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Missionaries of the
Sacred Heart
Last Update:
22/01/2010
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• Up • Purpose • History • Remote Planning • Preparation • Key Milestones •
Why such a mission?
A new way of being missionary in Europe
Our mission finds expression in specific commitments
carried out by individuals and communities. These commitments will
be chosen and continually evaluated in the light of our spirit, the
needs and mission of the Church and our own missionary tradition.
MSC Constitutions, 23 |
Most
of the initiatives in mission and ministry in the eight MSC Provinces of Europe
have taken place independently of one another as each Province has grown
according to its own pace. In recent years there has been a deepening desire to
be in greater partnership with one another. As collectively we face a
fast-changing future, we see the need for faith, hope, courage, and the
willingness to take risks together. Our European society and culture has need
for our founding charism and spirituality of the heart, revealing the love,
compassion and solidarity of God, as much now as ever in the past. Therefore,
we want, even in our poverty as ageing and diminishing European Provinces of the
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, to be present as
salt and light in this continent that is so marked by the post-modern effects of
globalisation, secularisation, human mobility, economic injustice, a culture of
death, misplaced affectivity and yet a thirst for love and a search for the
sacred.
For this reason, as a
first step and as a pilot project that unites us as MSCs in our mission to Europe, we have great joy in being able to launch this
new Inter-Provincial European MSC Community. It has been decided to locate
the mission in Birmingham, the second city of England. The dream of this community emerged
in 2002 at our first European Assembly in Issoudun, the place of our Foundation
in France. With commitment, vision, and risk, particularly from the European
Provincials and the Young MSC over the last few years, we have together been
able to translate that dream into reality with the appointment of Carl Tranter
MSC (Irish Province), Mark Van Beeumen MSC (Belgian Province) and Ton Zwart MSC
(Dutch Province), to launch this new community and mission
project.
To find out about the genesis and
development of the project, click here.
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A Heart-Shaped Community and Mission
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As Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, we model our lives
and ministry on Jesus Christ who loved with a human heart and a
compassion without limits. For that reason we have adopted
Cordate as a name for our community. Cordate is an English
Word meaning heart-shaped. In the logo for our community we have
also used the motto of the 19th Century English Cardinal
John Henry Newman: Cor ad
Cor Loquitur (Heart Speaks to Heart). Newman, a convert from
Anglicanism to Catholicism, was the most influential English churchman
of his day. It is being rumoured in Rome that he will soon be Beatified
by Pope Benedict XVI.
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He was closely associated with the city
of Birmingham and had a deep devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In 1873 Newman wrote: 'For myself, ever since I have been a Catholic,
I have had a great devotion to the Sacred Heart.' It was not
unsurprising then that he took this spirituality as the inspiration for
his motto when he became a bishop.
The key-words at the bottom of the logo (Believing, Befriending,
Bridging) express the three main aspects or objectives of our mission as stated
below;
the spiritual/evangelising aspect (believing), the social aspect
(befriending) and the
inter-faith/inter-ethnic aspect (bridging). |
Initial Provisional Statement of Purpose
- May 2005
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We desire to be an authentic MSC
community rooted in Christ and his Gospel,
nurtured and sustained
by integrated prayer and theological reflection.
Our hospitable communal
living will be at the service of mission,
seeking to cross boundaries and build
relationships for the sake of the Reign of God.
In the context of our
diverse contemporary Western European culture
we desire to be present in a way
that explores, integrates, connects
and mutually empowers.
Our approach to the
mission entrusted to us and its ministerial expression
will be underpinned by a
commitment to justice, peace and the integrity of creation
and an engagement
in ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue.
As a pilot project
established by our European MSC Provinces
we hope to provide an additional point
of contact among European MSCs
and a catalyst for conversation as we all seek
new ways
to be heart in our continent.
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Refining our purpose - Statement of April 2006
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To be Missionaries of the Sacred Heart
living our charism and spirituality as a religious community in a poor,
multi-ethnic, multi-faith neighbourhood.
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To try and live the “wordless witness”
of presence that Evangelii Nuntiandi speaks of: stirring up
“irresistible questions in the hearts of those who see how they live: Why
are they like this? Why do they live in this way? Why or what is it that
inspires them? Why are they in our midst? Such a witness is already a
silent proclamation of the Good News and a very powerful and effective one.
Here we have an initial act of evangelisation… Other questions will arise,
deeper and more demanding ones, questions evoked by this witness which
involves presence, sharing, solidarity and which is an essential element,
and generally the first one in evangelisation.” (EN 21)
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Evangelisation in England and Wales
(2002), under the heading on “Presence” says: Three aspects of this [the
early Celtic Christian community practice of using the familiar and the
customary as gateways into the Christian] resonate with contemporary
Catholic evangelisation. First is that people today need witnesses more
than teachers. Secondly, that the way into faith involves building
friendships and community and not simply convincing people of arguments.
Rather points of contact need to be made with people’s experiences…
Thirdly, this underlines the need for dedicated communities which may be in
a complementary relationship to existing parishes.” (EIEW, p.140)
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We want to be such a community of
presence, getting to know the people of the neighbourhood and allowing them
to get to know us; serving them where we can through being present to the
person and not just the need/problem. We are not social workers, teachers,
care givers, etc., but missionaries who have chosen to live among these
people and present to them the human face of a God who loves with the
compassion of a human heart.
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We want to be in close partnership with
the local parish, supportive and complementary, not in opposition,
interfering or obstructive. (We are more than willing to make ourselves
available for supply in the parish(s) of the locality.)
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We want to try and develop
three aspects
of presence in the neighbourhood:
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Believing
- the Spiritual/evangelising aspect
– believing in God and believing in humanity; sharing our faith and facilitating, where possible, the search for meaning, spirituality and
faith among those who are questioning, doubting and searching.
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Befriending
- the Social aspect – an
incarnational ministry of presence in a deprived, disconnected
neighbourhood, befriending people and being with and alongside them as a religious community and fellow
neighbours.
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Bridging
- the inter-Faith, inter-Ethnic aspect
– exploring a ministry of sharing, understanding, conversation,
inter-faith dialogue and bridge-building.
• Up • Purpose • History • Remote Planning • Preparation • Key Milestones •
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