Category Archives: Nov 2017

PENAMPANG – Penampang candidates for confirmation on their way to St Michael here for the ceremony were undeterred by flash floods on 29 Sept 2017.

The 158 candidates came from Kibabaig, Kolopis, Nampasan, Kambau, and Penampang-Dambai including St Michael Secondary School.

One hundred and three candidates had to battle the strong current at Kg Dabak which had reached almost five feet high along the lower level of the 200-metre long Jalan St Michael before going uphill to the church with the help of 4×4 motorists who responded to the situation.

 

Those who were stranded by the traffic snarl caused by impassable roads and did not make it were, among others, students of SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin waiting to be transported to the church about three km distant away.  They and others received the sacrament at St Aloysius Church Limbanak on Oct 10.

Archbishop John Wong presided at the Mass, which was concelebrated with Fathers Wilfred Atin and Wiandigool Runsab.

The inclement weather did not dampen the joy of the celebration.  However, the planned  blessing of the  gigantic 15- foot statue of St Michael the Archangel had to be postponed to another date which has yet to be confirmed. – Soccom Penampang

 

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

ROME – A new book discloses details about the death of Pope John Paul I – who died in 1978 after just 33 days in office – and conclusive evidence that his death was the result of a heart attack, as previously thought, the CNA/EWTN News posted on its news portal on 6 Nov 2017.

In the book, called “Papa Luciani: Chronicle of a Death,” Vatican journalist Stefania Falasca presents thoroughly-researched evidence, including previously undisclosed medical reports, witness testimonies and Vatican documents, confirming original reports that the late pontiff died of a heart attack.

Albino Luciani, who was born on 17 Oct 1912 in Italy’s northern Veneto region, was elected Bishop of Rome at the age of 65. He took the name Pope John Paul to honour both of his immediate predecessors, St John XXIII and Bl Paul VI.

His term as pope was short-lived, however, as he died suddenly on 28 Sept 1978, after only 33 days in office. It has been presumed his death was caused by a heart attack, but a lack of published evidence has allowed conspiracy theories to surface, including insinuations of murder.

The book will be released Nov 7, which is said to coincide with the announcement that John Paul I’s cause for sainthood is moving forward. According to Vatican journalist Andrea Tornielli, on Nov 7 or 8 the Vatican may announce Pope Francis’ approval of the “heroic virtue” of Albino Luciani, declaring him “venerable.”

This then opens the path for his beatification, which requires the approval of a miracle attributed to his intercession. Currently, the Vatican is examining two alleged miracles from the late Pope’s intercession.

In her book, Falasca, who also serves as vice-postulator of Luciani’s cause for sainthood, outlines evidence regarding John Paul I’s death, including how the evening before his death he suffered a severe pain in his chest for about five minutes, a symptom of a heart problem.

It occurred while sitting and praying vespers in the chapel with his Irish secretary, Msgr John Magee, before dinner. The pope rejected the suggestion to call for a doctor and the pain went away without treatment. His doctor, Renato Buzzonetti, was only informed of the event after his death.

Contrary to what was first announced by the Vatican, however, it wasn’t the pope’s secretaries who first found him the next morning, but a young sister.

When the elderly Sister Vicenza, who helped care for the pope, noticed that he had not come out of his room to take his morning coffee, she knocked on his door, opening it when he didn’t answer.

She immediately came back out in a state of shock, however, and called for the younger Sister Margherita Marin. In her sworn testimony, Sr Margherita relates that entering the room she “touched his hands, they were cold, and I saw, and was struck by the fact that his nails were a little dark.”

Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who is from the same region as John Paul I, contributed a preface to the book. In it he explains that while serving as Patriarch of Venice in 1975, Cardinal Luciani also suffered from a heart problem and was treated with anti-coagulants appearing to resolve it.

Sr Margherita, now 76 years old, said in her testimony that John Paul I did not seem tired or weighed down by his new responsibilities, but that she always saw him “calm, serene, full of trust, confident.”

Though his papacy was very short, requests to begin John Paul I’s beatification process followed shortly after his death and came from many parts of the world. These requests were formalized in 1990, with a document signed by 226 Brazilian bishops.

On 23 Nov 2003, he was declared a Servant of God by his immediate successor, Pope John Paul II.

 

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

 

MACAU – Chow How Shen from Melaka, has won the Veritas Cup, a Chinese hymn-writing competition, with his hymn, “God is Love.”

Although the competition was judged in mid-July, the awards ceremony and Holy Music Festival was held in Macau 27-29 Oct 2017 at the Macau Diocesan Social Communication Centre.

A special Mass was celebrated and Bishop Stephen Lee Bun-sang of Macau presented the awards after Mass.

Judges of the Veritas Cup, a Chinese hymn-writing competition, have praised the marked improvement in the quality of this year’s entries.

So Kai-yi from Taiwan, the chairwoman of the jury, said that one criterion was how well the hymns reflected Christian faith.

Competition judge Wu Jiagong, principal of Guangqi Music School in Shanghai Diocese, noted that some entries were performed in an ancient Chinese chanting style.

However, Wu admitted that the bulk of mainland Chinese composers had yet to catch up with other entrants, including from Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

He added, however, that new Church music talent is emerging in China.

Judge Wu Ru-ran, a conductor from Taiwan, said traditional influences such as folk songs and operas should not be ignored.

“In addition to composing our works via our own experiences and emotions, we need to think more about the relationship between oneself with the earth and God,” he advised.

Wu noted that the treasure of Western Catholic music was accumulated over hundreds of years.

Themes of this year’s entries ranged from saints to family, children, religious orders and worship, as well as the sharing of faith.

The first contest in 2013 attracted 182 entries, with 16 per cent coming from overseas Chinese communities. — ucanews.com/heraldmalaysia online

 

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

RANAU – Over 30 people attended the one-day retreat for members of Ranau Social Communication & Multimedia Committee (SOCCOM) at Kam-Kam Joyful Garden Bongkud here on 22 Sept 2017.

In his address, Father Nicholas Stephen, pastor of St Peter Claver Parish (SPCR), said that advancement of technology in communications opens up a whole new style of information distribution to the masses which is needed to be adopted by today’s media practitioners while staying true to the principles of journalism.

“Towards that end, I urge the media today to engage in building constructive communication, rejecting prejudice against others and promoting the culture of the fellowship, while helping us all to see the world around us in real and convincing manner, ” he said.

Fr Stephen added that it is obvious in the world today that the new media have to break the spirits of anxiety and spiraling fears that arise as people are constantly focusing on ‘bad news’ like wars, terrorism, scandals, and all kinds of human failures.

The priest urged the retreatants to look for an open and creative way of communication that does not glorify evil, but solution-oriented and inspirational towards taking a positive and responsible approach.

“I urge everyone, especially media practitioners, to be a ‘good news’ agent for this world we are living in today,” he said.

Among the talks given were “Introduction to News Writing” (Clarence G Dol), and “Basic Media Photography” (Jimmy Akau).

Themed Service Through the Media, the organisers also touched on the roles of the communications committee in the parish.

Among the attendees were Franciscan Friar Aiden Peter Jr and Zebius Karim, chairman of SOCCOM-SPCR, and other committee members.  – clarence george

 

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

BUNDU TUHAN – Sixty-four pastoral leaders attended a retreat on spirituality of pastoral ministry on 3-5 Nov 2017 at the retreat centre here.

The participants came from Sacred Heart Cathedral Karaminsing, Church of Mary Immaculate Bukit Padang, St Paul Dontozidon, Our Lady Queen of Peace Kobusak, and St John Kopungit.

In two sessions followed by group sharing, Father Cosmas Lee (Nov 4) guided them to a deeper understanding of the spirituality of pastoral ministry based on St Paul’s Letter to the Romans (12:3-21).

“Spirituality,” he said,  may be understood as a concrete path led by God the Holy Spirit to live the Gospel in a particular vocation, station or role in life – and here as ministers involved in the pasturing of the parish community.

Fr Lee singled out five principles of the pastoral ministry spirituality in Rom 12:3-21:

1. Grace and Faith: the only basis to true discernment and evaluation of ourselves as ministers (Rom 12:3). Though ministry is necessary to meet the many needs of the church, the first and primary purpose of service is that one grows in godliness and holiness which is only possible with the right spirituality.
2. Communion and Belonging to Each Other and to Christ (Rom 12:4-5).  To become holy is possible only when each lives and journeys in faith as one who vitally belongs to the whole community, in one’s own ministry, in the parish, and in the whole church.  There is no place for an individualistic spirituality in ministry.  When we don’t work in union with others, we will not grow in Christ or become a part of Christ’s Body, or capable of sanctifying those we serve.
3. Service in Accordance to the Particular Gift given by the Spirit (Rom 12:6-8).  Cheerfulness (not without pain) in the ministry is a sign that God has given us the appropriate charism indeed.  Charisms are not mere gifts.  Though they often include natural gifts, charisms are driven by a divine power to serve for the glory of God and the person’s spiritual growth which naturally and mystically will spill over for the good of neighbour.
4. Virtues and Attitude Needed While Carrying Out Ministry (Rom 12:9-13).  The three virtues (powers) are a) sincerity in service; b) brotherly or sisterly love with profound respect for each other; c) serve untiringly and earnestly – with great passion and cheerfulness undistracted by anything unrelated to the goal of serving; and the attitudes of unceasing prayer and hope.
5. The Do’s and Don’ts While Ministering (Rom 12:14-21).  They are: a) Bless those who persecute you and do not curse them; b) Be in solidarity with all in good and bad times; c) Treat everyone with equal kindness and never be condescending but make real friends with the poor; d) Never be self-satisfied or complacent; e) Always share with others – amenities, time, and talents; and e) Be hospitable always.

The retreat ended with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction.

The night before, the participants viewed a movie entitled Silence – directed by Martin Scorsese in 2016 – about two 17th century Portuguese missionaries who travel to feudal Japan in an attempt to locate their mentor, who is rumoured to have committed apostasy, and to propagate Christianity.

On the last day, Archbishop John Wong led the participants to reflect a bit more on the Archdiocesan Misson statement reflected in the Archdiocesan Prayer recited on Sundays.

Time was given for participants to share their learnings or questions before the closing Mass presided by Abp Wong.

 

 

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Sir Peter Lim Leong Seng, a colossus in his time, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Oct 26, 2017. He was 101.

The man who was the first Malaysian-born Comptroller General of the Inland Revenue Board and a Knight of the Order of St Gregory the Great (Vatican) was a quiet, unassuming man. He lived an exemplary life as a Catholic and was devoted to his family, community and country.

“This is a celebration of life. That is why the clergy is vested in red,” Archbishop Julian Leow explained to the congregation in his opening remarks at the funeral of Tan Sri Sir Lim on Oct 30 at the Church of the Holy Rosary.

“We are gathered here this morning to celebrate the life of Tan Sri Sir Peter Lim Leong Seng. We celebrate because he has lived a full life — 101 years of faithful service to family, community and country.

“And today, we want to honour his memory as father, father-in-law, grandfather, boss, colleague, companion along this journey of life.

Up to two years ago, he was still serving the archdiocese. Even last week, he still came to the office (Archdiocesan Finance).

Today, we want to celebrate his life. We want to acknowledge all that Tan Sri Sir Lim has done for this country of ours and for the Archdiocese in particular. I am sure you are aware of his service in the Inland Revenue Board and the Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese.

I have known him a little better in the past three years. I have noticed that Tan Sri was always present at every funeral of a priest or religious brother or sister. You could always find him in the front pew, praying. I am sure he does that for his BEC and parish.

Today, we want to seek his intercession as we believe he is now with God in heaven. He is now receiving the just reward for his long life on earth.

Tan Sri did not have any illnesses — serious or otherwise. He was in relatively perfect health. He led a very disciplined life in terms of his diet (only three meals a day and no snacking in between meals), his daily routine of exercise, prayer and family life. He can put some of us to shame.

His passing leaves a vacuum in our lives. We will miss his care for the staff, his concern for each and every one that he met and the soft spot he had for the sick and dying in Assunta Hospital, Hospis, Sri Seronok, all these institutions that he served and continued to hold close to his heart.

We salute him just as the scouts from Stella Maris School saluted him at the entrance.

We pray that Our Heavenly Father will look mercifully on him and receive Sir Peter into his heavenly abode. May we too follow his example and continue to serve without counting the cost: to continue caring for the dying, the elderly, the sick and those that need assistance.

May his legacy continue to shine brightly in the lives of his family and in our lives. We, who have known him personally, hope to follow his good example, in the different institutions that he has left behind.”

The Church of the Holy Rosary was packed with clergy, religious and laity who came to bid farewell to this great man. Archbishop Emeritus Murphy Pakiam led the final commendation at the Mass.

Tan Sri Sir Lim was laid to rest at the Cheras Christian Cemetery. Cardinal Soter Fernandez led the prayers at the cemetery.

In the eulogy, Sebastian Aw Ing-Zer, Tan Sri Sir Peter Lim Leong Seng’s grandson said, “I want to remember the man so filled with love that he would do anything for his family and friends, whose love touched us all throughout his life and, in doing so, we are here today to celebrate his life.

“That’s the man I want to remember. Not just the man who accomplished so much, that his five foot frame cast a much longer shadow, but the man who laughed, and cried and hoped and feared. I want to remember and celebrate my grandfather: a great man, but also so much more.

A loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, Tan Sri Sir Peter Lim suffered enormous losses in his personal life with the death of his second son, Francis more than 10 years ago, the death of his grandson Geordie Lim a little later and his wife Puan Sri Rosa Chou in 2013. He now leaves behind two sons, a daughter, five grandchildren and three great grandchildren to mourn his loss.

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KUALA LUMPUR (Herald Malaysia): Tan Sri Sir Peter Lim Leong Seng, KMN, JMN, PSM who served for 26 years in the Kuala Lumpur Archdiocesan Finance Department, passed away peacefully in his sleep on October 26. He was 101.

He will be remembered for his integrity, generosity, commitment to work culture and initiatives in raising funds for charity, welfare, education and community work.

A loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, Tan Sri Sir Peter Lim suffered enormous losses in his personal life with the death of his second son, Francis, more than 10 years ago; the death of his grandson Geordie Lim and his wife Puan Sri Rosa Chou in 2013. He now leaves behind two sons, a daughter, five grandchildren and three great grandchildren to mourn his loss.

The wake for Tan Sri Sir Peter Lim was held from Oct 27 to Oct 29 at 39A, Jalan Balau, Damansara Heights Kuala Lumpur.

The funeral Mass was celebrated on Monday, October 30 at 10.00am at the Church of the Holy Rosary. He was buried at the Cheras Christian Cemetery, Jalan Kuari.

His Grace, Most Reverend Julian Leow, the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur and the clergy of the Archdiocese, extend their condolences to the family of Tan Sri Sir Peter Lim Leong Seng in this time of loss and assures them of their fraternal prayers and support.

A great and humble man

Like many accountants in the profession, Tan Sri Sir Peter Lim’s excellence in Mathematics during his school days was a precursor to him taking on accounting as a career. He had started off in his first job as a teacher at St Michael’s School in Alor Setar, Kedah in 1934 and 1935 after he completed his Senior Cambridge Examinations, but with a salary of just $30.00 a month, he decided, in the following year, to return to his hometown in Penang in 1936. He enrolled in the newly-established government commercial day school where he learned accounts, typewriting and shorthand.

Honing new skills to equip himself for an accounting career, sitting for his professional examinations during World War II and working as an accountant during the Japanese occupation, his passion for the profession grew out of his natural ability to provide sound advice and problem-solving. He had indeed helped many a client with these skills over the decades.

He saw the introduction of income tax in Malaya in 1948. The following year, he joined the Income Tax Department as an Examiner. In 1967, he was appointed as the first Malaysian Comptroller General for what is now known as the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) and held this position till September 1971 when he reached the compulsory retirement age of 55. It was a significant appointment because, up to that point, the post of Comptroller General was held by expatriate Income Tax officers from Great Britain or Australia.

With his wealth of experience and knowledge in tax, the then Finance Minister Tun Tan Siew Sin created the post of Tax Advisor to the Treasury in 1971 to retain his expertise in Income Tax.

In 1974, he was invited to join the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as Tax Administration Advisor to the Ministry of Finance in the then Hindu Kingdom of Nepal. There, he cheated death when the motor vehicle he was travelling in was involved in an accident which took the life of his Nepali colleague who was seated between him and the driver. Tan Sri Lim himself ended up with a broken collarbone, which was a reminder to him of God’s providence on his life.

After completing his stint with the IMF, he returned to Kuala Lumpur and was appointed as Special Commissioner of Income Tax till he retired from civil service in 1979 at the age of 63. That same year, he joined the private sector, taking up the role of Tax Consultant at Price Waterhouse. From 1982 to 1992, he was with Price Waterhouse Tax Services as an Executive Director and then Tax Advisor.

It was in 1990 that Tan Sri Lim took up the position of Financial Administrator for the Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur. He was also very active in social work where he contributed considerable time and expertise to the Holy Rosary Church, Assunta Hospital, the Association for the Promotion of Higher Education in Malaysia and Hospis Malaysia. He was also one of the founding members of Sekolah Menengah Stella Maris’s board of governors.

Tan Sri Lim was conferred the Kesatria Mangku Negara (KMN) in 1963, Johan Mangku Negara (JMN) in 1968 and Panglima Setia Mahkota (PSM) which carries the title ‘Tan Sri’ in 1970. The conferment of these honours is testament to his outstanding service and contribution to the nation.

The grandfather that I love, my Kong Kong

“Knight commander of the Order of St Gregory the Great, the first Malaysian-born Comptroller General of the Inland Revenue Board, Tan Sri Sir Peter Lim Leong Seng.” said Sebastian Aw Ing-Zer, Tan Sri Sir Lim Leong Seng’s grandson, during the eulogy.

“By my metric, my grandfather was a great man. We all have some tales and anecdotes of his many triumphs and achievements, and the titles and accolades he won through them. As a child growing up, those tales sounded almost mythic.”

“Great people naturally build myths and legend through their deeds. It is thus tempting to eulogise my grandfather in similar ways, recounting his achievements, his tenacity, his strength of character that seemed at times otherworldly, as if, if we looked hard enough, we could glance at something beyond.

“It is tempting to do this, but I hope not to speak of greatness today. When we speak of great people, our myths and legends sing of grandeur, and in doing so, risk drowning out the small, quiet moments that form the bedrock of human life. By speaking only of their greatness, we risk robbing our loved ones of the humanity of their lives.

“Thus today, I don’t want to eulogise Tan Sri Sir Peter Lim Leong Seng. I want to eulogise the grandfather I love, my Kong Kong.

“I want to remember the man who would be waiting at the door to greet me when I came back from primary school, and then drove me to the newsagent to buy comics and toys.

“I want to remember the man who, upon hearing a passing remark that I liked dragon fruit, would then enthusiastically buy dragon fruits for me nearly every day for half a year.

“I want to remember the man who so loved his wife that he would pray with her every single day. I used to drive them to church every Saturday and Sunday as he drove like an F1 driver, who somehow got his licence renewed to 2021.

“I want to remember the man who, despite his amazing health, hated and feared growing old. Who stubbornly resisted getting a walking cane, a hearing aid, until he could barely hear me when I called on the phone.

“I want to remember the man so filled with love that he would do anything for his family and friends, whose love touched us all throughout his life and, in doing so, we are here today to celebrate his life.

“That’s the man I want to remember. Not just the man who accomplished so much that his five foot frame cast a much longer shadow, but the man who laughed and cried and hoped and feared. I want to remember and celebrate my grandfather; a great man, but also so much more.”

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

On October 12 and 13 October 2017, a year after the Peninsular Malaysia Pastoral Convention IV (PMPC IV) and the Diocesan Synod in 2016, Bishop Bernard Paul recalled representatives from the Malacca Johore parishes and ministries to the Post Synod. 228 new and existing leaders, including 35 from the Clergy and religious, responded to his call.

The Post Synod was a follow up to review the parishes’ pastoral plans with regards to the Diocesan Pastoral Thrust 2016-2020: The Church as A Communion of Families, seeking to be Creative, Inclusive, Bridge Building, Visionary and Missionary, and to go forth as “disciples of Hope” through being 4E Catholics — ENCOUNTERED, ENLIGHTENED, EMPOWERED and EVANGELISING.

The Preparatory document towards the Synod of Youth in 2018 called by Pope Francis gave us a wider understanding of vocational discernment among the young. This will better prepare young people in today’s challenging environment, towards living out their personal call to love through whichever state of life that the Lord calls them — Priest, Religious, Married Life, Singlehood. The focus on youths is essential and important for the Church.

It was noted that only seven parishes had submitted their reports to the survey during the Parish Pastoral Assembly of the Paris before the Post Synod gathering. As such, for parishes which did not have their Assemblies before the Post Synod gathering, the lay people did not have an opportunity to be part of the process of maturity and growth in the Parish/Diocese.

From the evaluation by Bishop Bernard Paul, there is a lot we need to learn in response to the Diocesan’s thrust for 2016 – 2020 for the common good of all. Bishop Bernard called us to re-start and recommit to our common goal — becoming 4E Catholics and Church as Communion of Families.

The connection made by Fr Fabian Dicom on Evangelii Gaudium, The Joy of The Gospel by Pope Francis and being 4E Catholics was very enlightening and made a great impact on us. Our Diocesan thrust is actually in line with the dream of Pope Francis to be missionary disciples of Joy — heralding the Kingdom through witness of life, service to humanity, interreligious dialogue, prayer and sacrament as well as explicit Gospel proclamation.

The priority areas of concern expressed by the participants were similar to that of the Synod in 2016. This means two things: either we have not started to address them or, in addressing them, we discovered that more effort is needed. I believe it is the latter i.e. we are called to give more effort and chart more concrete and precise strategy towards meeting the present urgent needs of the Youths, Family, Community Building and the Poor. This would require the active and committed participation of everyone — Priests, Religious and Laity in one concerted effort, that everyone is willing to make a little sacrifice for the common good for ourselves, family, community, Parish, Diocese and Society. Healthy dialogue and collaboration need to be stressed, accompanying one another in our common task and mission at all levels in the Parish/ Diocese of Malacca-Johore.

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

PETALING JAYA (Herald Malaysia): World Mental Health Day is celebrated on 10th October annually. It is a day dedicated towards raising public awareness by educating and advocating mental health issues worldwide.

The Archdiocesan Mental Health Ministry (AMHM), in collaboration with the Church of St Ignatius, organised a one day Archdiocesan Mental Health Day 2017 on October 14 at the Church of St Ignatius. The theme was Pain is Real, But So is Hope. A series of talks and workshops was planned to benefit people from different age groups.

In the welcome address, the Ecclesiastical Assistant of the AMHM, Fr Philip Chua, explained that everyone cannot escape suffering from pain, but God loves us and in mercy comes to meet us.

Archbishop Julian Leow was glad to see such a good response for this event. People have put aside the judgement, fear and stigma to come forward and focus on mental health. He also said that approximately 30 per cent of people in the world (equivalent to about 3.5 billion) are currently facing mental health issues. He quoted Psalm 25:16-17, “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.”

Archbishop Leow expressed his hope that everyone would continue to show compassion and care towards family members or friends who suffer from mental health issues.

There were 602 participants (Catholics and those from other religious backgrounds) at the event. Based on their responses, there is evidence that the public are becoming more aware about mental health. The Catholic participants from the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur came from 27 parishes/religious communities, including parishioners from Ipoh.

The organising committee also collaborated with the Archdiocesan Social Communication Ministry by including interaction via Webinar. Those who did not get a chance to join the event were able to watch the live broadcast through http://Tv.archkl.org in real time.

Participants were divided into three different age groups: children (ages 5-12), youths (ages 13-24), and adults (ages 25 and above) and in four language groups (English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin and Tamil).

The speakers came from a diverse range of specialities: psychiatry, child psychology, thanatology, corporate coaching, marriage and family, child abuse, etc.

For the children’s group, activities included Body Safety, Personal Boundaries, and Saying No!, mindfulness and assertiveness and therapeutic play. For the youth, the topics were on Family of Origin and Knowing Myself Better, Say NO to Internet Addiction, etc. The focus for the adult group included communication skills, suicide prevention, body, mind and spiritual wellness, etc. There was positive feedback from all the participants who felt that they had gained from all the workshops.

The Archdiocesan Mental Health Day 2017 also featured two plenary speakers. They were Associate Professor Dr Anasuya Jegathesan, Academic Head of Masters in Counselling Programme HELP University Malaysia and Ms. Siew Ju Li, psychologist at Fungates Sdn. Bhd.

Associate Professor Dr Anasuya Jegathesan spoke on How to Deal with Loss and Grief in Everyday Life. “Grief is one of those things in mental health that everybody experiences,” she said.

In the afternoon, Ms Siew Ju Li spoke on Being Good Enough: Building Emotional Resilience. She emphasised that “the first step to building emotional resilience is to be aware of our own feelings when we are facing fear, rejection, hurt, or any kind of painful event.”

A dinner was held on October 20 with Archbishop Julian Leow to appreciate the efforts of the 111 volunteers who helped make the Archdiocesan Mental Health Day a success.

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KUALA LUMPUR (Herald Malaysia): The First Holy Communion candidates of the Church of The Sacred Heart of Jesus attend a one-day camp at the Farm in Lenggeng on October 14. This is part of the preparation for the 38 candidates who will be receiving the sacrament of First Holy Communion on November 4. The theme for this year was JESUS, MY FRIEND.

The children were accompanied by their parents and teachers. Amongst the activities was a video presentation focussing on Mass, Communion and Confession, classroom quiz on the Act of Contrition, crossword puzzle based on Bible terms, a craft and art session where the children wrote messages to Jesus as their friend. The camp concluded with an out-door activity where the participants were briefed on nature and its connection to God, its creator.

Fr Edwin joined the camp as an observer. The sessions ended around 2.30pm with a group photograph.

The finale was a visit to the Rabbit Farm next door. The children were extremely excited as they had the chance to see and touch animals such as rabbits, ostriches, camels, goats, a deer and cows.

It was a fun-filled and meaningful camp for the children.

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online