Everywhere: An essay on the achievements and challenges of msc religious life in francophone africa
Saturday December 14, 2024

MSC religious life in French-speaking Africa predates the establishment of the entity. In fact, in this year of grace, we are celebrating the Centenary of the arrival of MSC in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the oldest of the missions in 1924, compared to Senegal in 1953 and Cameroon in 1981, which are the three countries making up the Union of French-speaking Africa under the direct dependence of the General Administration since 06 August 1986. It was following a succession of meetings convened by the Sacred Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes and the Sacred Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples between October 1976 and February 1977 that the so-called ‘Africanisation of religious life’ was launched, recorded in a document dated 03 June 1978. Following this invitation from the Holy See, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart from the Regions of Senegal, Cameroon and Zaire, meeting in Kinshasa from 27 April to 02 May 1983, produced a document on ‘African Vocations and MSC Formation in Africa’.
On the eve of the Emerald Jubilee in 1986-2026, it would be wise to reflect on these decades of MSC religious life by asking two simple questions: What has been done, and what remains to be done?
I. What has been achieved
In the introduction to our UAF Statutes and Directory, it is stipulated that the primary aim of setting up an entity is ‘to root the charism of their founder on African soil ’ (SD 3.a), which charism is to make known the unfathomable richness of the Sacred Heart. It is convinced of this spirituality of the Heart that each MSC assumes its responsibilities in the different apostolates.
1. Parish and Diocese
MSCs are responsible for the pastoral care of souls in eight dioceses and fifteen parishes in French-speaking Africa. This is still the legacy of the pioneers who sometimes left them entire mission territories. CS 23. Depending on the availability of confreres, the superiors try to create an MSC community directly associated with parish life. It will organise itself to assume a religious life, a witness of life for the members within and for the parishioners and people of every religion and culture in the territory. Parish and community life are intertwined because the confreres are the responsibility of the Parish and, therefore, of the Diocese. Depending on whether they are in a rural or urban parish, the congregation provides additional support for the running of the community. For nearly a decade, some communities have been autonomous and sometimes come to the aid of communities that are still financially weak. The confreres in the parishes obey all diocesan directives concerning the pastoral care of souls in the parish church. This does not prevent the confreres’ initiatives and genius, such as the foundation and animation of our lay groups, vocational pastoral care and self-financing projects for community life, but also for parish life.
2. House of formation
With the aim of perpetuating the legacy of Father Jules Chevalier, a few have been chosen to ensure the apostolate of formation in our houses of Pre-Novitiate in Dakar (Senegal) and Kinshasa (DR Congo), Novitiate in Brazzaville (Congo) and Post-Novitiate in Yaoundé (Cameroon) without forgetting the internal and external Aspirants. The current academic year is being reorganised, particularly at the Pre-Novitiate stage, as the entity would like to have a single training centre for each stage. First-year pre-novices are now sent to Kimwenza-Kinshasa, where the setting is suitable, and the novitiate has been transferred to Brazzaville since the General Council Decree of 11 April 2024. These houses are dedicated to training of future confreres but also constitute living communities for the MSCs who live there, striving to practice what they teach young people. Hence, a particular spirit of sacrifice for those on the inside and apprehension for those on the outside, as the requirements differ depending on whether one is in one case or the other.
3. Schools
Over the last ten years or so, in order to embody our charisma and make our presence visible in the world, and also to ensure our future from a financial and economic point of view, our districts have been provided with schools for both primary and secondary education. The DRC is the oldest, followed by Cameroon and, most recently, Senegal. Confreres have been trained in leadership, management, and teaching in various fields. This constitutes a genuine apostolate for all the children, adolescents and adults taking part in the running and life of these structures, which can prove to be a vocational breeding ground.
4. Secular Associations
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart sometimes precedes us and sometimes arrives in the MSC suitcase. The Fraternity of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is one of our various sub-entities. In addition to the best-known Fraternity, in some countries, we have the Lecteurs des Annales d’Issoudun and the Amicale des Parents et Amis, which meet on the important feast days of the Congregation, namely 21 October, 8 December, the last Sunday in May for the Solemnity of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and the second Sunday after Pentecost for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart.
While these associations retain their internal autonomy, the fact remains that the MSCs are still the spiritual guides and companions, some of whom receive a special mandate and appointment from the Superiors. This is the concrete manifestation of our membership of the ‘Chevalier Family’.
5. Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Missionaries of Christ and Servants of the Sacred Heart
Relations with the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart are all the closer because they share with us the very Spirituality of Father Jules Chevalier. We are practically present in the same countries. Our paths cross so often during the stages of formation and missions that we can say they are indeed our Sisters. In addition to the FNDSC, depending on the country, there are the Missionaries of Christ founded by the confreres Father Christian MOSER in 1956 in Germany and the Sisters Servants of the Sacred Heart founded by the Vicar Apostolic Van GOETHEM of Coquilhaville (now Mbandaka) in 1942 in Bokote in Zaire (now DR Congo). They are affectionately called ‘nieces’.
As far as possible, we will meet again for the major feasts of the congregation, which are similar to ours and other important occasions such as Jubilees and Vows. This is not only a spiritual closeness but also a sociological one, as many FNDSC and MSC come from the same villages or even biological families.
6. Vocation Apostolate
While it is true that our parishes and schools can be breeding grounds for vocations to the MSC way of life, it has seemed prudent over the last few decades to set up a genuine vocational policy to encourage young people to embrace our way of life. Thus a vocational committee is operational in the districts, which organises vocational camps and meetings, as well as selection and admission tests to be submitted to the district and UAF council of superiors for approval while respecting certain pre-established criteria.
II. The challenges
Beyond this shining and encouraging face of MSC religious life that each confrere tries to promote and live according to the gifts of grace and nature, we also face the moment’s challenges.
1. Internationality and/or Multiculturalism
Seen from the outside, Africa appears to be a homogenous entity, but seen up close, it is a disparate mosaic of countries, nations, tribes, ethnic groups and clans that come and go according to the opportunistic interests that we can observe, especially on the political level. Although we come from this socio-anthropological soil, we firmly believe and strive to make effective the fact that ‘in the congregation, there are no strangers and no passing guests ’ (JC 1897). This is made possible by the fact that the itinerary of our initial formation brings us face to face with the particular realities in the different countries of the entity, to the point that in the end, each MSC feels at home everywhere, leaving the rest to strictly personal moods and incompatibilities. This spirit is called ‘MSCéité’.
2. Mission ad extra
As a formator at the Novitiate stage, the novices ask a recurring question of internationality in all its forms. On entering the Congregation, many of them had an idea of mission ad extra as experienced by their companions and friends in other institutes. The question is not naïve because it is still topical in people’s minds. This extra mission obviously obeys legal, human, financial and ideological parameters, which are the responsibility of the higher hierarchy. As long as the congregation’s mission is to spread the riches of the heart of the divine master, then it can be done everywhere because the needs are everywhere.
3. Heritage of the pioneers
Our UAF entity will soon be celebrating its 40th anniversary and is relatively young. The proof is that we depend on the General Administration, and competencies are delegated. Many of us still know the pioneers of the Mother Provinces who planted the seed of Jules Chevalier’s spiritual heritage on African soil. To be their successors is a source of pride because the next generation is assured of a great responsibility to nurture this seed in terms of community spirit, dedication and sacrifice to the mission, initiative, maintenance of structures and management of property. It is not uncommon for former parishioners to recall with great nostalgia the great days of the past, which is both a source of pride for us and a source of pressure to follow in their footsteps despite the changes of the present day.
4. Financial autonomy
The other stumbling block is the funding of this same mission. We recall the warning issued by Monseigneur Dupont, Archbishop of Bourges, to the two vicars of Issoudun: ‘…Providence is all very well, but you must not tempt it…’. (1854). It is with this in mind that each of us feels concerned about the immediate future of the Congregation on African soil, especially as we aspire to a more autonomous entity like the Province. Our schools, considered sources of self-financing, are accompanied by a collective awareness of sound management and effective pooling to encourage the participation of all in the advent of this new entity.
Conclusion
‘As long as the hand of God is with us, trust is a duty‘(J.C1866) or “ My conviction is that according to the plans of Divine Providence, our Society is destined for great things and a great future, but on condition that it is not half-religious but that it is complete and unreserved ” (JC 1887).
Reassured by the Father Founder’s words that we are his spiritual Sons within the UAF, let us continue our march towards a radiant future, for Africa is and will soon be one of the Congregation’s wards.
Hassan Mouchi Jonas, MSC