Quote of the Day
Love must urge and impel us
~Hubert Linckens MSC

October

September

7 Today we received news that our wonderful missionary Sr. Kathleen Houlihan entered Eternal Life.
May she rest peacefully in the God she loved.

7 Feast of the Sacred Heart

On this special feast for us and for all the Chevalier family, we gathered for Eucharist; Presider was Fr Philip Malone, MSC.  Time together over lunch was very enjoyable.

May

30

Holy Eucharist, St Albans South. A song of joy!  

Those of us who were part of ministry at Holy Eucharist Parish were invited to join what was a very special occasion: the Blessing and Official Opening of the Catherine McAuley Learning Centre at Holy Eucharist School.

On the parish feast day, Corpus Christi, Presider at Eucharist was Auxiliary Bishop Martin Ashe. We appreciated the children’s full-throated but natural responses at mass, the way they interacted with us as well as their pride in their school and in their Principal, a student of ours.

2021

Pope Francis has proclaimed 2021 as the Year of St Joseph.

December 25th

December 12th

60th Jubilee of Religious Profession

Sr Kathleen Boschetti

Congratulations to Kathleen who has finally been able to celebrate her profession day! Owing to Covid lockdowns her jubilee date celebration was transferred from September 9th to a very appropriate day, the anniversary of her First Communion: December 12th.

Kathleen has had a lifetime of music education and liturgical music ministry. Her influence in the generous way in which she has shared her gifts and professionalism has spread far and wide. Her compositions are notable for their joyous spirit. Parishes and choirs have benefited much form her engagement and continue to do so.  Thank you Kathleen!

November 27th

Advent Gathering

“The people of Advent are ‘us’. The baptist prods us to newness, and the Zachary in us resists until Elizabeth insists.

Our Joseph lets it happen, and the young Mary in us seizes the gift and runs with it.

It must be so if the Christ in us is to be born.”  Elizabeth Meluch OCD                                        




August 21st

Celebrating 90!



Sr Joan Fisher had a quiet Covid-19 lockdown birthday

Congratulations and blessings,Joan!

August 8

Feast of Mary MacKillop

We have been invited to join a SILENT RALLY, daily prayer of silence, for as long as it takes,  for the relief of the world coronavirus  pandemic.                        Please join us.

 

Some significant June days for the Chevalier Family 2021

Feast of the Sacred Heart, 11 June

 1 June, 1940

Mother M Electa, MSC, promises to build a chapel in honour of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, in Hiltrup, Germany, to seek protection for the Congregation and its works during World War II.

5 June, 1944

During World War II, New Guinea Missionary Sisters were imprisoned in Ramale Camp, New Britain, in PNG.

9 June, 1983

The three Generalates, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart meet together for the first time. The first meeting took place at the MSC Generalate, Via Asmara in Rome.

12 June, 1874

On the Feast of the Sacred Heart, Pope Pius IX signs the decree of Approbation of the MSC Society. Father Chevalier also offers Pius IX a petition, asking him to consecrate the whole Church to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

19 June, 1940

At 8:30am, Issoudun is bombed: 100 people died and many are wounded. The historic presbytery from which Father Founder was evicted in 1907, is destroyed.

24 June, 1915

During the First World War, Missionary Sisters in New Britain (PNG) are imprisoned.

26 June, 1984

Sister Klara Sietman, MSC, is elected as 6th Superior General of the MSC Sisters.

JPIC intention of the Chevalier Family for June:

Prayer:
God of all life,
You search us and You know us. Move our hearts to care for Your creation in honour of You.

May 21

Evolving Futures – Community Gathering – looking towards the future, exploration of needs and appropriate responses.  And, time to celebrate our May birthdays!

A 7 – Year Journey
TOWARDS AN INTEGRAL ECOLOGY
May 24, 2021,

MSC SISTERS WALKING HAND IN HAND FOR THE PLANET
“If we want to change, we need Education and Inspiration,” Pope Francis

MOTIVATION: N’dilnabamuk—“All my relations.”
We are related to all beings within creation. The two legged, the four legged, the winged, the beings that crawl and slide along the ground, the plants, the trees, and the living Earth are all our relatives. There is one life, one breath that we all breathe.  

“The earth does not belong to humanity, it is humanity that belongs to the earth.”
The best inheritance we can leave is love, knowledge and a habitable planet”.
Chief Settle
WHAT DO WE SEE AND EXPERIENCE?
The MSC Sisters have taken time to SEE what is happening to Mother Earth and her resources, to the creatures and among them, the human beings. Such a noble and generous Earth puts its fruits and resources at the service of life. And in return, with our own actions and that of others, shielded by systems, we have made the Earth – according to Pope Francis – the poorest of the poor.
▪ Destruction of the nature: Animals don’t do this. Humans are about power to subdue others, to show that they are better and that they have more.
▪ Deep uncertainty and suffering in the midst of this global emergency due to Covid-19.
▪ “Lethal pandemics” that our world suffers: Wars, violence – Hunger – Human trafficking – Destruction of nature – Corruption – Indifference – Racism – Disrespect for life.
WHAT DOES GOD TELL US?
. We have been created to be INTERCONNECTED, since Life is a chain of needs.
➢ God saw everything that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. Gen 1.31
➢ “Where there is a need, a mission arises.” Fr. Linckens
➢ “Simplicity must characterize your lives.” Fr. Linckens
➢ “As Christ was sent into the world by the Father, so we are sent by the Church
to serve especially the suffering, the needy and those whose rights are disregarded.” Const. 7

We are only stewards of God’s Gifts
Laudato Si teaches us how to create a more just and sustainable world together.

“If we were to wipe out insects alone on this planet, the rest of life and humanity with it would mostly disappear from the land within a few months.” –Edward O. Wilson (Father of Biodiversity) WHAT CAN WE DO?
Pope Francis has written to each of us, in an encyclical called ‘Laudato Si’, inviting us to think deeply, live wisely and love generously. He calls each of us to listen to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor who suffer the most from environmental destruction.
Now, it is time for INITIATIVES AND TO ACT, to contribute with something small or great to honor our Creator and help Mother Earth to reverse Climate Change.
❖ Answering Pope Francis’ urgent call in Laudato Si, let us commit ourselves to:
Pray for and with creation Be aware of the damage caused to the earth
Personal and community conversion
Ecological Education
Live more simply Advocate to protect our common home
Engage in solidarity actions
Activate our creativity in response to latent needs
Three Elements of Laudato Si’ Platform:
1. Public Commitment based on our Charism
2. Realizing the Laudato Si’ Goals
3. Networking Advocacy

TRANSITION PROCESS OF THE MSC SISTERS TOWARD INTEGRAL ECOLOGY

Laudato Si Goals: 7 Hopes for the Earth and the Poor
General Objective:
Care and defense of life in its integrity, with fundamental ethical options and to protect the environment, through experiential eco-pedagogical processes.
1. Response to the Cry of the Earth
2. Response to the Cry of the Poor
3. Ecological Economics
4. Adoption of Simple Lifestyles
5. Ecological Education
6. Ecological Spirituality
7. Community Engagement – Participatory Action
Past → Present → Future
REMEMBER AND WRITE THE HISTORY OF ACTIONS THAT THE MSC SISTERS HAVE BEING INVOLVED IN
What did we learn from them and from others around us?
▪ Practice of the “R”: Recycle – Reduce – Reuse – Repair
▪ Make compost
▪ Create Bio-gardens
▪ Energy saving – Renewable Energy – Use of Solar Panels

 WHAT KIND OF WORLD DO WE WANT TO LEAVE TO FUTURE GENERATIONS?
▪ A clean and habitable world
▪ A world with Ecological Values
▪ A world interconnected, with sisters and brothers reaching out to each other
▪ A world that lives a Culture of Care for the Earth and a culture of Solidarity in daily life
▪ A warm, compassionate and merciful world
WE PLAN TO ACHIEVE THE LAUDATO SI’ OBJECTIVES:
“SPIRAL” METHOD

DOCUMENTATION AND EVALUATION
▪ How are we responding to the cry of the Earth on a personal and communal level?
▪ How are we responding to the cry of the Poor on a personal and communal level?
▪ JPIC promoters will share and document their unit/communities’ movements and initiatives in a simple, chronicle style. This will be shared with the Generalate JPIC promoter.
▪ At the end of each year, the promoters will share the actions and achievements of their unit with the Generalate JPIC promoter to document progress at the congregational level.
The news will be published for mutual enrichment, to praise the Creator and to continue walking together.

SIMPLE AND CONSCIOUS LIFESTYLE

 .Personal conversion. Reflect and repent on our mistreatment of creation

▪ Appreciate and interact with nature and our neighbors
▪ Consciously practice INCLUSION, that no one is left out of my love, my attention, my consideration. We are all equal in the eyes of God
▪ Avoid the throwaway culture personally and in our holiday celebrations.
“The important thing is to not walk alone, but to rely on each other as brothers and sisters”. (EG 33)

ECOLOGICAL PRAYERS
Let us praise God including in our prayers Nature: plants, water, wind, cosmos, fire, stars…
ECOLOGICAL
▪ Practice the “R”
Recycle whenever you can and place all recyclables in the right place, do not mix
Reduce – Reuse – Repair as much as you can instead of replace
▪ Take care of the plants
▪ Take care of bees, do not kill them, a great part of the life of the planet depends on them.
▪ Avoid using single-use plastic bags. Carry always your cloth shopping bags
▪ Consider the use of Renewable Energy, i.e., Solar panels etc.
▪ Responsible use of water
▪ Conserve energy, unplug devices when not-in-use
▪ Eat less meat and more plant-base foods
▪ Drive less and travel sustainably by using public transport
▪ Buy in  local area. Support  community, save the environment by purchasing local goods.
➢ Work with the Laity in the Parishes and Workplaces
▪ Give voice to the voiceless and advocate for Nature in our environment and beyond.
Actions for the Benefit of Others:
▪ Put into practice the Principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church: Life and Dignity of the Human Person – Community and the Common Good – Rights and Responsibilities – Option for the Poor and Vulnerable – The Dignity of Work and the rights of Workers – Solidarity – Care for God’s Creation.
▪ Live in a state of solidarity: attentive to the needs of others, offer time, faith, joy, talents.
▪ Get involved in sustainable development projects
▪ Volunteer in Green groups or initiate a group of awareness of the planet
” (Laudato Si’, 91).
PRAYER
Praise be to you Lord creator of all.
By this guide, we have compiled the actions implemented by those
who have gone before us.
We want to share the vision of Laudato Si’ and commit ourselves to work towards
the goals we have set.
The earth cries out for healing
as it continues to be polluted, deforested and to heat up
due to human patterns of consumption, greed and selfishness.
We are all affected, especially the poor in our midst who are the vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Time is running out. We are all in peril.
Lord, we are aware that there is much to be done
to address this ecological crisis.
We cannot do it through our individual efforts alone.
We need to work together as communities scattered all over the world.
Lord, help us to be aware that we are all interconnected
and we can only make a difference when we act as one.
This we ask in Jesus name. Amen.
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be loved everywhere Now and forever.

Caring for the Earth – Living Laudato  “for we know things can change.” (LS 13)

Laudato Si’ Week 2021, to be held May 16-25, will be the crowning event of the Special Laudato Si’ Anniversary Year, and a celebration of the great progress the whole Church has made on its journey to ecological conversion.

Laudato Si’ Week 2021 will also be a time to reflect on what the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us and prepare for the future with hope.

Loving God, Creator of heaven and Earth and all that is in them, You created us in your own image and made us stewards of your creation. You blessed us with the sun, water and beautiful land so that all might be nourished. Open our minds and touch our hearts, so that we may attend to the gift of your creation. Help us to be conscious that our common home belongs not only to us, but to all your creatures, and all future generations.  It is our responsibility to preserve it. May we help each person secure the food and resources that they need. Be present to those in need during these trying times, especially the poorest and those most at risk of being left behind.  Help us to show creative solidarity in addressing the consequences of this global pandemic, make us courageous in embracing the changes need in search of the common good. Amen.

In May….

1 May, 1863

An article on Our Lady of the Sacred Heart appears in the Jesuit publication, “Messager du Sacré-Coeur”, founded by Fr. Henri Ramière, SJ. It is the first presentation of this new title for Mary.

3 May 1928

Mother Liboria Loeper, Provincial of the American Province MSC Sisters, arrived in Sydney to begin an Australian foundation that would be of support to the established Mission in Papua New Guinea. 


6 May, 1888

In Randwick, Australia, the church built by Father Michael Tierney, is dedicated to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Today, it is the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Australia.
 

21 May 1928.

At Station Pier, Melbourne, she welcomed Srs Eulalia, Aquilina, Maurilia, Zaccharia, and Margareta. Their first destination was Rupertswood, Sunbury where they provided practical support to the Salesians. 

31 May, 1865

The feast of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is publicly celebrated for the first time.

By 1872 the feast is celebrated worldwide in 950 churches or chapels.
For quite some time, this feast was held on this date, but today, globally, the feast is observed on the last Saturday in May.

Mother Liboria MSC

April 23

Today we celebrated Anne Margaret’s Requiem Mass at Holy Redeemer Church, Surrey Hills, along with family, friends and members of the Focolare movement.

Fr Philip Malone, MSC, was main celebrant, assisted by Fr Paul Castelly, MSC, and Fr Bruno from Focolare.

Her farewell was a fitting tribute to woman of deep faith, commitment and outreach. Her love of the Sacred Heart was symbolized by the presentation of an icon of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart by Srs Carmel Slattery and Pat Kinlyside.. Along with this they brought her MSC Cross and her copy of our Constitutions. Over a long and fruitful life she was involved in education, migrant support, congregational commitments and the Focolare movement.  Anne Margaret had a great love of her family, MSC community and contributed much to both her family history and our congregational history. Several calendars along with extensive research attest to this and are valuable resources.

Eulogy was given by Sr Rosalind Cairns who reflected on the Gospel John 15: 9-17 ‘remain in my love.’

Farewell Anne Margaret, and thank you!

April 14

This evening Sr Anne Margaret Dalton peacefully surrendered her life to God.

May she rest in the love of the Heart of our God for whom she gave her life in love.

In April….

5 April, 1925

Arrival of the first three MSC Sisters from Hiltrup, in Vunapope (PNG), after World War I.                   

6 April, 1864

Bishop de la Tour d’Auvergne (of Bourges) presents the Statutes of the Fraternity of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Issoudun and signs as first member. To make membership in the Fraternity possible for everyone,
Father Chevalier stipulates that the only requirement is to pray daily: “Our Lady of the Sacred Heart pray for us”.               

6 April, 1904

Death of the first Superior General of the MSC Sisters, Sister Servatia Rath, Congregation of the Sisters of Divine Providence.

7 April, 1872

Official installation of Father Chevalier as parish priest of St. Cyr parish, in Issoudun.

9 April, 1866

Fathers Chevalier and Vandel planned the foundation of an “apostolic” school, which did officially open in Chezal-Benoît on 10 October the following year, about 17 kilometers from Issoudun.

This was an apostolic school for boys interested in becoming missionaries in the MSC’s. In order to meet the cost of this work, an appeal was made to give a penny a year – thus the name the “Petite Oeuvre” (the “Little Work”).

11 April, 1868

The Chapel of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is opened in Issoudun. 

Local Community Leader in Manila

Sr. Carol Terpstra has been re-appointed as local community leader in Manila. She will serve until April 2023. We are grateful for her willingness to continue in this role and service to the sisters in the Manila community, the Filipino people and on the Executive Committee of Cor Vitae. She has been appointed as a member of the XVIII General Chapter. 


March 25
Feast of Annuciation - Foundation Day - Community Eucharist and Meal

MARCH 2021 Pope Francis calls on us to "look at the facts to see that our common home is in serious disarray” (LS61). He mentioned five problems: 1. Pollution 2. Global warming 3. Shortage of water 4. The loss of biodiversity 5. The decline in the quality of human life and inequality between people.

Pope Francis calls on us to “look at the facts to see that our common home is in serious disarray” (LS61).
He mentioned five problems:
1. Pollution
2. Global warming
3. Shortage of water
4. The loss of biodiversity
5. The decline in the quality
of human life and
inequality between people.
AWARENESS
The poor and the earth are crying out.
Lord, seize us with your power and light,
help us to protect all life,
that we may help bring about
your Kingdom of justice, peace and love.
PRAYER
Which of the problems mentioned above occur in your own surrounding?
How do you experience them?
Discuss with others what is being done
to solve these problems
and what you can do.
ACTION
JPIC Actions
for March 2021

Which of the problems mentioned above occur in your own surrounding?
How do you experience them?
Discuss with others what is being done
to solve these problems
and what you can do.

In March:

9 March, 1906

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

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.

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.

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

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

February 11

Treasures gained through a year of Covid-19:

through the challenges, what are the moments of growth, of grace?

 

Celebrating Erin Freney’s 50th Jubilee of Religious Profession… at last!

…and Anne Margaret Dalton’s 70th (in absentia)

 

Congratulations and blessings Anne Margaret and Erin!

In February….

2 February 1892

The title of St Joseph ‘Friend of the Sacred Heart’.

5 February 1900

Canonical Erection of the congregation of MSC Sisters and approbation of the Statutes for five years.

25 February 1875

The Vatican orders that, in the future, all new images of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart must represent the Child Jesus on the arms of his mother, not standing before her.

 

January 26

Celebrated as Australia Day, or for many, a call for an alternative national day that would adequately address our history.
 

‘Let tiny drops of stillness fall gently through my day.’

– 2021 Australian Senior of the Year

Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann.

In 1988, Miriam-Rose called us to Dadirri: Deep Listening and Quiet Still Awareness:
‘in recent times we have come to listen to a most sacred word that comes to us from God, our Father. This new word is Jesus.
I have said how Dadirri, which is deep listening and quiet stillness, can make us whole and revive us.  This is a special quality in our lives.  It is born in our culture.  The Word of God finds a home here.  Jesus enriches and renews our culture.
He gently stirs as stillness, but he does not take away our peace.  We like to hear words of peace, ike Jesus spoke.  We want to listen and pass on words that are true and good – bu the words that have come to us through our culture and traditions; and the words that come to us in the Gospel of Jesus.
This is what I long for: that with these words to guide us, everyone will come to listen to the Sound of God.  We have to try to listen – to the God within us – to our own country – and to one another.’
 
 

1 January
Feast of Motherhood of God

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

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.

2021

Pope Francis has proclaimed 2021 as the Year of St Joseph.

December 25th

December 12th

60th Jubilee of Religious Profession

Sr Kathleen Boschetti

Congratulations to Kathleen who has finally been able to celebrate her profession day! Owing to Covid lockdowns her jubilee date celebration was transferred from September 9th to a very appropriate day, the anniversary of her First Communion: December 12th.

Kathleen has had a lifetime of music education and liturgical music ministry. Her influence in the generous way in which she has shared her gifts and professionalism has spread far and wide. Her compositions are notable for their joyous spirit. Parishes and choirs have benefited much form her engagement and continue to do so.  Thank you Kathleen!

November 27th

Advent Gathering

“The people of Advent are ‘us’. The baptist prods us to newness, and the Zachary in us resists until Elizabeth insists.

Our Joseph lets it happen, and the young Mary in us seizes the gift and runs with it.

It must be so if the Christ in us is to be born.”  Elizabeth Meluch OCD                                        




August 21st

Celebrating 90!



Sr Joan Fisher had a quiet Covid-19 lockdown birthday

Congratulations and blessings,Joan!

August 8

Feast of Mary MacKillop

We have been invited to join a SILENT RALLY, daily prayer of silence, for as long as it takes,  for the relief of the world coronavirus  pandemic.                        Please join us.

 

Some significant June days for the Chevalier Family 2021

Feast of the Sacred Heart, 11 June

 1 June, 1940

Mother M Electa, MSC, promises to build a chapel in honour of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, in Hiltrup, Germany, to seek protection for the Congregation and its works during World War II.

5 June, 1944

During World War II, New Guinea Missionary Sisters were imprisoned in Ramale Camp, New Britain, in PNG.

9 June, 1983

The three Generalates, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart meet together for the first time. The first meeting took place at the MSC Generalate, Via Asmara in Rome.

12 June, 1874

On the Feast of the Sacred Heart, Pope Pius IX signs the decree of Approbation of the MSC Society. Father Chevalier also offers Pius IX a petition, asking him to consecrate the whole Church to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

19 June, 1940

At 8:30am, Issoudun is bombed: 100 people died and many are wounded. The historic presbytery from which Father Founder was evicted in 1907, is destroyed.

24 June, 1915

During the First World War, Missionary Sisters in New Britain (PNG) are imprisoned.

26 June, 1984

Sister Klara Sietman, MSC, is elected as 6th Superior General of the MSC Sisters.

JPIC intention of the Chevalier Family for June:

Prayer:
God of all life,
You search us and You know us. Move our hearts to care for Your creation in honour of You.

May 21

Evolving Futures – Community Gathering – looking towards the future, exploration of needs and appropriate responses.  And, time to celebrate our May birthdays!

A 7 – Year Journey
TOWARDS AN INTEGRAL ECOLOGY
May 24, 2021,

MSC SISTERS WALKING HAND IN HAND FOR THE PLANET
“If we want to change, we need Education and Inspiration,” Pope Francis

MOTIVATION: N’dilnabamuk—“All my relations.”
We are related to all beings within creation. The two legged, the four legged, the winged, the beings that crawl and slide along the ground, the plants, the trees, and the living Earth are all our relatives. There is one life, one breath that we all breathe.  

“The earth does not belong to humanity, it is humanity that belongs to the earth.”
The best inheritance we can leave is love, knowledge and a habitable planet”.
Chief Settle
WHAT DO WE SEE AND EXPERIENCE?
The MSC Sisters have taken time to SEE what is happening to Mother Earth and her resources, to the creatures and among them, the human beings. Such a noble and generous Earth puts its fruits and resources at the service of life. And in return, with our own actions and that of others, shielded by systems, we have made the Earth – according to Pope Francis – the poorest of the poor.
▪ Destruction of the nature: Animals don’t do this. Humans are about power to subdue others, to show that they are better and that they have more.
▪ Deep uncertainty and suffering in the midst of this global emergency due to Covid-19.
▪ “Lethal pandemics” that our world suffers: Wars, violence – Hunger – Human trafficking – Destruction of nature – Corruption – Indifference – Racism – Disrespect for life.
WHAT DOES GOD TELL US?
. We have been created to be INTERCONNECTED, since Life is a chain of needs.
➢ God saw everything that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. Gen 1.31
➢ “Where there is a need, a mission arises.” Fr. Linckens
➢ “Simplicity must characterize your lives.” Fr. Linckens
➢ “As Christ was sent into the world by the Father, so we are sent by the Church
to serve especially the suffering, the needy and those whose rights are disregarded.” Const. 7

We are only stewards of God’s Gifts
Laudato Si teaches us how to create a more just and sustainable world together.

“If we were to wipe out insects alone on this planet, the rest of life and humanity with it would mostly disappear from the land within a few months.” –Edward O. Wilson (Father of Biodiversity) WHAT CAN WE DO?
Pope Francis has written to each of us, in an encyclical called ‘Laudato Si’, inviting us to think deeply, live wisely and love generously. He calls each of us to listen to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor who suffer the most from environmental destruction.
Now, it is time for INITIATIVES AND TO ACT, to contribute with something small or great to honor our Creator and help Mother Earth to reverse Climate Change.
❖ Answering Pope Francis’ urgent call in Laudato Si, let us commit ourselves to:
Pray for and with creation Be aware of the damage caused to the earth
Personal and community conversion
Ecological Education
Live more simply Advocate to protect our common home
Engage in solidarity actions
Activate our creativity in response to latent needs
Three Elements of Laudato Si’ Platform:
1. Public Commitment based on our Charism
2. Realizing the Laudato Si’ Goals
3. Networking Advocacy

TRANSITION PROCESS OF THE MSC SISTERS TOWARD INTEGRAL ECOLOGY

Laudato Si Goals: 7 Hopes for the Earth and the Poor
General Objective:
Care and defense of life in its integrity, with fundamental ethical options and to protect the environment, through experiential eco-pedagogical processes.
1. Response to the Cry of the Earth
2. Response to the Cry of the Poor
3. Ecological Economics
4. Adoption of Simple Lifestyles
5. Ecological Education
6. Ecological Spirituality
7. Community Engagement – Participatory Action
Past → Present → Future
REMEMBER AND WRITE THE HISTORY OF ACTIONS THAT THE MSC SISTERS HAVE BEING INVOLVED IN
What did we learn from them and from others around us?
▪ Practice of the “R”: Recycle – Reduce – Reuse – Repair
▪ Make compost
▪ Create Bio-gardens
▪ Energy saving – Renewable Energy – Use of Solar Panels

 WHAT KIND OF WORLD DO WE WANT TO LEAVE TO FUTURE GENERATIONS?
▪ A clean and habitable world
▪ A world with Ecological Values
▪ A world interconnected, with sisters and brothers reaching out to each other
▪ A world that lives a Culture of Care for the Earth and a culture of Solidarity in daily life
▪ A warm, compassionate and merciful world
WE PLAN TO ACHIEVE THE LAUDATO SI’ OBJECTIVES:
“SPIRAL” METHOD

DOCUMENTATION AND EVALUATION
▪ How are we responding to the cry of the Earth on a personal and communal level?
▪ How are we responding to the cry of the Poor on a personal and communal level?
▪ JPIC promoters will share and document their unit/communities’ movements and initiatives in a simple, chronicle style. This will be shared with the Generalate JPIC promoter.
▪ At the end of each year, the promoters will share the actions and achievements of their unit with the Generalate JPIC promoter to document progress at the congregational level.
The news will be published for mutual enrichment, to praise the Creator and to continue walking together.

SIMPLE AND CONSCIOUS LIFESTYLE

 .Personal conversion. Reflect and repent on our mistreatment of creation

▪ Appreciate and interact with nature and our neighbors
▪ Consciously practice INCLUSION, that no one is left out of my love, my attention, my consideration. We are all equal in the eyes of God
▪ Avoid the throwaway culture personally and in our holiday celebrations.
“The important thing is to not walk alone, but to rely on each other as brothers and sisters”. (EG 33)

ECOLOGICAL PRAYERS
Let us praise God including in our prayers Nature: plants, water, wind, cosmos, fire, stars…
ECOLOGICAL
▪ Practice the “R”
Recycle whenever you can and place all recyclables in the right place, do not mix
Reduce – Reuse – Repair as much as you can instead of replace
▪ Take care of the plants
▪ Take care of bees, do not kill them, a great part of the life of the planet depends on them.
▪ Avoid using single-use plastic bags. Carry always your cloth shopping bags
▪ Consider the use of Renewable Energy, i.e., Solar panels etc.
▪ Responsible use of water
▪ Conserve energy, unplug devices when not-in-use
▪ Eat less meat and more plant-base foods
▪ Drive less and travel sustainably by using public transport
▪ Buy in  local area. Support  community, save the environment by purchasing local goods.
➢ Work with the Laity in the Parishes and Workplaces
▪ Give voice to the voiceless and advocate for Nature in our environment and beyond.
Actions for the Benefit of Others:
▪ Put into practice the Principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church: Life and Dignity of the Human Person – Community and the Common Good – Rights and Responsibilities – Option for the Poor and Vulnerable – The Dignity of Work and the rights of Workers – Solidarity – Care for God’s Creation.
▪ Live in a state of solidarity: attentive to the needs of others, offer time, faith, joy, talents.
▪ Get involved in sustainable development projects
▪ Volunteer in Green groups or initiate a group of awareness of the planet
” (Laudato Si’, 91).
PRAYER
Praise be to you Lord creator of all.
By this guide, we have compiled the actions implemented by those
who have gone before us.
We want to share the vision of Laudato Si’ and commit ourselves to work towards
the goals we have set.
The earth cries out for healing
as it continues to be polluted, deforested and to heat up
due to human patterns of consumption, greed and selfishness.
We are all affected, especially the poor in our midst who are the vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Time is running out. We are all in peril.
Lord, we are aware that there is much to be done
to address this ecological crisis.
We cannot do it through our individual efforts alone.
We need to work together as communities scattered all over the world.
Lord, help us to be aware that we are all interconnected
and we can only make a difference when we act as one.
This we ask in Jesus name. Amen.
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be loved everywhere Now and forever.

Caring for the Earth – Living Laudato  “for we know things can change.” (LS 13)

Laudato Si’ Week 2021, to be held May 16-25, will be the crowning event of the Special Laudato Si’ Anniversary Year, and a celebration of the great progress the whole Church has made on its journey to ecological conversion.

Laudato Si’ Week 2021 will also be a time to reflect on what the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us and prepare for the future with hope.

Loving God, Creator of heaven and Earth and all that is in them, You created us in your own image and made us stewards of your creation. You blessed us with the sun, water and beautiful land so that all might be nourished. Open our minds and touch our hearts, so that we may attend to the gift of your creation. Help us to be conscious that our common home belongs not only to us, but to all your creatures, and all future generations.  It is our responsibility to preserve it. May we help each person secure the food and resources that they need. Be present to those in need during these trying times, especially the poorest and those most at risk of being left behind.  Help us to show creative solidarity in addressing the consequences of this global pandemic, make us courageous in embracing the changes need in search of the common good. Amen.

In May….

1 May, 1863

An article on Our Lady of the Sacred Heart appears in the Jesuit publication, “Messager du Sacré-Coeur”, founded by Fr. Henri Ramière, SJ. It is the first presentation of this new title for Mary.

3 May 1928

Mother Liboria Loeper, Provincial of the American Province MSC Sisters, arrived in Sydney to begin an Australian foundation that would be of support to the established Mission in Papua New Guinea. 


6 May, 1888

In Randwick, Australia, the church built by Father Michael Tierney, is dedicated to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Today, it is the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Australia.
 

21 May 1928.

At Station Pier, Melbourne, she welcomed Srs Eulalia, Aquilina, Maurilia, Zaccharia, and Margareta. Their first destination was Rupertswood, Sunbury where they provided practical support to the Salesians. 

31 May, 1865

The feast of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is publicly celebrated for the first time.

By 1872 the feast is celebrated worldwide in 950 churches or chapels.
For quite some time, this feast was held on this date, but today, globally, the feast is observed on the last Saturday in May.

Mother Liboria MSC

April 23

Today we celebrated Anne Margaret’s Requiem Mass at Holy Redeemer Church, Surrey Hills, along with family, friends and members of the Focolare movement.

Fr Philip Malone, MSC, was main celebrant, assisted by Fr Paul Castelly, MSC, and Fr Bruno from Focolare.

Her farewell was a fitting tribute to woman of deep faith, commitment and outreach. Her love of the Sacred Heart was symbolized by the presentation of an icon of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart by Srs Carmel Slattery and Pat Kinlyside.. Along with this they brought her MSC Cross and her copy of our Constitutions. Over a long and fruitful life she was involved in education, migrant support, congregational commitments and the Focolare movement.  Anne Margaret had a great love of her family, MSC community and contributed much to both her family history and our congregational history. Several calendars along with extensive research attest to this and are valuable resources.

Eulogy was given by Sr Rosalind Cairns who reflected on the Gospel John 15: 9-17 ‘remain in my love.’

Farewell Anne Margaret, and thank you!

April 14

This evening Sr Anne Margaret Dalton peacefully surrendered her life to God.

May she rest in the love of the Heart of our God for whom she gave her life in love.

In April….

5 April, 1925

Arrival of the first three MSC Sisters from Hiltrup, in Vunapope (PNG), after World War I.                   

6 April, 1864

Bishop de la Tour d’Auvergne (of Bourges) presents the Statutes of the Fraternity of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Issoudun and signs as first member. To make membership in the Fraternity possible for everyone,
Father Chevalier stipulates that the only requirement is to pray daily: “Our Lady of the Sacred Heart pray for us”.               

6 April, 1904

Death of the first Superior General of the MSC Sisters, Sister Servatia Rath, Congregation of the Sisters of Divine Providence.

7 April, 1872

Official installation of Father Chevalier as parish priest of St. Cyr parish, in Issoudun.

9 April, 1866

Fathers Chevalier and Vandel planned the foundation of an “apostolic” school, which did officially open in Chezal-Benoît on 10 October the following year, about 17 kilometers from Issoudun.

This was an apostolic school for boys interested in becoming missionaries in the MSC’s. In order to meet the cost of this work, an appeal was made to give a penny a year – thus the name the “Petite Oeuvre” (the “Little Work”).

11 April, 1868

The Chapel of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is opened in Issoudun. 

Local Community Leader in Manila

Sr. Carol Terpstra has been re-appointed as local community leader in Manila. She will serve until April 2023. We are grateful for her willingness to continue in this role and service to the sisters in the Manila community, the Filipino people and on the Executive Committee of Cor Vitae. She has been appointed as a member of the XVIII General Chapter. 


March 25
Feast of Annuciation - Foundation Day - Community Eucharist and Meal

MARCH 2021 Pope Francis calls on us to "look at the facts to see that our common home is in serious disarray” (LS61). He mentioned five problems: 1. Pollution 2. Global warming 3. Shortage of water 4. The loss of biodiversity 5. The decline in the quality of human life and inequality between people.

Pope Francis calls on us to “look at the facts to see that our common home is in serious disarray” (LS61).
He mentioned five problems:
1. Pollution
2. Global warming
3. Shortage of water
4. The loss of biodiversity
5. The decline in the quality
of human life and
inequality between people.
AWARENESS
The poor and the earth are crying out.
Lord, seize us with your power and light,
help us to protect all life,
that we may help bring about
your Kingdom of justice, peace and love.
PRAYER
Which of the problems mentioned above occur in your own surrounding?
How do you experience them?
Discuss with others what is being done
to solve these problems
and what you can do.
ACTION
JPIC Actions
for March 2021

Which of the problems mentioned above occur in your own surrounding?
How do you experience them?
Discuss with others what is being done
to solve these problems
and what you can do.

In March:

9 March, 1906

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

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.

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.

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

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

February 11

Treasures gained through a year of Covid-19:

through the challenges, what are the moments of growth, of grace?

 

Celebrating Erin Freney’s 50th Jubilee of Religious Profession… at last!

…and Anne Margaret Dalton’s 70th (in absentia)

 

Congratulations and blessings Anne Margaret and Erin!

In February….

2 February 1892

The title of St Joseph ‘Friend of the Sacred Heart’.

5 February 1900

Canonical Erection of the congregation of MSC Sisters and approbation of the Statutes for five years.

25 February 1875

The Vatican orders that, in the future, all new images of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart must represent the Child Jesus on the arms of his mother, not standing before her.

 

January 26

Celebrated as Australia Day, or for many, a call for an alternative national day that would adequately address our history.
 

‘Let tiny drops of stillness fall gently through my day.’

– 2021 Australian Senior of the Year

Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann.

In 1988, Miriam-Rose called us to Dadirri: Deep Listening and Quiet Still Awareness:
‘in recent times we have come to listen to a most sacred word that comes to us from God, our Father. This new word is Jesus.
I have said how Dadirri, which is deep listening and quiet stillness, can make us whole and revive us.  This is a special quality in our lives.  It is born in our culture.  The Word of God finds a home here.  Jesus enriches and renews our culture.
He gently stirs as stillness, but he does not take away our peace.  We like to hear words of peace, ike Jesus spoke.  We want to listen and pass on words that are true and good – bu the words that have come to us through our culture and traditions; and the words that come to us in the Gospel of Jesus.
This is what I long for: that with these words to guide us, everyone will come to listen to the Sound of God.  We have to try to listen – to the God within us – to our own country – and to one another.’
 
 

1 January
Feast of Motherhood of God

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

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.