 
Archive : June 2004
DON’T TURN BEC GATHERINGS INTO PRAYER MEETINGS
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Kuala Lumpur : “Do not turn your BEC gathering into prayer meetings or devotional gatherings," said Fr. Anthony Thomas, parish priest of the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, during the parish assembly. "The basis of the BEC gathering is the sharing of the word," Fr. Thomas explained. Though praise and worship or rosary meditation are important, they are not to take the place of the Word of God. "Being Church today – as always in God's plan, is not just a matter of observing God's commandments and fulfilling the precepts of the Church. It is a response to God's call to disciple-ship," he added. Fr. Thomas also encouraged the parishioners to persevere in their efforts made at BEC level reflection, sharing, fellowship and said, "This form of Christian fellowship is Spirit prompted and rewarding in many ways."
Held on June 5, 80 persons attended the assembly with the presence also of Archbishop Murphy Pakiam. In the lead-up to the assembly, a questionnaire was circulated to all BECs for feedback on community building. The focus was to enable the process of disseminating information collated to determine future directions. Representatives of the various ministries gave their account of stewardship over the past two years. This was followed by a time of open dialogue where participants listened to one another, sough to pinions, gave ideas and made queries both positive and negative. All these sharing helped in pointing to a greater need for unity be fostered among the various groups. In conclusion, Fr. Thomas thanked everyone for serving tireless for the good of the parish. He also thanked the Archbishop for his presence. In his speech, Archbishop Pakiam observed that Fr. Thomas was a real 'papa' in his care and concern for his flock. The assembly ended with a thanksgiving Eucharist. ( HERALD)
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YOUTH TOUCHED BY LSS EXPERIENCE
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Kuala Lumpur : Playful and boisterous young people were moved to tears and exuberant joy during the Youth Life in the Spirit Seminar (LSS) held at the Church of the Holy Rosary, Brickfields. The LSS started with some doubt sand a 'wait and see' attitude on the part of the youth, and some reluctance to join in the singing at the start. But with some really disarming presentation sand rousing and catchy songs, the young ones began to open up and the ice was broken as early as the second session. The more than 150 participants were touched by the songs, talks and personal testimonies of the presenters during the two-day LSS held on June 5 and 6. The young people found peace and love in their hearts and they felt loved by God. The youths shared that they were touched by the atmosphere of love and friendliness in the gathering and were glad
to be in this large Catholic family. As the Spirit moved among the participants during the healing session and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, tears flowed, eyes were opened, hearts touched, lives were changed forever. It was great and touching for the team to witness the tremendous change in the behaviour and attitude of the participants. Even the Hindus and Taoists and free thinkers who came were moved to tears in an experience they. It will never forget. Such is the work not of the presenters for they cannot do that but the work of the Spirit of the Living God moving among His people. (HERALD)
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EUCHARIST IS A CALL TO MISSION
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Seremban : "The Eucharist is the central thrust towards mission," said Fr. Joseph Stephen, CSsR who together with Fr. Lucas Ng, CDD conducted a nine-day mission at the Church of the Visitation in conjunction with the feast day celebration. Citing the dismissal rite of the Mass, Fr. Joe pointed
out that as worshippers were dismissed at the end of the celebration, the call to mission was vested in each one of them to be missionaries in a way that they best can. "We (Catholics) are basically a devotional and sacramental church. We need to be more mission-centered. Fr. Joe also explained that the
institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper was a meal of liberation from sin. He stressed that Holy Communion was a sacred meal and called on parents to teach children to receive the Eucharist with this understanding in mind. Pointing out that receiving the Eucharist when one is 'not spiritually alive' would mean that going for communion would be merely a culture where 'God is not dwelling' he said that adequate preparation to receive God in communion could never be compromised. In this light, he cautioned that taking Holy Communion to the sick and the aged in homes and hospitals for 'private communion' with God should not be merely an activity in a parish. There was need for more meaningful distribution of the Eucharist by those vested with the responsibility. (Herald)
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PENTECOST CELEBRATION FOR NEWLY BAPTISED
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Klang : Pentecost Sunday was special at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes. The parishioners who had gone through the RCIA process and were baptised came together for a fellowship and reunion. It was a joyous celebration. The RCIA team organized the fellowship to not only keep in touch with the newly baptised but to also provide a
sense of belonging to the newcomers of the parish so that they would not go astray. In his welcoming address, assistant priest, Fr. George Harrison said, "Being the Feast of Pentecost, when we come together, we allow and taste the spirit that is present in our lives. The Church is the 'ship' and we in 'fellowship' are the 'lifeboats'."
For the newly baptised, the reunion brought back memories of their journey as Catholics and the experiences they shared through the RCIA classes. The RCIA of the parish was first established in 1990 by the late Fr. Benedict Savarimuthu. According to Mervyn Knaggs who was baptized through the RCIA class of 1990, "Before the RCIA was established, we had to attend one-to-one catechism in order to be baptised, but through the RCIA, we can work as a community and we are able to share our experiences and faith with one another as we all come from different backgrounds and faiths." As Fr. George Harrison put it, "It is in fellowship that we are made and it is in fellowship that we see the face of Christ."(Herald)
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ENCOUNTER OF FAITH FOR WORKING YOUTHS
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Cheras : Working youths have a lifestyle that demands more hours in a day. In spite of this, forty-five working youths from different parishes made the choice to attend the fifth Working Youth Camp. Held at the Infant Jesus Convent, the participants experienced an insightful and reflective encounter throughout the many facets of the camp from thought-provoking talks, engaging group discussion, symbolic kits to empowering worship. Echoing the theme A Christian in Today's World,
the camp, organized by the Single Adults Fellowship (SAF) was conducted with the objective of making the Christian faith more applicable in the lives of young working adults. "The camp brought me back on track to be in touch with God again and with my inner self. The little voice that was always there, which I kept pushing away, refusing to listen, was clear and louder than ever." said Winnifred Fernandez, a participant. For Adeline Chua, such programmes are good because sometimes when we are caught spiraling along the concrete paths of our hectic daily lives, trying to make a mark in this materialistic concrete jungle of ours, these camps are meant to bring you down to earth and is a gentle reminder that there are more important things out there. The Working Youths of WYC 5 went home gratified, not only with the knowledge that God mends a broken heart but it is we who need to give Him the pieces. (Herald)
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NEW COUNSELLING CENTRE AT SIC PARISH
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Petaling Jaya : The Bethany Counselling Centre was officially opened at the Church of St. Ignatius on Pentecost Sunday. The idea for the counselling centre was initiated more than two years ago by former parish priest Fr. Thomas Koo, CDD. "The Bethany Counselling Centre will provide counselling and assistance to families and individual who are troubled or distressed," said its coordinator Ms. Mary Raj. "The counsellors will also help
families or individuals on their journey towards wholeness and healing," said Raj who has more than 20 years experience as a counsellor. Raj will be assisted by 15 volunteer counsellors, almost all of whom are university-trained in counselling. Four of the counsellors are proficient in Mandarin and will concentrate on the Mandarin-speaking community while the rest will cater for the English-speaking community. The centre is open on Tuesdays from 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm and on Saturdays from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm. Mandarin-speaking and English-speaking counsellors are available during these times. Appointments can be made via the St. Ignatius Church Parish Office on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Walk-ins will also been entertained. (Herald)
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CONTACTS
FOR THE CATHOLIC STUDENTS' SOCIETY
Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese
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| Campus
Ministry |
University |
Representatives |
Contact
Details |
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Campus
Minister:
Jennifer Vaz
HP: 012-6841 605
E-mail: jenn_vaz@yahoo.com
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IMU |
Ennaliza
Salasar |
012-814
9050 |
KUSTEM |
Mark
Wee |
09-6225
290 |
MMU |
Louis
Oui |
016-8930
198 |
TARC |
Elaine |
017-3843
639 |
UCSI |
Peter
Moo |
016-6586
717 |
UITM |
Richardo
Bisoria |
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UKM |
Edwin
Lim |
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UKM
(KL) |
Elsonmond
Vick |
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UM |
Margaret
Tham |
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UNITEN |
Anand
Lourdes |
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UPM |
Albert
Nathan |
016-2465
505 |
UTM
(KL) |
Edna
Vilod |
019-8401
468 |
INTERRELIGIOUS LEADERS MAKE STAND ON PARENTAL RIGHTS
Kuala Lumpur : Archbishop Murphy Pakiam together with other interreligious leaders has made
a public expression of their stand on parental rights and freedom of religion. Archbishop Pakiam,
Fr. Jestus Pereira (Chancellor of the archdiocese), Rev. Dr. Herman Shastri (Secretary of the
Christian Federation of Malaysia), representatives of Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs were present in
the Kuala Lumpur High Court on May 24 to give their moral support during the contempt proceedings
brought against Shamala Sathiyaseelan
A. Kanesalingam, held watching brief for Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity,
Hinduism and Sikhism (MCCBCHS) at the custody hearing of the two infant children in the case of
Shamala v. Jeyaganesh & Anor and the contempt proceedings against the wife. The husband converted
to Islam and subsequently also converted the infant children without the knowledge or consent of
the wife. The wife obtained an order from the High Court for custody of the children and the
husband obtained an ex parte order for custody from the Syariah Court. On the custody proceedings,
the High Court Judge directed the parties to give written submissions and also requested the
counsels holding watching briefs for the Bar Council and MCCBCHS to assist the Court as amicus
curia (friend of the Court) by giving written submissions. The hearing of the contempt proceedings
against the wife for taking the children out of the country thus depriving the husband of his
visitation rights was not heard, as the notice was not served. The case will come up for hearing on
July 20, 2004. (Herald) |
ARCHBISHOP PAKIAM MEETS NINETY-FIVE SINGLE WOMEN
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Kuala Lumpur : Ninety-five women from the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur attended a Single
Women’s Day in response to the Archbishop Murphy Pakiam’s invitation for dialogue. Women between
the ages of 30 and 55 came together for an evening of dialogue and fellowship at the Community
Service Centre in Bukit Nanas on May 22. The gathering was initiated by Archbishop Murphy Pakiam
who had expressed a fervent desire of hearing what this group of women had to say in terms of their
experiences as single persons not only in the Church but also in their family life and work place.
Making reference to the Pope’s Letter to Women in which the Holy Father speaks of the feminine
genius, Archbishop Pakiam in his brief opening address said that women have a very special quality
that they bring to the Church. “You are an important component of the Church. As persons you are
important and have a very special dimension of Church life and today the Church wants to listen to
you,” he added. Later, having heard the sharing and feedback during the sessions, the archbishop
said, “Building up a spiritual life will help you establish a real deep relationship with God who
is concrete.” He added that the Church provides many opportunities for them to deepen their
spiritual life. (Herald)
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DON’T ALLOW THE MEDIA TO CONTROL YOUR LIVES
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Petaling Jaya : The 38th World Communications Day celebration for the archdiocese of Kuala
Lumpur commenced on a light note with a humour-filled yet thought provoking talk at the Assumption
Family House by well-known local speaker Augustine Loorthusamy Speaking on The Media and the
Family: A Risk and a Richness, Augy (as he is popularly known) explained how paradigm shifts have
brought about revolutionary changes in the culture of a society and to the family at large. He
added that that we live in a media-mediated society where reality is restructured. He said that
there is certain truth in the saying, “He who controls the media controls our mind and controls our
truth.” In conclusion Augy said that although the media influences many aspects of our life,
parents can take control of their families by showing a keen interest in their children and spending
more time with them. “If we are to survive as a society we need to take control of the media and
not allow the media to control us,” he added. The talk was followed by a Eucharistic celebration at
the Church of the Assumption. Later that evening, around 30 media persons from both the Church
organizations and the secular press attended a thanksgiving fellowship at the residence of the
Daughters of St. Paul. (Herald)
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MENTAKAB PARISH LAUNCHES GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS
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Mentakab : The Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help launched its parish level celebrations
of the Golden Jubilee of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur on May 16. Concelebrating at the Eucharist
commemorating the launching was incoming parish priest, Fr. Jean Claude Lourdes and outgoing parish
priest, Fr. Christopher Wilvaraj. The launching commenced after the Thanksgiving prayer. The sound
of the jubilee music signaled the procession during which parish representatives carried the parish
banner and placards of the 4 BECs in the Mentakab parish and the 4 chapels which comes under the
jurisdiction of the Mentakab parish. The celebrants then led the congregation in reciting the
Jubilee Prayer. This was followed by a solo trumpet marking the launching of the Golden Jubilee
celebration of the parish. The celebration ended with a fellowship, which was also held to welcome
the new parish priest. (Herald)
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TAMAN AMPANGAN BEC FOCUSES ON NEEDY DURING ROSARY MONTH
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Seremban : The needs of the poor was the focus of the Taman Ampangan Tamil BEC of the Church
of the Visitation during the rosary month in May. The theme chosen for the month was Mary Mother of
Charity. Each week as the five families gathered to recite the rosary, they would bring some food
rations (non-perishable) for the poor. In a simple ceremony on May 22, all the food collected over
the weeks was handed over to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. This was followed by a Mother’s
Day and Children’s birthday celebration. (Herald)
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