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Friday, March 6th, 2009 

The centenary of the arrival of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) in Ireland was marked by Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Brian Bermingham, who hosted a civic reception at City Hall this week. 

“There’s a lot of talk today about the quality of leadership in all spheres of life ranging from politics to business to sport and to the Catholic Church," he said.

"When we consider Ireland in the early 1900’s – and particularly the peasant rural Ireland – it is only then that we can understand the enormity of the task and the great leadership qualities shown by Fr. Tierney in first of all learning about Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in France, going there to join the Society, moving to Australia where he made an enormous contribution to the Society there, and eventually coming back to establish a base in Ireland. This evening let us pay tribute to his leadership and to his vision.”

On behalf of the city, the mayor paid tribute to MSC members, present and past, for their work and contribution to the life of the city and much further afield and wished MSC well for the centenary year celebrations.

Over the years, with the support of the people of Cork many MSCs went overseas to set up missions in countries such as Great Britain, New Guinea, South Africa, Venezuela, and Indonesia and more recently to Russia. In such places they respond to the basic humanitarian needs of the very poor and the marginalised, always having a sense of solidarity with them in their struggles.

Fr Pat Courtney, MSC Provincial said the MSCs were founded at the Western Road, Cork in 1909 and from that beginning there was a deep bond between them and the local community. They were involved in Gaelic games and in the cultural and educational life of the city and beyond the city in the county, giving particular attention to the promotion of the Irish language and cúrsaí dramaíochta as Gaeilge.

“It is many years ago since I first came across John Donne’s statement, “No man is an island”. This is also very true of a missionary congregation. Our achievements are not solely of our own making, but are the outcome of the support and generosity of the people who journey with us, of people who believe in our values, our convictions, our spirit, our mission and who want to embrace them with us. The people of Cork have been, and still are today, such people,” said Fr Courtney.

He presented the mayor with a copy of the history of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Great Britain and Ireland from 1877 to 1940 entitled Late, But Not Too Late, written by Dr Henry Twohig, a Missionary of the Sacred Heart from Castlemagner, Mallow, Co. Cork.

Centenary celebrations will continue throughout the year and there will be a Mass of Thanksgiving in St. Mary’s and St. Anne’s Cathedral, Cork on 16 May; a national pilgrimage to Knock Shrine on 25 July, and publication of a booklet of prayers.

A special pilgrimage to the Shrines of France on 21-27 June will include Issoudun where MSC was founded in 1854.

There are approximately 2,000 priests and brothers in MSC. They work in 50 countries and there are 140 in the Irish province. The missionaries have found that vocations are plentiful abroad in the countries where they work for example in South Africa, Venezuela and Russia. 

Picture by Mike English shows Fr. Pat Courtney, Provincial of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, presenting a book on the history of the congregation to the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Brian Birmingham, at a reception hosted by the Lord Mayor. Also present in picture is Fr. John Fitzgerald, Parish Priest, Western Road, Cork

Source: Catholic Ireland.net