MSC Centennial In Ireland - 2009
Thanksgiving Mass in Cork Cathedral
Saturday 16th May 2009
Principal Celebrant: Rt Rev Dr John Buckley, Bishop of Cork
City's Cathedral is host to Centennial Celebration
The Cathedral of St. Anne and St. Mary in Cork was the historic venue for a concelebrated Mass of Thanksgiving on Saturday, 16th May. Religious and civic dignitaries attended along with benafactors, supporters and friends of the MSC from across Cork and indeed the whole country. The event was part of of the Centennial Year Celebrations marking 100 years since the MSC established their first foundation in Ireland at Dyke House on the Western Road in Cork city.
Before the Mass
Prior to the Eucharist a celebration lunch was held for the invited dignitaries at The Silver Springs Hotel, Cork. Fr Pat Courtney MSC (Provincial Superior of the Irish Province) welcomed all the guests and spoke of the significance of this special anniversary. In response, Sr Liz Murphy, Provincial of the Southern Province of the Mercy Sisters, spoke of her own associations and experience of working with the MSC and raised a toast, on behalf of all present, to the past, present and future of the MSC mission in and from Ireland. You can read the text of Sr Liz's speech here.
The Cathedral Sanctuary before Mass
Later in the afternoon a much larger crowd gathered at the Cathedral for the public Mass of thanksgiving at 3.00pm. The principal celebrant was the Bishop of Cork, Rt Rev Dr John Buckley. The Cathedral looked beautiful for the day, decked out with flower arrangements and special MSC banners.
The Provincial Superior of the Irish Province, Fr Pat Courtney, and many MSCs representing all six territories of the Irish Province (Ireland, England, Southern Africa, Venezuela, Southern USA and Russia) were joined by hundreds of friends, benefactors, fellow religious and co-workers.
Special Guests
L-R: The Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Leanza, Fr Pat Courtney MSC (Provincial) and Fr Arci Abellana MSC (Assistant General)
Guest of honour was the Papal Nuncio to Ireland, The Most Rev. Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, who read a special message from Pope Benedict XVI and shared the Pope’s Apostolic Blessing at the end of the Mass.
Friends of sacred Heart Church, Western Road, Cork, lead a procession prior to the beginning of Mass
Music, Movement and Song
The liturgy of the Mass was beautifully enhanced with an introductory procession by Friends of Sacred Heart Parish, Western Rd, Cork; liturgical movement during the offertory and post communion by students of Sacred Heart College, Carraig na bhFear; and with the music and song of the Cathedral Choir and cantor Séan O Sé.
Words of welcome from the Provincial
In his introductory words of welcome Fr Pat Courtney said, “As we assemble here today in Cork city we do so following in the footsteps of a great visionary and an intrepid missionary who pioneered our presence in Ireland, namely Fr. Michael Tierney who hailed from Churchtown in North Cork. From the sowing of that seed at the Western Road a very powerful missionary tradition was born, grew and flourished over the years, a beautiful reality came to life, of which we can feel justifiably proud.”
“This is truly a great day for us. We recall our story, our beginning as a religious community/ congregation here in this city in 1909 and indeed we recall the many journeys of outreach beyond our shores undertaken by the members of our religious family since then, in response to our mission to proclaim the good news of God’s love for all peoples. We give thanks to God for what has been achieved; we embrace the present with insight, courage, passion and a listening heart to God’s Spirit and to the needs of our times as we move into unchartered waters for the future, empowered with faith, hope and love.”
You can read the full text of Fr Pat Courtney's welcome here.
Fr Pat O'Sullivan MSC preaches the homily
In his homily, Fr Pádraig Ó Súilleabháin MSC (Parish Priest of Kilmacabea, Leap, Co Cork) had an eye to the present and the future as well as to the past. “Today we gather to celebrate, to thank, to take the opportunity to be nourished and renewed, to acknowledge one another, and to show our appreciation of one another. Past, present and future are not distinct separate eras, but rather a continuous tapestry being woven by the Master Craftsman, with each one of us having the privilege of cooperating with the weaver. We are not just looking back in a nostalgic way, but in a spirit of gratitude, recognising the solid foundation on which our present celebrations are built, and facing the future with trust and confidence in the one who is ever faithful and whose call is ever new.
You can read the full text of Fr Pádraig Ó Súilleabháin's homily here.
The Papal Nuncio reads the congratulatory message from Pope Benedict XVI
At the conclusion of the Mass the Papal Nuncio read a special message on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI from Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State, Vatican City: “His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI was pleased to learn of the celebrations taking place to mark the centenary of the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and he sends his warm greetings to you and to all members of the Province on this joyful occasion. His Holiness gives thanks to Almighty God for the many graces received by the members of the Congregation and the souls to whom they have ministered. The Holy Father prays that this commemoration will be for all the religious of the Province a time of grace and light so that, renewed in their ardent love of the Lord, and imitating his meekness and humility, they may always be intrepid heralds of his gospel in today’s world. As a pledge of strength and joy in the Lord, His Holiness cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing.
You can read the original text of the Message of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, here.
 Download the Mass Booklet
You can download a copy of the Service Booklet from the Cork Centennial Mass here.
Download a copy of the Mass Booklet cover, with special mission sending photos (opposite), here.
The photographs on the back cover of the Mass Booklet show the main Mission Sendings of the Irish Province. The images represent (clockwise from top right):
The departure for South Africa (1950)
The departure for Venezuela (1967)
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
The departure for South Africa (1964)
The departure for New Guinea (1947)
The departure for New Guinea (1949)
The departure for Russia (1995)
Further Celebrations later in the year
The Centennial Year Celebrations will continue with a pilgrimage for MSC, benefactors and friends to Knock Shrine on Saturday July 25th. The Pilgrimae will be attended by Cardinal Sean Brady and Fr Mark McDonald MSC, the Superior General of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. Please visit the special Knock Pilgrimage web page for more details.
More photos from the day
Entrance procession of the Mass
The Papal Nuncio and Bishop Buckley approach the altar
The Congregation
Carraig na bhFear students lead the Offertory
The Offertory
Alan Neville MSC (Deacon) and Bishop Buckley
The Eucharistic Prayer
Carraig na bhFear students lead Communion reflection
The Recessional Procession
Fr Pat Courtney MSC speaks at the lunch
Sr Liz Murphy RSM (Provincial of the Southern Province of the Mercy Sisters in Ireland) proposes the congratulatory toast
Frs Joseph Debois MSC (France), Alois Escher MSC (Germany) and Ben Verberne (The Netherlands)
Post Mass celebrations
Post Mass celebrations
Post Mass celebrations
Post Mass celebrations
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