OLSH Novena

Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

31st August
to
8th September 2009

In the Sacred Heart Church, Western Road, Cork

A novena - a grace-filled time

A Novena is a very special grace-filled time of reflection. It is a time of intense personal prayer and petition, especially for our young people as they return to school or begin new jobs.

It is also a time of communal prayer with many hundreds of others who join with us, in person at the Sacred Heart Church on the Western Road in Cork, or remotely across Ireland and Great Britain with people following the novena in their own homes or via this website.

During the Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart we not only pray in intercession to Our Lady for our own needs, and the needs of those close to us, we also pray in communion with all those others who are making the novena.

We join with those who are far away in many different parts of the country and abroad. We remember in a special way all those enrolled in the Blue Book of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and those enrolled in the MSC Golden Book.

Each day special attention is given at the public Novena in the Sacred Heart Church, Cork, and by the MSC Communities at Grace Dieu in Waterford and at Myross Wood Retreat House in West Cork to the thousands of petitions that are sent in to the Mission Support Centre in Cork.

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was the title that our founder, Fr Jules Chevalier MSC, first used in 1857 to honour Mary. His entire understanding of the person and role of Mary was summed up in the name he gave her.

To understand fully the meaning of this title one should read it backwards, so to speak.

The important part of the title is the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He is the centre. Mary is the mother who offers him to us, who desires that we enter into union with him, who longs to form us as she formed her Son Jesus, so that all humanity may discover the tenderness, compassion, mercy, strength, power, fidelity and constancy of the love of God revealed in the human heart of God’s own Son.

Our title for Mary, therefore, is essentially Jesus-centred. It is she who leads us to him and who offers him to us.

Mary is the mother who gives, who offers and who surrenders her Son so as to make us sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.

Using the language and imagery of his day Fr Chevalier wrote...

"Mary,
we understand more than ever
the inestimable part you play
in the work of our redemption
and the importance of your mediation
in applying its fruits to us.
Never perhaps have we understood so clearly
the basis for your all-powerful intercession,
your love for us,
and your role as Queen over us.
And so we understand the validity of your title,
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart,
that expresses the meaning of these sublime privileges!
This title means that Mary is our Queen, our Mother
and consequently, Our Lady;
it means that the graces she gives us
come from the Heart of Jesus,
who has been pleased to put into her hands
all the treasures of his mercy.
And all these perogatives arise from her cooperation
in the work of our salvation."

Fr Jules Chevalier MSC
Founder of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart

Fr Chevalier and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

Projects supported by the Novena

Offerings during this year's Novena will support Fr. John Coffey’s hospice project in Venezuela, Fr. Dick Broderick’s programme in personal and human development in South Africa, as well as other MSC missionary work.

Fr John Coffey MSC visits a dying man in his shack

The hospice movement is fairly well developed in Ireland and Britain, but it’s hardly heard of in Venezuela where many of our missionaries have worked since 1967. That is about to change due to the initiative of Fr. John Coffey MSC. Imbued with a heartfelt desire to bestow dignity to terminally people who are often sent home from hospital to die in very poor circumstances, he investigated the hospice care method and how it could be introduced into Venezuela.

A number of doctors and nurses have been trained in the hospice method of care, and a limited service to patients in their homes is being provided. Hospice home care is central to Fr. John’s plans. He has also bought a house that is being renovated and extended as a hospice care unit with six beds.

Fr Dick Broderick MSC

Fr. Dick Broderick MSC – who this year celebrated the golden jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood – manages a programme in South Africa aimed at helping people in their personal development so that they can become more self-reliant and develop their independence and leadership skills and be more assertive and capable of making better choices. This is particularly important for women because very often the mother is left to manage the home but has little or no opportunity to further her education or develop other life skills.

The monies donated to the MSC Mission Support Centre will go towards support for these worthy projects and other works being carried out by our missionaries.

Thank you for your generosity.

The Novena at Western Road, Cork

This year the Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Cork (at Sacred Heart Church, Western Road) is being preached by Fr. Tom Mulcahy MSC.

Fr. Tom was born in Herbertstown, Co. Limerick. His initial contact with the MSCs was through his aunt, Sr. Marianna, a Daughter of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Fr. Tom did his second level studies with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Cork city and Carrignavar, his novitiate and philosophy in Leap, west Cork, and theology in Moyne Park, Co. Galway. After his ordination he obtained a BA degree at UCC and was then assigned to Princethorpe College, near Rugby, Warwickshire where he taught for some years.

In 1972 Fr. Tom arrived in Maracaibo, Venezuela where he held a variety of posts including parish pastor and superior of the MSC Community in Venezuela. He later moved to Caracas and was director of professed students and pastor of Santa Cruz Parish.

He returned to Ireland in 2004 and was appointed Leader of Myross Wood Retreat House in west Cork where he still ministers.

There are two sessions daily – one at 10am and another at 8pm.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation will take place on Friday, 4 September, and Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick on Monday, 7 September.

Also on 7 September a special healing service (with Mass) will take place for those who cannot attend morning or evening sessions.

Novena Prayer to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

Remember, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart,
the great things the Lord has done for you;
He chose you for His mother,
He wanted you close to His cross,
He gives you a share in His Glory,
He listens to your prayer.
Offer Him our prayers of praise and thanksgiving.
Present our petitions to Him...

Share your petitions silently with Our Lady

Let us live like you
in the love of your Son
that His Kingdom may come.
Lead all people to the source of living water
that flows from His Heart,
spreading over the world hope and salvation,
justice and peace.
See our trust in you; answer our prayer.
Show yourself always, our Mother.
Amen.