Category Archives: Aug 2017

BUNDU TUHAN – Over 25 participants attended the inaugural BM training courses f0r catechists at the Bundu Tuhan Retreat Centre here in June 2017.

Twenty-nine catechists attended Level 1 (June 12-July 7) while 27 enrolled in Level 2 (July 9-21).

The two courses were organised jointly by the Archdiocesan Catechetical Commission and the Persatuan Katekis (PEKA).

Previous courses were conducted in English under the late Jesuit Father Peter Kim in the 1990s.

Father Nicholas Stephen, spiritual adviser of the commission, officially launched the course in the stead of Archbishop John Wong.

Franciscan Sister Dariah Ajap said the training programme was held because there is a felt need to have trained and well-equipped catechists in the archdiocese, not only to preside at services in the absence of a priest but also to be prayer leaders on various occasions.

To address the need, Abp Wong tasked the Catechetical Commission to organise and facilitate the training, with the involvement of priests, religious and lay leaders as speakers.

Topics covered during the course include Scriptures, Church and her documents, Prayer and Worship/Liturgy, Catechetics, Leadership, Spirituality and Vocation of Catechists, Missiology,  and practicum in the chapel outstations.

Level 3 has been scheduled for Sept 8-24 at the same venue for those who have taken Levels 1 and 2 and for those who are parish catechists.

At the end of the course, Abp Wong presented the certificates of attendance to the participants.

At the closing Mass, the archbishop reminded the participants to constantly read the Word of God, receive the Sacraments frequently, obey the commandments always, and to preach the Good News to all through their life witness.

The Jul 21 closing event was also an opportunity for the attendees to witness the launching of  Father Bruno Yasun’s “Pengenalan Alkitab” (Introduction to the Bible)  by the archbishop. The book is available for sale now.

All catechists who have attended the course will continue their services in their respective parishes. For the newly trained catechists, their parish priests will be the ones to give them their  assignments. – catecomkk

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

The next Asian Youth Day will take place in India in 2020, the second time the South Asian nation will be hosting the continental-level Catholic Church event since 2003, the Vatican Radio announced on 7 Aug 2017.

Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias made the announcement on Aug 6 at the end of the concluding Mass of the 7th Asian Youth Day (AYD7), which he presided over in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

The venue of the AYD8 will be discussed and decided upon by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI).

Among those who flanked Card Gracias, the main celebrant, at the altar were Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila and Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo of Jakarta, who delivered the homily in Bahasa Indonesia.

“We do realise our differences: We are of different nationalities, different languages, different cultures, and so on,” noted the archbishop who is president of Indonesia’s bishops’ conference (KWI).  “However, in this event, we do realise and experience that those differences cannot separate us, but the differences show the richness of the united humanity instead. It proves that the power of faith, hope and love unites us.”

Abp Suharyo wished that the AYD7 help the young people to “diligently and faithfully live out the Gospel so that we may be filled with the joy of the Gospel.”

Thus, he added,  “our life could mirror the glory of the Lord, which changes our lives.”

The Asian Youth Day in Indonesia, on the theme, “Joyful Asian Youth! Living The Gospel in Multicultural Asia,” was divided into three phases.

It began with over 2000 participants  from 21 Asian countries living with local families in the country’s 11 dioceses, July 30-August 2.  The delegates then converged in Yogyakarta, Indonesia’s cultural and intellectual heartland, for the main event, Aug 2-6, which concluded on Sunday with a Mass, marked by a rich display of cultural diversity that both Indonesia and Asia are famous for.

This was evident in the flags, including of the Vatican, traditional and ethnic costumes, decoration, singing, music, and dancing accompanied by traditional musical and percussion instruments, both during and after the final Mass.

While the young people headed back home, the youth animators and ministers remained behind for the final phase of the AYD7 – the Asian Youth Ministers’ Meeting (AYMM) in Yogyakarta, Aug 6-9.

The AYD featured talks and workshops on aimed at building mutual respect in Asia’s diverse, multicultural population, caring for the environment and learning how to be missionaries in a digital world.   As part of the multicultural aspect and in an effort to address growing fundamentalism in the area, the event hosted several encounters between Christian, Islamic and other religious leaders.

Among the participants in the AYD7 were 52 bishops, 6 cardinals, 158 priests and 41 men and women religious. Among Asia’s prominent Catholic leaders at the meet were Cardinal Gracias, the president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) and member of the Pope’s “C9” council of cardinal advisers, Bangladeshi Card Patrick D’Rozario of Dhaka, the chairman of FABC’s Office of Laity and Family, under which comes the Youth Desk that organises the AYDs in collaboration with the host bishops’ conference, and Card Tagle, the president of Caritas Internationalis, the federation of national Catholic charity organisations worldwide.

Among several Indonesian government authorities at the closing Mass were Vice President Muhammad Jusuf Kalla and Governor Sultan Hamengku Buwono X of Yogyakarta.

Held for the first time in Hua Hin, Thailand, in 1999, AYDs have been held in intervals of two, three ‎and five years.   Taipei, Taiwan hosted it in 2001, followed by Bangalore, India in 2003, Hong Kong in 2006,  Imus, the Philippines in 2009 and Daejeon, South Korea, in 2014, which Pope Francis attended. – Vatican Radio

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

BUKIT PADANG – The Friends of St John Vianney (FSJV) launched its website for the diocesan aspirants at its third thanksgiving dinner at the Putera Theatre Ballroom here on 5 Aug 2017.

The launch was officiated jointly by Archbishop John Wong, FSJV Adviser Father Wilfred Atin, Project Director Rayner Anjumal, and  FSJV officials.

The website – www. cdcaspirants.com – is to update news on activities and events of the aspirants.

Around 800 people turned up for the dinner including Archbishop Emeritus John Lee, Father Thomas Madanan, Father Mitchelly Kiun and some religious sisters.

In his speech, Anjumal explained how the website project came about while both Abp Wong and Fr Atin thanked all benefactors and friends for their spiritual and material help in the past year.

At the end of his speech, Fr Atin announced that the new director of the aspirants will be Father Joshua Liew who will assume the post next year.  However, Fr Liew was not present at the dinner because he was attending the 7th Asian Youth Day in Indonesia, being the spiritual adviser of the youth commission.

Formed in 2011 under Fr Atin, the FSJV is a group of people supporting the aspirants residing at the Catholic Archdiocesan Centre Penampang materially and spiritually.  It has also provided the teachers needed to help aspirants pass MUET so that they could proceed to the next stage of formation.

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

More than 150 young delegates from Cambodia, Malaysia, and five Indonesian dioceses have been assigned to 10 parishes of the Denpasar diocese in Bali on the first stage of the Asian Youth Day (AYD). This stage involved contact with families and other young people in the diocese in a sharing experience of faith and life. This first stage of the AYD is called “Days in the Diocese” and lasts from the day of arrival (July 29) until August 2.

The central part of Ayd will be held from August 2 to 6 in Yogyakarta, Semarang diocese, and will develop around the theme for this year’s edition: “Joyful Asia Youth, Living the Gospel in Multicultural Asia”.

This year’s theme underlines the need for young Asians to follow Christ amidst the immense variety of culture and situations that dominate Asia. In this, Indonesia is a model: a country of over 260 million people, the fourth in the world), largely Muslim (86.1%), who live with minorities of Protestant Christians (5.7%), Catholics ( 3%), Hindu (1.8%), Confucians and others.

Roselinah Francis, of the Diocese of Keningan (Malaysia), expresses her appreciation for “Days in the Diocese”: “They allow us to have first-hand experiences on the expression of people’s faith. I am happy to be here in Bali, where there is a Hindu majority. The faith of Catholics here in Denpasar is really touching. ” Roselinah is one of the youth leaders of her diocese. She also participated in the previous AYD edition in Seoul, which also saw the presence of Pope Francis.

About 100 Malaysian young people who arrived in Indonesia are in Denpasar and Palembang diocese.

Nhem Sophead, Phnom Penh, is an kindergarten teacher. Speaking to AsiaNews she says: “I feel good here in Bali, meeting Catholic friends and families and exchanging facts and experiences. All this was possible thanks to Ayd. ” “Living Ayd in a country like Indonesia, with an Islamic majority – she adds – gives pause for thought to Cambodians who live in a Buddhist majority nation.”

Gregorius Ambot, 33, of Ruteng (Indonesia) is “grateful for all these young people here in Bali who are doing their best to make us feel at home.”

In addition to living with families, the days will be marked by Mass, by sharing of faith, Bible readings, drama, and dances.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

YOGYAKARTA – Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, governor of Yogyakarta, played the othok-othok – a Javanese traditional musical instrument – to officially open the 7th Asian Youth Day on 2 Aug 2017.

This image was embedded with all the meaning of the Asian Youth Day, an event organised by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences which, for a week [30 July-6 Aug 2017] brought together young Catholics from twenty-two Asian nations on the streets of Yogyakarta, a town on the Indonesian island of Java.

The Sultan, the civil and religious leader of the Yogyakarta Province, offered his support to the Catholic gathering by granting the use of a large conference centre hosting the various events of the week free of charge: meetings, seminars, catechesis, theatre and music performances, prayer and reflection experiences, all of them centred on the subject of multiculturalism and harmony between different cultures and religions.

The focus of what is known as the “Asian WYD” – World Youth Day is the source of inspiration – is “Living the Gospel together in a multicultural Asia,” and no better country than Indonesia to host an event where the Catholic Church promotes the paradigm for coexistence among the faithful of different religions starting from the younger generations while this most populous Islamic country in the world is shaken by the turmoil of radical Islam which challenges tolerance and social harmony.

The Archbishop of Jakarta and President of the Indonesian bishops, Ignazio Suharyo, clearly spelt this out to Vatican Insider.

“Indonesia is a pluralist and multicultural country by nature, with over three thousand ethnic groups and eleven thousand local languages. Through its young people, the country can teach pluralistic and peaceful coexistence among men and religions to other Asian countries. Our young people provide an example of unity, embodying the “unity in diversity” which is the nation’s motto. But it is an approach that can and should be exported to all Asian contexts and beyond,” he said.

Yogyakarta, in particular, is considered a “micro-Indonesia” for its innate religious and cultural pluralism; it hosts over sixty state and private universities, colleges and academies; it welcomes young people from all over the nation who populate streets, bars, libraries, squares, temples and markets, which make “Yogya” (as it is widely known) a multicoloured oasis.

The city is in itself a special one; Yogyakarta is, in fact, the only Indonesian province still governed by a pre-colonial sultan who has led a sort of mini-theocracy since his father, a half-century ago, contributed to the struggle for independence from the Dutch and then agreed to be part of the Indonesian Republic.

Today, the sultan is the illuminated leader of a cheerful, pluralistic, open, fertile city of ideas and transcultural initiatives where citizens of all religions appreciate his work and never question the institutional exception of a hereditary ruler. The city, strong in a collective consciousness and open to the most diverse contributions, hosted the Asian Youth Day, which brought over two thousand young people from 22 countries, 52 bishops (including six cardinals) and 158 priests to Yogya.

In this particular context, the Asian WYD is characterised by a deep interreligious meaning: in the most populous Muslim country in the world, young Muslims take part in the scheduled events and are even involved in the organising committee. The Indonesian Government also provided financial and political support through the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

President Joko Widodo also counts on Christians (about 10% of the 250 million inhabitants, including 7.5 million Catholics compared to 85% Muslim inhabitants) to counter, in the name of the concept of civic duty, the return of Islamic extremism that is creating widespread concern.

The basis of civic coexistence, strongly reiterated by Widodo, is the “Pancasila,” a charter with five principles governing the social life of such a multifaceted nation which strengthen the national identity to help prevent balkanisation of the country.

The Pancasila, by outlining a democratic state where religion has a weight but is not the basis of a theocracy, provides shelter from the sirens of the Islamic State.

The caliphate set in motion a massive propaganda operation in southeast Asia, finding fertile ground in some Indonesian radical groups such as the Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, which, thanks to a recent measure approved by the executive, could be banned without going through the courts. – vaticaninsider

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

The 7th Asian Youth Day (AYD7) kicked off with a colourful concelebrated Mass on 2 Aug 2017 ‎in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in a colourful and festive show of unity around Christ and his Gospel ‎amidst the continent’s diverse cultures and peoples.

After four days of the preliminary ‘Days in the Dioceses’ (DID) live-in programme in 11 Indonesian ‎dioceses, July 30- August 2, the over 2000 young Catholics from 21 countries converged in Yogyakarta, the cultural ‎and intellectual heartland of Indonesia.  The 7th Asian Youth Day on the theme “Joyful Asian Youth! ‎Living the Gospel in Multicultural Asia,” will conclude on Aug 6. ‎

Youth participants had begun pouring in at Yogyakarta’s government facility, Jogja Expo Centre (JEC), ‎since early morning, August 2.  After lunch, the various national contingents began celebrating with ‎songs and performances and shared their DID experiences of living with local families in dioceses, in ‎preparation for the Eucharistic celebration.

The inaugural AYD7 Mass, that was streamed live by organisers, was presided over by Bangladeshi ‎Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario of Dhaka, chairman of the Office of Laity and Family of the Federation of ‎Asian Bishops’ Conferences, under which comes the Youth Desk that organises the AYD in ‎collaboration with the country’s bishops’ conference body and its youth commission.  Joining Card ‎D’Rozario at the altar were 52 bishops, including 6 cardinals and 158 priests.  Among the concelebrants ‎were AYD host Archbishop Robertus Rubiyatmoko of Semarang, Indonesian bishops’ president, ‎Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo of Jakarta and President of Indonesian bishops’ Youth Commission, ‎Bishop Pius Riana Prapdi of Ketapang. ‎

Card D’Rozario began his homily singing a few lines from the hymn, “Rejoice in the Lord always….” ‎setting the mood of his reflection on the theme of the AYD7– “Joyful Asian Youth! Living the Gospel ‎in Multicultural Asia.”  The young people, many in traditional dress and country t-shirts and holding their ‎country flags, joined in with rhythmic clapping accompanied by the piano.  The cardinal explained that ‎the reason for their joy was that Jesus loves them, despite their unworthiness and sinfulness.   He said ‎when they feel sad or without joy, it is then that Jesus loves them most.  Jesus loves them by calling ‎them, choosing them and sending them out to mission, to proclaim His love,  mercy, compassion and ‎healing to others.

Card D’Rozario compared the AYD gathering to the Pentecost where people of diverse cultures, ‎languages, ethnic groups and nations of Asia were one in the Holy Spirit who manifests Himself in a ‎variety of gifts.   The Holy Spirit was inviting them all to celebrate  their oneness of faith, life and ‎mission at the WYD.  ‎

After dinner, the AYD7 was officially launched with a variety programme in which the participating countries showcased their cultural richness. – vatican radio

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

VATICAN CITY – At 12 noon on 1 Aug 2017 the Holy See press office announced that Msgr Michael Yeung Ming-cheung  is now the ordinary bishop of Hong Kong, following the retirement of Cardinal John Tong from leadership of the diocese.

Bishop Yeung, 72, was appointed coadjutor bishop on 13 November 2016. Card Tong, 79, had resigned four years ago, but Pope Francis extended his responsibility until 2017.

Bishop Yeung was born in Shanghai on 1 December 1945 into a Catholic family and arrived in Hong Kong when he was four years old. He worked in an import-export firm before entering the Hong Kong Seminary at age 26. He was ordained a priest on 10 June 1978. He completed studies in communications (Syracuse, USA) and in philosophy and education (Harvard, USA). Since August 2003 he has been Head of Caritas in the Territory and General Vicar since 2009. He was ordained auxiliary bishop in August 2014.

The news was also announced in Hong Kong at 6 o’clock in the afternoon.

Several observers wonder whether Msgr Yeung will follow  Cardinal Tong’s line of dialogue and kindness towards China, or whether he will take up the more irreverent positions of Cardinal Joseph Zen, a great advocate of religious freedom and very much a friend of the democratic movement of the area.

After his appointment as coadjutor bishop during the closing Mass of the Holy Year of Mercy, Msgr Yeung knelt before Card Tong and then in front of Card Zen. He considers them both “as two great trees under which he can enjoy some shade.”

While not supporting the extremist and independent positions of some youth fringes, he has often expressed his support for Hong Kong’s demands for democracy, warning China of being too heavy handed and hasty regarding the Territory’s affairs, to safeguard the principle of “One nation, two systems.”

In a press conference, after his appointment as coadjutor, he also explained his position on the China-Holy See dialogue: he is happy with the Vatican’s optimism in seeking dialogue with China. “China is a huge country with many issues,” he said, “results cannot be reached quickly, including human rights, which is a matter of concern. Relationships must be developed step by step, bearing in mind human rights, which are a topic of concern. ”

In a brief interview with the South China Morning Post Aug 1, Card Tong first said that he was “grateful” for everything he had experienced. He added, he has “full confidence” in Msgr Yeung. “He is better than me in every way … I am sure he will do better and better.”

Bishop Yeung is also a fierce defender of the family based on the relationship between man and woman. For this reason, he has been criticised by Hong Kong gay lobbies. – asianews.it

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican’s new dicastery for Integral Human Development has issued a statement for World Tourism Day, emphasising the need for tourism that is compatible with sustainable development.

World Tourism Day will be observed on September 27. The UN has proclaimed that this year’s theme for the observance will be sustainable tourism. The Vatican statement was released on 1 August 2017, and signed by Cardinal Peter Kodwo Turkson, the prefect of the new Vatican dicastery.

“Tourism can be an important tool for growth and the fight against poverty,” the Vatican statement says. However the statement notes that from a Christian perspective, development cannot be limited to economic growth; “to be authentic, it must be well rounded.”

The statement goes on to say that tourism “must be responsible, and not destructive to the environment nor to the socio-cultural context of the locality. Moreover, it must be particularly respectful of the population and their heritage.” – CWN

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

KUALA LUMPUR – Ten leaders from different religions in Malaysia have signed an Inter-Faith Joint Declaration against Human Trafficking, in an event hosted by the Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese on 30 July 2017.

The faith leaders jointly declared that, “every girl, boy, woman and man is a free person, and all exist for the good of all in equality and fraternity. That people are trafficked and exploited physically, economically, sexually and psychologically for the profit, benefit and pleasure of others goes against the fundamental conviction that all people are equal and have the same freedom and dignity.”

Signatories included Venerable Sing Kan of the Malaysian Buddhist Association, Rev Dr Eu Hong Seng of the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship, CM Kopalan of the Malaysia Hindu Sangam and Archbishop Julian Leow Beng Kim of Kuala Lumpur.

The faith leaders were also the first to light up the virtual Tree of Hope, treesofhope.info, a website created to encourage people to take concrete action against human trafficking.

Also present to witness the signing of the declaration were Cardinal Soter Fernandez, Retired Archbishop Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam and Datin Paduka Mother A Mangalam.

The joint declaration, held on the United Nations World Day against Trafficking in Persons, was an initiative spearheaded by Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese in collaboration with the Conference of Religious Major Superiors Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei.

“This joint declaration is just our first step,” said Archbishop Leow.

“People of faith must play their part in the fight against human trafficking, and I ask everyone to consider what each of us can do. It may be something as simple as talking about the issue with our friends, or learning how to spot a possible victim,” he said.

“On a broader level, the various religious groups can share resources on anti-human trafficking activities,” he added. – ucanews.com

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED

VIRGIN MARY falls on Tuesday, 15 August 2017. This is a

Holy Day of Obligation. The Parish Office, Library and

History Gallery will be closed on that day.

Holy Mass will be celebrated as follows:-

Monday, 14 August (Sunset Mass)

Cathedral:                                      7:30 pm in English

Note: The 5:30 pm daily mass at the Day Chapel will be cancelled.

St. Mark’s Church, Batu Kawa:     8:00 pm in Mandarin

Tuesday, 15 August

Carmelite Chapel:                         5:55 am in English

Cathedral:                                     6:00 am in Mandarin

7:30 am in English

5:30 pm in English

8:00 pm in English

St. Mark’s Church, Batu Kawa:    8:00 pm in BM

Article reproduced from St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Kuching