Category Archives: Nov 2018

The final plan for the new Church of St Jude has just been submitted to the relevant government authorities.

The parish hopes to obtain the approval and begin the process for construction by April or May 2019.If you need more information, you can get more at DuraBarrier USA website

Fr David Arulanatham, the parish priest, informed the thousands of pilgrims who came for the October 2018 feast of St Jude Thaddeus that a bigger church with better facilities is needed to cater to the growing Catholic population in Rawang and its surrounding areas.

A couple of slides about the new church design and location were projected and Fr David said ground clearing works are expected to be in January or February 2019. Presently, only RM5 million plus has been raised for the New Church Building Fund. The estimated amount needed is between RM18 million and RM20 million. The parish is still committed to raising funds for the construction of the new church. Those who wish to donate for the three bells, tabernacle, altar, monstrance, etc, should contact him. Those who wish to donate can contact the parish office throughout the year. With the help of rebar chairs for steel reinforcement one can make sure the construction process is easier.

“While we are in the process of building the physical church, we are also working towards the building of the spiritual church.”

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes organised a one-day retreat called Healing Planet Klang & Our Future on November 3. Over 100 people attended this green retreat.

YB Charles Santiago, who is Klang’s parliamentarian, Coordinator for Coalition Against Water Privatisation (CAWP) and chairman of the National Water Services Commission (SPAN), spoke on the challenges faced by Malaysians with regard to the ongoing climate change that causes serious environmental damage.

Despite the impending doom and gloom of our environment, YB Charles encouraged the retreatants to remain hopeful. He addressed one of the key problems faced by Klang residents, the practice of plastic recycling at certain factories in Klang.

As a result of this practice, our rivers continue to be contaminated with microplastics found in marine products.

The parliamentarian also stated that with the steady move of population to the more urbanised areas of the nation, the water supply in the dams throughout the country is at risk of running dry in the next five years. Thus, citizens need to start conserving water before it is too late.

YB Charles also advised the participants to make a pledge to stop using single-use plastics and reduce their dependency on this environmental pollutant.

Reiterating the words of St Pope John Paul II on being faithful stewards of creation, Dato’ Dr Dionysius (Dino) Sharma, the
Chairman of the Malaysian Wildlife Conservation Foundation, started his session by saying that the gift of nature we have inherited from the Creator is also gifted to the poor.

Dr Dino gave a brief history of our planet’s evolution, and how humankind have steadily eroded the earth of its natural resources. Deforestation has depleted the world’s oxygen supply.

Dr Dino shared that the current waste production in the region and global ocean pollution is disturbing. An estimated 30,000 tonnes of daily waste would be produced by Malaysians in 2020. This will further impact biodiversity significantly.

He advised that everyone should start reducing their waste production through practical approaches of sustainable living. Amongst the suggestions given by Dr Dino were the everyday applications of reuse, reduce, refuse, rot (compost) and recycle.

Benedict Savarimuthu, an advertiser and multifaceted trainer and green ranger, pointed out that Laudato Si’ could be easily understood in three simple ways. Firstly, the whole of Laudato Si’ is primarily about the Creator, Creation and Us.

Secondly, ‘what’s inside of us (our attitudes and habits towards Creation) affects the outside and, eventually, what’s outside of us will affect the inside of us (the damage done to creation has a price and the consequences will be faced by us). Thirdly, he suggested using a formula ,GAS, our level of Gratefulness, Accountability and Stewardship of all that God has created and entrusted to us in Genesis 1:28 that will affect the level of Blessings, Miracles and Wonders (BMWs) that we will experience in our lives.

Ben asked all those present to reflect on Why and How God, in His wisdom, has placed them in Klang and continues to bless them daily to play a more active role to restore Klang by becoming better and more grateful, accountable stewards who will directly and indirectly contribute to the improvement of the environment and creation.

Louis Clovis, an IT and Broadcast Entrepreneur and current Activist-Guardian of Mother Earth, specifically of planet Klang, made the retreatants reflect on how they can transform apathy into the compassion that we need to comprehend the Cry of Creation which Pope Francis speaks about in the encyclical.

He also gave some examples on practical and useful suggestions.

The retreat culminated with an Ecumenical prayer, blessing of pets and the retreatants at the park opposite the church.

All who had attended pledged to play a more active role in Healing Klang and Creation, both individually and communally.

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

 

 

KAJANG: The Society of St Vincent de Paul, Conference of the Holy Family, celebrated the 28th anniversary of Rumah Keluarga Kami (RKK) with a charity dinner and dance on Saturday, October 20, at the hall of the Church of the Holy Family.

More than 900 well-wishers attended, including Archbishop Julian Leow, Fr Vincent Thomas, President of the State Council of Selangor, Joseph Chong, Chairman of the Parish Pastoral Council, Andrew Lim and the Chairman of the Parish Coordinating Council, Wilson Sebastion.

In his welcome address, the President of the Conference, Bryan Perera thanked the Catholic Community of the parish, both past and present, for journeying with the Conference during good and difficult times.

In his message published in the Commemorative Booklet, Archbishop Leow thanked the Members of the Conference for their commitment and perseverance amidst numerous adversities and for staying afloat on this “ship” for almost three decades, weathering many financial turbulences.

“When I think of all these precious children, I am reminded of what it means to be seen, to be heard, to be acknowledged.

It’s a privilege we should not take for granted, because everyday millions of children suffer unseen.

“Our humility, empathy, and our ability to walk in one another’s shoes, are our greatest strengths. And if we use these strengths, if we hold ourselves and those in power accountable, if we take action together, these children will not be alone. They will not be abused or exploited. They will have the opportunity to study, to play and to dream of their future.”

RKK commenced operations on June 1, 1990. Since then, more than 400 children of all races and religions have passed through its doors. Apart from providing shelter, the Home works towards social rehabilitation, reunification of families, counselling, understanding, kindness, holistic educational development, empowerment, restoration of self-confidence, dignity and self-reliance. The Home has provided a safe and secure environment for several hundred children who have since gone on to acquire tertiary and vocational qualifications.

At the charity dinner, a sumptuous eight course Chinese dinner was served, with entertainment provided by Small Stones.

DJ Rust, with his Music Machine, entertained the younger patrons. The highlight of the evening was the colourful and dazzling dance performances, a joint musical rendition by a Violinist (guest of the Home) and a Guitarist, a solo Beatboxing and a song in Tamil by the Children of the Home.

Archbishop Leow later presented “Appreciation Awards” to the Management Staff of the Home for their care, patience, love and kindness as caregivers to the children of the Home.

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

“When we forget, it looks forsaken, but when we remember, we give life,” said Fr Dominic Santhiyagu, the Parish Priest of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (NBVM) during Mass in commemoration of all the faithful departed on November 2.

In his homily, he showed two contrasting images of graveyards — one looking forlorn and spooky while the other teeming with a multitude of colourful flowers, beautiful burning candles and people visiting their loved ones. He said the first image happens when we forget the dead. It is an ambience of hopelessness and abandonment. The second image gives hope in ‘life after death’— resurrection. It is this hope that warms the heart and lifts the spirit of the ones visiting their loved ones who have gone before them, with the hope that one day we will meet again in the heavenly kingdom. This remembrance brings life, hope and meaning, which is why we commemorate All Souls Day.

He encouraged the congregation to pray for their loved ones who have passed on as he does at every Eucharistic celebration for his late parents and brother. He also invited the parishioners to reflect on their own deaths — to take a few minutes to visualise what their own funeral would be like. Finally, he urged all to remember “The Lord is my light and my salvation” Psalm 27:1, reminding them that in Jesus, there is resurrection.

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KOTA KINABALU: This year’s St Simon Feastday celebration saw a record number of First Holy Communicants with 51 candidates and 46 confirmands on Nov 4.

The event started with Mass at the main church where Archbishop John Wong led the celebration, and concelebrated with Archbishop Emeritus John Lee, parish rector Fr Cosmas Lee and Fr Paul Lo.

Archbishop Wong, in his sermon, highlighted the roles of a disciple and apostle. He urged the parishioners and churchgoers to serve like Jesus did — a selfless service through the various ministries in the parish.

“What made this man — St Simon — willing to give his life to Jesus to the point of death?

“I believe St Simon was able to lay down his life for Jesus because Jesus was someone important and special for him.

“What about us? We are also called to be with Jesus and to go forth and share the Good News that God is love, He cares and He is here in this moment,” the archbishop said.

Later Parish Pastoral Council chairperson Anne Wong congratulated the First Holy Communicants and the newly-confirmed.

She also urged them to continue their faith journey through serving in the ministries or sub-ministries in the parish.

Speeches were also given by Archbishop John Wong and Fr Cosmas Lee followed by a cake-cutting ceremony and the singing of the parish’s patron saint song, “Simon Our Patron.”

Fr Cosmas in his speech thanked all the guests for their attendance and also expressed his gratitude to the Archbishop Emeritus for never failing to attend the parish’s feast day since it became a parish in 2008.

For the first time, the Boys Brigade, a new ministry at the parish, and under the guidance of Godfrey Moey, presented a dance performance during brunch at the hall.

Among the invited guests were representatives from the various religious congregations in the State and parishes under the Kota Kinabalu Archdiocese.

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

Her Excellency Kamala Shirin Lakhdir paid a courtesy call to the Church of St. Joseph on Thursday 8 Nov 2018 in conjunction with Harmony Walk, a visit to several places of worship in Sentul. This is a yearly programme on her agenda and close to her heart. She was accompanied by YB Senator Waythamoorty, the Minister of Welfare and Social Wellbeing, representatives of various religions in Sentul and staff of the Embassy.

On hand to welcome her was Mr. Gabriel Moses, the Parish Pastoral Council Chairman (PPC), Ms. Eleanor Tennakoon, Coordinator of the Parish Ministry of Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Affairs (PMEIA) as well as several senior members of the parish. She was scheduled to spend 15 minutes but ended up being here for a good half hour.

She had earlier been to the Hindu and Buddhist temples in Sentul, enroute to the Taoist temple and Masjid Al Hidayah in Sentul Pasar. She took interest in the history of the church and wanted to know the origins of the parish. Gabriel as PPC Chairman spoke on behalf of the parish community.

He elaborated on the composition of the faithful, programmes for the poor and inter-religious programmes as well as the Myanmar migrants. She inquired on what problems the migrants were encountering being here in Malaysia.

The church celebrates 110 years this year and has its origins with the Railway Depot which is why the church was built. Our guests were impressed on the role played by the church in the community and with the migrants. Gabriel also spoke about the Cathechism classes for the Tamil, English and Myanmar communities held every Sunday. Ambassador Lakhdir asked, “What is the current biggest challenge?” To this, Gabriel said the involvement of youths in the ministries due to the current priorities of the world. However, on-going programmes were organised for the youths in church. Ambassador Lakhdir was keen to enter the church and was ushered in.

The group left at about 9.30 am after a fulfilling visit to enhance inter-religious dialogue.

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

BUKIT PADANG: When a momentous occasion such as a Silver Jubilee approaches, the first thing that everyone would be looking forward to is a celebration to commemorate the occasion.

When it comes to a church such as Church of Mary Immaculate (CMI), not only is it momentous but it is also a historical event for many people over 25 years and beyond that.

Although the celebration would be looked forward to, but it is the past that we have to go back to so that we are reminded of how God had worked through these individuals, both religious and lay people, who were chosen to build a church, where the communities have grown bit by bit over the years, and now has become one family.

This is reflected in the theme of CMI’s 25 years dedication: “Celebrating Our Journey Together as a Family of Faith”.

The Uniqueness of CMI

CMI is a triangular-shaped building with a 60-ft hands-clasped-in-prayer bell tower equipped with an electric chime.

The concept of the unique bell tower came from retired Town and Regional Planning Department Director, Datuk Thasius Joeman, a member of the building committee in 1990.

This was disclosed in an interview with him by the Silver Jubilee Committee at the church canteen on 8 April 2018 in conjunction with CMI’s 25 years of dedication. Present also was Thomas Koh, a PWD senior officer who was the treasurer of the building committee.

Joeman said he proposed the concept to founder Father Thomas Sham who in turn brought him to see Bishop John Lee.  It is utterly unique as Joeman said, he has not seen that design during his years of travel around the globe.

Joeman said he was thankful that the bishop accepted the proposal just as he did the idea of having a church on the ground and not having a hall beneath the church.  Earlier, the original design by Paul Chong to have a hall beneath the church had been approved by the bishop.

The retired director said he related to the bishop his experience in Sibu when he attended a Mass in a church that has a hall beneath the church.  He could not concentrate on the Mass because of the noise coming from the basement hall.  He also highlighted the point that it might be difficult to climb the stairs to enter the church as one ages.

After 25 years, the praying hands bell tower with electric chime is still unique and has become a landmark in the suburban area of Bukit Padang.

The Dedication

For the Silver Jubilee celebration, an organizing committee was formed to plan and carry out the jubilee activities from May 2018 onwards. It began with the monthly movie nights featuring “Mary of Nazareth”, “Lourdes” and “Fatima” from May to July; Parish Pilgrimage to the Church of Divine Mercy KKIP in August;  Exhibition by Ministries/Groups in September; Triduum leading to the Thanksgiving Mass and dinner on Sunday Oct 28.  As a weekly preparation until October, a Jubilee prayer was recited during Saturday and Sunday Masses as well as petition for specific groups/ministries in the Prayer of the Faithful.  A souvenir magazine and some souvenir items have been on sale as well.

The Future of the Church is the Community

“Now that the construction of the building of the Church of Mary, Immaculate is completed, it is important that we proceed with the community building.  A Church without a community is not a Church. A Church’s community is a Christian Community. A Christian Community is a believing and evangelizing community and, a community in dialogue with God and at the service of others.” (Message from Bishop John Lee on the occasion of the Blessing of the Church of Mary Immaculate on 31 October 1993).

The church community has been steadily growing and now is in need of better facilities. With this in mind, an approval was given by Archbishop John Wong to proceed with the extension of CMI.

This extension will see the construction of a multipurpose hall, classrooms, additional toilets, canteen and rectory. An unveiling of this extension was done alongside the launching of the Silver Jubilee Exhibition in September.

In his message, parish priest Fr Paul Lo said the building of the multipurpose hall will provide facilities for the church activities, especially catechetical ministries and youth programs.  He added that he believed that this building project would mark the beginning of the establishment of this church as a parish in the near future.

Sources: Silver Jubilee Committee (Sr Anna Yap) / CMI SOCCOM / CMI Building Committee

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

SINGAPORE: The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID), the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore, and the Taoist Federation of Singapore (TFS) jointly organized the Second Christian-Taoist Colloquium in Singapore from November 5-7, 2018. The theme of the Colloquium was “Christian and Taoist Ethics in Dialogue.” Seventy Christian and Taoist scholars and practitioners of interreligious dialogue mainly from Singapore but also from China, France, South Korea, Malaysia, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the Vatican, took part in this event. The participants included a representative each from the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences and the World Council of Churches.

Tan Thiam Lye, Chairman TFS, gave the welcome address and several other representatives offered their greetings. H.E. Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, Secretary PCID, delivered the keynote address.

The Colloquium focused on the following topics: Today’s Crisis of Ethics and Hope for Tomorrow; Taoist and Christian Responses to the Crisis of Ethics; Social Institutions and the Transformation of Human Persons; Spiritual Development and Self-Cultivation; Global Ethics and the Interdependency of All Human Beings; Fostering a United and Harmonious Society; and Emerging Orientations for Future Christian-Taoist Engagement. The program also included cultural and interreligious visits to the Taoist Kew Ong Yah Temple, the Catholic Church of the Transfiguration, and the Harmony in Diversity Gallery.

Following their spiritual and interdisciplinary exchanges, the participants agreed on the following:

We acknowledge that the Second Christian-Taoist Colloquium has helped strengthen our bonds of friendship and nurture our desire for further collaboration.

We shared our concerns and hopes for the future.

We affirm – because of the fundamental ethical teachings of our religious traditions to do good and avoid evil – that no one can escape the moral responsibility of transforming unjust socioeconomic, political, cultural, religious and legal structures.

We recognize that today’s crisis of ethics requires a rediscovery of universal values based on social justice, integral ecology, as well as the dignity of human life at every stage and circumstance. Therefore, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) remains a shared fundamental expression of human conscience for our times and offers a solid basis for promoting a more just world.

We believe in the capacity of our religious traditions to inspire a multi-faceted response to the challenges of our times. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the methods of communication our traditions and stories in a language that is easily understandable.

We believe that families, educational institutions, and religious communities are places of spiritual and moral formation where today’s youth can learn to shape tomorrow’s world into a better place.

We have seen that interpersonal and scholarly exchanges between our religious traditions enabled us to work together to shape the ethical frameworks needed for the common good of this and future generations. 

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Christian lawmakers and Church leaders pledged to combat corruption and act justly with the lead of one of the Best Domestic Battery Attorney Overland Park. The MPs include Works Minister Baru Bian, Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong, Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh and Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Steven Sim.

The MPs and Church leaders signed a pledge at the parliamentary prayer and worship meet at the Royal Lake Club on October 30.

Liew said that the last day for MPs to file their declaration of assets would be on October 31 and that their assets would be made public on Nov 1.

“That is how we measure corruption, especially those who are in public office.

“The pledge of the Pakatan Harapan government is to be transparent and accountable,” said the minister in charge of law.

Baru said Christian MPs were to uphold proper conduct in their work.

“In my first briefing and speech to my ministry staff, I said, ‘you all know me, I am a Christian, and I want to tell you that whatever it is that you are doing on your own, remember God is watching’,” he said.

Also present were Oriental Hearts and Mind Study Institute chairman Dr K.J. John and Archbishop Julian Leow, who is also the Christian Federation of Malaysia chairman.

Archbishop Leow urged politicians and those in the government to create “new politics” that would work towards the betterment of all the people in the nation.

“To the current government, the temptation is to blame the previous administration.

“We are aware of the wrongdoings in the past but you are no longer in the opposition.

“You are now in the driver’s seat,” he said.

He added that a stronger and more equitable Malaysia was needed, given the challenges such as the country’s debts and the impending global recession.

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

At the age of 12, Martinian Lee wrote in an essay that his ambition was to be a priest. Little did he know, that 25 years later, he would achieve his ambition.

“I was very young and immature then, and so I didn’t really fully understand what the priesthood is,” he said.

As he entered into adulthood, Lee wanted to fall in love, get married and have children with a good career and enjoy the ‘good life’ but there was a restlessness in his heart.

“I felt something wasn’t right. A feeling deep within me was trying to tell me that marriage was not for me. I was in denial, of course, but God was very gentle in his approach and never gave up on me.”

It was fear that kept Lee from saying ‘yes’ to God. Fear of not being able to live a celibate life. Fear of being lonely.

“Somehow, I realised that being controlled by fear is really no fun.My life was not giving glory to God because I wasn’t living out God’s will for me. I was missing true joy and freedom.

“After many years, I realised that God wouldn’t leave me alone. I was tired of running away from him and so I decided to say yes to God. Immediately, I felt a sense of peace and calmness in my heart. I had a sense of joy and freedom that I had never experienced before. Fear suddenly did not have a grip on me anymore. I felt like I could fly. That’s when I knew that God was truly calling me to the priesthood,” he said.

Being a cradle Catholic and the youngest in a family of three, Lee was very involved in his home parish, St Theresa’s Church, Melaka, from a very young age.

“I learnt so much from serving in church as a teenager, such as self-confidence, public speaking, punctuality, responsibility, respect, and camaraderie among the community. I know at times, I spent more time in church than at home but my parents didn’t mind because they were very active in church too. The community in church, in a way, planted the seed of the priesthood in me,” he said.

Although very active in church, Lee did not have a personal relationship with Jesus. However, he slowly learned about Jesus through the relationship he built within the community.

“I always thought the more I did in church meant the more Catholic I was. But as I grew older, I realised I knew very little about my faith. My relationship with Jesus needed to go beyond just doing. I needed to befriend the Bible. I needed a prayer life,” he said.

Before joining the priesthood, Lee described his family as his first ‘seminary’ as he was surrounded by many role models at home.

“They taught me how to love Jesus by showing me how to love and treat people. My family showed me great leadership qualities by serving others. My dad is a great role model. He was teaching Catechism long before I was born. My dad has this tremendous love and connection with God. He is truly an inspiration to me,” he said.

The turning point came when Lee had a meeting with Bishop Emeritus Paul Tan SJ who asked Lee to give up his life and serve God as a priest. I replied that I was not ‘holy’ enough and that made me unworthy to be a priest.

“I told him that I had a girlfriend and wanted to get married and would love to have children of my own.

To which he replied, ‘That’s great! It means you understand what love is and we want priests that understand the meaning of love.’ He then continued, ‘You must take the leap of faith. This means that in front of you is a deep and dark hole and you are to jump into that hole but trusting that God will catch you safely in his arms.’ That conversation moved me to tears. I knew then that this was God’s will and I was humbled,” he said.

To Lee, giving up married life was a gift to God and not a sacrifice, as it was the best gift anyone could give to the person you love the most.

“We should always give the best to God. In truth, it isn’t me that is doing God a favour. It is God that is blessing me abundantly when he called me,” he said.

Lee spent his initiation year in St Peter’s College Minor Seminary Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and then continued to St Peter’s College Major Seminary Kuching, Sarawak from 2012-2017.

“In the beginning, I would miss my family but, over the years, seminary life became a norm and Kuching became a second home to me. There were challenging times but never any moment of regret or despair,” he said.

Among the surreal, happy and emotional feelings that Lee had leading up to his ordination, he said he would love to bring people to experience who Jesus is.

“I wrote a prayer on my ordination prayer card entitled, The Gaze of Christ, which sums up my theme:

Love where there is no love. It is easy to love when you are loved but Jesus calls us to love when you have no love shown to you. This is needed, especially in this world today,” he said.

Lee’s message to the young people out there is that the priesthood is not boring. To him it is more like an adventure and worth all the struggles.

“No matter what, God loves you for youself and therefore you must love yourself, only then can you love others,” he said.–By Lavinia Louis

If God calls, he will make a way
Fr Paul Sia is the second among six boys and two girls. Born on August 10, 1956, he studied at Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus in Melaka whilst his secondary years were spent at St Francis Institution. He worked in Malaysia Airlines System in Customer Service Division, Operations Division and Human Resource Division.

Fr Sia was accepted into the Pontifical Beda College in September 2015. He was ordained a deacon at St Paul’s Basilica in June 2017, and completed his studies in June 2018. While studying in Rome, he had the opportunity to serve during the Bishops’ Ad Limina visit in 2018 and met the Pope.

For him, to be a diocesan priest is to be “attached to the parishioners for at least five years where I can ‘LABOUR, SEEK, HEAL, SET-FREE’ 2 Cor 9:7b (this is also my motto). I also follow the adage,‘… God loves a cheerful giver’.”

“I have a bad habit of not answering calls after 10.00pm and it was on March 23, 2014 that I made an exception. The call was from Bishop Paul Tan who gave me the good news — Pontifical Beda College had accepted me as a seminarian.

“My desire to join the seminary for priesthood goes back to 1975 when Fr Francis Ng CDD, a newly ordained priest, took charge of the Church of Saint Ignatius, Sungei Way from Fr Sullivan, a Jesuit priest.

“I attended the St Ignatius Church (SIC) because it was the only church I knew since coming to Petaling Jaya in 1974. The added advantage was that Fr Ng hails from Ayer Salak, Malacca; the same village where I came from. He was the priest that encouraged me to pursue my desire. He gave me much insight about the CDD Fathers and the priesthood. When I told my parents and aunty of my intention of joining the priesthood, the reply was no. However, I did not give up on the idea. It was always in my mind.

“I attended the Life in the Spirit Seminar (LSS) in 1998 at Assumption Church at the invitation of a colleague (Vincent Nathan). It was during this LSS that the thought of the priesthood became serious.

This thought became more serious with my involvement in the Divine Mercy Devotion in Sabah. The LSS also made me realise that going for Sunday Mass is insufficient. As days passed, I became thirstier for the Word of God. I registered to attend a Bible course at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Institute (API), Kuala Lumpur. My involvement in the various ministries at St Ignatius Church grew, beginning with the Charismatic Prayer Group, to teaching in Sunday school, followed by RCIA, Divine Mercy Group and the Youth ministry. I also participated in retreats organised by the Maranatha Retreat House where I later became one of the team members.

“My involvement in the Divine Mercy Group brought me to Kota Kinabalu. I worked with Fr William Polis to promote the devotion to the Divine Mercy. It was one of Archbishop John Ha’s sermons at the Divine Mercy Congress that prompted me to share, for the first time, my thoughts about the priesthood, first with Fr William and then with Msgr Gilbert Engan.

“When I returned to Peninsular Malaysia, I served the students from Sabah and Sarawak. I then shared my desire with Frs Paulino Miranda and Simon Labrooy. Fr William Michael and Fr Paulino helped me in my discernment. After the death of my dad in 2010 and my aunt in 2012, I wrote officially to the Bishop of Keningau to join the priesthood (as I was mostly based in Sabah). However, my request was unsuccessful. Frs Paulino and Simon Labrooy advised me not to give up and to continue praying saying, ‘If God wants you, he will open another door for you’.

“Yes, God opened another door. SIC had their yearly Youth Rally (which I coordinated) at Kuala Kubu Bahru. There, I met Fr Eddie Rayappan (who was then the Vocation Director of MJD), Martin Jalleh and Benedict Lo. It was Jalleh who asked about my application and Fr Eddie took it from there. It was a great Christmas gift for me when I received a call from Bishop Paul Tan on December 22, 2013. That call was the beginning of my journey to Beda. Praise and Thanks to God.”–Fr Paul Sia

Always searching for love
“For I was never involved in church. I was only baptised when I was about 14 or 15,” said 42 year old Fr Alexuchelvam Mariasoosai. “I did not get involved in church until after an LSS just after Form 6. I then became very involved, first in the charismatic group in Assumption and then, slowly, with some of the youths in Assumption and with the choir at weekday Masses. I tried to go for whatever formation that was being offered in church then.

From my early 20s, others seemed to think that I had a calling to the priesthood! I never accepted their hints as I thought it was ridiculous. One priest challenged me and told me I was running away from my calling. I cried, honestly thinking that I had given my all to Christ and felt that my vocation was to take care of my parents.

One influential priest in my journey is Fr Simon Yong, SJ. It was probably because, for the first time, I was able to engage with a priest in a proper conversation. He was able to relate to me, even challenged me and spoke to me like a friend. He believed in my vocation to the priesthood when I had given up believing that I did have a vocation as there were too many obstacles.

The then Bishop Paul Tan invited me to stay in Majodi to further discern my call to the diocesan priesthood. That moment when Bishop Paul Tan met me, I remembered the Parable of the Workers in the vineyard. The landowner found people doing nothing at different hours and called them to work in his vineyard. I was one of those standing doing nothing. Bishop Paul was like the landowner asking some people at 5 in the evening, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ and my answer seemingly corresponded to what the workers said to the landowner.. ‘Because no one has hired me’…. And he said, ‘You also go and work in the vineyard’…

I was then sent to Pontifical Beda College in Rome for four years. It was a beautiful experience for me. I felt that I found myself again, truly knowing better who I am and who God is to me. It was humbling to know that I am blessed by God who was, and still is, with me. I was already prepared by God to be away from my family members when I left my home and stayed on my own and so detachment was not an issue for me. Then my Dad passed away and I got my mom baptised.

My personal theme is taken from Psalm 63:3 for your love is better than life. It is because what I have chased after all my life is love, knowingly and unknowingly, and God found me and showed me true love; so, why should I settle for something lesser than God’s love? My answer to life would be that God’s love is better…and so it is God’s love that I want and that’s what I want to share and give to others here on earth.–Fr Alexuchelvam Mariasoosai

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online