Lord Mayor of Cork hosts Civic Reception for MSC

On Tuesday March 3rd the Lord Mayor of Cork City, Councillor Brian Bermingham, hosted a Civic Reception for the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in honour of their 100th anniversary of establishing the first Irish foundation of the Society on the Western Road in Cork.

Some 28 MSCs and laity attended the Reception from communities and ministries across Ireland and England.

Lord Mayor of Cork hosts Civic Reception for MSC

Fr Pat Courtney makes a presentation to the Lord Mayor

The Lord Mayor and the MSC guests

Councillor Bermingham, in his address, recalled the long history of assocaition between the MSC Society and the City of Cork. What began with Cork native, Fr Michael Tierney on the Western Road in 1909, has seen expansion throughout all of the various missionary endeavours of the Irish Province; Ireland, England, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Venezuela and Russia.

He concluded, "As Lord Mayor of Cork I am delighted that you could come here this evening to allow me to pay public tribute to you and to your predecessors, for your work and for your contribution to the life of the city and much further afield. I wish your celebrations and your reflections every success throughout your centenary year, and may your next 100 years be as fruitful as this one you are celebrating during 2009."

Following his address he presented the Irish Provincial, Fr Pat Courtney MSC, with an Irish Crystal vase engraved with the Cork City crest.

Councillor Brian Bermingham with (L-R) Fr John Fitzgerald MSC (PP, Western Rd), Fr Michael O'Connell MSC (Director, Mission Support Centre), Fr Pat Courtney MSC (Provincial) and Fr Joe McGee MSC (Deputy Provincial)

In response to the Lord Mayor, Fr Pat expressed his deep gratitude for the honour shown the MSC Irish Province by the City of Cork. He spoke of the mutuality and deep rapport that has developed between the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and Cork city over the last 100 years; the way the MSC Society has received so much from the people of Cork, but also how MSC have contributed to the city in many diverse spiritual, educational, cultural, sporting and civic ways.

Fr Pat concluded by making a presentation to the Lord Mayor of a 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 who hails from Castlemagner, Mallow, Co. Cork.

Fr Pat signs the Visitors' Book at City Hall

After the speeches and presentations the Lord Mayor and his wife graciously entertained the assembled guests to a buffet supper and drinks.

You can read the text of the Lord Mayor's address here, and the text of Fr Pat Courtney's response here.