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Missionaries of the
Sacred Heart
Last Update:
01/02/2009
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• Up • Purpose • History • Remote Planning • Preparation • Key Milestones •
The genesis and history of the Project
| An Idea is Born |
| European Assembly, Summer 2002, Issoudun, France |
French Provincial Daniel Auguié
MSC presides at a presentation by Joaquin
Herrera, General Assistant for Europe |
The idea of a new pilot project first surfaced in 2002 at the
First European MSC Assembly which was held in Issoudun, the place of our
Congregation's foundation. The theme of that Assembly was "A Heart for
Europe" and in the course of the sharing, discussion and planning the concept of
a new inter-provincial project was raised. At that time there were two
distinct aims; an effort at inter-Provincial co-operation in Europe, and to face
together as European M.S.C.s the challenges of the new face of Western Europe by
undertaking a new, non-traditional ministry in the heart of a European city.
This was to be a new community rooted in our Congregation's charism and
spirituality, alongside the poor, in a major crossroads city of Western Europe. |
| Drawing on the vision of the younger generation |
| European Young MSC Conference, Summer 2003, Tilburg, The
Netherlands |
Some of the young MSCs gather for coffee
Manus Ferry MSC (Ireland), Tomek
Poterala MSC (Poland) and
Marko Stipetic MSC (Croatia) |
The following summer the Young MSCs of Europe (those 10 years
finally professed and less) gathered in the great old Mission House in Tilburg.
During their discussion of the idea they named the following aims or goals for
the project:
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To engender
new hope in our current MSC reality of ageing and disengagement from
traditional ministries
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To provide
good community living
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To model a
prophetic life-style that promotes integration in our European culture of
fragmentation
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To discern
local needs and respond in a prophetic way that increases solidarity,
empowerment and networking
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To develop
ministerial outlets beyond the conventional parochial context
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To provide a
supportive and discerning space for people exploring ministry or vocation in
the context of the MSC charism
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To be a pilot
scheme for possible future European MSC Partnership
The meeting also made two concrete proposals: that the
project should not be located in a capital city, but rather a poorer, less
well-serviced major city, and that it should be in an English-speaking country
(since most of the younger generation of MSCs all speak English). The
gathering suggested Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, all in the UK, as
possible locations for the new community.
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| Assessing the Possibilities |
| Meeting of the Provincial Superiors of Europe, October
2003, Rio de Janeiro |
Provincials Andreas Steiner MSC (South
Germany/Austria),
Ciaran MacCarthaigh MSC (Ireland) and Aldo Riccuti MSC (Italy) |
In the autumn of 2003 the European Provincial Superiors met
in Rio de Janeiro during the course of the General Conference of all Provincials
throughout the MSC world. They discussed the recommendation of the
European Assembly and the suggestions made by the Young MSCs. With some
reservations about how to find personnel for the project, there was nonetheless
a good deal of enthusiasm for the idea and a small working group of Carl Tranter
MSC (England), Juan Molina MSC (Spain) and Dirk Milio MSC (Belgium) was
appointed to look at the possibilities in greater detail and report back to the
next meeting of the European Provincials the following spring. |
| Drawing up a Plan |
| The Working Group, January 2004, Princethorpe,
England |
| Carl, Juan and Dirk met in January 2004 at the
English MSC Secondary School, Princethorpe College in Warwickshire.
They worked at drawing up proposals for a step-by-step preparatory
process, beginning with the nomination of the community members, then
the establishment and building of community, followed by discernment and
choice of a city, then acquiring a community residence in the city,
immersion in the life of the neighbourhood, and finally the discernment
of ministry. They also recommended that a final decision on the
project should be taken and the community members appointed before the end of
2004. In 2005 many Provincial Chapters would be taking place in
preparation for the General Chapter in September 2005. Also during
the course of 2005 some
of the Provincial Superiors would be finishing their term of office.
They suggested that the new community should be ready to come together
in September 2005. |
| Wanting to say "Yes", but... |
| Meeting of the Provincial Superiors of
Europe, April 2004, Rome |
Ton Zwart MSC and Ciaran MacCarthaigh
MSC, delegated to meet the Working Group |
The Provincials considered the report from the Working Group
with enthusiasm. But still serious questions remained. Was
it really going to be possible to find and release three or four members
for the project? How would the new venture be financed - and was
there the possibility of the project ever becoming self-financing?
What sort of ministry might be possible? While being realistic
about needing to address these questions, still there was a desire to
progress the matter further and so it was decided that two of the
Provincials would meet the Working Group and, in dialogue with the other
Provincials, see if it could be possible to make a concrete decision
before the end of the Second European Assembly in the summer.
Accordingly Provincials Ton
Zwart MSC (Netherlands) and Ciaran MacCarthaigh MSC (Ireland) were
delegated to meet with
Carl, Dirk and Juan. |
| Getting the Green Light! |
| Second European Assembly and European Provincials'
Meeting, July 2004, Issoudun |
Dirk Milio MSC (Belgium) celebrates the concluding mass of
the Second European Assembly. |
The days of the Second European Assembly were fraught will
all sorts of emotions; expectation, excitement, nervousness, fear, hope... Three names had been suggested as possible
candidates for the new community, it having been decided that three would be the minimum needed to start the
project. Two MSCs had already been released by their Provinces (Mark
and Carl), but now it appeared that the third intended member would not be free for another
couple of years at the earliest. It looked as if the project would not
even get started. Our Founder's words came to mind: "If God wants
something done, obstacles for him are means." In the crypt of the Basilica
in Issoudun, at the tomb of Fr Chevalier, the Founder of the MSCs, we prayed
for the future of the project. Courageously, in stepped Ton Zwart, the Dutch Provincial
who was about to finish his twelve year mandate in leadership and who had long
been a keen supporter of the idea. So as to allow the community to
begin, he generously offered himself as a third member. Amid much
celebrating plans were immediately being drawn up for a preparatory process for
the next twelve months, and a decision to begin the project in September of
2005. At the end of the Assembly, the European Provincials had a half-day
meeting and confirmed the appointment of Mark, Carl and Ton, entrusting the
further planning to them. Read on to find out more
about the twelve month period of remote planning. |
• Up • Purpose • History • Remote Planning • Preparation • Key Milestones •
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