Displaying items by tag: Heart of Life Centre

Sacred Heart: Blessing of new Heart of Life Centre

Feast of the Sacred Heart: a gathering of staff, Melbourne MSC, students past and present, friends, at Kew Kreestha, Croydon, for Mass, Blessing of the house and the renovations, tours, refreshments and renewing friendships.

A message of blessing from Provincial Superior, Stephen Hackett, apology from Brian Gallagher in rehabilitation centre. The two Family Care Sisters, Jill Harding and Michelle Toussaint were present to see the changes at their former home.

Welcome by Director, Clare Shearman,

welcome to country by Programs Director, Lynn Moresi,

Intercessions by Daniel Magadia.

Presiding at the celebration of the Eucharist, Dominic Gleeson. Blessing of the house by Barry Smith.

Inaugurated last year: Heart of Life Hall of Fame with recipients, Brian Gallagher and Chris McPhee.

This year, Peter Malone, who has written the history of Heart of Life.

Refreshments and friendships

And this is what this room looked like a week or two ago.

And, Clare with the 13 MSC present. (No Leo Wearden is not based in Melbourne but was visiting from Wadeye.)

Main photos thanks to Trieu Nguyen. Group photo thanks to Gigi Anderson.

The Heart of Life Centre, renovations and progress.

Since the Province purchased the Croydon property, Kewn Krestha, in Alto Avenue, for a permanent home for Heart of Life, renovations have been in progress. This was the site for the Family Care Sisters (‘Grey Sisters’) centre for caring for mothers.

We celebrated Mass for the Sisters there from 1941 until the closure of the Croydon Monastery.

The task was to develop the buildings, a transition from social care to a functioning centre for courses, spiritual direction, seminars, offices, library…

Barry Smith has spent the months from February to the present in Melbourne, living with the Kew community, at Croydon in his role as MSC Property Manager.

The present goal is to have completed renovation of the main rooms in time for a blessing ceremony, and the celebration of 45 years of the Siloam Spiritual Direction program on June 7^th, the Feast of the Sacred Heart.

Heart of Life Centre 2024

With the Province buying Kewn Krestha, Croydon, formerly the house for mothers and the care of the Family Care Sisters, there is work in progress, renovations, repairs, work on meeting rooms and offices. But the year has begun with the Spiritual Direction, Siloam, program, a full-time group, part-time first year and part-time second year. Also the Damascus Spiritual Leaders, program, Emmaus Supervision, Let the Heart Listen. There are already a number of shorter seminars and workshops.

MSC at Heart of Life, 2024

Barry Smith, Projects Supervisor for the renovations

Khoi Nugyen, Lecturer, Religious Experience, Experience of God and Grace

Peter Malone, Tutorials, Siloam Full-time, Siloam Second Year Part-time

Daniel Magadia, Damascus Spiritual Leaders participant

Krish Mathavan, Damascus Spiritual Leaders participant, Zoom from Singapore.