Author Archives: Ken Wong

St Anthony ‘s Church Notices – Bintulu

1. FAMILY WALKATHON FOR THE NEW CATHEDRAL

Parishioners who have the walkathon cards are advised to return these cards along with the collections to their respective cell group leaders as soon as possible. If a card is lost, the cardholder is required to donate RM200, as stated in the card.

2. WORSHIP NIGHT

Parishioners are reminded that the Worship Night with Bro. George Ancelo Ganda from Indonesia is on Friday 1^st September 2017

Venue  : St Anthony’s School Hall

Time               : 7.30 – 10.00 pm

All are welcome. Entry fee is RM5 for parishioners aged 12 and above.

3. LIFE IN THE SPIRIT SEMINAR (IN BM)

Parishioners who are fluent in BM who wish to be confirmed in October this year are required to attend the Life in the Spirit Seminar which will be held from 21^st till 23^rd September at the Parish Hall. For details, kindly check with any of the BM HCG leaders.

4. ADULT CONFIRMATION

Adult parishioners who wish to be confirmed on 7^th October 2017 are advised to register with the Parish Office.

They will need to attend the Life in the Spirit Seminar (LSS), the dates of which will be announced by their HCGs.

5. PRAYER MEETING IN IBAN

There is an Iban Prayer Meeting tonight at Stella Maris Church @ 7.30 pm. Parishioners who are conversant in Iban are invited to this gathering, especially young working adults .

6. PRE MARRIAGE AND NFP COURSE IN CHINESE

Parishioners who wish to be married in church and those who wish to have their civil marriages blessed can register for the course tomorrow.

Date                            : Monday 28 August

Venue              : Conference Room

Time                            : 7.30 pm

Article reproduced from  St Anthony's Church

KOTA PADAWAN — 9 February saw The Right Honourable Prime Minister YAB Datuk Patinggi Mohd Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak and The Right Honourable Chief Minister YAB Datuk Amar Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari Bin Tun Abang Haji Openg making the official site visit to St Ann’s Church. They gave a grant of RM4 million received from the State Government and the Federal Government, of which the 24,591 strong Roman Catholic parishioners are most grateful.

Earlier this year, the parish also received a grant of RM400,000.00 under the Minor Rural project (MRP) from Majlis Perbandaran Padawan (MPP). With these grants, the first of the four phases of the new St Ann’s Building project is well on its way towards completion.

The St Ann new Church site, covering 6 acres, sits strategically on the intersection of Jalan Puncak Borneo and Jalan Landeh, at Kota Padawan 10th Mile Kuching-Serian Road. The total cost of the First phase amounts to RM 14.5 million which covers the construction of the main Church building (that can accommodate up to 2,225 parishioners), infrastructure works and reclamation of the swampy land.

The opening ceremony of the new Church scheduled on 30 April has been postponed to the end of this year to give time for the parish to attend to the following critical and urgent concerns:

• The boundary drainage issues encompassing also the site’s immediate surroundings and other related infrastructure works.
  The roof extension around the main Church, which provides an additional sheltered external seating area, that will cater for the additional number of parishioners attending the major liturgical celebrations like Easter, Ash Wednesday and Christmas.
• Although the roof and concrete platform extension as mentioned above were planned to be carried out at a later date, the St Ann New Church Building Committee had been advised that it is more judicious and cost-effective to add these extensions during the current period of the construction of the Main Church building.
  The works have started on the two major drainage boundaries and commencement for the roof extension will begin soon, based on the grants received from Majlis Perbandaran Padawan (MPP), State Government and Federal Government. This will be followed by the major interior works for the main Church building, in preparation for her historical official opening by end of 2017.

The Rector of St Ann’s Mission, Fr Gerard Victor, OFM, stated, “The entire building and construction team have done their best and we are convinced that these delays are in fact for the good of the overall St Ann Building Project and long-term interest of the parishioners. The parish team is committed to the fullest accountability and transparency and will continue to keep parishioners and well-wishers informed from time to time of the construction progress through our St Ann’s Parish Facebook page and website.”

He added that the parish is very thankful for all the contributions and support received from near and far. This will enable the parish to begin planning for Phase Two of the building project, which includes the Church office and classrooms for faith formation, meetings and other Church-related activities. The Atlanta Concrete Contractors is whom you can rely on when it comes to construction and renovation.

In anticipation of continuous unfailing support, the parish is confident Phase Three and Phase Four which consist of a Multi-purpose Hall and a Priests’ residential building is in the offering.

St Ann’s Church

Article reproduced from Today's Catholic Online

KUCHING — The Catholic Services Charity Run (CSCR) 2017 is exactly two weeks away. However, the amount collected and the numbers of runners are still below target.

Catholic Welfare Services Chairman Danice Endawie in his WhatsApp message on 22 August wrote that the organising committee received many “zero returns” as the sponsor cards are being handed back to them.

“Thanks to those who have decided to participate [in the charity run],” he wrote.

Danice urged more people to join in the run on 9 September and / or contribute towards the humble charitable cause. “It is not too late to decide to participate and contribute to CWS funds,” the WhatsApp message read.

“Through the years CWS had given out assistance to many poor, natural disaster victims, fire victims, and the sick… Without your help CWS will find it difficult to continue to render the same assistance to those who dearly need our help,” wrote the CWS chairman.

The CSCR 2017 is organised by the Catholic Welfare Services Council Sarawak with the theme “I run for the least, the last and the lost”. Since early May this year, sponsor cards were distributed far and wide throughout the Archdiocese of Kuching.

The organising committee hopes to raise RM 2.5 million and with participation of at least 10,000 runners on Sunday, 9 September. The amount raised will be used to fund the Home of Peace, Catholic Services Centre, CWS Samaritans, Society of St Vincent de Paul, Meals for Urban Poor Families (through SKUP), Archbishop’s Disaster Relief Fund, and in aid of the Rural Parishes.

With a minimum amount of RM80, well-wishers / sponsor card holders are eligible for the charity run. Each runner will also receive a t-shirt.

Further information on the Charity Run can be obtained from CWS office at ACCPC ground floor, or contact them at 082-241407.

Article reproduced from Today's Catholic Online

The dream of thousands of Catholics in the Tuaran parish to have a multi-purpose Parish Hall cum Catechetical Centre will soon become a reality as the building is 50 per cent complete

By Teddy Chin
The dream of thousands of Catholics in the Tuaran parish to have a multi-purpose Parish Hall cum Catechetical Centre will soon become a reality as the building is 50 per cent complete.

This was revealed by the Chairperson of the St John Parish fundraising dinner, Puan Catherine Tan, at Bukit Padang, on August 13.

“From a concept or idea in 2010, eight dinners and many fundraising activities later, we will finally have our own hall and we will be proud of it.

Catherine said the building committee has, since 2011, spent RM2.1 million. Ongoing work for brick laying, cement, doors and window frames alone will cost another RM297,250.

“Through various activities from Day 1, we have collected some RM2.3 million but we still have a long way to go and, therefore need all the help we can get, not just from Catholics but also from non-Catholic wellwishers,” she said.

She added that an application has been made to the Federal Government for an allocation of RM2.5 million through the good office of Tuaran Member of Parliament, Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau. It is hoped that it will be considered favourably.

Catherine also thanked Archbishop John Wong for approving RM300,000 towards the building fund.

Archbishop Wong, in his speech, thanked the State Government for its support all these years, not just to the Tuaran Parish but throughout the Archdiocese as a whole.

He also praised the Catholics and non- Catholics alike who turned up for the dinner.

“I understand that the economy may be a bit challenging nowadays and, yet, 110 tables were sold, meaning more than 1,000 people are here tonight.

“This speaks a lot about your faith and may God bless you,” he stated.

To further raise funds for the building, Archbishop John, Fr Edward and his assistant parish priest Fr Abel Madisang sang a few songs which were sponsored by on-the-spot donations.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

KOTA KINABALU – The Archdiocesan Human Development Commission (AHDC) in collaboration with the parish committee has organised free checking errors in Identity Cards (ICs) service in all parishes in the archdiocese in July and August 2017.

This service is offered to all parishioners (young and old).  Booths are set up in front of the church before and after all Masses on Saturdays and Sundays.

The team only scan errors without keeping any personal data.

The common errors are found in two categories: a) race – “Bajau” or “Malay” instead of “Chinese” or “Kadazandusun”; and b) religion – “Buddha” or “Sikhism” or “tiada maklumat” (no information) instead of “Kristian.”

The team will compile the list of names of the faithful with errors in their ICs and forward this list to the AHDC at the end of August.  The AHDC will then send this list to the Registration Department for rectification.

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As Christians, we are called to be good people, for we have a shared humanity, with one another and with God himself in the person of Jesus Christ. It is this shared humanity that underpins our responsibility for the good of our neighbour, of society, and of the world. This is our Christian hope – that in being good people we will show that God is good because “God has no hands except ours” (St Teresa). So, it is that we must build bridges of peace, unity, and harmony between people of all races and religions.

And nowhere is the call to goodness more urgent than in societies like our own, made up of diverse races and religious affiliations. Our Malaysia will only ever be ours if we love it into being. Today we celebrate 60 years of independence. For many of us, the first exuberant cries of merdeka are something we have only seen in history books and documentaries. The joyful hope of the people of a new nation risks becoming nothing but a relic of the past, as our collective memory fades from generation to generation, and our freedom becomes detached from that first hope. On this auspicious day, it is timely that we reignite the aspirations of our nation’s founding fathers and examine our use of the freedom we have been given. It is ultimately a freedom to love, and together to build a nation through which the love of God flows, to unite all in regard for each person’s God-given dignity, to care for the least among us, and to work in service of each other for the common good. How far have we come these last six decades as a nation and a people?

It is a love that sacrifices self for the good of the other, which prompts us to set aside our personal agendas and the temptation to prioritise selfish desires, in order to build a just society, a nation that favours all over the interests of a few. It is a love that acts first, emboldening us to seek out dialogue and common ground upon which we may build the foundations of national peace, stability, and growth. It is a love that teaches by example, so that future generations, seeing the way we work for good, will never lose sight of our aspirations, and will be equipped with the skills and conviction to continue our work. It is a love that is benevolent, which replaces utilitarian sentiments with those of genuine care, especially for our migrant workers who have joined their hopes to ours and work in often unappreciated ways to help achieve our aspirations. It is a love generous in its giving to those most in need, ensuring that the rewards of growth and development are felt all the way to the margins of society. It is a love that is blind to anything that would tempt us to love less, and recognises the inherent dignity of each individual regardless of race, religion, political affiliation, status, or any of the weak human distinctions by which we divide rather than unite.

As we celebrate the commemoration of these great events in our shared history, Hari Merdeka and Hari Malaysia, let us take the opportunity for a personal examination of conscience: how far do my values and attitudes towards my country and all the people in society reflect the good news of God’s love for me and all mankind? In the words of His Holiness, Pope Francis, to the US Congress in 2015, “Each son or daughter of a given country has a mission, a personal and social responsibility.” Independence means little if we remain enslaved by pride, jealousy, anger, greed, and apathy, which feed the polarisations that are so injurious to unity. Let us look first at the communities that make up our own churches. Do we divide ourselves along lines of race, language, and social and economic background, which are ultimately invisible in God’s eyes? In remedying our own divisions, in love and humility, so that Christ’s prayer may be fulfilled, “that they may all be one” (John 17:21), let us also never forget our mission to our nation, to adopt a multi-pronged approach to building-up society beginning with a change in our own mind-set and attitudes that will effect a change in our behaviour. We must then educate others from the youngest to the eldest in our society and promote efforts that seek unity in the diversity of races and religions that make us uniquely Malaysians.

And may God’s blessings be poured out upon us, that our celebrations may extend well beyond the parades, parties, and public holidays, and become a lived reality that sees us berganding bahu (standing united) in love to build an even greater and more prosperous Malaysia.

SELAMAT MENYAMBUT HARI MERDEKA DAN HARI MALAYSIA!

Most Reverend Julian Leow Beng Kim DD
Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur
President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, on behalf of:

Most Reverend Simon Poh —
Archbishop of Kuching

Most Reverend John Wong —
Archbishop of Kota Kinabalu

Rt Reverend Cornelius Piong —
Bishop of Keningau

Rt Reverend Julius Dusin Gitom —
Bishop of Sandakan

Rt Reverend Richard Ng
Bishop of Miri

Rt Reverend Joseph Hii
Bishop of Sibu

Rt Reverend Datuk Sebastian Francis —
Bishop of Penang

Rt Reverend Bernard Paul —
Bishop of Melaka – Johor

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

He expressed his hope that all the above information helps in disseminating the talk2francisMY campaign to all the youths both Catholics and Non-Catholics.   The youth office at parish and Arch/Diocese level should take ownership of this campaign in their own dioceses.

Krishnan can be contacted via email to ignatius@serantau.org.

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

INANAM –  Over 200 parishioners attended a catechesis on The Prodigal Son parable at St Catherine’s Church here on 18 Aug 2017 conducted by the Archdiocesan Social Communications Commission (Soccom).

The catechesis was jointly presented by Father Thomas Madanan, the Commission’s Spiritual Adviser who spoke on The Merciful Father; Joseph Leong, its Chairman on The Elder Son; and Gideon Mosito, another Soccom member on The Prodigal Son.

Fr Madanan explained that although the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy (YoM) officially ended in November 2016, Soccom has continued with its  YoM programme because of its timeless message for all those seeking God’s mercy and showing mercy to others around them.

In their presentation, the speakers gave testimony on how they have experienced the forgiveness of God and have thus become witnesses of mercy.

They said the central purpose of visiting the Inanam parish and giving the catechesis on The Prodigal Son was to underscore the need for everyone in a Catholic family to repent and seek the mercy of God.

It was brought home in their talks that not only The Prodigal Son, the younger son in the parable, but the elder son too has to see a need to heal broken relationships within a Catholic family.

They stated that those who serve the church in various capacities on a regular basis and for a long time might have a similar attitude of the elder brother in the parable who was angry with the father and was upset over his younger brother being given such a lavish welcome.

They stressed that everyone in the family should recognise their wrongdoings and seize opportunities for repentance and return body, heart, and soul to God the Father.

The Soccom speakers invited the parishioners, coming from Telipok, Manggatal and Inanam, to be reconciled with each other in their respective family by way of forgiveness and other acts of mercy.

They also had the opportunity to watch videos on the YoM celebrations in the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu and the World Communications Day (WCD) celebration at the archdiocesan level hosted by the parish on 28 May 2017.

They were each given a free copy of an information leaflet on the Extraordinary Jubilee Year, entitled, “What ‘Mercy’ Means to Me and My Family,”  produced by the Soccom in English and Bahasa Malaysia.

Commenting on the Soccom programme in Inanam, Leong recalled that Pope Francis had, in his message for World Communications Day in May this year, stressed the need for all Catholics, especially those engaged in media work, to communicate hope and trust in our time.

“This was precisely what we did at St Catherine’s Church that night,” he said, adding, “We were there to give a word of hope to the crowd who appeared to be full of hunger and thirst for the love and mercy of God.”

This is the third parish where this special YoM programme was conducted in the archdiocese.

The previous occasions were at the Holy Rosary Church, Limbahau, on 11 Nov 2016 and at the Holy Nativity Church, Terawi, on 28 April 2017.

Among parish officials present were Fr David Sham, Parish Priest; Paul Augustine, Chairman of Parish Pastoral Council; Francis Ten, head of Liturgy; and Jesuit Deacon Leslie Bingkasan, who is due to be ordained a priest at the same church on 1 Sept 2017 by Archbishop John Wong.

Patricia Regis, another Soccom member, responsible for documentation and research work, was also present to lend support for the event.

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

Our Lady, Queen of All Saints, Dontozidon praesidium organised a one-day recollection at Bamboo House in Kg Notoruss June 17 with the theme Sharing the Joy of Faith like Mary.

PENAMPANG: Our Lady, Queen of All Saints, Dontozidon praesidium organised a one-day recollection at Bamboo House in Kg Notoruss June 17 with the theme Sharing the Joy of Faith like Mary.

The recollection, facilitated by Franciscan Sr Dora Obod, the praesidum’s Spiritual Director, was attended by 32 active and auxiliary legionaries from the praesidia of Our Lady, Queen of All Saints, Dontozidon, Our Lady of Grace, Kg Kopungit and Our Lady of Sorrow, Kg Kolopis.

The legionaries reflected on the Magnificat, Mary’s song of praise, also known as the Canticle of Mary. They were encouraged to emulate Mary’s life which is in full union and cooperation with the Holy Spirit, echoing her fiat ‘I am the servant of the Lord, be it done unto me according to Thy word.’

They were also invited to be open to God, not only to follow the rules, but to be able to love one another and to do the will of God with a clear conviction that God speaks to us.

A few members stepped forward to share their joys, sorrows, challenges and ways to remain loyal and to live up to their promise.

Praying with Mary, especially in the daily rosary, and faithful accomplishment of weekly assignment of works of mercy for 33 years, Angeline Hunggim from Our Lady of Sorrow, Kg Kolopis, testified to the presence and powerful intervention of God in her vocation, family and personal life.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online