Thursday, 22 October 2020 22:24

Tribute to Colin Sinclair MSC

Tribute to Colin Sinclair MSC 

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With Jos Beelen's 95th birthday and yesterday's story on the Australian Brothers at the General House, we have been focusing on our Brothers. Which continues today.

 

From all the members of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in the MSC Pacific Union. (From the recent edition of the MSC Magazine)

In writing this tribute to Bro Colin we would like to first acknowledge the many years of selfless, unrelenting, hard work that Br. Colin put into the building up of the Pacific Union during his time with us. We are highly indebted to his wisdom, guidance, dedication and perseverance to the growth of the Pacific Union and for this we express our heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to Colin.

To begin with, Colin always displayed a great respect for the different cultures he encountered in the Pacific Union. He always highlighted how important culture was and encouraged us to maintain our way of life and to be proud of who we were.  His openness, respect, and acceptance of us made him welcome in our lives, and in this context he was able to share his wisdom and knowledge with us. It was no easy task on his part to understand the dynamics of our Pacifican cultures, but his humility and simplicity enabled him to achieve just that. His openness, respect and humility endeared him to us, creating the opportunity for growth and perseverance in our vocation as MSC.

Colin's humility was also expressed by the way he humbly made himself readily available for the many tasks and responsibilities that were asked of him. Never a complaint crossed his lips as he doggedly worked at his tasks. He was always ready to step in and make his gifts available to all those who needed them. He was an exemplary teacher, builder and formator who went about quietly doing his work, earning respect and admiration from everyone who worked with him. Colin was never one to draw attention to himself, preferring to work quietly behind the scenes. As a man of integrity he could be depended upon to get the job done.

Colin's work ethic was always a guiding light in community. His confidence, discipline, honesty and reliability set the benchmark for us to follow. Just watching him work motivated us to do better in our daily tasks and studies. Colin lived by the principle that we ought to put in an honest day's work every day. By the same token, he knew how to relax and enjoy himself. He cared for his health and would take lengthy walks after work at Wainadoi. He would regale us with humorous stories and personal experiences when we got together for our social gatherings and his fine sense of humour earned him the affectionate nickname of 'Bloody Col'. Through his example Colin showed us how to live a healthy balanced life of work, prayer and relaxation.

An important and integral role that Colin held was that of formator. As a formator and mentor Colin did a sterling job of facilitating our growth as young religious and molding and shaping us according to our gifts and talents, reminding us constantly that we are to make use of our gifts in service to others.

Colin gave the formandi the best formation program anyone could receive. He prepared his classes with meticulous care guiding the students through human development, pastoral involvement, scripture studies, the life of Fr. Jules Chevalier, the MSC Constitutions, the MSC way of life, and most importantly, the Religious Vows.

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Colin taught with utter conviction in his subjects because what he had to teach in the classroom he practiced in his daily life. This had a huge impact on the formandi who looked to Colin as their role model. It is often acknowledged that much of Colin's teaching wasn't in what he said but rather in what he did. He was a man who walked the talk.

This came across clearly for us in his steadfast life of prayer which has been an inspiration and motivation for us all. His day began with prayer, was filled with prayer, and ended with prayer. As a real man of prayer, he was always filled with indefatigable energy that was constantly fueled by the firm conviction he had of God's love expressed in the compassionate Heart of Jesus.

Despite our weaknesses and failures in formation, Colin never gave up on us. He continually confirmed the good he saw in us and encouraged us to keep going. He was always there to journey with us and to lend a helping hand. Many vocations would have fallen by the wayside if it hadn't been for Colin. Approachable and trustworthy, many of us often shared our troubles and concerns with him knowing that he would direct us with his wisdom and guidance. Busy as he was, he always made time to be with us in our concerns.

We also pay tribute to Colin for the brilliant job he did as the Union Bursar. He did not find it easy but he tirelessly worked on chasing up on receipts, payments and bank statements keeping tabs on all our financial concerns. He sacrificed many a weekend just to keep the accounts updated and in order. His financial reports at the Union Council meetings were always detailed, precise and transparent. The General Bursar also expressed his gratitude for the organized way Colin prepared his annual financial reports for Rome. Colin's comprehensive reports ensured that the Pacific Union continued to receive subsidies and financial assistance from the General Administration and other Provinces after recommendations from the Finance Advisory Board.

Despite his demanding work as Union Bursar and formator, Colin spent a significant amount of time with the poor and those in need. Just to name a few, he efficiently managed the water-tank project with the Mission Office ensuring that poor communities in Kiribati and Fiji would receive clean drinking water. He taught at Chevalier Training Center (Fiji) preparing young underprivileged boys for future employment as tradesmen. He also built Chevalier College on Abemama ensuring a solid education for young people all over Kiribati. Today it happens to be the College of choice for many secondary school students in Kiribati who have moved on to University studies in Fiji and abroad.

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In all things Colin led by concrete example whether it was in the area of prayer, work or community living. As a man of few words whose actions spoke volumes, he was always the first to be a good example to us. Colin was realistic. He acknowledged how challenging life could sometimes be and wasn't afraid to say so. He also knew that life could be hard for the students as well. Through his simple approach to life, Colin taught us how to cope with the hardships and challenges of life. His kindness and simplicity are a hallmark of the man's character.

And so, to our Bro Colin Sinclair, we raise a toast to wish you a very blessed and happy Golden Anniversary. Congratulations Brother Col. May the Good Lord continue to bless you with good health and many more years to come. Thank you for all that you have been for us.