Author Archives: Ken Wong

After Sunset Mass at St Ignatius Church (SIC) on October 20, nine-year-old Ava Marie Maran Low said she felt happy. Why? Because I have received Jesus.

This could very well be the same response of the 57 other children from SIC’s Standard 3 First Holy Communion Class of 2018 who received Christ the Bread of Life for the first time.

SIC Parish Priest Fr Andrew Wong CDD was the main celebrant at the Eucharistic celebration, with Fr Paulino Miranda as concelebrant. Fr Wong thanked all who had helped to prepare the boys and girls to receive their First Holy Communion. He also encouraged parents to live and practise their faith and to train their children in the Christian faith and its practice.

Incorporated into the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church through Baptism while infants, receiving Christ in the Eucharist is the third Sacrament received by the children. Apart from bread and wine, the children offered up their First Holy Communion certificates – a symbol of remembrance of the first time they become one in the Body of Christ – and Camp Crafts Prayer Cards during the Offertory Procession. The children also sang a thanksgiving song titled Every Move I Make, followed with a pledge by their parents.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

MALACCA: A Community Home under project HOPE (Helping Offenders Pursue Excellence) in the Diocese of Malacca Johore, initiated by Bishop Bernard Paul for former incarcerated individuals (ex-prisoners) including drug addicts and alcoholics, has been established by the Society of St Vincent de Paul, State Council of Malacca. This project is also co-sponsored by the Malacca Johore Diocese Office of Human Development (MJDOHD).

In Malaysia, very few ex-offenders have a loving or welcoming family waiting for them to come home and a ready job upon their release. Reintegrating into society is difficult. Family members may have died, moved away, or made it clear the ex-offender is not welcome. Sometimes there are legal reasons the ex-offender cannot go home (spouse may have filed legal proceedings for divorce). Most ex-offenders who return to families or friends in their old neighbourhoods often find themselves in the very environment that got them into trouble in the first place. The immediate option for many are sleeping on the streets or taking menial jobs that come their way.

For ex-offenders seeking a full re-integration into society, spending time at the Community Home is vital and a way to break the cycle of crime and establish hope for a better future. A Home that is professionally managed, with zero tolerance for alcohol and drug abuse promotes the opportunity for a new way of life. Ex-offenders who alternate between prison and criminal behaviour upon release find themselves vulnerable, often because they have no choice but to return to their former communities and lifestyles.

Project HOPE helps to find long-term public, private or social housing to rebuild life outside prison.

Project HOPE offers ex-offenders a community-based accommodation, easing transition back into the community and independent living. The project is designed to assist ex-offenders to make the transition from institution to community living in as smooth a process as possible by providing a monitored and structured environment in which residents could gradually accept the responsibility of self-management as members of the normative society through graduated and increasing interaction with its members.

Support through individually tailored case plans.

Help with accessing and maintaining public, community and private housing.

Access to family relationship support.

Access to emergency relief where necessary.

Practical and emotional support.

Support with developing social and positive peer support networks.

Transport to keep essential appointments.

Help with engaging with education, training and employment opportunities.

Referrals to a range of specialist support services.

The facility is specifically designed for low security prisoners or offenders and provides a range of programmes of reintegration and self-management.

The Home is equipped with the basic facilities for this “Stay-in” programme and is for Non Muslim males only.

The potential resident must be a Malaysian, irrespective of where he lives – preference will be given to those living outside Melaka. If you know of anyone who may want or need to undergo rehabilitation, please contact: Anthony Tan 016-314 6518

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

The outreach team of St Simon Catholic Church Likas Pastoral Care Ministry visited Kg Gosusu recently.

“Go out as a community to help the communities in need. Remember to give charity to all — be non-selective,” advised parish rector Fr Cosmas Lee as he blessed them.

Nineteen members, in eight heavy-duty vehicles and a lorry packed with goods took three and a half hours to reach the village.

After a small hiccup along the way, the team finally reached its destination — a small but neat village, sitting at the bank of a seasonal river in a valley.
Kampong chief Jose Latah, catechist Alpheus and some 40 women and children were on hand to welcome us at a small but solid community hall built of wood and bamboo.

After a welcome speech, Alpheus shared his vast experience of catechist work in various kampungs in the East Coast of Sabah over the past 30 years.

Although there are about 200 Catholics among the kampong folks here, the village is blessed to have Alpheus to guide them on the Catholic faith.

A tiny but well-maintained chapel of the Assumption of Our Lady sits on a slightly higher ground in the vicinity. In front of it is a grotto that houses an immaculate white porcelain statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Alpheus said the grotto was constructed two years ago with stones from the river.

“The majority of our construction materials such as stones and bamboos are extracted from the vicinity,” he said, adding that they grow vegetables or gather them from the wild. They also rear chickens.

Under lead coordinators James and Dominic, who tirelessly coordinated with the Gosusu community leaders well ahead of our visit, the construction of a Tadika kitchen adjacent to the school had been completed. These were also located near the community hall. A young teacher, Evelyn Vincent, is employed at the Tadika to teach six pre-school students.

The team brought school furniture comprising four long desks and 16 stools, as well as gas tanks, rice and various dried food, sundries and other requested necessities.

The lack of electricity in the area was the reason why few children to go to school.

The team was determined to fix the damaged solar power panels to improve the situation.

Alpheus said there could be even less students next year as the older children would go to the public school in town. He was, however, determined to remain as the catechist and protect every sheep and not let even one be lost.

Besides teaching about the Catholic faith, Alpheus also taught hymns. When they serenaded God with thanksgiving songs, you could feel that they sang from their hearts as their voices filled the valley and rose upwards, merging with the chirping of birds and the cries of the eagles.

This reminded us of what Fr Lee said, “We need to be humble and learn from the people that we are visiting. They lead a simple life, away from the hustle and bustle of urban life.”

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

Senior Citizens Day was celebrated at the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (NBVM) on October 12 in conjunction with the Universal Senior Citizens Day. The Mass was coordinated by the senior citizens and the fellowship was organised by the Family Life Ministry.

In his homily, Fr Dominic Santhiyagu repeated the first line from Psalm 110: “I will thank the Lord with all my heart.” He asked the senior citizens, “What do you want to thank God for?” Old age is the time to be calm and lead a saintly life. It is the time to be loving, gentle, kind and peaceful instead of being grumpy and hateful. He asked the senior citizens to make life beautiful for their grandchildren and their children. “Thank God for all that you have for ‘great are the works of the Lord.’ Many of our friends have left us and what we have now can also be taken away. So be grateful for what you have.”

After Mass, the Chairperson of the Family Life Ministry thanked the priests and all the sponsors for the event. She hoped for such celebrations to continue for many years to come.

Fr Dom thanked all the donors and assured them that the donations would be accounted for and the accounts would be published. He also encouraged six senior citizens to volunteer as part of the Family Life committee to plan and arrange more activities for the senior citizens on a regular basis to build companionship in the winter years.

During the fellowship, some of the senior citizens shared their journeys and experiences at the parish. Francis Heng proudly shared how his students from the Assumption School entered the priesthood: Fr Michael Sinappan, Fr Arulnathan and Fr Andrew Manickam OFM Cap.

Gomes shared how he began his married life at the parish. Mary, Patricia and others too had their joyful and sad moments at the parish. Both Fr Dominic and Fr Louis Loi also shared that they were happy to be part of this church.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

GOPENG: The feastday of Sts Simon and Jude at St Jude’s chapel on Oct 28, was simple yet touching since the homilies given at all the triduum and feastday Masses were uplifting and reviving for discouraged souls.

Its theme was Hope in the Family and each novena Mass carried a sub-theme drawn from the main theme.

All the Masses were celebrated by visiting priests, assisted by permanent deacon Sandnasamy Peter from Our Lady of Lourdes parish.

St Jude, recognised as the Saint for Hopeless cases, is a saint for those filled with anxiety, depression, and conflict, since he is full of hope, said Fr Dominic Santhiyagu, during his homily at the feastday Mass.

Touching on the sub-theme of The Family Finding Hope in Jesus, Fr Dominic said like Bartimaeus the blind man, we must know who we are, know what we want (to see), and focus on a specific thing in our prayer. Bartimaeus represents all of us, in our spiritual journey. He acknowledged Jesus, and without fear, asked Jesus to have mercy on him. He opens his heart to Jesus and regains his sight, and also follows Jesus with the light of faith.

“Most of all, we must encourage others to progress in their faith, and not be negative people who only discourage others.

“This is important to help others find God,” he said.

Fr Dominic also shared his experiences as a student while attending university in Manila, Philippines.

“I used to go to the small chapel after classes to pray to two saints – St Dominic for wisdom to understand my lessons, and to St Jude, as I was hopeless at Latin,” he said. After three and half years, he passed his exam.

Fr Michael Dass spoke on The Family Repenting in Hope in three languages.

The heart of his message was the need for families to repent (that is, return to God, to make a U-turn) since it is so relevant in present times. Repentence heal relationships, breaks the chains of anger and hatred and brings us back to the right way instead of losing hope in our family.

Msgr Henry Rajoo, based his homily on The Family Discerning in Hope.

Each marriage partner was chosen by God, and even their children were chosen for them by God.

“So spend time to understand and appreciate each other. It is rare to find families praying together nowadays, but shouldn’t husbands be able to discuss and share conversations with their wives instead of their friends?

“Parents must appreciate their children, since each is different. Your children are not your own, but will one day leave you to follow their own vocation,” he said.

“Only when we are sensitive and open to our family members will there be humility, respect and forgiveness towards each other.

“Our families will be filled with strength, encouragement and peace,” he said.

After the feastday Mass, there was a procession in the compound of the chapel, with Fr Dominic carrying the Blessed Sacrament followed by the people with the statue of St Jude. The rosary was recited in four languages.

There was benediction and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament after that.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KUALA LUMPUR: Archbishop Julian Leow thanked the Catholic Doctors, Dentists, Nurses and other Healthcare Workers for the good work they had been providing for the poor, the sick, the elderly, the handicapped and the marginalised, including the foreign workers and refugees.

He urged them to continue with their good work in looking after the health of the community. He noted that the Catholic Doctors Association of Malaysia (CDAM) had been celebrating its White Mass for the past years, similar to the Lawyers celebrating their Red Mass. It is a good idea to bring along all the various Healthcare Groups including Doctors, Dentists, Nurses, Pharmacists, Councillors, Therapists, etc together as they are all looking after the health of the community in some way or other.

The CDAM held its annual White Mass on October 21 at the Jesus Caritas Church. St Luke is the patron Saint of Catholic Doctors. He was born in Syria and is the patron Saint of Artists, Doctors and Surgeons. He was a physician and it is appropriate for the Catholic Doctors to choose him as their Patron saint. Each year CDAM celebrates its Annual Mass in October to coincide with the Feast of St Luke.

Besides his Gospel, St Luke was also responsible for writing the Acts of the Apostles.

Archbishop Leow said that the White Mass is so called because Doctors and Healthcare Workers wear white overalls in their daily work. He then pointed out that the first doctors in the world were the Bishops who treated people to give them spiritual relief. Then only came the doctors to provide medical treatment.

Prior to the White Mass, CDAM provided a Bioethics talk entitled, Care for the Aged in the Terminal Stage and Advance Medical Directive by Dr Freddie Loh. The medical students were also given an insight on what CDAM has been doing for the local community with a presentation by Dr Juliet Mathew. The session ended with a Mental health talk by Dr Joseph Jacob. The idea of inviting Medical Students for the talks was to inform them about the activities of CDAM and to familiarise them with our Church’s Teachings as they will be future leaders and members of CDAM.

The day ended with the Annual General Meeting at 6.00pm. The present Committee was re-elected for another term of one year. Dr Joseph Jacob and Dr Juliet Mathew were re-elected as President and Hon Secretary of CDAM respectively.

CDAM has been chosen to host the 17th AFCMA Congress in Malaysia Nov 5-8, 2020. Dr Sharon Gopalan the Organising Chairman urged all CDAM Members to give their support to the Congress and make Malaysia proud.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KUALA LUMPUR: The moral duty to care for the vulnerable springs from our shared belief that we are all God’s creatures and, as a result, brothers and sisters, equal in dignity, with responsibility for one another. This was part of the message given by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in it

s Deepavali message released on October 31 with the theme Christians and Hindus: In Defence of the Vulnerable of Society.

Attentiveness and cooperation are needed, not only to defend the legitimate place and rights of the vulnerable in society, but also to cultivate a culture of care and concern in their regard. In our families too, every effort should be made to ensure that no one feels unwanted, unloved, ignored or left out.

–See below for the full text of the message.

Deepavali Message from the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue

Dear Hindu Friends, 
The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue sends you most cordial greetings and prayerful good wishes as you celebrate Deepavali on November 6 this year.

May the celebrations surrounding this festival strengthen the spirit of friendship and fraternity among you and enhance peace and joy in your families and communities!

We know from news bulletins and web portals, as well as from direct experience, the daily hardships endured by the vulnerable members of our society: the poor, infirm, elderly, disabled, destitute, abandoned, migrants; those socially, religiously, culturally and linguistically marginalised and excluded; and the victims of abuse and violence, especially women and children.

Largely helpless and defenceless, discarded and ignored by a society increasingly indifferent and even callous in the face of human needs and sufferings, the vulnerable everywhere in our time suffer greatly. It is in this troubling context that we wish to share with you a reflection on how we, Hindus and Christians alike, can engage in efforts to defend, protect and assist them.

The moral duty to care for the vulnerable springs from our shared belief that we are all God’s creatures and, as a result, brothers and sisters, equal in dignity, with responsibility for one another. It also stems from the realisation that we too at times feel vulnerable, looking for someone to offer us a helping hand. A healthy awareness of our common human condition and our moral duty towards others inspires us to promote their cause by doing all that we can to alleviate their sufferings, defend their rights and restore their dignity.

There is no doubt that, in this regard, many praiseworthy efforts are being made by individuals, groups and communities in different parts of the world. Yet given the great numbers of the vulnerable, and the complexities often involved in meeting their needs, those efforts can appear no more than a few drops in a great ocean. Still, opportunities for service are all around us, since the vulnerable can be found in every community and society. Greater efforts, inspired by a sense of solidarity, are needed so that they can feel “the presence of brothers and sisters who are concerned for them, and, by opening the doors of their hearts and lives, make them feel like friends and family’” (Pope Francis, Message for the Second World Day of the Poor, November 18, 2018) In the end, the true measure of civilisation of any society is the way it treats its most vulnerable members.

Attentiveness and cooperation are needed, not only to defend the legitimate place and rights of the vulnerable in society, but also to cultivate a culture of care and concern in their regard. In our families too, every effort should be made to ensure that no one feels unwanted, unloved, ignored or left out. Every level of society — especially political and government leaders, and those best equipped to provide practical assistance — needs to display a human face and heart to the vulnerable of our society and to reach out to all those suffering marginalisation and oppression. Such generosity should not appear as a token gesture but as one divinely inspired and aimed at the true emancipation and welfare of the vulnerable and the defence of their cause.

As believers grounded in our own respective spiritual traditions, and as individuals with shared concerns for the wellbeing of all, may we join hands with the adherents of other religious traditions and all people of good will, and make collective and concerted efforts to secure a joyful present and a hopeful future for our vulnerable brothers and sisters!

We wish all of you a Happy Deepavali!

Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, MCCJ

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

Saint Michael Archangel, 
defend us in battle, 
be our protection against the
wickedness and snares of the devil; 

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; 
and do thou, O Prince of the 
heavenly host, by the power of God, 
cast into hell Satan and all the 
evil spirits who prowl through the world 
seeking the ruin of souls. 

Amen

About 2,000 Malaysians of all races and religions gathered at the Ponderosa Golf and Country Club for the Walk for Unity organised by the Malacca Johore Diocese Evangelical Commission, in collaboration with Ponderosa Golf and Country Club.

“It’s a walk of love,” said Bishop Bernard Paul in his welcoming speech, “love not only for ourselves, but also for those less fortunate. Harmony comes when you care for others.” His Lordship also thanked the co-organisers for coordinating the event and the participants. He ended his speech with a reminder to not only care for one another, but to walk together as the new Malaysia.

YB Andrew Chen Kah Eng, ADUN of Stulang said, “We, as policy makers, will make sure that all policies will benefit all races. “In this new Malaysia, let us walk together. We promote people’s engagement, people’s participation, we participate in all these social activities so that we can work together to build a better nation,” he added.

The participants then proceeded to the starting line of the walk and, at the sound of the air-horn by Bishop Bernard Paul, the walk began After the walk, the participants were treated to performances on stage, which included singing by children, Zumba and a sharing on family by Rev Moses Yap, the head of the Diocesan Evangelical Commission.

The carnival had food stalls, game stalls and corporate stalls from companies such as UOB Bank, Standard Chartered and Very Good Cereals.

The celebration continued in the evening with the Love, Peace and Joy Charity Dinner at the Ponderosa Golf and Country Club Trading Post hall. “We need organisations to help us in the journey to rebuild the country,” said YB Liow Cai Tung, ADUN of Johor Jaya in her opening speech.

“I hope that in the future, we have more programmes and policies for the country. Let us rebuild the country together.” The dinner guests were entertained with various performances which included a very passionate song by teenagers from Hope Garden Autism Home.

Bishop Bernard Paul too did not miss the opportunity to take the stage and sing a song. There were also lucky draws with the grand prize of a 32- inch LED TV. The highlight of the evening was the presentation of cheques by Bishop Bernard for three beneficiaries, Hope Garden Autism Home, Graceville Old Folks Home and Berkat Children’s Home.

The fund of RM100,000.00 was the result of generous contributions from the participants of the Charity Walk and Dinner, through the efforts of the Malacca Johor Diocese Evangelical Commission’s Evangelical Concert Ministry, chaired by Christine Honey Lee, and also Ponderosa Golf and Country Club. In his closing speech, Bishop Bernard Paul thanked the organisers, the volunteers and the participants who contributed to the fundraiser and made the day’s event a success.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

The BEC Coordinating Team (BECCOT) of St Theresa’s Parish held a Family Day at the IJ Centre, Port Dickson, October 12. The theme for our BEC Family Day was A journey of Hope and Joy. Each person received a booklet and we recited the morning prayer, the Rosary and sang hymns on our journey.

When we arrived, everyone said that they liked the atmosphere and peaceful surroundings, with the sea close by. After breakfast, we gathered to listen and share the Word of God (Gal 3:7- 14). During the group sharing, we discovered that the Lord was giving us two words ie ‘Faith’ and ‘Blessed.’

The activities which followed were creative, interesting, fun and everyone participated enthusiastically. We sat in a circle and two parcels were passed simultaneously. When the music stopped, we could feel the excitement/tension in the participants, whether the parcel which he/she was holding had a gift (chocolates) inside or a piece of paper to tell a joke, dance or make a funny face. We were also put into groups according to the coloured clips we had to pick. We had to remember the names of the seven other persons in our groups. Each person drew the face of the person he/she had picked. It was really hilarious when we saw our faces drawn by another person (amateur artist) in our group.

The outdoor activities were carried out at the beach and those who could not participate watched the activities. In the afternoon, we had a formation session based on Luke 15, with the help of four short video clips.

The participants were then placed in groups to discuss what they had learned. Andrew Pang, the only young person present (he came with his parents), worked with another adult to make a poster in plasticine representing 4E Catholics — Encountered, Enlightened, Empowered and Evangelising and ‘Communion of Families.’

At 5.30pm, we left for the Church of the Immaculate Conception, PD to join the parishioners for vespers at 6.15pm, followed by the Eucharist celebrated by Fr Terrance Thomas. It was a time for everyone to give thanks and praise to God for the gift of Faith and His blessings in our lives. We left Port Dickson after Mass. Everyone said that they had enjoyed the day.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online