Missionaries of the Sacred

The MSC Pacific Union is a section of the Society that is composed of a very large area of small island nations; i.e. Fiji   Western Samoa, Kiribati, Futuna,  Marshal   Islands  and other islands in the Pacific. The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart first went to  Kiribati  (formerly known as the  Gilbert Islands ) in 1888, shortly after setting up our first foundation of  Melanesia  and  Micronesia  in  Papua New Guinea  in 1882. All of our Unions ( Africa ,  India  and Pacific) are directly under the Generalate in  Rome as they do not have the financial resources or number of members to be a Province. Each Union relies on the support of the well-established MSC provinces around the world. The  United States   Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart sends financial support to each of these unions to help them realize their many mission projects and ministries. In the Pacific Union, the USA MSC primarily support formation ministry, helping to provide the training necessary to educate and form the many MSCs needed to carry out missionary work in their home countries.

The MSC’s are involved in two unique projects on Vitu Levu, the main island of the Fiji nation. One project is the Chevalier Farm Training Centre (pictured above left), which is located at Wainadoi, where the Novitiate is. The CFTC was started by Fr Kevin Barr, a former MSC and is currently a private vocational training school run by the MSC. There are presently around 50 young men attending the school. They are mainly from disadvantaged areas of the country and so do not have the money needed to attend higher educational institutions. The main focus of the school is to teach farming techniques to the students and this training is augmented by carpentry and mechanic training. The schools fees are only $20. for the year and this is both for the training and the boarding at the school. They grow most of their food and raise chickens, ducks, fish, pigs and even one lamb.

Another project is the Chevalier Hostel, which was started by Fr Kevin Barr. It was initially set up to get kids off the streets of Suva and to give them an education that would help them stand up on their own. This program was later changed slightly to take in poorer students who didn’t have the money to pay for their education, thereby keeping them off the streets. Bro. Kaake Iaone, MSC is the manager of the hostel and he has 10 residents aging from 13 to 21 years old. The hostel is run mainly by donations and as a project of the Pacific Union. They have to find money for school fees and for the food and boarding of the residents. Lay MSC assist the hostel by hosting monthly bake sales, raffles and other fund raising events.

In Kiribati (pronounced "keer-ah-bhass"), the MSC Pacific Union recently opened Santa Maria College. Blessed and opened in February 2009 by Fr. Mark McDonald, MSC, the General Superior, the school now provides education for 258 students from very poor backgrounds