Author Archives: Ken Wong

A total of 157 children from five orphanages, together with children of BEC St John the Baptist, under the purview of the Church of St Francis of Assis, were treated to a movie screening of Spiderman at the Amerin Mall in Balakong.

The event was graced by the presence of YB Dr Ong Kian Ming, Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI).

Ketua Komuniti India Selangor Dun Balakong, Christie Louis Francis, together with the BEC of St John the Baptist, managed to raise funds from generous sponsors and well wishers alike to make it a successful event.

The movie screening was followed by a simple Hi-Tea that saw Santa Claus arriving with presents for all 157 children. School bags and stationeries were also added into the gift bags of those who would be attending school. An annual effort of the BEC since 2011, two or three orphanages are invited to a yearly Christmas party.

This year, children from five orphanages were invited to join in the Christmas movie screening sponsored by a well wisher.

The organising team from the BEC, comprising the senior members mostly, started the preparation months ahead. Each gift was carefully planned according to age, wrapped, labelled and transported to the event venue. Every year, the members of the BEC tirelessly look forward to organising a memorable Christmas event that spreads the spirit of giving, including their carolling session.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

PETALING JAYA: A wedding in Sarawak recently saw the concept of unity in diversity come to life in a church wedding with Muslim bridesmaids.

Pictures of the wedding on Dec 29 saw Sarawakian couple Sylvester Voon and Esther Joseph Kim getting married at St Joseph’s Cathedral in Kuching, Sarawak.

Kim had six Muslim bridesmaids who wore dark red baju kurung and pink hijab.

Wedding photographer Ariffin Husain, who took the photos at the cathedral and a nearby courthouse, said on his Facebook page that it was “the most unique wedding in 2018”.

“You won’t get to see this everyday… It’s a church wedding, but all the bridesmaids are Muslims (sic).

“Berhijab lagi…memang sangat rare… (wearing headscarves, it is very rare),” he wrote.

Ariffin added that while Kim is from Sarawak, most of the bridesmaids are from the peninsula.

“This is what we call 1Malaysia… even though they are different in race and religion, this did not stop these good friends from celebrating one of the happiest days of their friend,” he wrote.

He said it was very rare and sweet to see friends from various races respecting each other, expressing hope to see more multi-cultural ceremonies in the near future.

Ariffin told The Star that while he has been in this line of work since 2012, this wedding is the most special and beautiful for him.

“I hope that with the racial issues which happened lately, we can learn to put aside our differences, embrace each other with open arms and live together in harmony,” he added.

His post received over 800 likes and shared over 250 times at the time of writing.

Many congratulated the couple and liked the photographs taken by Ariffin.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KOTA KINABALU: A one-day Photojournalism workshop, was held at Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish Hall on Saturday, December 15, 2018. It was organised by the Social Communication Commission (SOCCOM) of the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu.

The speakers, Eddie Angat and Ruben Sario, have extensive knowledge, gleaned from more than twenty years working experience as photographers and journalists formerly attached to New Sabah Times and The Star respectively.

This workshop had 18 participants from the Social Communications Minsitry (SOCCOM) members from various parishes in the Archdiocese.

They were taught the right skills to take photographs using smart phones, as well as editing and putting captions to the pictures taken. Most of them are regular contributors of articles and news for Catholic Sabah.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese

Date    : Thursday, January 17, 2019
Time    : 8.00pm
Venue   : Luther LEAD Centre,7, Jalan Duta Kiara, Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur

This will be the fourth year that different churches will be coming together to pray for Christian unity. The first in 2016 was hosted by St John’s Cathedral and in 2017 it was by St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and for 2018 by Wesley Methodist Church.

Many who attended were encouraged by the simple service and saw the intentionality of the hearts of Church leaders like archbishops, bishops, pastors and elders, and representatives from Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) and National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) Malaysia making time to participate and pray together for the unity of Christ’s Body which is so important in the heart of KL City and Selangor for such a time as this.

His Grace Most Reverend Julian Leow is encouraging the clergy, religious and lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur to attend this joint prayer service in union with our Christian brothers and sisters.

All registration is to be done via the respective parish offices and the names of the attendees are to be forwarded to Ms Ann Francis via email: archbishop@archkl.org latest by Tuesday, January 15.

Parishes can also use this opportunity of the Christian Unity Week to initiate any one of the four dimensions of the Missionary Call as emphasised by Pope Francis during this Extraordinary Missionary Year.

Malacca Johore Diocese

Date   : Thursday, January 24, 2019
Time   : 8.00pm
Venue : Church of the Immaculate Conception,9, Jalan Gereja, Johor Bahru

Miri Diocese

Date   : Monday, January 20, 2019
Time   : 7.30pm
Venue : Church of St Dominic and the Rosary, Mi

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

BEC Kg Lapan members conducted two outreach visits in December. The members contributed for these two outreach projects.

On December 17, 2018, eight members of the BEC visited Adeline (a former BEC member) and the residents at the Home in Bukit Baru. There are two houses, one for the male residents and the other for the female residents. Together there are thirty residents. We had made prior arrangements with the caretakers to bring packed food — chicken rice balls and drinks, for lunch.

On arrival, we sang a few Christmas carols at both houses and distributed the food and drinks and had our lunch with them. We were touched when one male resident became very cheerful after we sang the Christmas carols and remarked “when we are happy! Happy! …time can pass fast”. In both houses, the TV is on most of the time. Some residents were watching TV while others who were less mobile sat on their beds.

Two days later, on December 19, thirteen members went to the IJ Sisters’ home at Taman Bakti. Some of the sisters previously attended our BEC gatherings when they were staying in Gajah Berang. We brought chicken rice balls. One of the BEC members had cooked vegetables and soup, while another baked a chocolate cake.

The BEC gave the Sisters an ‘angpow’ for Christmas. We had a lively and joyful time as we sang Christmas carols together with the Sisters. All of us admired the crib which was the creative work of Sr Stephenie, made from natural materials collected from the surrounding taman.

We were especially happy to meet up with Sr Felix and Sr Clara They were also happy to see us.

In addition, the BEC also gave an ‘angpow’ to a single mother with three children for Christmas.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

SANDAKAN: St Mary’s Cathedral Parish held its Second Parish Pastoral Assembly (PPA) on Saturday, December 15, 2018 at the Parish Centre with some 80 attendees. The attendees comprised the clergy, religious, the Parish Pastoral Council, the Finance and Development Committee and leaders of all existing ministries / communities / groups.

The one-day PPA, themed Christ-centred community, serving one another with love is a platform aimed at

— Fostering unity among church leaders
— Promoting a spirit of collaboration
— Disseminating updated information on the progress / development of the church
— Receiving feedback from members

The Assembly proper commenced with the Enthronement of the Bible and the proclamation of the word taken from the Letter of St Paul to the Ephesians 4:1–16. This was followed by a silent reflection and an Opening Prayer led by Fr Christopher Ireneus, the assistant rector.

In his keynote address, Fr David A. Garaman, the rector of the Cathedral Parish, urged members to be models for the implementation of the Parish Pastoral Plan based on the Vision statement and the six Mission goals. Each member has a place in the church to work in close collaboration to chart the journey in building the dream church that the members desired.

He called on members to play a more active role in mission work and to renew their missionary zeal as Pope Francis has declared that the Extraordinary Mission Month would be celebrated in October 2019. The Universal Church will be gearing up effort to focus on the call to mission. Thus, documents on mission would be the added resources for the implementation of the Parish Pastoral Plan.

He reiterated that as we move forward to fulfil that desired Christcentred community, we need to lend support to one another. He cited 1 Corinthians 12:12 on Unity and Diversity in the Body: ‘Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.’

The spiritual input on Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ was conducted by Fr Christopher. The session touched on

(a) Call for Unity,
(b) Basis for Unity
(c) God helps us keep unity and
(d) Results of unity.

Each point was clearly elaborated by Fr Christopher.

Members were assigned to five groups to discuss ways to strengthen unity and peace, causes that divide the church, when church unity is threatened, what does this say to you and what unifies us as the Body of Christ.

Pilis Malim, the PPC Chairman reported on the previous PPA resolution and pastoral matters for the year. Michael Ibau shared on the physical development and the future commitment of the parish which includes the renovation and extension of St Joseph’s Church. Elaine Lim, the treasurer of the Parish Finance Committee (PFC) presented the financial statement while Isaac Pang, the Chairman of PFC touched on guidelines for budgeting and the request for funds. He then reintroduced the Envelope Pledge System (EPS) with the hope of improving the parish account.

The one-hour slot to respond to written questions and proposals was very interactive. Most of the questions were on pastoral issues, a clear indicator that the church is moving in the right direction.

In wrapping up, Fr David extended his appreciation to all who attended the event. He assured that every proposal would be attended to and given due attention and consideration. He hoped that the event would enhance unity in the church and together as a community, commit to continue the mission of Christ. — By Francis Tan

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

The Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor has sent a Message for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity to all brothers, sisters and friends of the Franciscan Family. In his letter, he wrote: Justice and only justice you shall pursue (Dt 16:20) is the theme that the Christian Communities of Indonesia have chosen for this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

It is a theme that is both honest and urgent. It is honest because, as the drafting committee stated in its letter introducing it, “Every year Christians across the world gather in prayer for growth in unity. We do this in a world where corruption, greed and injustice bring about inequality and division. Ours is a united prayer in a fractured world.” Indeed, our prayerful unity is “powerful.”

It is here that the urgency of this year’s theme confronts us. For whenever we open our eyes to the injustices that surround us – and also infect us since we, too, are sinners who groan for the full measure of God’s Reign in our world (cf. Rm 8: 19-21) – we cannot but hear the Lord calling us to follow in His footsteps and, together, continue His mission of bringing the Good News of God’s healing love to all His suffering children. As our sisters and brothers in Indonesia went on to state, “Christian communities in such an environment become newly aware of their unity as they join in a common concern and a common response to an unjust reality.”

At the same time, confronted by these injustices, we are obliged, as Christians, to examine the ways in which we are complicit. Only by heeding Jesus’s prayer ‘that they all may be one’ can we witness to living unity in diversity. It is through our unity in Christ that we will be able to combat injustice and serve the needs of its victims.

We do not have to look very far to see examples of such unity-in-action in our world. In fact, many of us are already engaged in it with sisters and brothers of other Christian communities, as together we confront the injustices of human trafficking in Asia, rare-earth strip-mining in Africa, deforestation in Latin America, systemic racism in North America, and the victimisation of refugees by resurgent nationalist ideologues in Europe.

Of course, we do not engage in the pursuit of justice as strangers to sin, for to make such a claim is to make a liar of our Lord (cf. 1 Jn 1:10). We do so as people who give freely what our Lord Himself has given freely to us (cf. Mt 10:8): the gifts of compassion and mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation, and the gift of our very selves poured out that others may know, in the very fabric of their lives, the full measure of God’s love for them.

Note:
The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches have prepared resources in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish:

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity takes place from January 18-25, 2019 on the theme Justice and justice only you shall pursue (Deut 16:18-20).

A number of events to mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity are taking place this week in parishes and dioceses in many countries.

The Resources for this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity were produced by Christians from Indonesia, the largest country in South East Asia, made up of more than 17,000 islands, 1,340 different ethnic groups and over 740 local languages, united by one national language Bahasa Indonesia.

With some 86 per cent of its 260 million people estimated to be Muslim, it has the largest Islamic population of any country. About 10 per cent of Indonesians are Christian. Indonesians have lived by the principle of gotong royong which is to live in ‘solidarity and by collaboration’, regarding all Indonesians as brothers and sisters.

The Christians of Indonesia found that the words of Deuteronomy, Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue… (see Deut. 16:18-20) spoke powerfully to their situation.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

IPOH: Peace was the focus of prayers during New Year’s Eve Mass at St Michael’s Church. Despite the heavy rain before the Mass, many had turned up to usher in the New Year and to pray for peace in Malaysia, peace in the world and peace in their families.

This was also one of the intentions in the intercessory prayers, where the people also prayed for the country’s political leaders.

The need for peace was highlighted in the homily by Fr Robin Andrews, who celebrated Mass on New Year’s Eve. SMC parish priest Fr Anthony Liew concelebrated. Fr Robin, who is SMC’s priest in residence, said this prayer for peace coincided with the 52nd World Day of Peace, 2019.

It reminds us of the fundamental need of every human being – peace. The peace the people pray for is the peace of God given to man by Jesus at his birth. This is the same peace experienced first by the shepherds who came to worship Jesus at his birth. The peace of God cannot disappoint, and is meant for all peoples, not just those of goodwill.

Pope Francis said the world will not have peace without mutual trust of each other, and we pray that the world will have peace founded on justice, truth, freedom and love. The Church also prays for the protection of Mary, Mother of God who we honour on New Year’s Day.

“Mary was given the great honour of being the Mother of God. The person she conceived is the Son of God. “Her chief characteristic is her union with Jesus, and her deep faith kept her close to God. At the Annunciation, she accepted God’s will to be the mother of Jesus.

At the Visitation, she carried God within her to Elizabeth. She gave birth to Jesus, and at Cana, witnessed his first miracle. She was with him when he died on the cross. “At the beginning of this new year, let us ask her to help us face 2019 with courage. We thank God for giving us Mary who is our hope,” he said. Fr Robin then wished the people a Happy and Holy New Year, along with SMC parish priest, Fr Anthony Liew.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

On the eve of 2019, the community of the Church of St John Britto (City Parish) be-gan a year-long journey to commemorate and celebrate its 50th anniversary.

The New Year’s Eve Mass on December 31 was celebrated by parish priest Msgr Aloysius Tan, and concelebrated with assistant parish priest Fr Maiccal Sinnappan.

After the post-communion prayer, the launch began with a modern Indian dance which led to the unveiling of the streamer by Msgr Tan and Fr Maiccal.

The parishioners responded with thunderous applause and cheers, a positive sign that they were geared up to make the Golden Jubilee year a memorable occasion.

“The number fifty is a biblical one, and 50 years is a milestone, therefore we should prepare our-selves to make this a special year,” Msgr Tan said.

He informed the congregation that a Day of Recollection would be held on January 20 to help parishioners prepare spiritually for a meaningful feast day celebration.

The highlight will be a Triduum from January 31 to February 2, leading to the feastday celebra-tion on February 3 which carries the theme Baptised and Sent… Our Mission Continues.

Fr Kulanthai Selvan from the Claretian Missionary of India will be the preacher for the triduum Masses, while the Feastday Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Sebastian Francis.

Msgr Tan also announced that the “50 Missionary Works” campaign will be held in conjunction with the SJB
Feast Day and the Extraordinary Missionary Year 2019, and it will be opened to all the churches of City Parish.

“I encourage all parishioners to be missionaries, to help the less fortunate, such as offering services to a soup kitchen and conducting outreach programmes,” he said.

He mentioned that the parish will look into publishing a souvenir magazine to highlight the history and life of the community in SJB Church.

Msgr Tan hopes that the community will come forward and make a personal contribution in order to add meaning to this celebration of great significance.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online