Reflections on being Secretary General

Michael Miller, MSC. As of June 1, 2024, I stepped away from the desk in the General Secretary Office. Fr. Richard Suresh is now the new Secretary General. I will leave Rome on June 15, when I return to the USA for a new ministry. After our Provincial Chapter at the end of July, I will have a clearer idea of what that might be.
Reflecting on my six years living at the General House as Secretary General and local house superior, I realise there have been two tasks with a lot of responsibility for the MSC Society. I thank Fr. Abzalόn and the General Council for their faith and trust in me to assume and accomplish them. I did not dream of the opportunity to serve the MSC Society at this administration level. It certainly was not on my mind when I participated as a delegate for the 2017 General Chapter. As a religious, I have come to experience that if one trusts in God, he will lead you to places you never thought of going, not without their blessings and challenges.
I thank all of you with whom I lived in the General House and those I have come to know through visits and meetings for the opportunity to serve you and get to know you better. It has been a privilege and a big responsibility. Besides all the internal work in the office, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to correspond, communicate and get to know all of you, with some on a more regular basis. I have met most, if not all, the provincials, some of the secretaries, bursars, and formation directors. However, although I have not met many of the secretaries face to face, I feel I have gotten to know you better through our correspondence. I hope that someday we can meet in person.
During my tenure, I have strived to streamline, organize, and enhance the internal workings of the office. I am proud to say that I believe there has been a noticeable improvement in both internal and external communication among the members and entities. Collaboration, a cornerstone of our society, is something we must always strive to enhance.
I am confident that Fr. Richard Suresh, MSC, will serve you with the same dedication and commitment as we have been working together for more than two years. The Secretariate is in capable hands, and I am optimistic about the future under his leadership.
If our paths do not cross, I want you to know that I will keep you in my prayers, and I ask you to pray for me also. Let us keep each other in our prayers.
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be loved everywhere!