Author Archives: Ken Wong

Lahad Datu: Seminar Apologetik julung kali telah diadakan di Paroki St. Dominic Lahad Datu pada 21 Oktober 2017. Penyampai sesi iaitu Franciscan Sisters of Immaculate Conception dengan kerjasama Komiti Kateketikal Paroki telah berjaya menarik perhatian seramai 210 para umat menghadiri seminar tersebut.

Pentakhtaan Alkitab oleh Rev. Fr. Simon Kontou

Seminar ini diadakan bertujuan membuka minda para umat tentang pentingnya pengetahuan akan agama kita sendiri, berikutan keadaan semasa yang semakin mendesak, para umat seharusnya sedar dan harus mendalami iman dan pengetahuan tentang iman Katolik ini.

Pada masa kini para pelajar sangat terdedah kepada dunia luar dan mereka harus mempunyai pengetahuan dan iman bagi mempertahankan iman Katolik apabila mereka melanjutkan pelajaran mereka di mana-mana institusi pengajian pada masa akan datang.

Sesi “ice-breaking”

Sr. Calista Saliun menyampaikan sesi “Adakah Alkitab dirosakkan?” dan “Adakah Yesus benar-benar disalibkan?”

Antara topik-topik yang telah disampaikan ialah “Apakah itu Apologetik?, Adakah Alkitab dirosakkan?, Adakah umat Kristian menyembah tiga Tuhan?,  Adakah Yesus itu Tuhan?, Adakah Yesus benar-benar disalibkan?”. Para peserta didedahkan apakah itu Apologetik dan sejarah Gereja bagi memahami kebanyakan soalan dan pertikaian dari agama-agama lain pada masa kini tentang agama Katolik.

Sr. Dorothy Aron menyampaikan sesi “Adakah umat Kristian menyembah tiga Tuhan?”

Sr. Evelin Tivit menyampaikan sesi “Apakah iu Apologetika?” dan “Adakah umat Kristian menyembah tiga Tuhan? (bahagian 2)”

Para umat yang hadir pada seminar tersebut diajak untuk tidak mempertikaikan agama orang lain tetapi memahami kebenaran dan logik agama Katolik ini menurut sejarah gereja awal sehingga sekarang dan menurut Alkitab itu sendiri. “Defend our Faith with Love, kita seharusnya menghormati agama orang lain maka orang lain akan menghormati agama kita” demikianlah ungkapan dari Sr. Evelyn Tivit, FSIC ketika ditanya tentang fokus sebenar seminar ini. Seminar pada hari tersebut berakhir lebih kurang jam 5pm.

Sdra. Sebastian menyampaikan cenderahati kepada Sr. Anita

Article reproduced from Dicocese of Sandakan

These past couple of weeks, the Catechetical ministry has been busy with various camps, formations and activities for their Catechism students. The ministry organised a one-day stay-in camp for the First Holy Communion    students at the Formation Hall from 4-5 November 2017, with the theme ‘Christ Our Joy’. There were 24 English-speaking students and 3 Tamil-speaking students at the camp, which was facilitated by Sister Mary David, FDCC. This camp prepared the students for their first Sacrament of Reconciliation, which will take place on Saturday, 25 November 2017. The students will celebrate their Sacrament of First Holy Communion on 26 November 2017, which is also the Solemnity of Christ the King.

On Saturday, 11 November 2017, the ministry hosted a formation at the Formation Hall entitled ‘I Am Special’ for the teenage catechism students. Several Catechism teachers and youth from the Church of the Visitation, Seremban, led by Peter Tee, facilitated the formation for our teenagers. There were about 57 youth present that day, and it was amazing to watch them present and participate in the activities and discussions. I know most of them since the days when I was ministering in Seremban, as they were my catechism students and it was fascinating to watch them embrace their  sessions. They have really grown in their knowledge of God.

The next day, 12 November 2017, there was another formation for the primary school catechism students on the Eucharist. This formation was facilitated by Tomson Scaria, and it was held after the Sunday morning Mass, from 10.30am to 5.30pm. The session ended with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction.

My special thanks goes out to the catechetical coordinators and teachers who prepared for the camp and formations with great enthusiasm and dedication. It truly is an exceptional closing to their Catechetical Year 2017.

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, declared 19 November 2017 as the First World Day of the Poor with the theme ‘Let us love, not with words but with deeds’. He suggested that all Christian communities find ways to “create moments of encounter” with the poor. In conjunction with that, St. Joseph’s Church will celebrate World Day of the Poor, as well as our Parish Family Day. Our    catechism students will have the opportunity to mingle with the poor children and their families, in our Church compound. There will be raffle draws, games, a jumble sale and live bands performing throughout the day and it promises to be a fun time for everyone. These two celebrations mark the end of our three-year (2015-2017) faith journey with the vision ‘Towards Strengthening Our Faith Community.”

There are so many heart-breaking stories of poverty and hopelessness in our community, and as a fitting ending to their faith education for the year 2017, the World Day of the Poor will bring a kind of exposure to our catechism    students, as they share their day with them. This celebration will help our children hear the voice of the poor and the marginalised. I am sure this     experience will become an eye-opener for our catechism children, as they learn and share their day with these children. It is also a step forward for them to set a way of life in reaching out to the needy in the future.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

On 4 November 2017, the Standard 3 Catechism students prepared themselves to receive Jesus, by attending a two-day in house camp at the Formation Hall. This year’s theme was CHRIST OUR JOY, and a total of 27 children – from both the English and Tamil speaking groups – participated in this camp. The children were accompanied by their respective class teachers, Mdm. Assunta and Mdm. Gloria.

The days’ program started with a bible enthronement by the kids. It gave the children a moment of grace, as they participated in lifting up the word of God. Then Sr. Mary introduced the children to the Eucharist, by getting them to bake the host, which was made out of flour and water. The idea was to expose them to the Bread and Body of Christ.

The program continued after lunch with an art and craft session, where the children designed and crafted a host. They wrote their names on it, referring to themselves as a friend of Jesus. The children then participated in some outdoor games, being made aware of how those games connect to their daily lives, and how their lives continuously lead them to God.

During the camp, Sr. Mary David FDCC and the teachers facilitated a group-sharing activity, focusing on God’s love. The children were asked to reflect on their loved ones, by acting out through song and dance on certain given topics. This helped them understand what receiving the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist and the Blood of Jesus was all about. Their experience of the Blessed Sacrament then continued with a silent adoration, conducted by Fr. George.

The camp finale was a combined sharing session on FORGIVENESS & RECONCILIATION for both parents and children. Here, the children were given the chance to express their feelings to their parents, and parents were encouraged to do the same. The camp then ended with a thanksgiving luncheon.

The First Holy Communion Camp was a relevant and important milestone towards preparing the Standard 3 children for the Holy Eucharist. Their teachers have been helping them through this journey throughout the year, and are blessed to have them prepared to experience Jesus is this beautiful way. The children will be receiving their Sacrament of First Holy Communion on 26 November 2017.

See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10).

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KOTA KINABALU – Over 300 students participated in the 19th Archdiocesan Campus Students Day at the Sacred Heart Parish Centre here on 7 Oct 2017.

Among the participants were three from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Sandakan Branch, five from Polytechnic Sandakan, and two from Education Institute of Teachers Tawau.  The rest were from campuses around Kota Kinabalu, Keningau and Sandakan.

The programme began with Mass, followed by an ice-breaking session and praise and worship.

Serena Wong presented the first session on faith, hope and love. She spoke about her life as a student and her experiences as a missionary in an institute of higher learning overseas.

The second session dealt with the Bishops Synod on Youth in 2018.  The participants learnt about the website – talk2francismy – wherein there is a survey questionnaire where Catholic and non-Catholic youth can share their experiences on how the Catholic Church can support the youth and help them choose their mission in life.

Wong also gave a session on living the Word of God.   She asked the participants to focus on daily readings of the Bible and told them that faith alone is not enough. She stressed that the students need to pray and practise “eating” the Word of God and asked the students to work with groups of friends who want to grow in Christ and to be thankful for everything.

Paulus facilitated the final session on “What do I need to do after this?”  He invited the participants to remember all they had learnt in Sessions I and II and to practise them every day to strengthen their faith and to become excellent Catholic students.

The highlight of the programme was Theatrical Night which featured an actor who delivered a special message based on the theme taken from the Gospel of St Luke 1:49 – For the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

KUALA LUMPUR — The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) expressed on 20 Nov 2017 its outrage that the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) can provide an “official translation” of its holy book in Bahasa Malaysia (BM) which forms part of the “sacred patrimony” for its adherents.

The umbrella organisation representing 90 per cent of churches nationwide condemned the proposal by a legal representative of the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) as another attempt to infringe upon the constitutional right of Christians to manage their own religious affairs.

“The Holy Bible and the Al-Kitab in Bahasa Malaysia form part of the sacred patrimony of Christians and any attempt by any person not authorised by the Christian churches to provide an authoritative version will be firmly rejected.

“This is not just an outrage to Christians and their sensibilities. It will be a most heinous form of offence against what all Christians believe to be divinely inspired Scriptures, the Word of God,” CFM said in a statement signed by its chairman and Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur Julian Leow Beng Kim.

The CFM reiterated that BM is the language of the majority of Christian Malaysians, emphasising that the Arabic word for God “Allah” has been used in the Christian context locally and regionally “since time immemorial.”

The group pointed out that the Conference of Rulers had last month issued a reminder to all Malaysians to respect and abide by the principles in the Federal Constitution with regards to religious matters.

It added that the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah had issued a similar call just days later for respect of the constitution — country’s supreme law — for national peace and harmony.

“All who hope for continued unity and stability in our beloved country must surely take such wise and timely advice to heart for the betterment of all who live in our multi-ethnic and multi-religious community,” CFM concluded.

The National Evangelical Christian Fellowship — one of the components in the CFM — had just two days ago criticised the argument in court by a lawyer for Mais during a lawsuit by Sarawakian Christian Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill against the Home Ministry Putrajaya over the local ban of “Allah” in Christian publications.

Mais lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla had told the High Court that DBP could prepare a Malay version of the Bible omitting the word “Allah,”  which is currently used in existing editions of the Al-Kitab.

Malaysia is possibly the only country in the world in which “Allah,” the Arabic word for God, is exclusive to Islam, after the courts here ruled in favour of the federal government’s decision to ban the Catholic Church from using it in its newsletter, Herald.

Despite the government’s assertion, the “Allah” prohibition has expanded beyond the Herald to affect the daily prayer and worship of Christian Malaysians, the majority who are the Malay-speaking natives of Sarawak and Sabah.- malay mail online

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

KOTA KINABALU – The Filipino Community at the Sacred Heart Cathedral here marked 31 years on existence with a dinner at a local restaurant on 8 Oct 2017.

In her speech, Julita Ceralde Chok, founder of the community, said that the community has helped in bringing up the name and reputation of Filipino parishioners.

It has, she continued, now become an integral part of the cathedral parish, and she expressed the hope to continue to serve God and parish through this community in helping to achieve the mission and vision of the archdiocese.

Aside from enumerating the activities of the community, Chok said that the community has played a very important role in rescuing Filipino girls from vice in the past.Cheryl Fernandez, the incumbent

Cheryl Fernandez, the incumbent chairlady, encouraged the guests who participated in the event to become members if they wished to accord God a more meaningful worship. “Together we become a

“Together we become a spirit-filled people bringing the love of Jesus Christ to ourselves and to the people around us,” said Fernandez.

The Filipino Community was formed in 1986 when six Malaysian Filipino members started a prayer group to help fellow Filipinos coming to Sabah to be good followers of Jesus Christ.

This year the theme for the anniversary event was taken from the title of the hymn “Jesus Saves” to the tune of the song ‘Pearly Shells’, which provided for the Hawaiian party and Hawaiian fancy dress ideas.  – Victoria Matakim

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

TANJUNG ARU – Stella Maris Parish here launched its vision and mission statements on 28 Oct 2017 during the Sunset Mass.

The day was held with prayers and talks by Father Peter Abas, and sharings about the Vision and Mission by Arthur Asai, Sister Carmen Cardova FSIC, and Comeswell Egol, followed by the rosary prayer led by the Legion of Mary and a procession of the statue of Mary, Star of the Sea carried by the Boys Brigade. It was a simple, beautiful and meaningful launching of the Vision and Mission.

The next step would be the drawing up of objectives sometime in November.

In August 2017, Fr Abas, assistant pastor, called for a meeting to brainstorm to “create a vision that is being inspired by the Holy Spirit.”

The objective of the first workshop on Aug 26 was to work on the Vision. Seventy-six parishioners representing 25 ministries, groups and families came to brainstorm. The workshop was guided by Dominic Lim. He gave the guidelines on 1) how to go about it, 2) what is the meaning when we create a vision, and 3) how do we put across our ideas and what is/and is not important.

After some debate, the group came out with the following statement:

A Christ Centred Parish Family journeying together – strengthened by the Holy Spirit and empowered by the Word of God in creating an evangelising community.

The Mission Statement stated below came out during a meeting on Sept 30:
“We, the Parish Family commit ourselves to a life of: 
1)    Ongoing personal and communal renewal
2)    Proclaiming Christ, empowered by the Word of God, and guided by the teachings of the Church
3)    Nurturing the parish family life through prayers and Sacraments
4)    Evangelising missionary spirit, promoting unity in communities, and respecting the values of other faiths

Below are some comments by those involved:

Sr Carmen Cordova: The Vision and Mission challenge us to achieve unity, and be a better Catholic.

Arthur Asai: We will know our direction with this parish Vision and Mission.

Comeswel Egol: As a parish family, we will be stronger with the Vision and Mission, and as a youth leader, it will help me to guide the youth and to show them the direction to go. – Teresa Alberto/Jeremy Chin

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

LIMBANAK – The pastoral leaders of St Aloysius’ Church Limbanak Penampang learnt of the inaugural Christian education forum held at Sacred Heart Parish Centre, Kota Kinabalu which was attended by some 400 participants on 13 May 2017 through Catholic Sabah.

Challenges highlighted at the forum, such as “funding for kindergartens” and “fear of school heads to practise and uphold the ethos, character and traditions of mission schools” are not unfamiliar at Tadika Suriaku and SK St Aloysius both in Limbanak, and have been discussed extensively during many meetings.

Archbishop John Wong and Father Wilfred Atin, parish priest of St Michael Penampang, were in Limbanak on 4 Oct 2017 on the occasion of the blessing of a newly constructed columbarium when the Board of Governors of Tadika Suriaku and SK St Aloysius took the opportunity to bring them to tour the church and the school complexes.

During this impromptu session with the students and teachers, the archbishop and rector were briefed on the development of the schools which enabled them to have a better appreciation of the teachers’ passion and commitment in the mission schools.

The teachers and students were thrilled by the unassuming archbishop and rector who spent time with them unhurriedly.

Those who were present shared how they could actually feel the atmosphere of a truly Catholic school alive. – Blasius Binjua

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

MATALOKO, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) – The 5th biennial Tripartite Pastoral Gathering to discuss issues on pastoral care for Indonesian migrants working or residing in Sabah took place at Khemah Tabor here on 2-5 Oct 2017.

In his opening remarks, Romo Eduardo Raja Pr, the organising chair from the Archdiocese of Ende, explained that this fifth pastoral gathering was part of the tripartite partnership between the sending dioceses in Flores, the transit diocese in north-east Kalimantan and the receiving dioceses in Sabah. It has been established since the first encounter in 2011 between the bishops of Sandakan and Tanjong Selur. Since then more dioceses have joined in.

The three dioceses in Sabah sent a contingent of 10 delegates (four from Kota Kinabalu, four from Sandakan and two from Keningau). There were 44 local delegates from the three Flores dioceses of  Ende, Larantuka and Ruteng. Tanjong Selur in north-east Kalimantan has two representatives while for the first time there were representatives from the Diocese of Denpasar. Two observers from the Bishops’ Conference of Indonesia were also present.

In line with the call of Pope Francis to care for one another, especially for the weak and vulnerable, the Tripartite Pastoral Gathering has chosen the theme “Becoming a Church that is increasing her concerns about Migrants and Itinerants.” The theme was in line with the Holy Father’s call to be “a Church that is bruised, hurt and dirty because it has been out on the street to serve.”

The gathering expounded on the issues related to migration, reviewed the agreements spelt out in the previous gatherings, and added on new areas of co-operation; all these with the aim to enhance the tripartite partnership on pastoral care to migrants in the dioceses involved.

Among the recommendations by delegates for the consideration of the sending, transit and receiving dioceses are: (a) to establish migrant parishes and migrant desks, (b) to initiate economic empowerment of migrant families, (c) to intensify catechesis on safe, dignified and legal migration, and (d) a set up a half-way house and advocacy work by the transit diocese.

As for the receiving dioceses in Sabah (Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Keningau), aside from the need to establish migrant desks to facilitate pastoral care to migrants, other proposed recommendations are to train more catechists among locals and migrants to be pastoral caregivers, to pay special attention to the third generation migrants by networking with relevant authorities such as the Indonesian Consulate, to strengthen networking and cooperation with the sending and transit dioceses, and to collate data on the profile of the migrants.

The recommendations in the form of a Final Statement serve as a committed effort to address the problems faced by migrants in the receiving dioceses, which among others are the shortage of pastoral personnel for migrants, conversion to other faiths, decline in faith, discriminations, counterfeiting documents either for church or official uses, undocumented, issues related to homebound journey (either alive or dead), and health issues among distressed migrants.

The gathering concluded with the closing Eucharist, which was presided by Msgr Gilbert Engan of Keningau – AHDC

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

PAITAN – Had it not been the selfless and tireless efforts of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (FSIC), many of the children of hard-core families in the remote sub-districts of Paitan-Beluran, Sonsogon Magandai-Kota Marudu and Pensiangan-Keningau would not be sent to school.

These are some of the remotest areas in Sabah with a high level of hard-core poor families.  They are accessible by roads but some villages are only accessible by boats.

Schooling here is not a priority even though education is free.  Parents would rather spend their meagre income on food and other necessities and avoid sending the children to schools because of the high transportation costs.  The pupils at the FSIC-run kindergartens are transported by car or by boat from their riverine houses to the centres.

Assessing the situation induced by the poverty-stricken living conditions of families in these remote regions, and the plight of children being robbed of their right to education, the FSICs decided that here is a situation in which they could help to plant a seed of hope in these children with their pre-school education centres.

In 2005, Sisters Dorothy and Hilary Laudi were assigned to Paitan-Beluran.

Sr Dorothy, who has just completed studies in Early Childhood Education, saw the need to set up a kindergarten at Kg Dalamas Paitan because there were many children aged 4-6 not in school.

The first private kindergarten was set up in Kg Dalamas with 32 children.  Within days, the news of it spread in and around Paitan that a kindergarten has been set up, and people from other villages also requested to have one at their respective villages.

In 2006, another six kindergartens were opened in Paitan at Kg Sulit, Kg Rakanan, Kg Lakang, Kg Tawanan, Kg Batangon Darat, and Kg Lubang Buaya.

Kg Sonsogon Magandai, the furthest outstation in Kota Marudu district, needed one and it was set up in 2009.

In 2016, another kindergarten was set up at Kg Koiboton in Paitan.  In the same year, the Sisters set up a kindergarten at Kg Tinanduk Nabawan.  Another one is slotted to be set up in Pensiangan Proper in the near future.

Through the help of the FSICs and their benefactors, some of these children have gone on to enrol at the nearest primary school in their respective areas.

In fact, the first batch of kindergarten pupils of Kg Dalamas Paitan have now registered for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (GCE ‘O’ level equivalent) examination in November 2017.

The kindergartners pay no school fees nor buy any books.  All, including the basic food and drink during break time, are provided.  It takes roughly RM30,000 a year to maintain each centre and more than RM300,000 yearly for all existing ten kindergartens.

The FSIC-run kindergartens, which are non-profit making and recognised by the Ministry of Education, are funded entirely by the generosity of kind-hearted individuals, corporates, and FSIC benefactors, though they have received a small grant from the Government in the past.

According to Sr Dorothy, in spite of these efforts, it is truly sad to see that there are still many more children who cannot continue their primary education because their parents cannot afford to pay for the car or river transportation costs.  Their parents are earning barely enough for their daily subsistence working as labourers in the oil palm plantations owned by mega companies or farmers in their own land.

Sr Dorothy has identified more children living in the deeper remote areas of Sabah that should not be robbed of their right to education but for financial constraints.  She urges all government and private organisations, as well as donors to join forces to ensure that all children receive their right to education.

Those who wish to know more about the FSIC kindergarten mission and would like to lend a helping hand can contact Sister Dorothy @ 013 547 7525, Sister Grace Deosing @ 013 875 3713, or the FSIC Office, Loreto Convent @ 088 711991 (Sr Francisca Wong), or to write to fsicsabah@yahoo.com. – exclusive interview with sr dorothy laudi by catholic sabah

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu