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Since our foundation in nineteenth-century France, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have worked to spread the message of God's love and mercy in the places they are needed most at home and across the globe.
Answering God's call: The MSC way of life
As Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, we live as brothers, generally in local communities. Together, we share our lives, our prayers, and our mission. No matter where in the world our MSC missionaries are working and ministering, each of our members is supported and encouraged by the community. We live what is known as "religious life": a life marked by prayer, ministries of service, and the vows of celibacy, obedience, and poverty.
Our ministries and missions are many and varied, responding to individual needs as we lead people to experience the reality of God's love in all circumstances. United by our shared vision, we work together to answer God's call, providing spiritual guidance and humanitarian aid to people who endure conditions of extreme hardship and suffering in their daily lives.
What is the role of an MSC priest or brother?
The majority of religious congregations are founded with the aim of doing particular apostolic work, or in answer to a specific need. The community of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, however, was not established with any one purpose in mind – we are not dedicated solely to teaching, or running parishes, or hospital work.
Our mission is simple and all-encompassing: "To be on earth the heart of God". With the vision of our founder inspiring our daily purpose, we endeavour to unite the communities in which we work with a positive message of hope, compassion, and love.
Since the 1800s, the MSC congregation has been an active and valuable presence throughout world. The work we do may vary, depending on where we are and what is needed in different circumstances. As an MSC priest or brother, you could be ministering in a parish, teaching at a school, counselling the sick or the lost, administering the sacraments, running a youth club, leading retreats, working on development projects in mission countries, or any number of other things in between.
Our shared mission, however, remains the same: to treat those around us with kindness, compassion, and love, in the image of God's mercy.
Where do the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart work?
Today, over 150 years after our foundation, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have over 2,000 priests and brothers continuing the work of our founder, Fr Jules Chevalier MSC, in over 50 countries across the globe, including Ireland, the UK, South Africa, Venezuela, and Central America.