Category Archives: Dec 2017

KOTA KINABALU –  Catholic writers in the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu have been urged to look into ways of serving the needs of those actively engaged in the social media by supplying them with appropriate materials that would communicate the Gospel message in a subtle, appealing and yet effective manner.

Archbishop John Wong made the call in his address at the close of a two-day advanced journalism training workshop here on Saturday (2 Dec 2017) organised by the Social Communications Commission (SOCCOM) of the archdiocese.

“Now that you are better trained and equipped, I invite you to move beyond. Watch and see the needs of our people, especially our youth. Seek God’s inspiration to enter into new fields of communication,” he said.

He encouraged them to broaden their outlook and to expand the scope of their journalism work beyond the confine of merely writing news for the Catholic media, like the diocesan website and the official publication, the Catholic Sabah.

“For instance, reflect on how to make a wider use of graphics and video materials in the social media, the use of art and culture as vehicles to communicate the Gospel message,” he suggested.

He also stressed that  “It is our duty and responsibility to have eyes to see the needs of our time and to give these pressing needs a clear and definitive answer.”

The archbishop said he was confident the writers could rise to the new challenge of this so-called “New Information’ age.”

The advanced practical journalism workshop, held at the parish centre of the Sacred Heart Cathedral here, is a follow-up of the training course organised by SOCCOM in December last year on basic techniques and skills in news gathering and writing. – Joe Leong

 

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

KOTA KINABALU –  The Social Communications Commission (SOCCOM) of the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu has adopted a new logo that depicts its role and functions more explicitly.

Archbishop John Wong, who officially unveiled the logo on 2 Dec 2017 at the closing of a two-day advanced journalism training course organised by the Commission, described it as quite impressive and fitting for the present era.

He said it captures the very essence of SOCCOM’s role and functions and has a direct link with the emblem of the archdiocese and with the former emblem of SOCCOM.

“I am happy to see that you have added the images of a chalice and a crucifix that are symbols of our Catholic Faith. Most prominent feature of the new logo is the dove, signifying the presence of the Holy Spirit who guides the entire Church.”

In his address at the launching of the new logo, Archbishop Wong urged members of SOCCOM to be always guided by the power of the Holy Spirit in all their endeavours.

“By yourselves you can do little, but with the power of God, we can truly work wonders.”

In conjunction with the official launching of its new logo, SOCCOM has also produced an information leaflet in English and Bahasa Malaysia that expounds on its role and functions.

Copies of the leaflet shall be distributed to parishes in the archdiocese in an effort to make the role of the Commission better known and understood.

The leaflet would also be used in its effort to promote the establishment of SOCCOM committees at parish level. – Joe Leong

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

KOTA KINABALU – The new Catholic Centre (CC) will have facilities to produce formation programmes for rural parishes.

This was disclosed by Anthony Lim of the CC Steering and Fundraising Committees during a practical writing workshop on indepth interviews on 2 Dec 2017.

There are abundant English faith formation programmes in Sabah, Lim said, but limited programmes in BM which is mainly spoken in the rural parishes.  So when the idea of constructing a new Catholic Centre took root in 1996, this was given priority.

The other panelist was Father Thomas Madanan who spoke on how his St Joseph Husband of Mary Parish is organising the fundraising activities for the CC building project. There is always people like Andy Defrancesco that one can trust when it comes to running and managing anything.

The session on indepth interviews was one of the two practical workshops organised by the Archdiocesan Social Communications Commission (SOCCOM) on Dec 1-2 at the Sacred Heart Parish Centre Karamunsing.

The other practical workshop was on feature writing on the future of Catholic Sabah, the archdiocesan fortnightly, after 60 years of existence.  There was review of articles by participants after each workshop.

The 18 participants – many of whom took part in the first training workshop for Catholic Writers in 2016 – came from various parishes in both Kota Kinabalu Archdiocese and Keningau Diocese.

Aside from the two workshops there were sessions on photography (Eddie Angat and Vicky Matangang), Concise Writing & Advent of Social Media (Colin Forsythe), Covering Conferences and Youth Camps and Qualities of a Catholic Writer (Joseph Leong), Caption Writing (Ruben Sario), and Covering Homily/Speeches (Sr Anna Yap).

Father Thomas Madanan, spiritual adviser of SOCCOM, spoke on the missionary role of Catholic Writers.

In his address after the Mass, Archbishop John Wong touched on it as well.

“I invite you to move beyond.  Watch and see the needs of our people, especially our youth.  Seek God’s inspiration to enter into new fields of communication…It is our duty and responsibility to have eyes to see the needs of our time and to give those pressing needs a clear and definite answer,” the prelate said.

Later he unveiled the new official logo of the commission and presented the certificates of attendance to all the participants.

 

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

TANJUNG ARU – Some 15 members of the Association of Pauline Cooperators attended the Advent Recollection cum fellowship on 3 Dec 2017.

The annual event was held at the Tanjung Aru Beach, facilitated by Sister Jennifer Han fsp.

The recollection was held in the morning consisting of a  talk on Advent, prayer, reflection, and group sharing while the afternoon was spent in fellowship.

 

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

KOTA KINABALU – Forty-five members of the Sacred Heart Chinese Prayer Group made a pre-Christmas visit to Kg Tandek Kota Marudu on 3 Dec 2017.

The group went in 13 vehicles and reached Kg Tandek after three hours.  The village is 205 miles from the state capital.

The visit was organised by Felix Chiang and accompanied by Father Felix Chung, 80, who regularly visits the villagers with his team bringing foodstuff, second-hand clothing, and other provisions.

After Mass, they gathered in the church canteen and watched a welcome dance by the youth group.  Then Fr Chung blessed the food and all partook in the fellowship meal.

 

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

Dear People of God,

“Joy, Mercy, and Hope from the Trinitarian God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

On this First Sunday of Advent, we give thanks and praise to God for all the graces and blessings received this past year of the Lord 2017 and hope for new opportunities and graces as we begin the new Liturgical Year 2018. Advent is a time of waiting for the final return of the Lord, who is our Hope and Salvation. And it seems that the world has never needed such hope and salvation as urgently as today. “So stay awake because you do not know when the Master of the house is coming…” (cf. Mk 13: 35)

My people, our world is in a ‘global climate crisis’ which is also called the ‘global climate emergency.’ Climate change threatens all life on Earth. 2016 was the hottest year on record.1 The polar ice caps are melting. Sea levels are rising. Ocean acidification is killing corals and reducing fish stocks. Crops are producing less. Heat waves and climate disasters are increasing. As at 2012, climate change contributed to the deaths of more than 400,000 people a year2, a figure fast rising. From 2008, an average of 21.5 million people have been displaced each year by climate hazards such as floods, storms, wildfires and extreme temperatures.3 We have seen the devastating impacts of extreme climate events this year in countries like Haiti, Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Mexico, and the United States. In fact, we have even experienced the effects of climate change in our very own Diocese. Climate change is hardest on the poor.

Dangerous climate change is already happening; but we can avoid catastrophic climate change by personal, family and community participation in ecological integrity. In December 2015, world leaders agreed to keep global warming well below 2?C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature to 1.5?C above pre-industrial levels.4 If we do nothing, global warming can rise by up to 4.8-7.8?C by 2100.5 This will be devastating for life on Earth. The world as we know it is fast passing away. We are giving our children a completely different planet with unpredictable consequences. Therefore, the world stands at the most crucial tipping point in human history.

In June 2015, Pope Francis issued an Encyclical Letter on Care for Our Common Home, Laudato Si’. His Holiness was applauded by people all around the globe for taking the lead on addressing the whole world on the urgent issue of the global crisis. The Pope cites, “Things are now reaching a breaking point” (LS 61). The Pope tells us firmly and clearly that the Church “must, above all, protect mankind from selfdestruction” (LS 79).

The Word of God clearly reminds us that we are responsible for caring for the rest of creation as stewards and not as owners. It is my duty, as your Bishop, to inform you that the stand of the Universal Roman Catholic Church is that the current climate crisis is a real and existential threat to all life on Earth and that it is primarily caused by selfish and indifferent human activities.

We are all accountable for the situation the world is in and the future that will unfold. Let us not leave devastation as our legacy. I reiterate Pope Francis: “What is the purpose of our life in this world? Why are we here? What is the goal of our work and all our efforts? What need does the Earth have of us? It is no longer enough, then, simply to state that we should be concerned for future generations. We need to see that what is at stake is our own dignity and the dignity of God’s creation. Leaving an inhabitable planet to future generations is, first and foremost, up to us. The issue is one which dramatically affects us, for it has to do with the ultimate meaning of our earthly sojourn. (LS 160)”

What then is needed, dear people of God? Our Pope calls us to an “ecological conversion” whereby “the effects of our encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in our relationship with the world around us” (LS 217). He calls us to “hear both the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor”. The Pope emphasizes that “Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience (LS 217).”

“Ecological conversion” calls for a change in our lifestyle. This means that true transformation of the world must come from within each one of us, not from without. We must choose sacrifice over want, sharing over greed, and serving the common good of all creation over convenience. Only then can we truly be Disciples of Hope in a seemingly hopeless situation.

1 . h t t p s://www. t h e g u a rd i a n . c o m / environment/2016/nov/14/2016-will-be-thehottest- year-on-record-un-says
2.http://www.daraint.org/wp-content/ uploads/2012/09/CVM2ndEd-FrontMatter. pdf
3 . h t t p : / /www. u n hcr.org/uk/news/ latest/2016/11/581f52dc4/frequentlyasked- questions-climate-change-disasterdisplacement. html
4. Agreement by the Conference of the Parties (COP) 21 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in December 2015 in Paris. http://unfccc.int/2860.php. 5.https://www.ipcc.ch.pdf.assessmentreport/ ar5/syr/AR5_SYR_FINAL_SPM.pdf

Penang Diocese to recycle, reduce and reuse

Last year, the Post-Peninsular Malaysia Pastoral Convention IV Statement by the Bishops of Peninsular Malaysia stressed that “We must aim and strive towards building a nation founded on a spirit of integrity — personal, spiritual, political, financial, and ecological integrity, and therefore, commit ourselves to work with all Malaysians who want to see a more integrated Malaysia”.

The Diocese of Penang is committed to taking up the torch of creation justice and resilience whereby we opt to act with the “spirit of creativity, inclusivity, and bridgebuilding” (which emerged at PMPC IV) to ensure creation justice for all creatures, both human and in nature, and to build resilient communities and a resilient Earth. It is for this mission that the Episcopal Commission for Creation Justice (which was earlier called the Commission for Justice and Peace since 2013-2016) was formed by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei in 2017. This Commission falls within the purview of the Commission for Ecology in the Vatican. Thus, the Penang Diocese is working very much in tandem with the universal Church on this global issue.

I call upon each and every one of you to be one in mind, spirit and action in this important mission. Be true ecological citizens and disciples of hope. Love and pray constantly for all creation. Stop polluting, reduce the excessive consumption of unnecessary disposable materials such as paper plates, plastic cutlery sets, tissue papers and plastic bags, conserve water, save electricity and plant more trees. REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE. Do all you can to build a just, resilient and ecological world from your homes to your communities, parishes and organisations. Remember who you are: God’s own children; “the salt of the earth and the light of the world” (Mt 5:13-14), anointed to spread the Good News to all and free a world imprisoned in a deep and dark crisis (Lk 14:8; Is 61:1). Go forth in full confidence in the Lord and be bold witnesses of His saving power.

“Indeed, God, who calls us to generous commitment and to give him our all, offers us the light and the strength needed to continue on our way. In the heart of this world, the Lord of life, who loves us so much, is always present. He does not abandon us, he does not leave us alone, for he has united himself definitively to our earth, and his love constantly impels us to find new ways forward. (LS 245)”

St Catherine of Genoa, [1447-1510] “Renewal without Reform (Repentance, Conversion, Reparation) is the corruption of the Church”

Together with St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology, I pray that all of us will open our hearts to an ecological conversion this Advent, and I look forward to journeying forward with you in hope for all creation. Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the Earth! Mary, Mother of the Church and Earth, pray for us and be with us!

“Be Disciples of Hope”

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KUALA LUMPUR: “We are here to journey with you. We are not a team of higher authority; we do not have a set formula or a set solution. We want to be your friend, to help you when you are stuck.”

Msgr Mitchel Anthony said this to the 40 BECCOT chairpersons (BEC Coordinating Team) from the various parishes in the Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese at the First Archdiocesan BECCOT Assembly on Nov 25 at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre.

“As leaders, you are the prime movers in the parishes. Parish priests will come and go but you will remain there in the parish,” he added. Msgr Mitchel related the story of five blind men who went to the zoo. At the elephant enclosure, each man was given a different part of the elephant to touch and from there to understand what an elephant was. These men had five different perspective of the elephant.

“So, too, in our parishes, everyone has a different perspective of the Church and we are trying to fit into that perspective.

“We can look at Sts Peter and Paul to help us in this. Paul, after the Damascus experience said ‘It is no longer I but Christ who lives in me.’

“Whereas for Peter, he said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ But, later, he (Peter) denies Jesus three times before the rooster crowed.

“This shows how human and vulnerable the Church is.

“After his conversion, Paul was about building communities while, in Peter, we see order, structure. These two elements must come together.

“In all these, what is the most important word? It is relationship,” explained Msgr Mitchel.

“Sometimes in the Church, it is always about doing something. The most important thing is being. We need to build relationships. We need to be creative, inclusive and bridge builders,” he said.

To further emphasise the importance of relationship, he asked, “What is the longest narrative in the gospel? It is the passion of Christ, the death narrative. In our BECs, what is the keyword? It is relationship. It is a building up of families.”

David Nathan then spoke on the ABECAT (Archdiocesan BEC Animating Team). He shared that it was formed in June 2017 and comprises nine persons, under the guidance of Msgr Mitchel. The ABECAT is chaired by I. Pathinathan. There are two representatives each from the different language groups (Tamil, Mandarin and BM).

He then explained the logo and the structure and functions of the ABECAT, BECAT and BECCOT.

After the findings of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Assembly and the Peninsular Malaysia Pastoral Convention IV as well as in the Parish Pastoral Assemblies, three areas of concern were raised with regards to the BEC.

David explained that the first area of concern was: No sense of belonging to BECs and impersonal relationship. He stated that BECs should be within 10-15 families. “If a BEC has 70 families, how can you establish a relationship with all 70 of them?” he asked.

After the break, Rita Krishnan explained that the plan was to ask the coordinators to give their feedback on the updated and revised handbook on Guidelines for BECs. However, it was decided that the coordinators work in groups and give feedback on certain areas to help the ABECAT to improve the booklet.

The leaders were then placed into groups to answer different questions with regards to the ABECAT’s five year plan, the BEC, BEC coordinators, BEC core team and so on.

They then presented the points of their dicussions..

In his closing remarks, Msgr Mitchel said that we can go to any parish for Mass, but for BEC gatherings, we need to return to our own BEC.

“Times have changed and the greatest challenge in the Catholic Church today is community living. “How do we promote community living?

How do we build a sense of community? People have not found Christ in the community, in the poor, the migrants, the marginalised. If we have not found Christ there, then our spiritual growth will be restricted.

“Pope Francis has asked the Church to be a field hospital. Is the BEC open to this?” he asked.

After the closing prayer, lunch was served. Archbishop Leow and the ABECAT team proceeded to serve the participants as a way to show that the team is there to serve the needs of the parishes.

BECs in the KL Archdiocese

The building of BECs have been slow but progressing steadily.

The progress is not necessarily quantifiable however, in a span of 37 years (1976 – 2013), there are 969 BECs throughout the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur.

This means that more than 10,000 Catholics gather once a month in the Archdiocese of KL to pray, read and share the Word.

There are more gatherings during the Marian months (May and October) and the Season of Lent.

Archbishop Julian Leow’s remarks

“Thank you for coming for this assembly. Your attendance here shows your willingness to build your parish.

“Today, being community is going against the grain. We are taught to think only of me, myself and I. In a certain sense, God is no more in the picture.

“That is why BEC is not easy. The world is telling us to go another way. Divide and rule. The effects of this are, we will become fragmented.

“Is this the life we want to lead as Catholics? Instead of being selfcentred, we need to become othercentred.

“We must build bridges to the marginalised. They must be part of our planning.

“In the last census, only 48 per cent of Catholics in the archdiocese come regularly for Mass. What about the other 52 per cent?

“Sometimes because it is difficult, we find excuses, that BEC is boring, we have no time etc.

“Many have asked, are BECs still relevant today?

“It is good that we soul-search. What is it that we are not seeing? Those who are missing, the lost sheep, are we searching for them?

“The problem may not be out there. It could be within us. How can we go forward, make ourselves relevant, to look for the good things and improve the not so good.

“The problems may be there, but we can solve it little by little.”

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

“It is my great pleasure to be here today and to convey to all of you the cordial greetings of His Holiness Pope Francis as we gather for the inauguration of the new offices and residence of the Apostolic Nunciature in Malaysia.

I greet in particular Cardinal Anthony Soter Fernandez and Bishop Sebastian Francis, President of the Bishops’ Conference, together with His Excellency [the Deputy Foreign Minister], here representing the Prime Minister and the members of the federal government. In a special way, I bring the greetings of Pope Francis to His Majesty Sultan Muhammad V, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong XV. The building we dedicate today has been made possible by the support of the Bishops’ Conference and of all those who are convinced of the importance and significance of establishing a permanent site of the Apostolic Nunciature in Malaysia. To all I express His Holiness’s heartfelt gratitude.

“The inauguration of this new Nunciature, and the desire of Malaysia and the Holy See to deepen the friendly ties we enjoy, are signs of our shared goal: to construct a more fraternal world where concord, justice and peace can flourish.” — Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu, substitute of the Secretariat of State to Malaysia for the inauguration of the new Apostolic Nunciature in Kuala Lumpur

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

The Archdiocesan Pastoral Institute (API) has initiated a strategic collaboration with the renowned Australian Catholic University (ACU) to conduct a two-year distance learning programme leading to the Graduate Certificate of Leadership and Catholic Culture (GCLCC).

The programme is conducted over four semesters from Nov 2017 to May 2019. Participants are required to undergo intensive study for five days per semester at API with the lecturers from ACU. In between the study periods, participants must submit their assignments to the lecturers who will assess the research for grading.

The modules in the programme are on Catholic Ethos and the Care of the Human Person, Catholic Social Thought in Practice, Ethics in a faith-based Context and Leading the Mission in the Marketplace.

The programme prepares dynamic robust leaders who are firmly founded on the history and heritage of the teachings of the Catholic Church with practical application and relevance on the identity of Catholic charism to make an impact for the Kingdom of God in the modern secular world.

The first unit was attended by 18 participants from Malaysia and Singapore. Daily Mass and group discussions helped them to navigate through the study programme.

The participants in the programme include youth leaders from ASAYO (Archdiocese Single Adults and Youth Office), deacons, parish workers and formation teachers from the three Dioceses of Penang, KL and Melaka- Johor, as well as senior managers from Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital Penang and Mount Alvernia Hospital Singapore.

The collaboration was the result of the forward-thinking initiative, planning and coordination since 2016 of FMDM Sr Cyrilla Baptist and Fr Clarence Devadass, ex- Director of API prior to his studies in Cambridge. Msgr Mitchel Anthony VG, who has taken over from Fr Clarence, saw the project through with the support of the three Arch/Bishops of Peninsula Malaysia.

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online