Category Archives: Apr 2018

The Ministry of the Poor (MOP) from the Church of the Holy Family (HFK) organised a memorial prayer service on Saturday, March 24 for the souls of all the priests (some of whom were former parish priests of HFK) buried in Kajang Catholic Cemetery.

There are currently 10 priests laid to rest in the Kajang Catholic Cemetery, namely: Frs Philip So (former parish priest), Leo Chang (former parish priest), Anthony Chan (former parish priest), Leonard John, Andrew Volle, Antoine Henriot (former parish priest and founder of MOP), Philips Muthu, Peter Kim SJ, Msgr Anthony Thomas and Edward Soosay.

The event kicked off with the members of MOP attending the 7.00am Mass (which was offered specifically for the departed souls of the priests) celebrated by parish priest Fr Surain Durai Raj and visiting Myanmar priest Fr Robert. Thereafter, the members as well as parishioners adjourned for a small fellowship before going to the cemetery for the memorial prayer service.

This is an annual Lenten project initiated in 2017. This is the second consecutive year that the prayer service is being held.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

The faithful from all walks of life thronged St Joseph’s Cathedral Miri on March 21 for the Chrism Mass, where they witnessed the renewal of priestly vows by their beloved priests and bishop, as well as the consecration of the three Holy Oils.

Bishop Richard Ng, in his homily, stressed the importance of sharing in the vision of the Holy Father, Pope Francis. He shared his encounter with the Holy Father on February 8 during the Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei Bishops’ Conference’s Ad Limina visit.

According to Bishop Ng, the Pope came across as a very humble and kindhearted man who is concerned for the people.

He cited how, at one point during the meeting, the Pope got up and poured a glass of water for his translator. Stating that the Pope practices what he preaches, the Bishop Ng believes that he himself and the priests should emulate the Holy Father who is a pope for the people, that is, he has the good of the people in his heart. Thus, for Bishop Richard, a priest is one who is out there with the people, concerned for the welfare of the people and not afraid to sacrifice himself for the good of the people. The Bishop asked the priests to embrace the vision of Pope Francis, a vision that includes every single person, especially those who are in the margins of society, those who are suffering, those who have no homes of their own, those who are sick and dying. According to him, these are the people that we should have the greatest concern for.

Addressing the faithful, Bishop Ng pointed out that they, being the people of God, should also live this vision of Pope Francis. “Pray that our communities, our churches, our parishes will be filled with people who share the vision, faith and compassion of Pope Francis, especially in ministering to the poor and suffering. Pray for our priests, pray for more vocations, that our young people will have the courage and generosity to share in the vision of Pope Francis.”

After the homily, the priests of the diocese renewed their vows before the Bishop. This was followed by the blessing of the Oil of the Sick and the Oil of Catechumens, as well as the consecration of the Oil of Chrism. At the end of the Mass, the holy oils were distributed to the parish priests to bring back to their respective parishes.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

SANDAKAN – St Mary’s Cathedral here hosted the monthly pastors fellowship on 4 Apr 2018.

The objective of the fellowship is to promote ecumenical unity among pastors of the different denominations in Sandakan.

In his welcoming speech, Father David Garaman welcomed the members and expressed his hope that through the gathering the members can empower one another, pray for each other, and especially for the coming 14th General Elections.

The gathering began with breakfast followed by praise and worship led by the BM CCR.

Members were divided into groups for sharing on their respective Easter Celebration and experience. The fellowship ended with intercessory prayer led by Archdeacon Yong of St Michael’s Anglican Church.

The next gathering will be hosted by the Methodist Church.

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) of Holy Trinity Church here along with SSVP (St Vincent De Paul Society) and the Human Development Team (PHDC) made a joint outreach to some marginalised families in Bukit Gemuk, an isolated area in Tawau, on 18 Mar 2018.

This annual event was initiated by the CCR team. SSVP and PHDC have participated in this Lenten event since 2016.

The groups provided 30 boxes of mineral waters and 30 boxes of groceries containing food for daily use and toiletries. There were also goody-packs for the children of the 30 families. The programme is for all needy people regardless of race, background and religious beliefs.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

Sandakan – Sandakan Pastors Fellowship monthly gathering was held on April 4^th, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Sandakan. This monthly gathering is to promote unity and strengthen bond among Christian Pastors and Ministers in Sandakan.

The Parish Priest, Fr. David A. Garaman expressed his gratitude and welcomed all members for the gathering. The session started with breakfast followed by praise and worship assisted by BM CCR.

The host cum Parish Priest, in his welcoming speech, hoped and encouraged members that through the gathering members can empower one another, pray for each other and especially for the coming 14th General Election.

Members were divided into groups for group sharing on their respective Easter Celebration and experience. The fellowship ends with intercessory prayer led by Archdeacon Yong from St. Michael’s Anglican Church.

At the end of the session Fr. David thanked the members and hope to see all again in the next gathering at the Methodist Church.

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese Diocese of Sandakan

Sandakan: St. Mary’s Cathedral marked the beginning of the Holy Week with the celebration of Palm Sunday at the Saturday Sunset mass, 24th March 2018. The same mass will also be celebrated on the following Sunday morning.

The parishioners assembled at the front porch of the parish hall where the palm branches were blessed by the celebrant, Rev. Fr. Christopher followed by a procession to the main entrance of the Cathedral.

Fr. Christopher in his homily, shared the Gospel reading where Peter, the disciple of Jesus, would deny Him twice before the cock crows three times. After listening to what Jesus says to him, Peter replied that he will not act so.

The prelate called upon all to reflect on our sins and the times our faith lapsed. Despite all that, God’s love which is greater than our sins, restored us through his passion and death on the cross.

Fr. Christopher concludes his homily by reminding that the church is a gift granted to us. Jesus will never turn away anyone who repents because we are the children of God.

Palm Sunday Celebration in BM

Palm Sunday Celebration in Bahasa Malaysia was presided over by His Lordship Bishop Julius Dusin Gitom at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sandakan on Sunday, 25th March 2018. It also commemorates the World Youth Day (WYD), with the youth of St Mary’s who actively participated during the Eucharistic mass as Choir, readers and wardens.

Palm Sunday in BM at St Mark’s Church, celebrated by Rev. Fr. Christopher on Sunday, 25th March 2018  

“The church is the body of Jesus. If we criticize the church in a wrong way then we also criticize Jesus. We are churches. If we realize we are the church, and so we admit we are the children of God”. Fr. Christopher Ireneus.

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese Diocese of Sandakan

TAWAU – Fourteen children from the English and Bahasa Malaysia Children Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) of Holy Trinity Church here, accompanied by their facilitators, went to St Jude Semporna on 11 March 2018 for their 4th annual Lenten Visit.

Franciscan Sister Mary Martha Jonik, the spiritual adviser, was pleased  to accompany the group as a sign of support and encouragement.

Michael, the PPC chairman of St Jude together with Maria, the Sunday School animator, with 50 other members, comprising teachers, children and youth, were on hand to warmly welcome the team from Holy Trinity.

After the opening prayer by Sr Martha, the two groups introduced themselves.  The sister then gave a session on the meaning and observance of Lent.

This was followed by a time of singing and games.

The visitors then distributed some goody bags to the St Jude children while St Jude prepared some refreshments.

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

PHOENIX, Ariz – An upcoming online workshop hosted by the Catholic women’s ministry Blessed Is She will be discussing the topic of infertility and miscarriage.

The workshop, “Love and Longing: A Conversation on Infertility and Miscarriage,” will be led by Katie Waldow, a wife, youth minister, and blogger, and Molly Walter, a Catholic convert, wife, and mother.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2015, over 12 percent of US women ages 15-44 struggle with infertility and more than 7 million of the same age group have sought infertility services.

Additionally, around 15-20 percent of all pregnancies within the US end in a miscarriage, according to the US National Library of Medicine.

The upcoming class on miscarriage and infertility is free for Blessed Is She members and $15.00 for non-members. It will take place the evening of 5 April 2018.

Blessed Is She is a Catholic ministry founded by Jenna Guizar in the Diocese of Phoenix and which has been endorsed by Bishop Thomas Olmsted. The ministry is focused on building community for women while also “deepening a life of prayer starting with daily Scripture devotionals and supportive sisterhood,” according to their mission statement.

Blessed Is She also offers daily devotionals, merchandise, a blog, and various workshops, resources and retreats. – CNA/EWTN News, 2 Apr 2018

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

TAWAU – The Family Life Ministry of Holy Trinity Parish here held a one-day seminar for eight young couples on 17 Mar 2018 at the church basement room.

The couples have been married from five to seven years.

The course based on Pope Francis’ Amoris Laetitia (Joy of Love) was conducted in Bahasa Malaysia.

The seminar aimed to make couples more aware of the current challenges affecting family life and to strengthen their marriage bond so that they can manage their marriage with courage and confidence.

The inputs were divided into awareness and formation sessions.

The awareness session touched on family and current issues affecting the family: internet, individualism, and communication (AL chapter 2) while the formation session dealt with parenting, children’s education, love and forgiveness (AL chapter 4), and marriage spirituality (chapter 9)

The awareness session was jointly facilitated by Francis Clement and Petrus Bernadus. Both sessions began with group discussion / sharing on their real challenges experienced during their marriage.

Some pointers touched on addiction, misunderstanding, isolation, suspicion, hidden relationship, health issues, communication, poor parenting and safety.

Part 2 of the Awareness Session was presented by Petrus Bernadus on the culture of individualism.

Marriage is built from two people and not as an individual. The presence of their children will make the home more alive and meaningful.

Pointers gathered from real life experiences caused by individualism in the family include the hardening of hearts, detachment, stress and hurt, dominance, pride, insecurity and poor communication.

The Formation Sessions were handled by Franciscan Sister Julita Joseph (marriage spirituality), Mario Domingo (love and forgiveness in marriage), and Julita Kantod (parenting).

The following were the gist of the sessions;

• love in the marriage conquers every imperfection that may arise in the family
• Christ-centred family will not be easily shaken by the outside world when it is strengthened by the power of Christ’s light
• parenting is an opportunity to raise up God’s children according to God’s plan and that is to help the children encounter Christ.

In winding up the seminar, Kantod, chairperson of the Family Life Ministry, encouraged the participants to learn and observe how other senior couples live their married life, not to be ashamed to seek for advice, guidance or support from them in order to sustain their marriages.

The Seminar ended with a prayer for the family.

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

Happy Easter!

Whenever we say this greeting to someone or a group of people, are we really convinced that Jesus is alive, present and with us?

Easter is not merely a recollection of what Jesus had gone through — his suffering, death and resurrection — it is an opportunity for us to renew and affirm our confidence in God’s constant love which has saved us from the power of sin.

For the Apostles and the disciples of Jesus who met Him after His resurrection from death, the experience of joy rejuvenated their lives. Before the resurrection, they were afraid but the encounter with the Risen Jesus made them joyful and they fearlessly spoke about Jesus everywhere and in whatever the situation. It was because of their confidence and faith in the risen Jesus that the apostles and disciples could live a life marked by love, community, and witnessing (Acts.2: 42-47; 4: 32-36).

As disciples and followers of Jesus in the present time, how can we live a lifestyle that reflects love (John 13:35), community and witnessing? In my reflection on the celebration of Easter, I remember Jesus’ Prayer to God the Father at the Last Supper. Jesus prayed for three important areas of life for His followers and disciples before He left them. I believe that this is Jesus’ desire for us which we need to use as our guide in our daily lives.

The first thing Jesus prayed for was the unity between us, which is like his union with the Father so that the world would believe that He is the messenger of the Father (John 17: 11,21,23). But the spirit of unity will not be upon us if we do not have a personal union with Jesus. The willingness and desire to unite can only grow from our union with Jesus (John 15: 4-5). He is the only source of our unity and faithfulness in our families and communities.

The second thing Jesus prayed for was that His disciples be protected from evil (John 17:15). We are fully aware that in our desire to follow and live faithfully to Jesus and His words we are constantly experiencing temporal and misleading pleasures such as taking drugs, watching pornographic images and drinking alcohol excessively. There are times when we fall into the devil’s trap. It is not enough that we are baptised, ordained to the Priesthood, living a vow in marriage or religious life. We need to build a consistent relationship with Jesus, our source of strength and wisdom. We need to be on constant guard, so that we do not become a victim of sin and be deceived by the evil one, (John 8:44).

The third thing Jesus prayed for us was that we should live in holiness by His word (Jn.17: 17). We will live in holiness if we believe and are faithful to Jesus, the Word of God who becomes human and lives among us (John 1:14).

The important thing in our daily journey of faith is our unity with the Risen Jesus. We need to learn from the experiences of the two followers of Jesus who, on their journey to Emmaus, learnt to know and experience the Risen Jesus through the Word of God, the breaking of the bread and the Community life (Luke 24: 13-36). Let us use these channels to get to know, love and serve the Risen Jesus in our daily lives.

May we continue to be enlightened by the presence and wisdom of the Risen Jesus, so that we live in unity, faithfulness and holiness. The lifestyle which Jesus prayed for us is paramount, so that the world would believe that Jesus is the saviour, the messenger of God the Father (John 17:21).

Happy Easter!

+ Rt Rev Datuk Cornelius Piong 
Bishop of Keningau

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online