Encounter - misacor.org.au

EncounterA Magazine to Promote

Pastoral and Spiritual Initiatives

WHY I AMA MISSIONARY OF THE SACRED HEART

John Askew MSC

Terry Bowman MSC

Gerry Burke MSC

Coos Chaplin MSC

Dan Hawe MSC

Phillip Hicks MSC

Jim Littleton MSC

Greg McCann Snr MSC

Bemie McGrane MSC

Tan Van Nguyen MSC

Published by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart

FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY

Number 71: Spring 2000

WHY I AM A MISSIONARY OF THE SACRED HEART

Over recent years it has become my conviction that our appreciation ofwhat it means to be Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, and our desire andwillingness to grow in this appreciation and to share our vocation storieswith others, is of the essence in fostering the next generation ofMissionaries of the Sacred Heart. Hence this issue of Encounter.

Reading the stories of those who have contributed to this issue, itbecomes clear that 'Why I am a Missionary of the Sacred Heart' has atleast two parts: 'Why I became a Missionary of the Sacred Heart five, ten,twenty, fifty, sixty years ago' and 'Why I am a Missionary of the SacredHeart today'. Our initial experience of God's call, however it touches ormoves or inspires us, is but the beginning of God calling or drawing usthroughout our days and years, through our struggles and our joys, tobecome more and more all that is promised in our shared name,'Missionaries of the Sacred Heart'. In writing for Encounter, our brothershave reverenced our MSC vocation by sharing their own stories with us.I hope their words will inspire us to do the same.

STEPHEN HACKETT MSCEditor

Missionaries of the Sacred HeartNavarre HousePO Box 485Drummoyne NSW 1470 Australia

JOHN ASKEW MSC

'Why I am a Missionary of the Sacred Heart'

The idea of becoming an MSC took shape gradually in my mind. Even in primary schoolI felt drawn towards becoming a priest; I became an altar server and attended daily mass;at the same time I was not eager to become a diocesan priest.

I attended a Christian Brothers' College and in my Matriculation Year, still undecidedabout my future, I saw an Australian Catholic Truth Society pamphlet with the title"Religious Life: The Pearl of Great Price" written by Michael Forrest MSC. I considerthe twopence I paid for it was one of the better investments of my life. I found in it a veryhelpful quotation from St Bemard: "A religious falls less frequently, rises more readilyand perseveres more easily." I realised that while priesthood was my goal, religious lifewould be the way to personal fulfilment.

Moreover, religious life held the promise of being able to work in foreign missions, whichhad begun to have a strong attraction for me. This all came together in the MSC. Therewas also the appeal of Devotion to the Sacred Heart, which in the tradition of St MargaretMary Alacoque centred upon the Eucharistic Christ and the practice of adoration of, andvisits to, the Blessed Sacrament.

I made my application for admission to the Apostolic School, and the next year at the ageof seventeen, went to Douglas Park. The year of the novitiate was the most decisive of mylife, confirming fully the choice I had made. Soon after the Thirty Day Retreat, when Ipresented myself to the Master of Novices for direction, he said smilingly "You alwaysseem to be afraid that you're going to be sent home. You have a vocation, don't fear! Beat peace and enjoy the remainder of your Novitiate."

When I took temporary vows I didn't doubt that I was becoming an MSC for life. Duringthe Scholasticate I joined one of the "Mission Groups" that were set up to keep alive andcultivate interest in Missions, and to study Missiology which was not on the Scholasticatecurriculum. In the second year after being ordained, I applied, and was accepted, tobecome a member of a group of five priests to go the the Rabaul Mission where thewartime fate of the Bishop and the mission personnel was still unknown.

At the end of the war we sailed from Sydney and were united with the sick German MSCwho had been evacuated from Ramale Prison Camp to the Army Hospital at Lae N.G. Amonth later we reached Jacquinot Bay, New Britain, where I began my mission life beingappointed pastor of the Malmal Mission there.

The following years were spent in restoring the mission. I was often on visitation,travelling on foot and by native canoe; only during the last years did I have a diesel-poweredlaunch that dramatically shortened the 24 mile trip across the bay. Baptising infants andchildren, blessing marriages, visiting more than twenty villages fairly regularly forConfessions and Eucharist occupied my days.

Opportunities to meet other missionaries were few and far between. When mission vesselscalled en route to other stations further along the coast, I was able to go. along and spenda night with another MSC; eventually, after a weekly air service was established toRabaul, it became possible to visit Vunapope once or twice a year.

For the five years I was in the mission we were without the benefit of an organisedRetreat. Periods of quiet at the central station, Malmal, were essential to refresh andrenew body and spirit. After regular Church life was re-established, I learnt for the firsttime, that, when the Pacific War started, the Mengen people were all but completelyalienated from the Church by widespread "Cargo Cult". What altered their attitude? Iwould like to believe it was due to their appreciation of the sacrifice of his life that Fr.Harris MSC made by choosing to stay on with them when he could have escaped withsoldiers and civilians evacuated by ship from Malmal.

When Irish MSC arrived to work in Rabaul Diocese, we were withdrawn for the newAustralian MSC Mission to be started in Japan. I felt privileged to be one of the firstmissionaries; at the same time the magnitude of the undertaking was somewhat daunting.In the newly erected Prefecture Apostolic of Nagoya where we were about to establish ourMission, there were twelve million people of whom less than ten thousand wereCatholics.

The area entrusted to the MSC included an extensive portion of Nagoya City, which wasstill entirely unevangelized, together with portions of two neighbouring civil Prefecturesand the whole territory of the civil Prefecture of Fukui. Altogether more than two millionpeople were embraced within these boundaries. Two small churches of very temporaryconstruction, were the only visible evidence of the Catholic presence.

Fr. A Bryson MSC, while still a chaplain with the British Commonwealth OccupationForces, laid the foundations of the Mission. When the Military Occupation of Japan cameto an end, he became the first MSC Superior in Japan. Soon after his services wererequested by the Japanese Hierarchy for the position of Secretary General of the Office ofthe Bishops' Conference. I succeeded him as Superior.. During the next nine years, asAustralian MSC continued to arrive in the Mission, property had to be acquired andchurches built to establish new parishes.

In addition, a Catholic Centre providing Mass in English for the foreign community andBible Study for Japanese, was opened as a special MSC work in Nagoya City. TheNagoya English Academy, run in conjunction with the Centre, gave lessons in Englishconversation to Japanese men and women, from every walk of life and provided "earlymorning classes" that were featured more than once on Japanese TV news.

One of the greatest joys for all MSC was the profession of two Japanese, both of whomwere from our own parishes. In the months and years that followed as they preparedfor priestly ordination, we Australians, by making Japanese the language spokenin community and the Assemblies held for mission planning and review, tried to

2

welcome our Japanese members into the MSC family and at the same time inculturateourselves fully.

They were able to receive a broader experience of MSC living by sharing with membersof other APIA countries in the month-long "Spirituality of the Heart" programs in Manila.Thanks to the spirit of co-operation between the APIA countries we can now findpersonnel from the Indonesian and Philippine Provinces working together with Australianand Japanese MSC in the Japan Region.

Meanwhile, I enjoy community living which the demands of the missionary apostolatedidn't always permit.

3

TERRY BOWMAN MSC


- I have come that you may have life and have it to the full (JnlO:lO)-

I was born in Warrnambool, Victoria on 2nd December 1953 - the youngest of sixchildren. Dad died in 1984 and my mother who is 88 years young still lives in the familyhome at Koroit.

Ever since I was a little child I had always wanted to be a priest and after completing mysecondary education I entered the Diocesan Seminary at Werribee to train for thepriesthood for the Ballarat Diocese. However, after seven months it became clear that theLord wanted me elsewhere - I left the seminary - I felt a failure - I was angry with God,with myself and felt I had let my family down.

After leaving the seminary I worked for three years at home. I was involved in the localparish community and decided to work as a Lay Missionary in Alice Springs. It was therethat I first met the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. Working closely with them, I wasmost impressed by their hospitality, their humaness, and their obvious love for the peopleof God that centred on the heart of Jesus.

In 1979 while cooking in the presbytery, the MSC Provincial, Fr. Denis Murphy, who wason visitation at the time, came out into the kitchen to have a chat. During the conversationhe said: "Have you ever considered joining the MSC's, you would be very welcome?"That personnel invitation led me to much prayer, reflection and discernment and in 1981I made a giant leap of faith and joined the MSC's - and dare I say it, the rest is history.

My Diaconate experience at Henley Beach Parish is a very significant time in my journey- it was there that the faith community enriched and, at the same time challenged myreligious vocation. They prepared me well for my future priestly ministry and for that Iam ever so grateful.

The time spent at Moonah Parish in Hobart (seven and a half years) holds many beautifulmemories for me as priest. It was there that my priesthood was sustained and affirmed.During my time as Parish Priest came the realisation that my giftedness lies in ParishMinistry - it is within a Parish that I am able to bring the love of God to people.

Being a priest today is very challenging but is most rewarding. As a priest I am well awarethat I am first and foremost a priest of Jesus Christ, so maintaining a personal and intimaterelationship with Jesus is essential to my priesthood.

Somebody once asked me what I hoped to achieve as a priest. Reflecting on this question,I thought of the words of a famous song: "What the world needs now is love sweet love,it's the only thing that there's just too little of..." If as priest I can just get one person inthe world to really believe that God loves them unconditionally, then my priesthood has

4

been effective, because I believe there are so many people in our world today who do notbelieve that they are loved and are lovable.

The past ten years of priestly ministry have been full of wonderful and life-givingexperiences for me, and as with any vocation, there have been the difficult and hard times,but I have never been happier in my life.

I thank the Lord continually for the gift of my priesthood as an MSC. I am ever so gratefulfor the wonderful love and support of my family, friends and MSC confreres whocontinue to nurture my priesthood. I pray that the Lord will give me the strength that Ineed to be faithful to my religious commitment as the years go by. May these words ofJesus, that I chose for my ordination card, become a reality in my life and for the peopleof God I serve in my priestly ministry: "I HAVE COME THAT YOU MAY HAVE LIFEAND HAVE IT TO THE FULL." (JnlO:lO).

5

GERRY BURKE MSC


The opportunity to reflect on this question is important at this time in the history of theChurch, our Order, and my own continued commitment, which of recent times I amfinding harder to justify. Am I living a lie under the security blanket of Religious life?Over recent times I have honestly asked this question, and I find myself at peace, knowingthat I can say I am still in love with the family who adopted me many years ago, theMSC's.

Over the past ten years, my ministry has been Chaplaincy in hospitals; Calvary Canberra,Canberra Hospital, Mater Mackay, and for the past three years Royal Darwin Hospital.During this time my faith has been challenged, the vows which I freely embraced,questioned.

As the Catholic Chaplain, I am unable to officially administer the sacraments of healing:absolve and anoint the sick and dying. This is always a challenge to my ministry. Thepatients and families with whom I journey, allow me to enter their lives at the most crucialmoments. However, through gesture, symbol and prayer, we who are chaplains in thesesituations, become God's 'instruments' enabling the sick, the dying and the bereaved toexperience the healing of mind and spirit; of God's love and forgiveness. The experienceof the past three years in a public hospital, where terminations are a frequent occurrence,is in stark contrast to my previous seven years as chaplain in a totally Catholic milieu. Ihave been asked many times to be with patients who have made the decision to terminatetheir pregnancy; a decision often made without the support of their partners or family; adecision made not fully appreciating the doctors own fear of litigation; a decision perhapsmade not fully appreciating the implications. Should I have walked away from thesewomen? It is not judgement they need but listening and loving pastoral care. This is notto condone termination but let us be slow to judge!

In my early days as a Chaplain - Pastoral Care - my Motto became the words of Micah:'Act Justly, Love Tenderly, and Walk Humbly With our (my) God' (Micah 6:8). Last yearthe MSC General Chapter took as its theme these words of Micah. A day was spent withDaniel Auguie MSC, making a presentation around the three active verbs:

• how to act as MSC with justice

• how to love like the Sacred Heart with tenderness

• how to walk humbly toward the year 2000

Am I able to look back on my MSC life of commitment with the above in mind? In myministry I am often challenged to the core of my faith when one encounters suffering,sorrow, and the most often asked question by relatives and staff, 'WHY?' I also ask thesame question. Our life on earth is a preparation for death. How can I give meaning to this

6

to a mum whose child has been accidentally run over? Jesus suffered and I must dailyconfront this fact in my dealings with so many. Unless I am deeply aware of Jesus'sufferings, I cannot be a witness of the whole meaning of life and death. God, the creatorof us all, is with all at the moment of death, just as he is at our birth. Often the term 'themiracle of birth' is freely spoken, but why not at the time of death? So much happensparticularly at the time of prolonged dying. Reconciliation, prayer, anger, acceptance, butthe most important aspect is to see God as just and lovirig. Is it God's will that a youngmother continues to have miscarriages? It is not! How do I, as a Religious, explain this toa loving couple. Love is shown so often in these cases. Love simply continues to love. Thecouple are suffering, but so often they will continue to seek God's love in their suffering.

This naturally leads on to 'how to love like the Sacred Heart with tenderness'. Recentlythe Church celebrated the feast of St Mary Magdalen. Jesus never judged her; it was shewho carried the news of seeing Him to the disciples. How could we not understand thelove that Jesus had for her, which I often use in my time with relatives. Mary Magdalenhad seen the blood and water flow from Jesus' body, and brought to her life through Jesus'forgiveness and understanding heart, which we all strive for in our own prayer; which isshown and witnessed by others with whom we love and work.

Thirdly, 'how to walk humbly toward the year 2000 (retirement). The recent survey onretirement gave us all an opportunity to access our life as a MSC; the growth, failures,sadness of the way I may have responded to my family of MSC who have shared mydisappointments, joys, but especially the unspoken love of being accepted as a fellowMSC. Numbers are dwindling, works that we cherished are disintegrating before our owneyes. But are they gone in the human sense of the word. I still frequently witness the workof the MSC's and the OLSH through past students of St John's (Darwin). That spirit isstill there, and consequently the work will continue. We have to be able 'to let go and letGod'.

Over the years I have questioned why I am still a MSC. What does God want for me? Istill ask and ponder these questions. Come to think of it, so did Jesus' Mother. I havegrown spiritually, and emotionally, through the privilege of the ministry of being a lovingpresence with so many people over the last years. I would never have been able to do thisunless I had become a MSC.

May the Sacred Heart ofJesus, be everywhere loved!!

7

CHRIS CHAPLIN MSC


I'm Coos Chaplain, 39, of Henley Beach, Adelaide. I grew up in an MSC parish withMSCs like Aidan Breen, Peter Robinson, and Paul Cashen in our house all the time, soyou'd think it would be natural for me to end up with the MSC. They all had a great senseof humour, and were part of the family. But my first thought was to join the brothers whotaught me at school. A meeting with fate (failing the HSC) gave God time to straightenme out, and after repeating Year 12, I went to the MSC the following year.

I think the key thing is what God is doing in your life. The direction of your calling isalready a seed germinating in your own heart. I feel I was always MSC, even before Ijoined the 'family'.

I became a priest twelve years ago and worked in a Darwin parish, and then studiedspirituality for a year before spending three years travelling Australia giving schoolretreats.

In recent years God has reconnected me to the original spark of my vocation - the joy ofbeing saturated with the presence of my God, and I have been drawn to live MSC life asa hermit. I live in a hut on my own, spending most of the day in prayer, learning about theinner journey of the heart and how it serves God's mission.

Soon this blessed journey will take me anew in God's way for me.

8

DANHAWEMSC


Countless and varied events,like rain drops, running down the window pane,

across the sill,down onto the pavement,slithering into the river

into the sea,and mountainous seas voiced their protest

a ghostly but howling windshrieked its way to everywherealso nowhere;

suddenly it all stopped.

The peoples of the earth opened windows, doorspeeped out, then walked out;

a contemplative moon,replaced by a brilliant sun warming and friendly,life went on.

Everyoneeverywherewere hurting, laughing, crying.

building up and tearing down,there were very rich people who owned nothing

and poor people who owned everything,also sinners and saints to be

or not to be.Everyone changed places from time to time.

My vocation began in my mother's womb.Man woman boys girls friends enemies,the good earth,modelled my soul.Their experiencesright wrong good badtaught me there is only one way to go.Love God

Love your neighbourLove yourself truly,

so I did not give myself a vocation,it was presented to me by God and humanity.I am grateful.Thank you there was no other way to go.

9

PHILLIP HICKS MSC


Along with three other younger brothers in my family, I was educated by the Jesuits at StAloysuis College in Sydney, and completed my Leaving Certificate there in 1961. Thus,it may seem rather surprising to some, that, if I wanted to be a priest and a teacher, Ibecame an MSC and not a Jesuit. However, due to some personal difficulties at school, Iwas not strongly drawn to the Jesuits, although I still have a high regard for manyindividuals. I also had a strong desire to work in the Pacific Islands or Papua New Guinea,and so I looked up a Vocation Directory booklet, wrote to both the Marists and theMissionaries of the Sacred Heart. The MSC's answered my letter first, and so I becamestrongly attracted to join the MSC's, without actually having met one! The letter of replywas from Fr Bede Mooney, and I regret that I no longer have it, as its contents made adeep impression on me.

Thus, I went to Douglas Park in 1962. Due to poor results in my Leaving Certificate,including a failure in Latin, I went to the Apostolic School and repeated the LeavingCertificate, with much better results; Vyn Bailey even guided me through Latin, althoughweakness for language has always been a problem with me, as shown by my presentstruggle with Tok Pisin in Papua New Guinea.

I feel I was strongly attracted to religious life because of the desire to live in community.As I am rather introverted by personality, and more so then than now, I feel unable to copewith the independent lifestyle of diocesan priesthood, and also wanted to teach! I enjoyedmy years in our seminary in Canberra in the 1960's, especially the community life of myfellow MSC seminarians, and my three years at the Australian National University. I hada problem with the vow of obedience; was initially appointed to teach at Daramalan(totally untrained), and was terrified of that! This was mainly due to the fact that I faileda philosophy subject (given in Latin!), and was recommended by some of the seminarystaff not to go with some of the others to university. So, I appealed directly to theProvincial, and went to University.

Only twice during my seminary studies, did I feel inclined to leave! The first time was in1967, when my Dad died suddenly, and I did discuss with my Mum about leaving andgetting employment to support the family. She, of course, wouldn't hear of it, and thefamily economic situation resolved itself.

In 1970, I moved on to the Sacred Heart Monastery at Croydon, Victoria, and for manyof us students, it was really a step back in time, after the more "progressive" yearsin Canberra and at ANU. I found the community lifestyle very difficult, and by aboutAugust 1970, had my bags packed ready to go home. Many of the others did go! Itwas Fr. Harvey Edmiston who came to my rescue, along with a number of Melbournefamilies whom we all had grown very friendly with. Harvey gave the homily at my FirstMass in 1973, and became a great friend and support during my early years of priesthood.

10

I have retained a strong bond of friendship with those families, many of whom are nowmembers of the MSC Association.

My mother also had a very strong influence on my vocation and my growth as an MSCand a priest, and throughout her life until her death in 1997, was a constant support to me,and hopefully me to her. We both wrote to each other on an almost weekly basis for 35years! She moved to Darwin in "retirement" in 1983, and after many years of"campaigning", became one of the first MSC Associates in the Territory.

As a priest, I have been in ministry in all five Australian MSC schools, plus two in PapuaNew Guinea. I have been a classroom teacher nearly all the time, with someadministrative duties. I feel that I was happiest in those schools (Monivae College andDaramalan College), where I had a lot of involvement with the students and their families,and also weekend parish ministry. I have also managed to have always, in each MSCcommunity, some with whom I could relate well.

Despite 17 years in Australian schools, my desire for the Pacific always remained strong.I had a taste for it in November 1974-January 1975 when I did about ten weeks reliefparish work on my own on the island of Nauru! Throughout the 70's and early 80's, Iapplied to successive Provincials to go to Kiribate, where two other Australian MSC's hadbeen involved in education. Finally, in 1988, I went as chaplain and RE Co-ordinator toHagita High School in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.

I feel as though my life as an MSC has really grown in Papua New Guinea. During myseven years as Headmaster of the minor seminary, Chanel College, I also have developeda real interest in walking alongside young men interested in MSC and priesthood. Theirenthusiasm has helped me also. Now, this year, I have moved into a new ministry, at theinvitation of Bishop Ambrose Kiaspseni MSC, Bishop of Kavieng, as director of thespiritual formation centre for his diocesan candidates for the priesthood.

Here at Tuias, life is proving far more challenging than I anticipated. For the first time asan MSC, I was in one sense "living alone", no longer in an MSC community; oneAustralian living with eight young Papua New Guineans. I like them all and we get along,but at times I have become "lonely"! However, I have found real support in a wider MSCcommunity in Kavieng. Five minutes walk from Tuias, are the MSC Sisters at MongopHigh School; ten minutes drive are the MSC Brothers at Fissoa Training Centre. Eachmonth, we have a special "get-together" of all MSC's in the area - priests, brothers,sisters, lay associate families. This has beco~e my new community, and I feel we allenjoy and benefit from the prayer and support we give each other.

So, in conclusion, I can look back and ask myself: what does it mean to be an MSC priest?For me, it means belonging to a group of men and women, lay and religious, committedto supporting one another from and with our hearts, through prayer together, andcommitted to bringing, from our own hearts,the message of God's special love andcompassion to other people longing to hear that message. We show it in our relationships

11

with each other, we show it in our welcome and hospitality to others. I particularly likeworking with young people, and now feel a real commitment to vocation work withinPapua New Guinea, where there is a strong desire to serve God and others throughpriesthood, and where the need is very great!

I am writing this in the morning before I fly from Kavieng to Rabaul, to attend a specialassembly of the MSC PNG Province, where we are trying to chart a way into the futureand fulfil Jules Chevalier's dream of reading the "signs of the times", and how we canbring our charism best to serve the needs of the church and people of Papua New Guinea.

12

JIM LITTLETON MSC


My vocation as a Missionary of the Sacred Heart goes back to childhood and toadolescent school days at Downlands College, Toowoomba. I was fortunate to grow up ina home where devotion to the Sacred Heart was regarded as integral to Catholicism,where daily Mass was a regular occurrence, and where a devout parish priest was a closefriend of the family.

We lived in a country town which did not have a Catholic school, not even a governmentschool which offered Senior (Year 12) studies. So I went to Downlands as a boarderfor five years and completed my secondary studies there in 1945. Downlands was a closeknit community in those years, staff and students. It was the time of the Second WorldWar; for 18 months we lived in difficult conditions in Dalby, while the college inToowoomba was used as a military hospital; the uncertainties of the war drew us closetogether; friendships from those years still continue; as students, we· had a fond regardfor our teachers, for we were aware of their care for us. It was a small school of200-250 students.

There were probably about 20 priests and brothers at Downlands in those years. Oneaspect of their lives that impressed me was their spirit of community; they appeared toenjoy one another's company; they taught with interest and enthusiasm; we saw them atMass and prayer every day; they were a good team.

I had an interest in being a priest, probably from about the age of ten or eleven. The yearsat Downlands confirmed this, and drew me towards priesth()od as an MSC religious,because community life seemed much more attractive than living alone as a diocesanpriest. That inclination remains with me to this day; while I respect and support those ofus who choose to live alone, I have no desire to live outside community.

So, in summary, my early attraction to the priesthood came from the experience of livingwith devout and well-balanced parents, for whom their parish priest was a close friend,and from the community dimension of religious life that I experienced among MSCpriests and brothers at Downlands. They also showed a tolerance of youthful exuberance,an interest in each one of us as individuals, and an understanding of our hopes and desires.

In retrospect, I have mixed feelings about my formation years at Douglas Park andCroydon 1947-1954. We were well trained in the principles of religious life as they werethen interpreted, we had a sound academic education, we were happy, but we livedsecluded lives and the model of spirituality was very introspective. First Profession was awonderful occasion as was Final Profession and later Ordination to Priesthood, but aSecond Vatican Council was needed to break down the dichotomy between the sacred andthe secular, and to encourage research towards a better understanding of the charism thatdifferentiated us as MSC from other religious. In fact my memories of formation atCroydon suggest that we were well ~rained to be religious rather than to be specifically

13

MSC religious. The emphasis on devotion to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was one of thefew differentiating aspects.

As I look back some thirty years to the early 70's, it seems to me that the election of JimCuskelly as Superior General was a landmark in helping us to identify the MSC nature ofour religious vocation. His historical writings on Jules Chevalier, his reflections on aSpirituality of the Heart and his writings on spirituality in general helped us as a group tounderstand our vocation better. His successor as Superior General rather beautifullyreferred to Jim as the second founder of our Society.

As a result of the inspiration that Jim provided, we shared a lot more amongst ourselvesin retreats, conferences, homilies, prayers, etc. about what was involved in living out aSpirituality of the Heart. We helped one another, perhaps inadvertently, to understandbetter the distinctive nature of our vocation.

Most of my ministerial life has been spent in education. We became more aware that ourapproach to education was different from that of, say, the Christian Brothers or the MercySisters. It was not a question of being better, but rather of being different. We haveidentified those differences now, even though in retrospect they were very evident atDownloads in the early 40s. These differences are based on the charism of JulesChevalier, which we now endeavour to share with Lay staff, so that that Ethos ismaintained.

It was a privilege also for me to be the Congregational Leader of our Province for sixyears, and in that time to support my confreres in living out their MSC ideals. I think Ideepened my own understanding of our MSC vocation and charism during those years,and I certainly have confidence in sharing that with others. In fact, that is now my mainministerial responsibility - with the Boards of our four schools, with the staff atDaramalan College and with the Lay MSC Association. This is not only much lessstressful than being a Principal of one of our schools or being Provincial, it is also a veryenjoyable and fulfilling ministry at my stage in life.

Factors that sustain my life as a Missionary of the Sacred Heart include a profound beliefin God's personal love for me, revealed in so many ways. But I also value greatly thecommunity aspect of our lives - our shared prayer, our shared ministry, our shared supportfor one another and the hospitality we extend to our colleagues and strangers whereverthey may be.

We are fortunate to have a beautiful set of Constitutions which epitomise our ideals. Ifrequently share with Lay MSC and with Lay staff various numbers that identify ourEthos. The ones that are particularly relevant to my life, and which sustain my spiritualityare the following:

10 As Missionaries of the Sacred Heart,we live our faith in the Father's loverevealed in the Heart of Christ.

14

We want to be like Jesuswho loved with a human heart;we want to love through him and with him,and to proclaim his love to the world.

13 The spirit of our Societyis one of love and kindness,humility and simplicity;it is, above all,one of love for justice and concern for all,especially the very poor.

32 Ours is a spirit of familyand a spirit of brotherhood, (and sisterhood),formed by kindness and understanding,by compassion and mutual forgiveness,by gentleness, humility and simplicity,by hospitality and a sense of humor.

15

GREG McCANN MSC


When I ask myself why I am a Missionary of the Sacred Heart, I know quite clearly inmy mind what the answer is, but after living for 55 years as an MSC, find difficulty inexpressing the answer succinctly.

To explain why I first became an MSC, I could refer back to my early childhood whenmy family always had a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the wall in our diningroom - or to the time when I began to question why I believed as I did and joined theCatholic Evidence Guild in Sydney to study and learn the answers to my 'Why'.

But the real reason that explains why I am an MSC today, dates from a time when I wasabout 22 years of age. I was living a very busy life - working Monday to Saturday,studying and speaking with the Catholic Evidence Guild, Monday and Friday nights,dancing at least once a week, cricket, tennis or swimming at the weekends. I was seriouslyconsidering marriage, and like my three brothers and most of the young men with whomI associated, had a regular girl-friend.

On this particular night, arriving home about midnight after a night of dancing, as I usuallydid, I knelt down to say my night prayers and made an Act of Love of God. The words, "Youmust love the Lord your God with your whole heart and your whole soul, with all yourstrength and with all your mind; this is the greatest and fIrst commandment" kept runningthrough my mind. I knelt there for about an hour, realising that I did not love God with mywhole heart, but God was asking me to give Him my whole heart - He seemed to say to me:"Do you love me more than these? Finally I decided that I should try to live as a Religious.

I chose deliberately to forgo marriage and live a celibate life. This deliberate choosing ofcelibacy has been probably the strongest prop enabling me to persevere as a Religious. Icould easily have married but deliberately chose to give my heart to God and try to loveHim with my whole heart.

God is never outdone in generosity; I have found during my life that if I did something forGod, He always did something for me. He showed me that human love is beautiful, but thatDivine Love encompasses and exceeds human love. In trying to love God with my wholeheart, I discovered that I loved the whole of God's creation, especially those created in God'simage who are all my brothers and sisters no matter what their beliefs - colour or culture.

This did not eventuate overnight. It was six years from the time I decided to give mywhole heart to God until I made my first Profession of Vows as an MSC. During those sixyears I served as a soldier in the Army during WWII for three years.

By the way God made His presence felt in my life, God showed that He loved me very much,but like a jealous lover kept testing my love, giving me opportunities to do little things forHim. As God enabled me to grow in love I found myself tested in more serious matters.

16

I lived for 29 years in Papua New Guinea as an MSC Brother, teaching in Primary andSecondary schools. For 16 years I worked in the Trobriand Islands conducting a Primary schooland it was here that God showered His love on me and asked me to prove my love for Him.

When I went to the Trobriand Islands in 1958 the culture of the people - people whom Igrew to love very much - had a custom of free love. Free love between the youngunmarried boys and girls was part of their normal growing up. After marriage they were,in the main, faithful to each other.

For some years I lived alone at the school where I was headmaster. Sometimes at nightthe young girls would be walking about looking for boys. As they passed my house theywould, at times, call out, "Aren't you lonely, Brother?" It was then that I would rememberthat I had given my heart to God and hear Him say to me, "Do you love me more thanthis?", so I could call back quite happily, "No - God is here with me. I'm not lonely". Andindeed, God gave me the grace never to feel lonely. He was always very close to me.

After spending more than 30 years as an MSC Brother, God made it very clear to me thatHe wanted me to become a priest. It had been suggested to me while in Papua NewGuinea that I consider becoming a priest but I rejected the suggestions as I was veryhappy and fulfilled in my works at a Brother.

After working for three years in Japan I returned to Australia for a holiday and decided tomake a Retreat in our MSC Retreat House in Douglas Park. During this Retreat, Godmade it so evident to me that He wanted me to become a priest that I could resist no longerand entered St Paul's National Seminary in February 1980 aged 63.

The four years in St Paul's were very happy years; even the study was enjoyable although itenjoined long hours preparing written assignments and oral testing, as well as times for prayerand meditation. I was ordained a priest on August 20, 1983 - the happiest day of my life.

Today as I look back over my 83 years of life, I can only marvel at what God has donefor me. My life seems to have been divided into three parts

1. As a layman living for sport and amusement and interested in seeking a youngwoman with whom to share my life, but at the same timeinterested in the thingsof God, so speaking with the Catholic Evidence Guild. Finally as a soldier in WWll,loving the army life and considering making it a permanent commitment.

2. As an MSC Brother working in education and thoroughly enjoying the work.

3. As a Priest. I truly believe that I was ontologically changed at my priestly ordination and experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit when the Bishop and about40 priests laid their hands on me and prayed for the Holy Spirit to come to me.

I certainly did not choose God - He chose me and in spite of myself gave me such a happylife that I would gladly live it over again so long as nothing was changed.

Today after living as a Missionary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for 55 years I am veryhappy and with my MSC Brothers can joyfully say: "May the Sacred Heart of Jesus beeverywhere loved forever!"

17

BERNIE McGRANE MSC


- One man in his time -

My first conscious encounter with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart was in 1940, whenI became a student at Dowlands College in Toowoomba, Queensland. It was there that I metFather John Doyle MSC, who later became Bishop John Doyle MSC. My parents were veryimpressed with Father John Doyle and he was always considered a friend of the family.When my younger brother and myself were enrolled at Downlands we created some kindof a record as the number of students rose to its highest point. The record did not last forlong. Another thing that I remember very clearly on that day of my enrollment was the factthat Priests were the Teachers and not Brothers as had been my previous experience.

My really first meeting with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart was years before - infact, when I was a very 'new' baby. I was carried up the steps of Kensington Monasteryby my mother, accompanied by my father and some other friends. The purpose was tovisit Brother Aloysius English MSC, who was a Scholastic at that time. The Englishfamily and the MacGuire and the McGrane families were close friends, especially mymother and Mary English, the sister ofAloysius. These three families came from the Westof New South Wales, and thank God they always remained close.

I entered the Postulancy on 25-02-1945. I had just completed one year in the ApostolicSchool, coming straight from Downlands. I had to get permission to travel by train inthose days of the War from Queensland to Sydney. All the preparations were a littleunusual, as it was my Father who said to me "So you are going to Douglas Park?" Therewas no fuss and I answered in a matter-of-fact way that I was and that was that.

I made my First Profession on 26-02-1946. My Novice Master was Father Cuthbert HoyMSC, and I will always cherish my days as a Novice as it was in the Novitiate that myfellow student Novices accepted me into their group. They had been together many years,going through the Apostolic School, and I was a new corner! We continued that friendshipas a group right through out Scholasticate days, and thank God, it is still just as greentoday as it was then. They were, and are, and have always been great companions to me,as I told them on the night of our ordination to the Sub-Diaconate. We had become theSeniors in the Scholasticate!!

I will never be able to say what the Scholasticate meant for me. It was a very privilegedtime. Prior to the Novitiate my interests centred on sport - especially rugby league, rugbyunion and boxing. I have never taken to games like baseball, basketball, volleyball. But Idid come to like cricket and tennis. At Downlands I often played tennis with some of theFathers and Brothers. And they weren't lollypop games either!

I remember as though it were yesterday that day we arrived at Croydon to begin our livesas Scholastics. We were met by Father Superior, Father Fleming MSC, and the other

18

members of the Teaching Staff, and of course the Scholastics. That was the beginning ofa most memorable period of my life. It was really the beginning of a new kind of life forme. It was then that I found things like comradeship amongst all the Students; it was thenthat I met for the first time Philosophy! It was also then that I ran into a problem that tookme a year or two to solve. It was called the 'Critical' problem - how did I know that Ireally existed? If you have never faced such a problem you will not understand theanguish of doubt, nor the exhilaration of finding the meaning of the word EVIDENTIA.The Summa Theologica of Thomas Acquinas was a constant companion. The Term westudied Metaphysics was one of the best of my seven years at Croydon. To know that youknow that you know! It was fresh air; it was freedom! It all came down to the fact that thefundamental principles of thought had revealed themselves. It was an awakening - thedream world had gone. Even today, some little Latin phrases still vibrate for me: "signumquod"; "signum quo"; and even "signum in quo". When those phrases transformedthemselves into the notion that an 'idea' is a "signum quo", like a victorious General, Imarched that 'quo' into the world of Reality. But even that is not quite true. Actually, itwas I who was conquered by Reality. And I was pleased and happy to be conquered.Those phrases are fundamental. It was the 'signum quo' that got me back in to the worldof Reality. The Genesis of Knowledge is one of the 'prime cuts' of Philosophy. The Latinword 'ens' was the basic block of knowledge. In those days we studied it all in Latin andI am very glad we did. In those days also we used to bandy about the phrase "ens ut sic"- again a fundamental building block for the edifice of Knowledge. This phrasedegenerated into "ens ut sic(k)". We would say: Is ens still sick? But I wearied of the jibeand I tired of that joke. "Ens" means far too much to me. It was the 'foothold' that keptmy head above the waters.

Theology of course was another thing. I have much to thank the Society for and amongthe top items is the Education it gave to all of us. The whole atmosphere of theScholasticate was focussed. There was an 'elan' that was commendable. My years as aStudent were wonderful. I was never in any hurry to be Ordained - others were. I am verygrateful to the whole Community of the Scholasticate. I have very special debts ofgratitude to some; to one especially whose name I shall not mention. Thank God I hadthe sense to write to him and tell him all that he had meant to me before he left 'this valeof tears'.

But Study and 'studiositas' are not the whole story. There was the whole new world ofSpirituality; Monasticism and its moulding effect; the asceticism and the being made intoa person set on leaving the deceptions and more importantly, the self-deceptions, behind.One cannot live in a Monastery without being profoundly effected by it all. I wouldlive those years all over again. As I look back on them now I realise they were friendlyyears, grace-filled years. They were an experience that I had never ever dreamed of.The memory of them still thrills me. The Scholasticate was 'a School' in every sense ofthe word. To study the Masters and not be grateful but also humbled is beyond me,especially when some measure of understanding (however small) was gained. I hopeI will be forgiven when I say that I felt a sharp tinge of regret and a sense of loss when

19

the Scholasticate was sold and we lost it. It was more than home to me and I think tous all in those days. It was truly an Alma Mater.

I was ordained to the Priesthood on 27th of July 1952 by Archbishop Mannix inMelbourne. My only claim to fame is that I was among the last group to be Ordained tothe Priesthood by that very famous Archbishop. He continued to confer the Minor Orders,but never again the Order of Priesthood. It was a great day for us MSC's who wereOrdained that day. The next year, we were scattered and in the years ahead we werefurther scattered to the ends of the earth. It wasn't until our 25th Jubilee that most of usmet again as a group. The years had taken their toll but we were still alive, and dare I sayit, still fired with the same enthusiasm.

My fIrst appointment in 1953 was to Eastern Papua. I was asked what I thought about theappointment. I said I thought a year in Australia would be a good thing; but in any case, itwas an appointment to be grabbed with both hands. To this day, Papua is still the countrywhere I want to be. My days in Papua have given me something that could well make othersjealous. I have lived through an experience that seems to me like a fairy-tale. I have beeninvolved in the growth of the Church - very much involved; I have witnessed with my owneyes the growth, at fIrst tentative but now confident, as the Papual New Guineans haveentered the ranks of the Clergy, now holding official positions as Parish Priests and Bishopsand Archbishops. There are now hundreds of teachers, nurses in mission schools andhospitals. Catechists in charge of mission stations, caring for the 'Churches'. All of that wasonly a dream and a very unrealistic one at the time when I arrived in Papua in 1953. That Ishould be part of the great developments, even added by 'penneth worth' to it all, was anunexpected boon. As a Scholastic I once wrote an article in the little magazine called VoxMissionis entitled: What is the purpose of Foreign Missions? I answered that question thenand I still have the same answer today. The purpose of Missions is to plant and establish theChurch. That is the great endeavour, that is the aim and goal of all missionary efforts. Andnow after 50 years I see it all happening before my eyes. Happy indeed those who have hadsuch an experience! Of course there are things yet to be done, things that could have beendone much better - much better. But the marks and the points are on the board. What betterending to my story could I wish for. It is not only my story - it is the story of all those whohave worked in Papua New Guinea. We are all the privileged ones. But success is not 'thename of the game'. God, in His mercy, has granted us the grace to see the establishing ofthe Church in Papua New Guinea. My own little backyard is called Eastern Papua. I havebeen to most of the areas in Milne Bay Province, but my name is associated more withMilne Bay proper. Over the years I have learned something of the language, something ofthe customs and the mentality of the people. It is all so rewarding, but we must never deceiveourselves either on our supposed accomplishments or knowledge. As St. Paul said: andMSC planted, Appollo watered but God gave the increase.

But before I end this 'ragtale' story, there is one more chapter to write. It could be calledthe "Nippon Experience". And now that I have come to the point of writing about it, I findI cannot do it. "You will never know unless you know"; "Unless you know that you do

20

not know you will never know that you do know." That is what the Nippon Experience isall about. I was asked to go to Japan to teach in the English Academy. I dreaded thethought of correcting "Home-work", so I was told that I would be asked again in a coupleof weeks time. And that is how I found myself if Japan. I was there but a few days and Iwas taken to the Cultural city of Japan - Kyoto. We parked the car, walked a block or so,and there it was!! It was utter simplicity, in design, symmetry and proportion elegant andperfect, not a shred of artificiality about it. A huge TORII that so impressed me as itspanned the wide road. Behind, the Temple grounds without a blade of grass to be seen,and the Temple itself set in an open sea of patterned gravel. The moment is still with me.That day was the day I was bewitched with beauty.

From that day on, I found Japan a land of beauty. Whole mountain sides ablaze with theglory and the colour of Autumn tints, and through the valley ran the purifying and crystalclear waters of the river that even seemed to freshen the very air and sunlight. I was takento a Tea Ceremony House by a friend. I came home to the Honbu and just simply said: Ihave seen beauty! The Ceremony itself simplicity itself and yet I feel sure that, withoutirreverence, it could be called a Nature-sacrament. The customs, the manners, the dignity,the reverence for all things - it was a revelation. Everyone - adults, children - all have thatsense of beauty; the things of the mind, the things of the spirit have a great appeal to them.They pay big money to gain knowledge - knowledge is a treasure. Wisdom is a gift fromthe Gods. And the Japanese - school children as well - have that sense of the sacred. Ifound it in what they call SATORI. Somehow or other I found the word and I asked youngand old alike what it meant, and the same answer kept on repeating itself - you wouldalmost think the whole thing was programmed. The answer never varied: I know the wordbut what it is I don't know! And I don't know either. But I do know that it has to do withEnlightenment. These people know that such a thing as Enlightenment exists - theWesterner has hardly ever heard of the word. The whole population knows about it. It issomething to be greatly desired, but very, very few ever attain to it. One day I visited thefamous Stone Garden in Kyoto with a friend. That is right - a stone garden!! As wewalked back into the common ways of the city my friend asked me how many stones didI see. Jokingly I said: sixteen. In all seriousness he said: You must have a very pure heart!But of course I had to 'come clean'. But the point is that these people know instinctivelythat cleanness of heart is a pre-requisite for the attaining of true knowledge.Enlightenment is a deep knowledge about Nature and the Self. I repeat the answer givento me so many times: please do not ask. me about Satori, ask the elderly - perhaps theymay know!!

And then there are those two words sabi and wabi. I think they defy translation. I havefound, as have many others, that translators are traitors, as the Italians say. I am myselfone of them. But I have often wondered why the English Language transliterated the wordbaptism instead of translating it as dipping into the water, or even drowning. If that hadbeen done it would have saved me endless worry and trouble as I used to try and unravelRomans 6:3ff. When the 'penny' finally dropped, it was something like an enlightment!!My encounter with Japan was most rewarding. What I owe to Japan I know not; but I do

21

know that it affected me deeply. My time in the Land of the Rising Sun was a gift. Howcan I ever forget it - the country, the people, the culture, the beauty and what is called theJapanese heart and the Japanese mind!! "Nihon no kokoro wa dodesuka?" A mostinteresting question. But I found part of the meaning of "what is the Japanese heart" inthe Mikokoro MSC Community at Nagoya, where I had the good fortune to stay for tenwonderful years. That Community is part and parcel of what I can only call, for lack ofbetter words, my Japanese Experience. Lest I give the impression that I know somethingof the Japanese culture, the people and their language, let me say quite clearly that I don't.

When all is said and done, the best thing that could be said of anyone of us is that "wehave been true stewards of the Mysteries of Christ." It was in the Scholasticate that I firstgot any real knowledge of the true meaning of the word Sacrament, the MYSTERIA sobeloved of the Fathers of the Church. It was Chesterton who taught me, but it was inPapua, while I was relieving one of the priests who was on leave in Australia, at a MissionStation called Kurada on Normandy Island, that it all became clear. The Mysteria ofChrist!! I was reading a golden little book called "The Key to the Eucharist", by AbbotVonier. I had the sensation of something like a train rushing to the mouth of a tunnel andthen it seemed to burst into the open. My only reaction was I closed the book and put iton the table as I thought to myself: how stupid of me! so obtuse and so unknowing! It wasas if I heard the words addressed to Nicodemus now addressed to me: You, a teacher inIsrael, and you don't know these things?

So Papua is my home. My fifty odd years in the Mission have been a tremendous learningexperience for me. Certainly privileged to share in the work of planting the Church inPapua New Guinea, most fortunate in the Confreres, the Superiors, the Bishops that it hasbeen my lot to live with. And my final word in this 'rag-bag' type of story is to thank theAustralian Province for all the support and encouragement that it has given to us all herein Papua New Guinea.

And so it is:

"One man in his time plays many parts."

22

TAN VAN NGUYEN MSC


My Religious vocation started around the mid 80's, but this thought was at the back of mymind until in 1989 when I looked at my life: a happy childhood in Viet Nam; an adventurejourneyed on the boat from Viet Nam to the Refugee Camp (and eventually to Australia),though at that time it was a dangerous journey to make.

I was lucky that I had an opportunity to encounter a number of Religious men and women(and Diocesan) who invited me to contemplate my religious vocation. A number of eventsin my life triggered this discernment; a life and death experience, and a number of peopleI had met changed some things in me. This, I would say, is the core of my vocation; whereGod's gentleness and patience calls me to something new and challenging. This invitationallowed me to journey with this vocation for a number of years. I had a chance to journeywith a number of priests, with Fr. Peter Huan MSC and with Fr. Christopher MurphyMSC who was my vocation companion. He is a significant person in my life and I amgrateful to have met and established a bonding relationship with him. There are a numberof MSCs who continue to inspire and enrich my life. I had a limited knowledge of theministries of the MSC, but I've had various ministerial experiences as an MSC. Forexample, working with homeless people and mentally ill people. These ministries areboth enriching and challenging.

Being an MSC for me is about "MSC CHARISM and SPIRITUALITY of the HEART";the heart which identifies with, and touches, the real human heart; human stories andjourneys (present with the human brokenness). Our Founder Jules Chevalier, set us anexample to follow; he brought the Sacred Heart of Jesus to people who became hiscompanion as he journeyed with them. Almost all the MSC I have met, have in one wayor another displayed these qualities: gentleness, humility, kindness, humour, care andloving concern.

I see MSC as an Order still trying to follow our Founder's dreams and achievements; byfinding ways and means to bring the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ to others and journeywith them by living out this Spirituality of the Heart, the heart of love, care andcompassion.

23

CONTRIBUTORS

Fr John Askew has been a professional MSC since 1937. He currently enjoys an activeretirement at Downlands College, Toowoomba, Qld.

Fr Terry Bowman has been a professed MSC since 1984. He is currently the parish priestof Our Lady of the Sacred Heart parish at Henley Beach, in Adelaide, SA.

Br Gerry Burke has been a professed MSC since 1953. He currently serves in thechaplaincy of Darwin Hospital in Darwin, NT.

Fr Chris Chaplin has been a professed MSC since 1984. In recent years he has lived asa hermit and ministered as a spiritual director. In 2001 he takes up a new appointment information ministry in the Pacific Union.

Br Dan Hawe has been a professed MSC since 1964. He currently lives at DownlandsCollege, Toowoomba, Qld., where much of a very active retirement is spent tendinggardens.

Fr Phillip Hicks has been a professed MSC since 1964. He is currently the Director ofTuias Formation Centre for the Kavieng Diocese in Papua New Guinea.

Fr Jim Littleton has been a professed MSC since 1948. He currently serves as Directorof MSC Education and Director of the Lay MSC Association, and lives at DaramalanCollege in Canberra, ACT.

Fr Greg McCann Snr has has been a professed MSC since 1945. He currently enjoys anactive retirement at Treand House, Coogee, NSW.

Fr Bernie McGrane has been a professed MSC since 1946. Currently he is Administratorof the Catholic Church at Alotau in Papua New Guinea.

Br Tan Van Nguyen has been a professed MSC since 1997. He is currently in the latterstages of initial formation, and will soon be moving from the formation community to OurLady of the Sacred Heart parish at Randwick, in Sydney, NSW.

24

Documents

Encounter - misacor.org.au