The USA Missionaries of the Sacred currently work in California, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania and Florida as well as in Colombia and Papua New Guinea, bringing the love of the Heart of Jesus to parishes, educational and job training programs, retreats, prisons, Native American reservations and to many other places through their daily interactions with the people they serve.
California
MSC in California are involved in parish ministry, Hispanic ministry, and Native American ministry.
Native American Ministry:
Native American Ministry in Southern California includes six Native American reservations (Torres Martinez, Pechanga, Cahuilla, Santa Rosa, Morongo, and Soboba). This ministry focuses on strengthening communities by bringing Catholic teachings and values while also honoring and preserving Native American customs, culture and traditions. MSC Native American ministry also supports the operation of St. Jude School (K-5) which combines general, cultural and religious education. The school has more than doubled in size in the past year, from 16 students to 33 students. The mission is staffed by an MSC priest and a MSC brother, as well as two MSC sisters and four RSCJ sisters who travel to four different Native American reservations each week.
Parishes in California Staffed by the MSC
Illinois
MSC in Illinois work in Hispanic ministry, parish ministry and retreat ministry, which includes parish missions as well as Life's Healing Journey retreats. Illinois MSC also make guest appearances on radio programs (Relevant Radio). The national headquarters of the USA Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart is also located in Aurora, Illinois and MSC there are involved in vocation promotion and fund raising for the missions. MSC staff three parishes in Illinois and also assist in several parishes in the Aurora area.
Fr. Peter Campbell, MSC does Spiritual Direction on Relevant Radio’s The Inner Life program twice a month. It is a live show and people can call in and ask questions. Fr. Peter is the Local Superior of the MSC Illinois Community and co-founded the Life’s Healing Journey retreat program. He holds a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. Between Relevant Radio’s 16 stations and 22 affiliate stations, its programs are currently broadcast on air in 15 states: AR, FL, IA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, MN, MT, NC, PA, TX, WI and WV. You can also tune into Relevant radio online at www.relevantradio.com.
Parishes in Illinois staffed by the MSC:
- St. Therese of Jesus Parish in Aurora, IL. St. Therese is a multi-cultural parish of about 675 families. It is located in a blue-collar section of Aurora's east side, and it is about 84% Hispanic, 14% Anglo, and 2% African American.
- St. Mary's Parish in Sycamore, IL. Sycamore is a rural town of about ten thousand. St. Mary's Parish has about 775 registered families including a small Hispanic population.
- St. Joseph Parish Shrine in Chicago, IL. St. Joseph Parish Shrine is a large, multi-cultural parish on Hermitage Avenue in Chicago. Masses are offered in Spanish, English and Polish.
New York
The MSC New York Community is located in Watertown. MSC staff two parishes and also regularly visit the sick in the hospitals in the area.
Parishes in New York staffed by the MSC are:
In addition to these ministries, the MSC in New York are also involved with the Sacred Heart Foundation and the Mission Project Service.
The Sacred Heart Foundation provides scholarships to young men around the world who are studying to become MSC. Over the years they have awarded more than $1 million and this year alone they awarded nearly $70,000 in scholarships.
Mission Project Service, "strives to help Church people and other agents of development in less-industrialized countries obtain assitance from interational agencies for their religious and socio-economic projects." Fr. Pierre Aubin, MSC, served as director of MPS for more than 25 years and now assists as an adviser.
Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Community is home to Sacred Heart Villa, which is a retirement home for M.S.C. priests and brothers. Members of the MSC Pennsylvania Community also staff two parishes, are involved in Catholic education, and work for the Diocese of Allentown (in the Marriage Tribunal, as a Judicial Vicar on the Diocesan Tribunal and in the Secretariat for Catholic Life and Evangelization).
Parishes staffed by the MSC:
Florida
There is currently one MSC working at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Perry, Florida. Fr. Bernie Jakubco, MSC's parish ministry includes Hispanic ministry and Fr. Bernie is also a volunteer chaplain in one of the three maximum security prisons in Florida.
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