Author Archives: Ken Wong

( Sandakan ) 2017 Chinese Association Mid-Autumn evening party was successfully held.

In order to tie in with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Sandakan Association, this year’s Mid-Autumn evening will be held by the China Youth League, October 1 held in the parish activity center.

In addition to the Chinese Catholics, the bishop JULIUS, the father of STANLEY, the Lilian nuns, the Martina nuns, the brothers and sisters of the other language groups came together to celebrate the spirit of the inner one.

The faithful brought good food with the public fun, the children also with their own light dragon prepared later parade, the scene is very lively.

Dinner time, Yu Xing program also carried out at the same time. First of all, Mu Dao Ban presented the “comic dialogue”, then there are quizzes on the spot, old, middle, green, less, all ages of the faithful have to raise their hands to win prizes.

St. Mary Valley Church youth group this year show wonderful, humorous drama — “Chang’e human tour”, we looked laugh ha ha. After the end of the play is the children most looking forward to the “lantern parade”, and by the bishop, priests, nuns who led the starting from the center of the procession to the front of the Virgin, to a happy photo.

Back to the center of the event, the lantern race awards, and then the size of the Sunday school friends show a vibrant dance, parents who have to take pictures of the child before the lovely picture

 

(山打根訊) 2017年華協中秋晚会圓滿舉行。

為配合山打根華協成立30週年系列活動，今年的中秋晚會由華協青年團主導，10月1日于堂區活動中心舉行。

除了華人教友外，主教JULIUS、STANLEY神父,Lilian 修女、Martina修女、其他語文組的兄弟姐妹也到來一起同歡共慶，體現主內一家的精神。

教友們帶來拿手好菜與眾同樂，小朋友們也帶著自己的燈龍準備稍后的遊行，場面非常熱鬧。

晚餐當兒，餘興節目也同時進行。首先是慕道班呈現的“相聲”，接著有現場問答猜謎，老、中、青、少，各年齡層的教友紛紛舉手作答，贏得獎品。

聖馬爾谷堂青年團今年呈現精彩、詼諧的戲劇—“嫦娥人間遊覽記”，大家看了笑哈哈。戲劇結束后就是小朋友最期待的“燈籠遊行”了，由主教、神父、修女們領軍，從活動中心出發遊行至聖母洞前，來個開心大合照。

回到活動中心后，進行燈籠比賽頒獎，接著主日學的大小朋友呈現一支活力十足的舞蹈，父母親們紛紛到台前拍下孩子可愛的畫面。

最后華協青年團呈現舞台劇—“當你老了”。簡單的吉他伴奏，清脆動聽的女聲，伴著寓意深刻的劇情：一對夫妻一個嬰兒→嬰兒長大，會爬會走→小學、中學→反叛、變壞、加入黑社會、打架、忤逆父母→痛改前非→深造→學成歸來。劇情開始：父母陪伴孩子學爬、學行，長大至孩子忤逆變壞，父母依然沒有放棄；直至老了……換作孩子陪伴老父老母身旁……再簡單不過的一般家庭寫照，但此時此刻讓人感動!

 

 

 

9時30分，在主教的祈禱及降福后，2017年中秋晚會圓滿結束。

Article reproduced from Diocese of Sandakan

 

Sandakan: 30 members of the Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC) St. Teresa of Calcutta, Taman Indah Jaya Sandakan, embarked on a 5-day pilgrimage to Manila, Philippines on 20^th – 24^thSeptember 2017 with Rev. Fr. Thomas Makajil of the Paitan Mission as the Spiritual Director. Prior to their departure to the Philippines, members prepared themselves spiritually through a nine-day novena prayer.

The BEC of St. Teresa of Calcutta was formed in 2010 with some 30 active families. Since its’ inception, the members have had made two pilgrimages; one to St Anne, Bukit Mertajam and another local pilgrimage to the Diocese of Keningau.

 

 

This time around, the BEC of St Teresa of Calcutta responded to the call of Bishop Julius of Sandakan to establish link with other BECs from other parishes in the Diocese or beyond the region in order to learn from one another. With that in mind, the BEC decided to make a pilgrimage to the Philippines and twin up with one of the local BECs in Quezon City. The committee got down to preparatory work about a year ago.

Aleona Natalio, a formator at the Institute of Formation Fondacio, (IFFAsia) was at hand to greet and welcome us at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on 20^th September.  IFFAsia  is committed  to train Christian youth leaders from across Asia, who are willing to commit and participate in the revival of the Church and the civil society.

Upon arrival at the Institute, housed at Radio Veritas Asia in Fairview, Quezon City, we were feasted to a sumptuous variety of traditional cuisines prepared by students and among the delicious dishes was the popular local roasted barbequed pig, Lechon. We were briefed on the organisation structure of the Institute and were introduced to their formators as well as the students coming from the Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and China.

IFFAsia is well connected to the Diocese of Sandakan and as of date four youths from Sandakan have graduated from the Institute. In 2011, St. Mary’s Cathedral Parish, Sandakan hosted their mission project comprising 23 participants; students and formators. Part of their exposure, was an encounter with BEC of St Teresa of Calcutta.

Apart from the warm welcome and good food, we were also entertained with presentations from the students. The event was interactive providing a platform to get to know one another. As an appreciation and in support of their upcoming mission project in Thailand, we contributed in our small way by buying souvenir items prepared by the students.

For the five-day pilgrimage, we were housed at the Franciscan Sisters of St. Elizabeth Retreat House, across the road, opposite IFFAsia. Surprisingly, there were several nuns from Indonesia in the congregation where we conveniently communicated in Bahasa Indonesia. The Retreat House was comfortable offering twin sharing air conditioned room with toilet attached, very serene setting and a beautiful  chapel where we attended the daily 6.00am mass, celebrated by Fr. Thomas.

We were divided into 3 groups of 10 persons per group for easier mobility. Over the course of the 5 days, we visited seven Cathedrals and Churches with significant historical and architectural values. We visited St. Agustin Church, Manila Cathedral, San Sebastian Church, Baclaran Church (The National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help), Minor Basalica of the famous Black Nazarene Quiapo, Espiritu Santo Parish Church and The Cathedral Shrine of the Good Shepherd, Fairview. The presence of Fr. Thomas as Spiritual Director, who had done his Master in Pastoral work in Santo Tomas University had helped the group in gaining in-depth information of the historical background and even led the group for contemplative prayers in the Cathedrals visited.

 

 

One profound experience was our visit to Baclaran Church of the National Shrine of Our Mother Perpetual Help, a Redemptorist Church, where we were welcomed by a priest, assigned to cater for pilgrims. We were honoured to take the Cross in procession to the altar where the pilgrimage’s prayer was said on the sanctuary.

Another memorable visit was to the Daughters of St. Paul Bookstore and their convent at Pasay City. Sr. Rosalie Lojiu, a Sabahan nun (coincidently, the niece of Fr. Thomas), was kind enough to brief on the Pauline work and providing light refreshment to us.  During the visit, Fr. Thomas took the time to visit three surviving pioneering nuns who started the congregation in Sabah in the early 60s. All of them are now in their mid-90s and have to depend on walking aids. These nuns used to visit Fr. Thomas’ families when they were serving in Penampang and he was in primary school then. It was indeed a nostalgic and emotional moment spending time with them and they shared their fond memories while serving in Sabah, which was then, North Borneo. They surprised the pilgrims when some of them could still remember the popular Malay lullaby, Burung Kakak Tua. They would have served longer if not because of the State government’s policy then in the mid-70s to revoke their service in Sabah.

The highlight of the pilgrimage was to enter into an understanding between BEC St. Teresa of Calcutta Indah Jaya Sandakan and the BEC of Cathedral Shrine and Parish of the Good Shepherd (CSPGS), Fairview Park, Quezon City, Philippines. The mission is to;

 

1. Share resources on the development, sustenance and advancement of BECs 
2. Share information regarding events happening in the BECs
3. Share on its similarities and differences
4. Foster good relationship bond among members, especially the youth of the twinned BECs

At hand to welcome us were the parish priest Fr. Mario Sanchez and his two assistant priests, Fr. Bong and Fr. Sanders, together with the members of BEC CSPGS. In his welcoming address, Fr. Sanchez encourages the twinned BECs to propagate and promote BEC. He said that through sharing, it will prompt learning from each other and will bring growth in our relationship with the Lord. He affirmed that BECs is one of the ways to reach out to more people and through BECs we will get closer to God and among members in the community.

The visit marked an important program because it coincides with the year-long celebration of 2017 emphasizing the importance of BEC, ‘The year of the Parish as Communion of Communities, Participation and Mission.’ In response, Fr. Thomas expressed his gratefulness for the warm welcome rendered and he said that the similarities of the guests and host made us felt much at home. He briefed the host that the BECs in the Sandakan Diocese is in its infancy stage as the Diocese is merely 10 years old and  has much to learn from our counter-part.

 

Ate Clarita Salvan, the team animator briefed on the history of the CSPGS BEC, while Francis Tan presented an insight into the BEC of St. Teresa of Calcutta. A group discussion session on the way forward of BECs was conducted, shared and presented to the floor.  At exactly 7.00pm we attended the sunset mass in the Cathedral presided over by Fr. Bong and con-celebrated by Fr. Thomas. Thereafter, the program adjourned to the Parish Hall where the mutual understanding of the twinning BEC of Saint Teresa of Calcutta Sandakan with the BEC of the Cathedral Shrine and Parish of the Good Shepherd was sealed by their respected Chairperson and witnessed by the priests. This occasion marked a historical mileage for the BEC from St. Mary’s Parish Sandakan to go beyond their local setting in order to gain knowledge in their pastoral work.  The pilgrimage journey, not only draw us closer to God and one another but bring home beautiful memories of the beautiful people of the Philippines, their kind hospitality and reception.

 

Article reproduced from Diocese of Sandakan

Migrant Sunday was celebrated at the 9.00am Mass on September 24 at the Church of the Divine Mercy (CDM). The main theme of the day was The Generous Love of God with the sub-theme Child Migrants: the Helpless and Vulnerable. The purpose of this celebration was to continue the on-going efforts of the Migrant Ministry at CDM to reach out to the migrant community to make them feel welcome and to promote a culture of encounter in the parish.

It was most heart-warming to see the diverse groups of Filipinos, Indonesians, Nigerians, Indians and Vietnamese at the Mass. The first reading was proclaimed in Igbo, a Nigerian dialect, by Patrick Chikere and the second reading was in Vietnamese by Joseph Nguyen.

In his homily on the Gospel of Matthew 20:1-16a about God’s generosity in paying hired labourers, Fr Martin Arlando remarked that, often, this gospel reading makes people feel that life is unfair. We get less, not more for our efforts. He told a humorous story about a priest who advocated this by saying that, in any situation, things could actually be much worse. It is common for us to complain when we do more but get less. But why should we be envious of God’s generosity? Imagine the feelings of the latecomers who had been waiting for work, feeling hopeless, rejected and desperate for that day’s wage of one denarii to feed their families. Their only hope was in God’s mercy.

Fr Martin told the congregation that being a good Catholic isn’t just about being a good person and expecting to go to heaven but more about seeking Jesus so as to be close to Him. He reminded everyone that the first person to go to heaven after the death of Jesus was the repentant thief. The one that had sinned so much that he was crucified, and yet, he went to heaven ahead of the sinless Mother Mary. When one is in love with Jesus, you want to please Him and be with Him. You can prove this with your prayer life and by the way you live. Don’t you want others to experience this generosity and love of God? If you love God, this is the way to prove it, by following Jesus. He will give what you want the most, that is, to be with Him.

On this Migrant Sunday, Fr Martin reminded us that we need to focus on the children, to reach out with the love of Jesus as we are their hands and feet because they have no one else to turn to. If you had children in another country, wouldn’t you want someone there to reach out to them? Trust in God’s ways and always give thanks for the opportunity to show them the tender love of God’s mercy.

Fr Martin asked all the migrants to come to the altar for a special blessing. Finally, a video prepared by the Regional Episcopal Migrant Group on the Plight of Migrants in the World was shown.

After Mass, the migrants were invited to Faustina Hall for fellowship. A light meal had been prepared by Filipino and Indonesian caterers. A Filipino band serenaded the diners with a medley of songs in English, Tagalog and Bahasa Indonesia. They were then joined by some “guest artistes” who brought the house down with their renditions of One Love and a Batak Toba number. The children enjoyed themselves too, dancing energetically to the music.

 

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

The Malaysian Church celebrated the 101st World Day of Migrants and Refugees in the month of September.

This year, the theme was The Vulnerable and Voiceless Child Migrants.

At the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, during the weekend Masses of September 23 & 24, parish priest Fr Edwin Peter, in his homily, spoke on Pope Francis’ Migrant Sunday message to his parishioners.

Using slides, he said people around the world travel to other countries for economic reasons while others do so because of war or conflict in their countries of origin.

Fr Edwin reminded the parishioners about Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt. After wandering for forty years, Joshua led them into the Promised Land. “We also know that Baby Jesus, with Mary and Joseph, had to flee to Egypt and to return only when it was safe.”

Fr Edwin said that here in Malaysia, we see many migrants who have left their own countries. He quoted from the Gospel of St Matthew 25:35, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me” and asked, “Do we ever welcome migrants in this manner?” He called on the parishioners to help in defending the rights of migrants, to be proctective of them, to love and accept them as they are defenceless and susceptible to injustice.

Fr Edwin spoke on how difficult it must be for the children of migrants. He reminded the assembly of the love Jesus has for children when he said,“Whoever receives one such child in My Name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me, but Him who sent Me” (Mark 9:37).

Fr Edwin said that the Catholic Church is the family of God on the earth, welcoming everyone and integrating with everyone.

“Welcome, protect, promote and integrate, especially with the young migrants. Pope Francis has said this is our calling: we need to be sensitive to others and reach out to them.”

In closing, Fr Edwin said the fragility and innocence of childhood is being exploited and oppressed on every level. We are called to respond to it with compassion and trust and to treat migrant children with dignity.

After Mass, Fr Edwin thanked his Parish Integral Human Development (PIHD) Ministry for animating the Masses. He said that under PIHDM, they have sub-ministries like the Migrant Ministry, Society of St Vincent De Paul (SSVP), Women’s Desk and Prison Ministry. “It is not sufficient to just pray. We need to reach out and touch others in works of mercy.”

The parish priest invited all parishioners to get in touch with the PIHDM and offer their assistance. He said that we now have Sunday school that caters for migrant children. He also thanked all those who donate during the second collection every first Sunday of the month. About RM6,000.00 is dispersed to SSVP every month to help the poor and the migrants.

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

October 1, being the Sunday closest to the Feast of St Francis of Assisi (Oct 4), marked a very special day for Risen Christ Church in Ayer Itam. Families came, together with their pets for the blessing of animals, as part of the Feastday celebrations in honour of St Francis who loved all of creation, especially animals. Present that evening were not only dogs and cats, but tortoises, turtles, parrots, fish, sugar gliders and even a snake.

According to Friars Gerald Tan OFM, Crispus Mosinoh, OFM and Cosmas Francis, OFM who conducted the para-liturgy prayer service, the blessing of animals has been a popular tradition in many parts of the world in honour of St Francis, with Franciscans and non-Franciscans alike. Diocesan parishes and priests who share the love for St Francis also conduct animal blessings in many churches across the globe as an expression of their gratitude and thanksgiving to God for all of creation, especially our beloved “animal family members” which bring much joy into our homes and our lives. Similar to the blessing of our homes and the many other things we ask God’s blessing for, we ask for God’s blessings on our pets, with them being very much part of our families and our life experiences.

This event contributes much towards community building, as families coming to church together with their pets, recognising that the Church is not only a place of worship, but also a place where the whole community shares life and growth. It was truly a new and wonderful experience for many other parishioners as this was the first time for those who have not had the chance to witness such an event before — humans and animals both coming together to the Lord’s House.

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

More than 1,000 parishioners of St Michael’s Church (SMC) celebrated their parish feastday with a bilingual Mass and lunch, welcoming and sharing their joy with their greater “extended” family, including the poor and the marginalised from their monthly soup kitchen.

IPOH (Herald Malaysia): More than 1,000 parishioners of St Michael’s Church (SMC) celebrated their parish feastday with a bilingual Mass and lunch, welcoming and sharing their joy with their greater “extended” family, including the poor and the marginalised from their monthly soup kitchen.

Over 220 of them were invited to participate.

The feastday Mass of Archangels St Michael, Gabriel and Raphael was celebrated by Fr Fabian Dicom, with SMC parish priest Fr Stephen Liew concelebrating. The theme was St Michael, defender of our faith.

Based on the day’s readings, Fr Fabian said there is a tendency to focus on practising religosity rather than embracing spirituality. “When our faith is all about following laws, then our faith is equated with religosity. We are only governed by fear, following rituals and rites.

“These rituals should be a means to our worship but, often, we just follow, until we become “exclusive” Christians. Working in the vineyard means that God loves us unconditionally, and going (into the vineyard) means translating all our worship in Mass into action.

“There must be openness and love of the outcast. It takes courage to step out and to be at the service of humanity. It is also to care about the vineyard, and to stand up in the quest for social justice.

“We have to do our part instead of just criticising others on social media, he said. “That is the image given by the washing of the feet of the disciples by Jesus.

“As for the parable, we all have a bit of both sons in us, so we have to pray to God, St Michael, and the archangels, to help us.”

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

PETALING JAYA: A month-long Marian Exhibition with the Theme Mother Mary is in the Heart of Every Disciple will be held at St Ignatius Church (SIC) to honour our Blessed Mother and in conjunction with the 100th Anniversary of the Apparition at Fatima.

The Exhibition showcases The Life of Mother Mary, the four Marian Dogmas, the nine approved Marian Apparitions and three unverified apparitions.

The former occurred at Guadalupe, Mexico (1531), Rue du Bac, Paris (1830), La Salette, France (1846), Lourdes, France (1858), Pontmain, France (1871), Knock, Ireland (1879), Fatima, Portugal (1917), Beauraing, Belgium (1932-1933), and Banneux, Belgium (1933).

Also highlighted are the three unverified apparitions of Velankanni, India (16th–17th Century), Lavang, Vietnam (1798) and Akita, Japan (1973).

The organisers hope that visiting the Marian Exhibition will bring about a clearer understanding and a deeper appreciation of Mother Mary and the role that she plays in the life of the Church.

Those visiting from outstation or in groups may request a special viewing of the Exhibition at their convenience. This is available from Monday to Friday. Please call the Parish Office (03-78033512) for enquiry and booking.

There are various activities which include Movie screening in the Church, Talks, Video Clips, Rosary Recitation, and presentation of Songs, all with a Marian theme. The team has also prepared articles for sale which include statues, handicrafts, books and DVDs related to Mother Mary.

The exhibition at SIC Costantini Community Centre Roof Top, will be held from Oct 8 to 30. On weekdays, the viewings will be by appointment from 9.00am to 5.00pm. It is open from 9.00am to 10.00pm on weekends.

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

The God of the Bible is a God who sometimes nudges his people in order to refresh them into a new realisation that life is more than what is being presented by the world, especially the world we are living in today.

Bishop Bernard Paul from Melaka-Johor Diocese said, as God’s people, Catholics must realise that our God never leaves His children behind, no matter what the circumstances are.

“Just like the people of Israel, when God nudged them, they realised where God was in their lives.” He said the faithful must always hold God at the highest place in their lives because, without God, in one’s life, nothing is meaningful.

“God is in everything. Everything is from Him and for Him. He comforts us. He gives meaning to everything. We are able to shoulder everything because God is with us.

“Without the light of God, we feel helpless and that is why He should be everything to us. This essence must be the focus of the faith of Christians today, in order for us to grasp the meaning of life,” he said.

He continued, saying that God builds His temple throughout the world, but inspite of that, Christians also need to remember that their physical bodies are God’s temple too.

“In the reading, God urges us to rebuild his temple, meaning, to build a better temple. That is why, in the Mass, we go beyond where we were before. Where we rebuild ourselves, rebuild our faith.

“Before we attempt to rebuild God’s temple, we need to begin with rebuilding ourselves. For this, we need to listen, to love and to live the life God wants us to live, which we learn through these seminars,” he said.

“Build your Christian life on a solid foundation and not on sand. We strengthen our lives so we can strengthen others, regardless of their background. Through this, we rebuild our hopes of salvation for a better future in Christ,” he said.

Bishop Bernard Paul was speaking during the opening Mass of the Ruby Jubilee Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) in St Peter Claver Church Sep 28-30.

About 600 Catholics participated in the three-day event which, among others, included talks on related subjects, worship and healings.

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

The St John’s Charismatic Fellowship (SJCF) marked its 35th anniversary with a Thanksgiving Mass celebrated by Msgr Leonard Lexson on September 26, 2017.

Some 80-odd SJCF members and former members were present.

In his homily, Msgr Leonard said when the Lord constructs anything, he will see it is completed.

Msgr Leonard added that God also constructs relationships. He knows the problems in the break-up of relationships. Jesus asks the crowd, “Who is my mother, brother and sister? My mother, brother and sister are the ones who keep the Word of God, listen and practise it.

“We have come here as a family of God. We need to go beyond our own family and love others and build a loving community.”

The parish priest went on to say that we are rejoicing for a purpose. We are celebrating life. Not only are we celebrating the 35th anniversary of SJCF, we are also celebrating 35 years of faithfulness to God. We must see everyone as brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Msgr Leonard said we need to be affiliated like SJCF, a ministry that is a sign of a united community. We are called by the Holy Spirit as he opens us to the

Word of God. He wants to use us for the glory of the Lord. Whatever our affiliations, we thank God for the 35 years of being faithful and witnessing to others that Jesus is the Saviour of the world.

After Mass, all adjourned to the Community Centre for a light dinner fellowship.

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

“The Church has always felt the need for change and inclusivity since the time of the Apostles, when the first Council at Jerusalem was called by St Paul on the issue of circumcision,” said Fr Fabian Dicom.

“Later, Rome had to respond to various issues, in a Church encompassing different cultures, languages and peoples in a changing world,” he added, during the Study Day at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit on Sept 9, to rediscover the soul of the parish and to refocus and see what they wanted their parish to be like in the next 10 years and beyond..

“The mission of Jesus is primarily entrusted to the Holy Spirit and, therefore, we are assured of continuity in the Church,” said Bishop Sebastian Francis in his opening address. It does not matter if some of us might not be around in 2026 to participate in the next PMPC. That should not stop us from planning and taking full responsibility for the future of the Church. “What is the Holy Spirit saying to the Church today? That is the fundamental question. So we come together to dialogue, discern and move into action,” he added.

The Prelate spelt out 12 points taken from the Scriptures to describe the vision of the Church, guided by three principles namely:

a) Purity of intention,
b) Faith in prayer and
c) Fidelity in action.

Without the personal conversion of the leaders, there could be no true vision and reform. He concluded, saying that we should be Christ-centred.

Since the Aggiornamento in 1976, eight needs were identified and reaffirmed at the Synod at St Anne’s Church.

The Core Need is the Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC).

The Pastoral Needs are:

a) Unity,
b) Formation,
c) Integral Human Development,
d) Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue,
e) Youth,
f) Family, and
g) Social Communications.

The next speaker, Deacon Clement said that they received more than 7,000 responses to the questionnaire that had been given to all Catholics in the Diocese in December 2015. At the Synod workshops of the respective Arch/ dioceses, the inputs from the questionnaires were analysed and synthesised in preparation for the PMPC IV.

Fr Jude Miranda, Chairman of the PMPT, revisited PMPC IV, saying that there was only one keynote address by the Arch/bishops, but it had three dimensions:

a) a need to be creative,
b) inclusive and
c) bridge-builders.

Of greatest concern were Islamisation, globalisation, secularisation and corruption. He also referred to the eight challenges mentioned by Dr Francis Low: the new poor, small politics, youth, education, foreign labour, labour movement, dialogue and the Bumiputra majority church.

The last speaker, Mr Ramesh, said that PMPC IV was acclaimed as a new Pentecost which moved everyone towards mission. We are called to be missionary disciples of hope with renewed vision and mission in a changing world. We cannot be content within the walls of the church.

At the conclusion of the Study Day, Fr Fabian, who was the coordinator, assured the participants that the Animating Team would return to provide support and help chart a direction for the parish in preparation for the CHS Parish Pastoral Assembly on 3 December.

This was the first roadshow conducted by the Penang Diocesan Animating Team, to explain the purpose and processes of the Penang Diocesan Synod at the Church of St Anne, Bukit Mertajam and leading up to the PMPC IV (Peninsular Malaysian Pastoral Convention) at Plentong, Johor.

After Vatican Council II and Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), the Peninsular Malaysian Church followed up with the Aggiornamento, Diocesan Assemblies, RPPs, PMPC I, II, II and finally PMPC IV in 2016.

 

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online