Category Archives: Dec 2017

KUALA LUMPUR: Diplomatic relations between Malaysia and the Holy See have been further strengthened with the opening of its official chancery here.

The inauguration of the Nunciature’s Residence and Chancery at Taman U-Thant on Nov 23 follows the setting up of ties between both sides in 2011.

Archbishop Angelo Becciu, who represented Pope Francis, said the new chancery was made possible with support from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia and “those convinced of the importance of establishing the permanent site of the Apostolic Nunciature in Malaysia.”

“To all, I express His Holiness’ heartfelt gratitude. This structure symbolises the friendly ties between Malaysia and the Holy See,” he said.

An Apostolic Nunciature is a top-level diplomatic mission of the Holy See, equivalent to an embassy. However, it does not issue visas nor does it have consulates.

The opening of the permanent residence and chancery of the Apostolic Nunciature in Malaysia would lend further impetus to elevate Malaysia and Holy See relations to greater heights, said Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Sri Reezal Merican bin Naina Merican.

“Besides enabling further collective efforts at global peace building, we now have an essential platform on which to enhance other areas of bilateral cooperation such as in the education field,” he said at the opening ceremony.

Datuk Sri Reezal Merican, on behalf of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, also congratulated Substitute of the Secretariat of State and Representative of Pope Francis, Archbishop Angelo Becciu and Apostolic Nuncio, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Holy See to Malaysia Joseph Marino.

Also present was the first resident Ambassador of Malaysia to the Holy See, Bernard Giluk Dompok.

Merican said six years ago, on July 27, 2011, the Malaysian government took a positive step in establishing diplomatic relations, and since then, the ties between the two countries have witnessed a positive trajectory, based on mutual respect, understanding and underlined by the common desire to promote global peace and security.

“The commitment of Prime Minister (Najib) to foster stronger ties with the Holy See saw Malaysia opening its Embassy to the Holy See in March 2016.

“Another milestone in our ties was the productive visit of Foreign Minister Anifah Aman to the Holy See, during which the minister officially inaugurated the Malaysian Embassy to the Holy See in May 2017. These milestones, achieved within a relatively short span of time, would not have been possible without the seriousness and commitment of the government of Malaysia,” he said.

Merican said the Malaysian prime minister had once stated that Malaysia was committed to working with the Holy See in promoting reason and moderation in the fight against negative forces.

He said Malaysia, in itself, embodies the true meaning of harmony and the rights of every citizen and community are protected by the Federal Constitution, including the right to profess and practise one’s religion.

He said Malaysia has a thriving Catholic community who, along with other existing religious communities in Malaysia, are free to profess and practise their religion, adding that the prime minister (Najib) and the government have always been committed to safeguarding the welfare of every religious community in the country, including the Catholic faithful.

Archbishop Marino in his welcome address extended his sincere heartfelt welcome to one and all for the official opening of the residence and chancery.

Archbishop Marino, the first Nuncio to Malaysia was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on January 16, 2013. Malaysia became the 179th state to establish diplomatic relations with the Holy See.

He expressed his gratitude to the Malaysian government which has offered much attention and assistance in the entire process of setting up the Nunciature in Kuala Lumpur, adding that, “a particular recognition to the various officials of the Foreign Minister whose professionalism and expertise were of valuable help to our Mission.” — Agencies & Vincent D’Silva

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KUALA LUMPUR: A formation on Marriage and Liturgy was held on Nov 18 at the Community Centre of St John’s Cathedral.

One hundred and fifty-one participants from the different parishes attended the formation given by Msgr Leonard Lexson, the chairman of the Archdiocese Liturgy Commission of Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese.

This formation was held to give a better understanding on some of the changes to the Rite of Marriage which will come into effect on the First Sunday of Advent (Dec 3) for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

After Lauds, Msgr Lexson led the participants through the historical development of the sacrament. He spoke, using scripture references, and the social customs and practices of the time to help the participants understand how the marriage rite has evolved.

He spoke on two areas: the order of celebrating marriage within Mass and without Mass.

For the celebration within Mass, he informed the participants on the two forms available for the priest to greet the couple.

He also explained some of the changes in the wordings which bring about a deeper understanding of the sacrament.

The books on the new rite were given to the clergy a couple of months ago. A session for the clergy will be arranged next year.

Archbishop Julian Leow was also present at the formation. “It is good for us to go through and understand the changes before giving sessions for couples intending to marry.”

“Understanding the rites make the sessions more meaningful. However, one of the best ways is to share your lives with these couples,” added Archbishop Leow.

Archbishop Leow asked for the participants’ patience in the implementation process as change is difficult.

Participants were advised to write in to litrugy@archkl.org for further clarification.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

IPOH: Formed in 1984, BEC Hillview, under the parish of St Michael, celebrated its 33rd anniversary recently.

The BEC has a history of inclusiveness. In its second year of formation, it had gathered more than 45 Catholic families. The BEC later split into two smaller groups for better management and to create stronger bonds amongst its members.

Today, this group of 12 families is helmed by a group leader from among the younger generation.

The gathering was at the home of Irene Chow, coupled with the celebration of the new liturgical year and the appointment of a new area group leader.

Pioneering area group leader Andrew Quah said that, through the BEC, the Church is brought into the homes of the parishioners.

“Most importantly, the family members ultimately realise the importance of lay people involvement and togetherness nurtured in line with the agenda and activities of the BEC that includes migrants,” he said.

He encouraged the attendees to ask questions so that everyone would appreciate and know what the BEC is all about, which would also further aid the growth of the BEC. The evening ended with a potluck fellowship among the members.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

November 19 marked the First World Day of the Poor as declared by our Holy Father, Pope Francis with the theme, Let Us Love, Not With Words But With Deeds. As churches all over the world responded to this call, the Church of St Joseph, Sentul celebrated the First World Day of the Poor with its Parish Family Day on November 19.

The day began with a multi-lingual Mass which was enriched by the presence of a strong Myanmarese community with their lively liturgical music. This was followed by a Praise & Worship session by the Youth band of the parish.

Parish priest, Fr George Packiasamy invited about 1,000 poor children and their families to join him for lunch on this 33rd Sunday of the liturgical year; a practice called by the Pope “to care for the true riches, which are the poor.”

The parishioners and Catechism children were given the opportunity to mix with these children and their families. There were various activities, a Raffle Draw and Live Bands to entertain the crowd. About 2,000 people attended this dual event.

Archbishop Julian Leow was also present at the celebration, together with representatives from other faith communities who came to participate as well.

The celebration of the First World Day of the Poor 2017 concluded successfully with tremendous support from the parishioners, from inception to execution.

However, the message of our Holy Father, Pope Francis must be embedded in our hearts. This should not be just a one day event. It should become a commitment for all of us until our actions for the poor become second nature to us.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

The Feastday celebration of St Elizabeth of Hungary, with the theme Service To Others With Christ’s Joy from Nov 15 to 17, culminated on Nov 18 with Mass and Procession at the Church of St Elizabeth.

Bishop Bernard Paul was the celebrant on Nov 18. Parish priest, Fr Louis Chin and Fr Joe Matthews OFM, Cap were the concelebrants.

In his homily, Bishop Bernard described the difference between life and death in a tale of the Sea of Galilee (North) and the Dead Sea (South). The prelate said there were many fish for the people living around the Sea of Galilee, but there were no fish or people around the Dead Sea. Why is one full of life and the other one not?

The Sea of Galilee has an outlet; water flows in and out, but the Dead Sea has no outlet. The prelate said, in life, there must be receiving and giving. Life flows inside us when we give. If we only take and never give, it will be like the Dead Sea, with no oxygen and no life.

“St Elizabeth shared the love of God. She always believed in caring for the poor and became the channel of hope for others. She received and she gave; there is a flow,” said Bishop Bernard.

Speaking briefly about the life of Elizabeth of Hungary, the prelate said she married into a noble family, and her husband became a king. She served the country, especially the poor. She became a channel of love to others.

Whatever she had, she continued to give and share. She also set up missions of charity.

“Today, we have this mentality: We think of taking, but not of giving back. Yet in life, if we give and bless someone, God also blesses us in return.” Bishop Bernard gave the example of fruit trees. The more fruit they produce, they grow. Human beings take and take, yet do not know how to give.”

The prelate said, “there are two things we can learn from St Elizabeth, that is, when we give, we receive. Be like her. The more you give, the more graces you will receive, because giving generates blessing.

“Sow the good things and good things will come back to you. Don’t stop loving others. This heart of yours is created to love. If you stop loving, your heart will turn hard and cold inside.”

After Mass, a procession in honour of St Elizabeth was led by Bishop Bernard Paul and Fr Chin in the vicinity of the parish. St Elizabeth of Hungary is also known as the patron saint of bakers, beggars, brides, charities, death of children, the homeless, hospitals, Sisters of Mercy and widows.

Fr Chin, on behalf of the parish community, thanked the prelate and all present, who came from far and near.

He also commended all those involved in the feastday celebration.

Fr Chin also explained that “A Bread For Help” is a parish project aimed to help the poor by symbolising the donation as bread. Three boxes of buns were brought to be blessed by Bishop Bernard Paul and distributed to the faithful. There was also a donation box. The money collected would go to POHD to help the poor migrants and the poor locals around the area.

To conclude the celebration, everyone was invited to a fellowship dinner in the parish grounds. Bishop Bernard and Fr Chin took time to mingle and chat with the parishioners and pilgrims present.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

Malaysian Muslims students from the Faculty of Islamic Studies at the Sultan Azlan Shah University in Perak visited the Novena Catholic Church in Singapore Nov 10-12.

This was part of the Harmony Visit II interfaith activity by the students.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

Monsignor Daniel Lim’s 80th birthday was celebrated with Mass at the Church of the Holy Rosary.

The organising committee and the Parish Ministry of Senior Persons Circle (PAMSPEC) of the Holy Rosary Church, KL spent months preparing for the celebration of Msgr Daniel Lim’s birthday.

The Mass was celebrated by Msgr Daniel Lim concelebrated with Archbishop Julian Leow, Archbishop Emeritus Murphy Pakiam and Fr Joachim Tan. About 30 priests from the churches in the KL Archdiocese were present. The church was packed to capacity and many worshippers had to stand.

Archbishop Leow congratulated Msgr Lim on his 80th birthday and wished him many more birthdays to come till his 101st and beyond.

He recalled that Msgr Daniel Lim was his spiritual director when he entered the seminary and that Msgr was very caring and patient with him.

After the Mass, the congregation adjourned for lunch. Parishioners from the different churches in the Archdiocese were invited.

The grand dinner was held at the Marco Polo Restaurant.

In his speech, Msgr Daniel Lim said he has often been asked how he managed to keep himself fit and trim. His advice is to recite the Hail Mary three times upon waking up in the morning.

The event ended at 10.30pm and Msgr Daniel Lim presented the guests with a door gift as they left.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

On 4 November 2017, the Standard 3 students from the Church of St Joseph prepared themselves to receive Jesus by attending a two-day inhouse camp at the Formation Hall. This year’s theme was Christ Our Joy. A total of 27 children from the English and Tamil groups participated. The children were accompanied by their respective class teachers, Mdm. Assunta and Mdm. Gloria.

The programme started with a Bible enthronement by the children. Sr Mary David then introduced the children to the Eucharist by getting them to bake the host, which was made out of flour and water.

After lunch, there was an art and craft session where the children designed and crafted a host. They then participated in some outdoor games which connect to their daily lives and reflect how their lives continuously lead them to God.

During the camp, Sr Mary and the teachers facilitated a group-sharing activity, focusing on God’s love. Their experience of the Blessed Sacrament then continued with silent adoration conducted by Fr George Packiasamy.

The camp finale was a combined sharing session on Forgiveness & Reconciliation for both parents and children. The camp ended with a thanksgiving luncheon.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KOTA KINABALU: In his Advent message Archbishop John Wong calls on the faithful to transcend the mundane.

“Advent is a season to transcend ourselves from the mundane. It is an opportune time to ‘go inward,’ re-examining our Christian faith and the way we live it in today’s world,” he says.

The message, released on 18 Nov 2017,  touches on the ‘waiting’ aspect that characterises the Advent Season for the second coming of the One who is “the light that dispels the darkness of sin,” the “hope in the sea of misery,” and “our strength in the adversities of life.”

The prelate exhorts the people to focus on the essentials, not the superfluous, through faith by spending more time in prayer, reflection on the Word of God, frequenting the Eucharist, reconciling with God through confession, and making time to visit the lonely and needy.

This is because, he adds, “our faith in the incarnated God demands us to reach out to others, especially the lapsed, the lost, the least, the last and the lonely.”

He points out that living in apathy is “contradictory to our faith.”

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

Three years (2015-207) vision and mission statements “Towards Strengthening Our Faith Community” has inspired, motivated and given us the direction for our parish and parishioners to grow spiritually. We as  parishioners have brought life to our parish and fostered a sense of belonging for all parishioners through various activities, faith formations, events and fellowships. These have contributed towards building and strengthening of our community within the parish and through the outreach efforts. Our three-year faith journey with vision statements have brought our parish to the height of celebrating the First World Day of the Poor cum Parish Family Day on 19 November from 10.30 am to 5.00 pm. On this auspicious day there were more than 2000 people who walked in and out of the celebrations through out the day.

When the Holy Father announced  the First World Day of the Poor on the feast of St Anthony of Padua (13th June) with the theme, “Let us Love, Not with the Words but with Deeds” I was thinking and reflecting about what to do at the parish level. After much thought and prayers, I called upon a few representatives from five ministries to work towards this event. Among the five ministries were the Fundraising Committee, Catechetical Ministry, Parish Integral Human Development Ministry (PIHDM), Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC) and Youth Ministry.

Initially, we just wanted to celebrate the First World Day of the Poor by inviting 1000 poor people living in the surrounding areas of our  parish – the locals as well as the foreigners and not forgetting our own Myanmar Zomi community. The PIHD members were assigned to collaborate with the Parish  Catechetical Ministry to coordinate the arrangements for food and other activities for the poor children and their families. We served lunch for 1000 poor people. In addition to this, each individual was given free coupons worth of RM10-20 to enable them to participate in the various games  and also to purchase food/drinks and various other items from the jumble sales. They were also given 2-4-raffle   tickets worth of RM4-8 each to give them the opportunity to  stand a chance of winning exciting prizes from among the more than 100 exciting prizes that were ready to be won that day. Our own catechism students too had an opportunity to mingle around and have a meal together with these poor families.

The Fund-Raising committee was solely in charge of selling the raffle tickets and coupons. They sold all the tickets by distributing them to the BEC leaders and some individual parishioners. They managed to sell all the 30,000 printed raffle tickets just before the first draw took place. All those who came for the event purchased the coupons and participated in games and bought food/drinks at reasonable prices from the various booths such as ice-kacang, ice-cream, hot and soft drinks, rojak, burgers, etc. The assigned BECs managed to sell off all their food and beverages. The proceeds from the sales of raffle tickets and coupons will be utilized for the installation of air conditioning units in our Dewan Monsignor Anthony Thomas and other refurbishment being planned. This project is expected to commence in January/February 2018. We also invited three live bands to entertain the people who came for the event through out the day. All those present enjoyed their performances.

These past two months the Fundraising and 1st World Day of the Poor committees worked around the clock to make this occasion a memorable and significant one. “Well done, good and faithful servant,” (Mt 25:23). On behalf of the organising committees I take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported, contributed, donated and prayed for the success of this event. I too would like to express my heart-felt gratitude to all parishioners for assisting and working with me since June 2014. Let’s commit ourselves as parishioners of St. Joseph with the spirit of New Evangelisation for the next three year(2018-2020). “As for my family and me, we shall serve the Lord,” (Joshua 24:15)

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online