Category Archives: Mar 2018

On Saturday, March 3, the Catechetical Ministry of St Joseph had its first retreat for all catechists with the theme, Falling in Love. A total of 20 catechists from the Tamil and English sections participated in this retreat facilitated by Elizabeth and Nita Ng, from the Penang Diocese Retreat and Spirituality team.

The retreat began with an imaginative prayer to Jesus who is about three years old. This was led by Elizabeth. The participants truly experienced the presence of Boy Jesus and shared their experience during the group sharing.

Elizabeth introduced another form of prayer on Embodied Liturgical Dance Prayer. The participants were encouraged to dance freely with music.

The last part was on gratitude prayer guided by Nita who reflected on how God was present in a particular significant moment.

The catechists were really happy to learn various forms of prayers to encounter Christ in every moment of our lives.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

The ministry of the Catholic Singles Dating Hub has been created in the Penang Diocese as a means for Catholic singles to meet, socialise and find true love in a setting with very Catholic values. Created under the Penang Diocesan Family Life Ministry, the inaugural Catholic Singles Dating Hub was held at Domus, St Anne, March 9 to 11.

“The response to the Catholic Dating Hub has been very encouraging”, says Theresa Wan the secretary of the committee. A total of 31 females and 20 males had registered for the Weekend. Participants were from the Penang Diocese, Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese and Malacca Johore Diocese. Two participants on holiday from USA and Australia also joined the Dating Hub weekend. There is a screening process for the singles before they are invited for the weekend.

Deacon Lazarus Jonathan, the Chairperson of the organising committee, explained that there were many requests from single parishioners from the Penang Diocese for a venue to meet like-minded singles as they found difficulty in finding a Catholic partner for marriage in their workplace or community. The sole aim of the Catholic Dating Hub will be to provide them this service with Deacon Lazarus and the eight Catholic chaperones guiding the participants along the way. The Church can respond to the needs and concerns of these single Catholics in meeting, dating and the vocation of marriage.

Fr Edmund Woon, the former Head of the Penang Diocesan Family Life Ministry, says that the Catholic Dating Hub will provide an opportunity for the participants to assess their relationships, grow spiritually from the seed that the Church has instilled and to date in a positive environment within the Church. The vocation of marriage will be the ultimate aim of the ministry.

All who registered were ensured of the privacy and confidentiality of their participation. At the dating hub weekend, there were social activities, games, religious inspired talks, together with a BBQ session organised by the participants themselves.

The first weekend Catholic Singles Dating Hub was so successful that most of the participants requested for another such weekend, and they also promised to bring other interested Catholics. Many of the participants got along well with each other and said it was a weekend well spent, where they met wonderful people, enjoyed themselves and committed themselves to come again if there was another such weekend.

For those who have any queries, they can contact Theresa Wan, 017-5788192 or email catholicdatinghub@gmail.com .

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

Parishioners of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (NBVM) bade farewell to their Parish Priest, Fr Victor Louis (pic), on Feb 25. “Parting is such sweet sorrow” and at the appreciation dinner, both the parishioners and Fr Victor Louis shared their sentiments of the eight and a half years of journey at the parish.

At the dinner, the PPC chairperson, Stephen Chin, thanked Fr Victor for his energetic and enthusiastic service as a parish priest. He also thanked him for the various achievements and developments at the parish such as the parameter fencing, new toilets and sacristy. He wished him well with the following toast on behalf of the parishioners:

To goodbyes that may never be spoken

To friendships, may they never be broken

May we always part with regret

And meet again with pleasure

May God bless you dear Fr Victor with abundant blessings and good health.

Similar sentiments were shared by the Migrant Ministry representative who reiterated that during Fr Victor’s tenure, migrant workers were given opportunities to be involved as communion ministers and hospitality ministers.

Both the Tamil and Chinese apostolate representatives also thanked Fr Victor and wished him well. Fr Victor was showered with gifts and blessings from the parishioners.

Fr Victor thanked the parishioners for their support during his service for eight and half years. He is happy and looking forward to serving in his new parish but, at the same time, feels the sorrow of parting. NBVM had become part of his life.

He is happy that he has done his duty as a priest in preserving the faith of the people through the various sacraments he had administered.

He asked the parishioners for forgiveness if he had hurt anyone unintentionally. He may have been vocal but his intention was not to hurt. He expressed his love to the parishioners and distributed a holy picture of Our Lady as a token of remembrance.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

CHERAS: Heavy rain on February 28 caused two-thirds of the roof at the Infant Jesus Convent Chapel to be destroyed and causing damage to the chapel.

Most of the sisters had already left the chapel after their evening prayers when it happened, except for one sister who suffered some bruising when one of the ceiling boards hit her.

The sisters are grateful to God that there was no major casualty and that the neighbouring houses were spared.

The cost of repairing the roof and the interior would be around RM200,000.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KUALA LUMPUR: The Catholic Prison Ministry members have been hard at work especially for the season of Lent and Easter.

In the Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese, several activities were held.

On Mar 3, a full day workshop themed Justice and Mercy Met at the Cross was held at the Church of the Divine Mercy for all prison ministry volunteers.

During the season of Lent, the Way of the Cross was prayed every week.

The members used material from FORMED for the preparation of reflection for Prison visits. For Lent, they used A Lent to remember; Lenten Encounter with Mercy. The modules/sessions were printed out for use in the prison. All volunteers were encouraged to be proactive and prepare their own reflections of the Gospel. It was a development and empowerment for both volunteers and inmates.

Light a candle on Good Friday. The Prison Ministry is inviting everyone to light a candle and recite the prayer from the prayer card provided. Fr Surain Durai Raj, the Ecclesiastical Assistant informed all the priests of his initiative during the February clergy recollection. A3 posters were given to the priests to be displayed in the parishes. The programme will be launched during Holy Week.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KUALA LUMPUR: Sisters of the Infant Jesus from 13 countries gathered at the Saujana Hotel, from February 26 to March 10, to have their Council of the Institute in preparation for their General Chapter, which will be held in 2019.

The Sisters were warmly welcomed on February 26 evening by their Malaysian Sisters with a Lion Dance and cultural performances by the students of the Montfort Centre, Shah Alam. This happy occasion was graced by the presence of our Archbishop Julian Leow. Since it was still within the Chinese New Year celebration period, all were served Chinese New Year dinner, with Yee Sang too. The sisters from overseas were thrilled to be part of this Chinese culture.

After the dinner, the participants were introduced to the history and diversity of this colourful country by Mr Richard Chia. This was followed by a short history of the arrival of the IJ Sisters in Malaya in 1852, a glimpse into the evolution of the Institute, the highs and lows experienced in times of war and peace.

The main aim of the Council of the Institute is to listen deeply to where the Spirit is calling the Institute at this time and to come to a consensus on a theme for the next General Chapter which will help all IJ Sisters to move forward together.

On March 4, the Sisters joined the community in the Church of the Divine Mercy for the Sunday liturgy. They were very inspired by the whole atmosphere in the Church, particularly the warm hospitality of Fr Gerard Theraviam and the parishioners.

Among the places of interest which the Sisters visited were the Istana Negara, the National Mosque, Central Market, Batu Caves and Pewter and Craft Centres. The Sisters in Cheras were delighted to have all these Sisters joining them for dinner on March 7, 2018.

On March 10, this Assembly ended with the Eucharistic Celebration with Fr Andrew Wong, CDD, with words of appreciation to all who had helped make this gathering a fruitful and Spirit-filled one!

This journey in Kuala Lumpur was completed with a visit to Asrama Cahaya, Bukit Nanas, where 42 of our Convent Women reside. This international gathering brought the Sisters closer to the realities of Malaysia with a greater sense of solidarity among all. A deep sense of gratitude to God and all, particularly those in Malaysia (IJ Sisters and friends), who had made this a memorable occasion for all participants.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

PENANG: A one-day Scripture Centred Retreat was organised on March 3 at the Church of the Divine Mercy (CDM).

Sr Sandra Seow, from the order of Verbum Dei Missionaries (Word of God Missionaries) from Singapore, facilitated this retreat. She brought along Sr Maria Jose Egido, who was responsible for establishing this religious order in Singapore in 1997.

The retreat entitled Jesus, the Living Word, Speaks began with Sr Sandra explaining that this retreat was aimed at enabling us to know God in our hearts and have an encounter with Jesus through His word. She then went into the four steps of Lectio Divina (Divine Reading) Read, Meditate, Pray and Contemplate. Sr Sandra, however, introduced a fifth step, namely, Action. This is to have faith to put prayer into action and so to live our faith. She explained that this ancient method was used by monks to listen to God, using the Word of God to find the hidden personal message to each of us. It gives us a means to dialogue with God. Our success in this dialogue will depend on how open we are to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

In the next session entitled “The Living Word, the Core of our Faith”, Sr Sandra explained that the Church teaches us that Jesus is present in the Word. The key element for us is to listen to what God’s personal message to us is. This was also emphasised by Pope Francis when he explained that the first duty of a Catholic is to listen to the Word of God. In this world of external and internal distractions, a sincere and genuine listening is not easy. It requires a heart that is committed to understanding God’s message.

Sr Sandra then went on to explain the Parable of the Sower in Luke 8. She linked the different types of soils to the distractions in one’s life towards listening to God’s Word. In conclusion, she reminded us of the words of St James 1:22-24 “But you must do what the Word tells you and do not just listen to it and deceive yourselves. Anyone who listens to the Word and takes no action is like someone who looks at his own features in a mirror and, once he has seen what he looks like, goes off and immediately forgets it”. We cannot look into a mirror and just go away not doing anything to fix the way we look.

Sr Maria Jose in Transforming Encounter with Jesus the Living Word, said that Jesus is the dictionary in which we can find everything. St Ambrose had said that the sacred scripture has been given to us so that God and man can speak to one another. St Jerome, in turn, said that ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of God. The Word has the face and voice of Jesus. She emphasised that we need to encounter Jesus in a personal way and relate to Him. God takes the initiative to knock on our door but we do not hear it. She showed an allegorical painting by William Holman Hunt entitled The Light of the World, representing the figure of Jesus preparing to knock on a weed overgrown and long unopened door. The door can only be opened from the inside as it has no handle. We are given the freedom of choice to open the door and let Jesus come in and share a meal with us.

She went on to explain the encounter of Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, with Jesus in Luke 9. Even though Zacchaeus was known to be a public sinner, Jesus looked up to him. Zacchaeus, in turn, was determined to meet with Jesus. He didn’t give up even though he was a man of small stature and pressed away by the crowd. He climbed a tree. We need to be determined to encounter Jesus, and Jesus will call us by name, as He did Zacchaeus. Jesus does not judge us and gives us dignity by accepting us even though we don’t see the things we do wrong. He does not impose anything on us.

The onus is on us to open the door to Him.

In the last session, The Journey of Prayer by Means of the Word of God, Sr Sandra invited the audience to draw a symbol of prayer in a handout. She explained that Prayer is a lifelong Journey which is a communion with God, resulting in a transforming union of growing towards others. She referred to the CCC on three methods of prayer.

The audience was also invited to share in groups the ways to continue after this retreat. She also shared other methods of prayer like the Ignatian Contemplation of Imaginative Prayer by St Ignatius of Loyola that employed the use of creative imagination.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

LIMBAHAU, Sabah: “For me, International Women’s Day (IWD) is a day of recognition of women and solidarity with each other and support. At first, I didn’t know what IWD meant. It was a breakthrough in my life when I attended the first International Women’s Day Seminar in my parish. I learnt of the struggles and the achievements of our gender, past and present.

“As a Catholic woman, IWD means reflecting not just on the turbulence of the past year but also on the greater history of Christian women throughout time, and the faith and qualities our role models have pursued and possessed in order to persevere,” said Milina Nandu, the chairperson of the Catholic Women’s League in St Sabina Chapel, Limbahau (an outstation chapel under the Church of the Holy Rosary).

Milina was one of the dozen women who celebrated IWD at parish level at the Holy Rosary Church of Limbahau on March 11. Here, IWD was celebrated with Mass, followed by fellowship.

Rosalinda, from a small chapel in Ovai, Kombizaan, narrated that since the parish started organising IWD seminars every year in March, she began to understand the important role of women.

“In the beginning, I was not confident to voice my opinion. Now, thanks to the IWD seminars and guidance from the church, our women’s league in my kampung is more lively. We organise activities such as visiting the sick, chain prayers in solidarity with Pope Francis’ intentions, seminars and workshops for young girls. Now we are focusing on how to counter Islamisation and to strengthen the family.

Rosalinda was inspired by the wisdom and love of Mother Mary and Mother Teresa. “There are so many women out there who were raped, illiterate and forced to become slaves due to poverty or war. Through unity and prayer, we, women can help those victims,” said Rosalinda.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

TUARAN  – Regular Massgoers of St John Tuaran received well the Year of Mercy (YoM) message focusing on the Samaritan Woman (Jn 4:1-42) on 23 Mar 2018.

The programme was conducted by members of the Archdiocesan Social Communications Commission with the objective of bringing home the message of God’s mercy and forgiveness to the family.

Father Edward Raymond, the rector, took part in it by proclaiming the gospel text while Father Thomas Madanan, adviser to the commission, summarised the catechesis given by Joseph Leong and Gideon Mosito.

The catechesis took place immediately after the Way of the Cross and Holy Mass.  Copies of the YoM leaflets were distributed free to those present before all adjourned outside for a fellowship meal.

The programme started during the Year of Mercy (8 Dec 2015-20 Nov 2016) but since the message is ever relevant the commission decided to continue it as part of their Lenten activities after the Year of Mercy.

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

KOTA BELUD – The second Friendship Faith Camp (FFC2) at St Joseph Chapel here drew 70 participants on 23 Mar 2018. The theme of the camp was Serving Together One Community.  Among the speakers was Pauline Sister Laura Anggie who touched on Friendship and Family.  The participants came from the different zones under St Edmund Parish.  It is one of the many initiatives of the parish for the youths during weeklong school break Mar 17-25.

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu