OUR HISTORY AND ETHOS
missionaries of the sacred heart (msc)
Downlands College is owned and conducted by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC), alongside a committed group of teachers and support staff. The College was opened in 1931 as a boarding school for boys with a total enrolment of 68. Today, it is fully co-educational, with more than 900 day and boarding students from all parts of Queensland and beyond.
Jules Chevalier had a vision of a new world emerging, and he wanted to make known the Gospel message of God’s love and care for all men and women and to evoke a response in every human heart. He especially valued love, concern, compassion, understanding, respect and acceptance of every individual. His vision was based on the words of Jesus, “I give you a new commandment, love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.” [John 13:34 ff]
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) believe that nothing is more important than the saving power of God’s love. The MSC believes if people come to experience the love, gentleness, kindness and compassion of God, then they will have hope, meaning and purpose in their lives.
The initials MSC come from the Latin: Missionarii Sacratissimi Cordis. The Priests and Brothers of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are known as MSC (from the Latin, Missionarii Sacratissimi Cordis).
MSC Ethos at Downlands
Father Vince Carroll MSC was appointed as the MSC presence and College Priest at Downlands in January 2019.
Fr Vince hails from Taroom and was a boarder at Downlands (1953-56). He returned to the College as a teacher of Geography and Religious Education (1976-82) and as College Chaplain in 1993. More recently, Fr Vince worked in the MSC Mission in Ofcolaco South Africa. We are truly blessed to have Fr Vince amongst us at Downlands.
Ms Andrea Collins, Assistant Principal – Mission, has been charged with maintaining the strong MSC presence at the College. Our commitment to the education of the heart envelops everything we do at Downlands.
Sacramental Program
In 2019, Downlands introduced a Sacramental Program for students in the Junior School. The program has involved preparation for Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Eucharist.
A program such as this fulfils and reflects our call to live as family and as community. As a community of believers, we aim to build on our faith formation through the Sacraments. The Sacraments are the platform for our conviction that God is ever-present; we experience God all the time through the people around us, in nature and through the ‘ordinary’ in life – in everyday things, events and places.
Our Sacramental Program began with Reconciliation in Term 1. This was followed by sessions in preparation for Confirmation; nine students celebrated this sacrament on the evening of Wednesday, 22 May, with Bishop Robert McGuckin presiding. Finally, students will receive First Eucharist in the Downlands Chapel on 23 June, with Fr Vince Carroll presiding.
Our Junior School Sacramental Program has been a very exciting initiative for Downlands and has provided us with another opportunity to build on the faith journey of our young students, as well as bring community together.
