Missionaries of the Sacred

About a week ago Brother Frank Natale, MSC made his final vows as a Missionary of the Sacred Heart. It was a great occasion for all of us to welcome Frank as a perpetual member of our community endeavoring to convince the world of the Love of Jesus for each and every one of us. Frank has lived with us for three years in temporary vows. Now he made his final vows to live the life of a Missionary of the Sacred Heart “forever.”

I remember when I made my temporary vows to live as a Missionary of the Sacred Heart for three years. I was on my way.  I cried I was so happy that day.

I also recall the night before I made my final vows.  My friend and classmate, Father Leon Weisenberger, who was also going to make final vows the next day, came knocking at my door.  Once in the room he said to me “Forever is an awful long time, isn’t it?” “Forever” was how long we vowed to live poverty, chastity and obedience as Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.  I responded “It sure is.”

The next morning, during the ceremony that word “Forever” hit me like it had hit Leon the night before.  I was so afraid that I almost walked off the altar. Then I remembered being taught that when you are afraid, do what you had decided to do when you were at peace. And so I did. I said “forever” and have done my best to live out those vows of poverty, chastity and obedience forever ever since. As a matter of fact “forever” became an important factor in my life whenever the temptation to leave the community came around.

Keep in mind that the Missionary of the Sacred Heart community and I made that decision together after one year of novitiate and three years of temporary vows as a Missionary of the Sacred Heart. I choose to stay in the community and the community choose keep me as one of them. Prior to novitiate and the three years of temporary vows I had spent five years in the minor seminary preparing to become a Missionary of the Sacred Heart.  That was a lot more time to prepare and decide to say “forever” than most people have before they say “Until death do us part.”

As a Missionary of the Sacred Heart I was a major seminarian for a number of years, then a brother involved in manual work, in helping out in Marriage Encounter, in serving the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the USA and in Papua New Guinea;  also in Papua New Guinea in teaching religion, in the formation of young religious, and those aspiring to become religious brothers, sisters or priests. I am now more or less retired.  I help out around the house, write these monthly vocation letters, do a little spiritual direction and keep on keeping on forever.

How about you? What do you aspire to do or be forever?  If it might be to serve the Lord as a Missionary of the Sacred Heart you can contact: