrating this occasion. John has taught Moral Theology, has worked in parishes like Henley Beach, chaplaincy at the Prince of Wales Hospital while at Randwick Parish. He has also specialised in counselling and Breath programs (which may be of benefit for his playing the didgeridoo). He is based at the Sacred Heart Monastery, Kensington.

John Conroy has spent most of his ministries in parishes like Randwick. He also spent time in the Northern Territory.  He lives at the Sacred Heart Monastery, Kensington.

Philip Malone spent 17 years in Education at Downlands, Daramalan, St John’s Darwin and Chevalier. He then studied Moral Theology, teaching at St Paul’s National Seminary and at the Yarra Theological Union, Box Hill. He is the current community leader for Victoria and Tasmania.

ASH WEDNESDAY, FASTING LESS, LOVING AND CARING MORE

No, this is not an error in our illustration.  Yes, it was designed to highlight deeper love in the context of St Valentine’s Day but it has been used here for Lenten challenges and holiness.

The Gospel of the Liturgy has Jesus speaking of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. For many years, it is the fasting that has received popular attention. “What are you giving up for Lent?”

The challenge is, of course, “What are we taking on for Lent?” Love of God, certainly, but the St Valentine’s Day card reminds that it is loving-giving to our neighbour and beyond.

ACKNOWLEDGING FR JIM LITTLETON MSC. AT 90.

Jim Littleton has been a significant member of the Australian Province for 65 years or more.

His main ministry has been in Education, teaching at the Apostolic School when ordained, serving as Principal at Downlands College, Chevalier College and Daramalan College.

He also served as Provincial Superior, 1987-1992.

He compiled books on Deceased MSC, and for the last 15 years, he has written quite a number of monographs on significant MSC personalities and MSC formation houses and parishes.

In more recent years he has lived in Canberra at the Daramalan Residence.  At the beginning of 2020, he moved to Kensington Monastery.

YOUNGER MSC MEETING, INCLUDING THOSE RECENTLY ORDAINED.

With thanks to Kimi for the photos.

The group recently gathered for days of reflection, but also the chance to meet and spend some community time together.

The gathering included those from the Australian Province who did their formation here – and they include those who originally came from Singapore, Fiji and Vietnam.

Then there were those who did their formation in Vietnam and were able to come to Australia. Thang is stationed at the Retreat Centre at Douglas Park and Danh at Bathurst Island. Quy is appointed to Henley Beach.

Then there was a group from the India region who are stationed in parishes in Australia, Randwick, Kippax and Nightcliff.

Also attending, Frank Dineen, responsible for Formation and Chris McPhee, Provincial.