I enjoy being an MSC missionary

Cristhian Mancuello, msc, was ordained a deacon in November. This is the testimony of his vocational journey.

My lifelong parish is the MSC parish of San Pío X in Fernando de la Mora (Asunción), one of the cities close to the capital of Paraguay. I have been connected to the parish with my family since childhood. I have always known the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in the parish. I was aware they came from far away, from Spain, and this made me wonder what motivated them to be so distant from their homeland and work for others. This testimony of the MSC and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart has greatly influenced me. They often visited my home for celebrations or activities, and that’s how it all began. I believed in God but also realised I could do something more. The mission was a calling for me.

I became more involved with my chapel, my base community. World Youth Day, WYD in Rio de Janeiro, was a significant turning point. Before this great event, Fr. Juan Molina, MSC, was in the parish. He was the first to accompany me and played a crucial role. I had met other congregations and diocesan priests, but I discovered a different way of being religious in the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. They possessed something that set them apart: closeness, naturalness, and a welcoming manner of expressing themselves. At the mission, they are genuine, yet they maintain the essence of spirituality. That WYD marked my first encounter with MSC from different countries. It was something new and wonderful. The interaction with other cultures, various approaches to working, and the realisation that there are missionaries across the globe, far away from Paraguay, all sharing the same charisma, made my restlessness grow even more.

It (my Novitiate in Brazil) was an unforgettable experience, crucial to my religious life, shared with several companions.

Upon my return, I decided to start the process of becoming an MSC. At that time, I was studying business administration and accounting at university. I spent the entire first year reflecting on and learning about religious life. I still grappled with the dilemma of becoming a diocesan or a Missionary of the Sacred Heart. Curiously, I made my decision during a vocational retreat with a diocesan priest. The experience of God’s love in my life story was pivotal to my choice. Reflecting on Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, I asked myself: ‘Jesus gave his life for me on the cross; what am I willing to give for Him?’ Everything seemed to align. I felt called to the mission of spreading God’s love everywhere—not just as a devotion but as a way of life. This felt radical. That’s why I chose to become a Missionary of the Sacred Heart. Fr Molina was no longer in Paraguay, but Fr Sergio, MSC, and Fr Rafael, MSC, were there, and I began my journey with them. In March 2014, I joined the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. My mother didn’t accept it at first. We are three brothers, but I was the closest to her. She feared I would go far away and lose touch with her, breaking that bond. I questioned myself often, and at times it was difficult not having the support of someone I love dearly, but I always pushed on, keeping her in my prayers.

The journey began with the first year in Aspirancy, where I got to know religious life. The second year was the Postulancy, during which I started my philosophy studies, a three-year process accompanied by Fr Sergio, MSC. After taking the step to enter the Novitiate, my support continued with Fr Toni, MSC, in the previous year. I completed my Novitiate in Brazil, which allowed me to explore the congregation and the Spirituality of the Heart in greater depth. It was an unforgettable experience, crucial to my religious life, shared with several companions from Brazil, along with a Colombian, a Mexican, a Haitian, and myself from Paraguay. It was a beautiful yet challenging period of adapting to community life.

Missionary experiences were integral to our training. We began a missionary effort to assist the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at a support centre for underprivileged children. (Refer to the October 2024 issue of Madre y Maestra). It was a truly beautiful experience. We also participated in another initiative at a recovery centre called Fazenda la Esperanza, which profoundly impacted my journey. This centre supports individuals struggling with drug and alcohol addictions, requiring guidance throughout their recovery process. This experience taught me how to support others and helped me overcome my prejudices, highlighting the importance of listening. As missionaries, our role was to provide companionship. Additionally, we had other significant missionary rural experiences, including celebrations of the Word; however, the time spent at the recovery house in Brazil left an indelible impression on me.

In 2019, I made my first significant commitment, taking my first temporary vows in Brazil, of all places. All the members of the group formed very strong bonds. We came from different provinces, yet we felt united as one. This is quite important. As an MSC Congregation, our missionary bonds must extend beyond our provincial identities even though we are from diverse provinces. We felt part of a shared fraternal life. I sensed the Lord blessed me with another family outside of Paraguay. I pursued the next stage of my training in El Salvador. I was a bit apprehensive about going there due to the news I had heard regarding the violence and lack of security in that country. I wasn’t familiar with Central America. I spent four years there, and once again, the Lord prepared me for an even more demanding life. The pastoral experience shaped me as a Missionary of the Sacred Heart on a personal level, enhancing my dedication to others and helping me shed my prejudices. They were entirely different mission experiences—suburban, rural, outlying neighbourhoods—where the missionary need is intense and urgent. Parishes had many small communities that the missionaries could not visit frequently, and we had to assist them. One of our tasks was theological training with laypeople, functioning as a form of social work— ‘Schools of pastoral theology’ on the Bible, liturgy, and more. We also engaged in missionary work at a hospital with palliative care patients. Once again, it was very profound, accompanying individuals nearing the end of their lives while also supporting their families in their pain. These experiences illustrate that being a missionary is genuinely worthwhile.

I believe that laypeople should also have these experiences. In the parish in Paraguay, the example set by laypeople was incredibly important to me. They can reach places where a religious person might not be able to go, doing missions in their environment, wherever they are. For instance, in my neighbourhood, I was genuinely inspired by some ladies who dedicated themselves to praying the holy rosary.

In El Salvador, I had another experience at a recovery centre, ‘Casa de Recuperación la Esperanza’ (See the April 2023 issue of Madre y Maestra). It was again fascinating, and I felt that the Lord was speaking to me through them. I realised that my personal life was closely linked to theirs. I hadn’t understood until then that I, too, was affected by the experience of addiction. I didn’t comprehend why I initially held so many prejudices against them, but I felt a connection that was as necessary for me as for them. They were a great help to me; I had never acknowledged that this problem existed in my family. My father died an alcoholic. In each session, I felt a sense of identification; I connected with them and became much more involved.

I spent a few months in Honduras, which were filled with fantastic experiences. It was a perfect lead-up to taking my final vows in 2022.

The doubt. Before I took my final vows, I went through a period of questioning— a year during which I didn’t perceive the meaning of everything I was experiencing so clearly. In one of the sessions at the recovery house, Fr. Marvin shared my struggles with others, and they promptly told me what had helped them and how it had revealed the Love of God to them. That became the definitive factor in my decision to move forward. They helped me realise that despite my history of pain due to my father’s addiction, I was conveying to them what truly inspired me to become a Missionary of the Sacred Heart. I aimed to bring the Love of God everywhere, that same love that healed and rescued me. Suddenly, everything made sense again.

I would also like to highlight the support of Fr Paco, MSC, and, above all, the testimony of Brother Paulino from Spain, who began by selling soups to attract the alcoholics wandering the streets so they could start their healing process at the recovery centre. It was a testimony that truly inspired me.

Before returning to Paraguay, I spent a few months in Honduras, which were filled with fantastic experiences. It was a perfect lead-up to taking my final vows in 2022.

Missionary pride. Now, I live the mission in my home community as a ‘different kind of Christian,’ thanks to God’s love and experience in my life and vocation. With many challenges, I contribute all my growth as an MSC in the place where I have developed as a person. I hope to provide a good testimony as a young MSC so that other young people may also dare to take a step toward becoming missionaries, not for me, but for Christ. I want my community to see me as a witness, bearing testimony as a Missionary of the Sacred Heart. Although I have just been ordained as a deacon, I want to contribute as an MSC to the ministry that God has given me through pure grace and love; I highly value being a missionary. I enjoy being an MSC missionary. In this new stage I am beginning, I hold on to a phrase I want to take with me in life. My last and dearly beloved trainer, Fr. Marvin, told me before I left Central America: ‘Cristhian, be happy and make the poor happy.’

Cristhian Mancuello, MSC