Author Archives: Ken Wong

The theme Give the Gift of Life was indeed an unexpected coincidence with the Blood Donation Drive and the celebration of Migrant Sunday at the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The 60 successful blood donors from the parish and neighbouring areas of Puchong each received a token of appreciation in the form of a prayer card to assure them that their noble act was not mere donation of blood but it was a sign of hope given to those in need.

After the 11.30am Mass in Bahasa, the parishioners adjourned to the basement of the church for a ‘potluck’ fellowship with the many migrants of the parish.

Parish priest Fr Albet Arockiasamy graced the event with a speech and prayer which gave hope to the migrants who were present. He further elaborated that we can liken the lives of migrants to that of Mary and Joseph when they fled to Egypt with baby Jesus in search of safety and shelter. It was indeed a fellowship of love for our fellow brethren that day, with many parishioners bringing homemade dishes.

Parishioners also had much fun and laughter during the ‘poco-poco’ dance by the KUBM group. Both these events certainly created awareness to the community present to be witnesses of Christ in giving love and embracing those in need.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KUALA LUMPUR: A court has reaffirmed that the conversions of minors to Islam can only be made with the consent of both parents and not just a single parent.

The ruling by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Oct 16 was seen as testing the precedent set by the landmark ruling in January by the country’s supreme court that overturned the conversion to Islam of three children of Indira Gandhi, a Hindu mother, by her estranged husband.

In the latest case, the first similar case since the landmark verdict, Justice Azizah Nawawi said she was bound by the federal court’s decision and ruled in favour of the Buddhist father who had challenged the unilateral conversion of his two children by his Muslim convert ex-wife.

The ruling invalidates the certificates of conversion of his two children, who were born in a civil marriage when his now ex-wife was still a Buddhist, issued by Malaysia’s Islamic authorities in 2016.

Justice Azizah noted in her ruling that it was not in dispute that the children were converted without the consent of both parents and therefore the court was “bound by the decision in Indira Gandhi case”.

The ruling compels the state’s powerful Islamic authorities to immediately cancel the children’s registration as Muslim converts in their records or Muslim converts’ register, a crucial requirement to protect the children from any intrusion in their lives by Islamic authorities.

The court also rejected a request by their mother for a stay to quash the children’s conversion to Islam.

The two children are currently under the father’s custody.

The two children, then aged eight and three, were converted to Islam on May 11, 2016 without their father’s knowledge and consent. That was also the day that he had filed a fresh application for divorce at the high court.

Separately, the Buddhist father and Muslim convert mother have been locked in court disputes over the custody of the two children. On Sept 13, the court of appeal decided that the father would have sole guardianship and custody of the two children, reversing a lower court ruling.

The father was reunited with his children who he had been separated from since April.

A court order bars the media from naming the family members. The elder child is now aged 10, while the younger child is now 6 years old.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

Parishioners of Jesus Caritas Church (JCC) joined more than 100 migrant and expatriate Catholics in celebrating World Day of Migrants and Refugees at their Sunday morning Mass on Sept 30.

Many parishioners came dressed in their traditional clothes. The first and second readings were proclaimed by African and Filipino lectors in their native languages while the prayer of the faithful was offered in Malay by an Indonesian commentator. The offertory bearers were also expats.

Before the start of Mass, the congregation was enlightened on the importance of Welcoming, Protecting, Promoting, and Integrating migrants and refugees through the screening of a six-minute video.

In his homily, Fr Dominic Tan reflected on Apostle John’s concern over a stranger performing miracles in Jesus’ name. “In short, he was attempting to create boundaries — on who belongs to the group/who does not; how God’s power can work and be exercised. In other words, a desire to control others, and even God.

“It is almost as if to say that if other people are different (race, colour, upbringing, etc), they cannot be disciples of Jesus because they are not one of us. Does all this sound familiar? Do we not at times wish to control who can be in certain ministries in church and who cannot? Do we not also say that because so and so is not like us (perhaps they’re divorced, differently-abled, migrants?) they cannot serve in our churches? That God’s grace cannot work through them?”

What was Jesus’ response? ‘Anyone who is not against us is with us.’

“In essence, Jesus is inviting us to not be afraid of opening our borders,” said Fr Tan. This is because our identity is not found in our boundaries but in our relationship with God.”
Quoting German poet Goethe who wrote: “The dangers of life are many, and safety is one of those boundaries,” Fr Tan said “very often we create boundaries so that we can hide behind them. We create boundaries so that we can put our demons outside of those boundaries for it is easier to create an enemy that is outside of us than face the real enemy that is within us.
“In order to grow spiritually and in our identity as children of God, we need to confront the demons that are within us — to identify that which brings us closer to God, and that which draws us apart from God.

Building boundaries can become a means of avoiding our own personal demons.

“Jesus then exhorts us to look within and identify that which hinders us from entering the Kingdom of God. He tells us that if our hands/feet/eyes cause us to sin, we need to remove them lest we end up in hell.

“What makes it necessary for our hands/feet/eyes to be pruned or removed in order for us to be fruitful? Is it our prejudice? Our insecurities? Unforgiveness? Have we been dishonest in our dealings with others?

Have we paid our workers, especially migrant workers, a just wage? Otherwise God would accuse us of condemning the innocent and killing them.”

After Mass, the congregation took part in fellowship in the church canteen area. It was hosted by the Parish Integral Human Development (PIHD) chairman John Chiow and Migrant Ministry head Maria Ng.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

Staff members of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (NBVM) and the Chapel of Sts Chasten and Imbert (SCIC), along with parish priest, Fr Dominic Santhiyagu and Asst. parish priest, Fr Louis Loi, participated in a half-day Team Building Programme at the Sunway Carnival Mall on October 9.

The programme included the movie Small foot and lunch. The purpose of the programme was to foster a closer bond between staff and priests.

Over lunch, the discussion was on the values projected in the movie. A very meaningful discussion ensued and some salient points were shared. Among them was the search for truth, where one has to journey to find the truth. The truth is also knowing that there is a world outside of our own ‘world.’ The journey to find the truth is not an easy task but, rather, a challenging one because it challenges the norm. One needs to overcome one’s fears and acknowledge the truth. Another value was about breaking barriers to build better relationships. Misunderstandings should not be allowed to fester but be clarified in order for relationships to grow.

Overall, the staff and priests had a good bonding time and felt a sense of belonging. After that, they happily returned to work.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KAJANG: The Mental Health Ministry of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur is on a mission to provide an avenue within the Archdiocese for individuals, couples and families to seek mental health services and obtain informative resources.

In line with its mission, it annually commemorates World Mental Health Day on October 10 with its own Archdiocesan Mental Health Day. This year, the Archdiocesan Mental Health Day was held on October 13 at the Church of the Holy Family, Kajang. A total of 122 participants were present at this event.

Archbishop Julian Leow officiated the event with an opening address, following the welcoming speech delivered by Fr Philip Chua, the Ecclesiastical Assistant. A live broadcast of the entire Archdiocesan Mental Health Day was available on http://TV.ArchKL.org.

Centring upon the theme United We Stand, Divided We Fall, the plenary session, four concurrent workshops and the forum aimed to promote understanding and strengthening of the bonds of being family, to stand united against current marriage and family life challenges.

The plenary session by Dr Johnben Loy, a US-licensed marriage and family therapist, provided insight on the process of therapy and some practical ideas on how to improve family relationships.

In Becoming a Better Parent: Journey and Grow with Our Kids, Dr Nicole Chen, who is skilled in counselling couples and families with traumatic experiences, emphasised the need for parents to always be curious and practise active listening when interacting with their children.

As a therapist experienced in addressing couple and marital concerns, Dr Yeo Pei Li’s workshop on Personal Space Enhances Family Relations highlighted the importance of personal space in promoting individual growth and cultivating healthy family and marital relationships.

In her workshop on Raising Awareness and Understanding of Mental Health Issues, Mrs Tan Ah Eng, a counsellor with Focus on the Family, spoke about creating a safe home environment where it is alright to talk about mental health issues and where each family member is valued.

Mr Warren Tan, who is experienced in marriage and family therapy, provided ideas on how families can preserve strong connections among its members amid the distractions of the internet and social media in his workshop on Sharing Lives – Connecting Family.

A forum provided participants with the opportunity to pose questions to the speakers, Fr Philip Chua, Dr Nicole Chen, Dr Yeo Pei Li, Mrs Tan Ah Eng and Mr Warren Tan. Dr Christiantine Della, was the moderator of this forum.

Feedback collected from among the participants indicated that Archdiocesan Mental Health Day 2018 has been truly informative and impactful.

For the year 2019, Mental Health Day will be commemorated by AMHM in a series of monthly workshops featuring areas such as using various therapies and counselling, marriage and family, parenting, grief and loss, fostering helping relationships and career.

For more information on upcoming events, workshops and counselling services offered by the Archdiocesan Mental Health Ministry, please call 017-3586188 or email mentalhealth@archkl.org.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KUALA LUMPUR: Below are the times of cemetery blessings in the various cemeteries in the KL Archdiocese in conjunction with All Souls’ Day.

Negeri District

October 28
1. Marjorie Estate, Rantau at 4.30pm
2. Sagga, Rantau at 5.00pm.
3. Kampung Sebir at 6.00pm

October 31, 2018
1. Bukit Kepong and Palebar Baru at 3.00pm

November 1
1. Fairy Park at 9.00am
2. Titi at 4.30pm

November 2
1. Nilai (Xiao En Memorial) at 9.45am (followed by Mass)
2. Sikamat Christian Cemetery at 4.30pm
3. Port Dickson Town at 5.00pm
4. Mantin at 6.30pm
5. Tampin 6.30pm (followed by Mass)

November 3
1. Sungai Lui, Jempol at 10.00am
2. Lui Muda, Jempol at 11.00am
3. Gatco Estate, Jempol at 11.30am
4. Air Itam, Jempol 12.00pm
5. Gemas at 5.00pm
6. Sungai Pelek, Sepang at 6.00pm

November 4
1. Belihoi & Sungai Raya at 10.00am

Pahang /Terengganu District
1. Bentong at 9.00am with service followed by blessings on November 3.
2. Raub at 1.00pm with service followed by blessings on November 4.

Petaling District — November 2
1. Lutheran Garden Subang at 10.00am.
2. Nirvana and Seksyen 27 Shah Alam at 10.00am
3. Puchong Batu 14 at 10.00am.
4. Kg Tunku and Gui Yan columbarium at 10.00am.

KL South District — November 2

1. Cheras at 9.00am with Mass followed by blessings.
2. Semenyih at 3.00pm with service followed by blessings.
3. Kajang at 4.00pm with service and blessings.

KL Central District — November 2
1. Loke Yew at 11.00am.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

Overcast skies gave way to pleasant weather as participants of all faiths gathered in Taman
Tasik Kota Kemuning, September 17 for the sixth instalment of the Walk of Faiths in Friendship.

The event was organised together with communities of other faiths, namely Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist, Baha’i and Christian. It is held annually in conjunction with Malaysia Day.

Among the VIPs present were Imam Ahmad Shazili Abdullah, representing the Muslim community, Sharanjit Singh (Sikh community), Venerable Saddhananda (Buddhist community), Daozhang Lau and

Daozhang Tee (Taoist community), Mirshal Lourdusamy (Baha’i community), Shiva Sree Vijayakumara Gurukkhal and Kuppusamy (Hindu community) and Fr Raymond Pereira representing the Christian community and standing in for Fr Gerard Theraviam, parish priest of the Church of Divine Mercy, who was away on a pilgrimage.

This year’s event was different from the previous years. The organisers introduced “plogging,” or picking up trash as they walked around the lake.

Datuk Dr Dionysius SK Sharma, CEO of conservation group WWF-Malaysia, said it was a way of creating awareness on preserving the environment. He also gave participants tips on how to operate a greener home by eliminating the unnecessary use of plastics and by adopting a re-use culture instead of a throwaway culture.

The evening ended with tea and speeches by some of the VIP guests.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

“Let us ask the blessed Virgin Mary to be a mother to us and nuture in us a new love for her and for Jesus and for our mother the Church.”

Fr Lawrence Ng CDD said this at the Parish Feastday Triduum celebrations of the Church of the Holy Rosary on October 6. Parish priest Fr Joachim Tan was the concelebrant.

Fr Ng shared on Mariology, the part of Christian theology dealing with the Virgin Mary. He said the title
“Mother of the Church” was used by Pope Benedict XIV in 1748, and then by Pope Leo XIII in 1885. The title was also used by Pope John Paul II, and is also found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Quoting from Pope John Paul II, Fr Ng said that Mary is present in the Church and she embraces each and everyone in the Church and through the Church. “Mary is not only the Mother of Christ, but Mother of the faithful.”

Fr Ng also spoke about the mosaic of Maria Mater Ecclesiae (Our Lady, Mother of the Church) in St Peter’s Square. In 2018, Pope Francis decreed that the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, be inserted into the Catholic calendar, on the Monday after Pentecost, to be celebrated every year. Fr Ng stated that on May 21, 2018, for the first time, this memorial was observed in the Church.

Mary, said Fr Ng, reminds us to be disciples of Christ. She is a good example of what it is to be a disciple of Christ. To put her as Mother of the Church is for us to follow her example. “All of us are called to be holy in the world and for the coming Kingdom.” Mary tells us to be faithful to Christ, being single minded in serving the Lord and in serving the people of God.

Fr Ng added that Mary stands at the foot of the Cross, telling us how to forgive, how to let go and to love our enemies. Mother Mary is a good example of forgiving in the love of Christ. “Mary, in her Assumption, gives us the hope that we can live a life of grace. She is Mother of the Church, who stands on our side, guiding us and leading us when we face challenges in life. Look to Mother Mary; she looked at Christ who suffered on the Cross as she embraced God and us,” Fr Ng asserted.

In honour of Our Lady of the Rosary, a procession took place around the Church and ended with Benediction.

Fr Tan, in his remarks after the Benediction, thanked all for coming, particularly Fr Ng and Fr Chan who were the two preachers for the triduum. The parish priest also commended all those involved in making the feast day celebrations meaningful and prayerful.

Fr Ng said he was glad to be present for the feastday celebrations. He asked the young people present to offer themselves to the priesthood and as nuns, to serve the Church. Fr Ng also hoped all would carry this devotion of Mary into their homes and pray for more vocations.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online