 
Archive : November 2003
TAKE PART IN CHARISMATIC CONVENTION, URGES ARCHBISHOP
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Petaling Jaya : Holiness and communion are vital for us as Church in order to build up communities. The spirit of communion is in the programme that has been drawn up for the Peninsular Malaysia Catholic Charismatic Convention,” said Archbishop Murphy Pakiam. “I would like to urge as many Catholics as possible to set aside time and take part in this convention. Let us come to be Church, to be a community of believers and disciples of Jesus living together, praying together and listening to what God is calling us to be for the Church,” he added. Themed, Stir Aflame the Gift of God, the Peninsular Malaysia Catholic Convention will be held from 4 to 7 Dec at the MINES Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur. (Herald)
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ORANG ASLI RECEIVE FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
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Kuantan : Nine members of the Orang Asli community received the Sacrament of First Holy Communion on Oct 26 at the Orang Asli kampung in Kuala Rompin. Present with Fr. Eugene Benedict to witness the joyous occasion were 15 parishioners of the Church of St. Thomas, who had made the 2 ˝ hour drive along the coastal roads of Pahang. The nine communicants whose ages ranged from 10 to 23 years were prepared for the occasion from the beginning of the year. The ceremony started with sprinkling of blessed rice on the first communicants, who were dressed in their newly made traditional headgear called dada lipan. A fellowship followed the Eucharistic celebration. Commenting on the visit, one parishioner said that the simplicity of their lives reflected Christ’s teaching – the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth. (Herald)
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FIRST ALL SOULS DAY MASS AT KUALA TERENGGANU CEMETERY
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Kuala Terengganu : All Souls Day Mass was celebrated for the first time at the Jalan Pusara cemetery in Kuala Terengganu. Catholics from Kuala Terengganu and Dungun gathered at the cemetery on Oct 31 for the All Souls Day Mass which was concelebrated by Fr. Eugene Benedict and Fr. Christopher Wee, sj. In his homily, Fr. Eugene likened the gathering of the community to the people of the Lord on His mountain (Isaiah 25:6-9). After the Mass, the graves were blessed. (Herald)
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KUANTAN PARISHIONERS CELEBRATE ALL SOULS DAY
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Kuantan : A spirit of gotong-royong among the Catholic community of Kuantan enabled the Mass for All Souls Day to be celebrated for the first time at the Jalan Bukit Ubi cemetery. On Nov 2, more than 200 parishioners gathered for the 5.30 pm outdoor Mass, which incorporated the Liturgy of Hours for the Dead. Fr. Eugene Benedict and Fr. George Packiasamy concelebrated the Eucharist. In his homily, Fr. George reminded the faithful that God never promised a life free from pain, suffering and death but rather that He will wipe away all the tears that arise. He added, “Our departed loved ones have given us a precious inheritance – their faith. We must treasure this faith in our hearts and in our lives.” At the end of the Mass, the priests moved around the cemetery to bless the graves. (Herald)
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SEMINARS FOR CATHOLIC TEACHERS IN MENTAKAB, BATANG BERJUNTAI
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Mentakab : The Catholic Teachers’ Association of Malaysia (CTAM) successfully organized a seminar themed, Christian Commitment as A Teacher. The one-day event held at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was attended by 15 teachers and faith educators from Mentakab, Jerantut and Raub. A similar session was held at the Church of St. Paul the Hermit in Batang Berjuntai which was attended by 20 teachers and faith educators. A. R. Peter and Gerald Kochappan of CTAM, as well as Mary Sarudum and Susan Kew facilitated the sessions. Among the issues addressed were the menace of gangsterism among local youths, and the difficulties faced by educators in the schools. Participants also called for CTAM to conduct a follow-up session with an invitation to parents. Gerald Kochappan expressed this thanks to Fr. Christopher Wilvaraj and Fr. Terrance Thomas for their encouragement and support. (Herald)
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SFX PARISH GROUP DONATES TO YAYASAN DOMINIC VENDARGON
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Klang : The Parents’ Group of St. Francis Xavier Church presented a cheque for RM 24, 000 to the Yayasan Tan Sri Dominic Vendargon at the dinner of the official opening of the Foundation recently. The money was part of the proceeds from a Charity Golf Competition organized by the group. Dr. Toh Poh See, the Chief Coordinator said, “We must do something for our young people. Investing in the education of our youth is an investment in the future.” Foundation Chairman, Dato’ Richard Robless, said that the Foundation was grateful to the group for the generous contribution. The Foundation also received cheques from several other donors, including the Catholic Women’s League of Malaysia. (Herald)
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ARCHBISHOP THANKS DR. MAHATHIR
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The Catholic Church in Malaysia extends its deepest appreciation and best wishes on Datuk Seri's retirement as Prime Minister Of Malaysia today. We take pride that under Datuk Seri's vision and leadership; we enjoy today political stability and economic prosperity. Datuk Seri has fostered interreligious harmony and promoted better understanding among the various races... more
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ARCHBISHOP COMMEMORATES HOLY FATHER’S SILVER JUBILEE
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Kuantan : Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world. That has been the core of the Holy Father’s teaching for the past 25 years, said Archbishop Murphy Pakiam. “Through Pope John Paul II, thousands have followed Christ,” he added during a Eucharistic celebration in commemoration of the silver jubilee of the pontificate of His Holiness Pope John Paul II on 19 Oct. Held at the Cathedral of St. John, main celebrant Archbishop Pakiam was joined by the Counsellor of the Apostolic Nunciature, Mgr Francis Cao Minh-Dung, Mgr. Daniel Lim. Fr. A. Amalanathan and Fr. Michael Raymond, OFM Cap. In his homily, Archbishop Pakiam said that Pope John Paul II leads an exemplary life of prayer. He added that the Holy Father has endorsed two paths to holiness, praying of the rosary and visiting the Blessed Sacrament. (Herald)
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LIVE GOD’S PLAN: ARCHBISHOP
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Kuala Lumpur : Archbishop Murphy Pakiam has called for positive efforts to live out God’s plan for unity. “Languages and cultures separate us but in God we are His divine community,” said Archbishop Pakiam while addressing participants at the pastoral seminar of the Archdiocesan Chinese Language Apostolate Commission (ACLAC). More than 130 Mandarin-speaking participants attended the three-day seminar from Oct 24 to 26. In his address, Archbishop Pakiam also touched on the “communion in mission”... more
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BECs MAKE ST. JUDE’S FEAST A SUCCESS
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Rawang : The Church of St. Jude celebrated its annual feast day and 47th anniversary on Oct 28. More than 200,000 pilgrims – Catholics and non-Catholics, took part in the 10-day feast day celebrations which commenced on Oct. 18. In line with the theme, Communion of Communities Centering on Prayer, the 10 zones in the Rawang district comprising approximately 5 to 6 BECs in each zone, animated the novena and mass for each day. The response was very encouraging with full participation by all the members of the BECs. (Herald)
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DESA JAYA’S FIRST-EVER CHILDREN’S DAY CONCERT-CARNIVAL
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Kepong : The Chapel of Christ the Light in Desa Jaya held its first-ever Children’s Day Concert-Carnival on Oct 12. The carnival provided an avenue for good, clean fun for the children and also gave parents an opportunity to interact with the Sunday School teachers. In addition, it was also a fund raising event for the parish’s new St. Jerome Resource Centre. (Herald)
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CELEBRATING CHRIST THE LIGHT
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Klang : A paraliturgy, celebrating “Christ the Light’ was held at the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, Klang, on Oct 23. The simple and beautiful ceremony was an acknowledgement of Christ who said, “I am the light of the world’. The liturgy, celebrated in English and Tamil, was presided over by Fr. Gerard Theraviam, Fr. Danny Matthews, and Deacon A. P. Thomas. Deacon Thomas explained, “We are called to accept the challenge to become more like the light of Christ and shed our light on those who need them”. (Herald)
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MINISTRY FOR THE ‘POOREST OF POOR’ ELDERLY
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Kuala Lumpur : The Centering Care for the Elderly (CCE) aims to promote and enhance the quality of life of more elderly persons who are in greater need. Formed last year, the CCE strives to serve the needs of the poorest of the poor. The CCE is part of the Holy Rosary Church’s Ministry of Integral Human development (MIHD). As part of their effort to fulfil their mission statement, the CCE has set up a fund. This fund is available for very poor elderly of any race or religion. It has served 616 persons and disbursed over RM 40 000. (Herald)
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NEED FOR MORE LAY CATHOLIC TEACHERS
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Kuala Lumpur : Teachers have a crucial role in the education of our children. With the steady decline in the number of religious in the teaching profession, we need to ensure that more lay Catholics take up this very vital profession, said Bro. Michael Jacques, FSC. Bro. Jacques who is a director on the Council of Yayasan Tan Sri Dominic said this in a letter to all parish priests in the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur. In the letter, he urged the clergy to encourage young people to take up the teaching profession. He added that the Yayasan had initiated a Teacher Training Programme to encourage young people to take up teaching profession. (Herald)
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OLL CATECHETICAL NITE
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Klang : The Sunday School of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes ended its term for the year 2003 with a Catechetical Nite on Oct 26. Organised by the catechetical ministry of the parish, the event involved about 300 students aged 3 to 16. There were performances by students from both the Tamil and English speaking classes. The primary students came up with action songs and liturgical dances while the secondary students put up a few sketches. The programme ended with prize giving for students with the best attendance rate and also best performance in their respective classes. (Herald)
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CATHOLIC PHARMACISTS CELEBRATE ANNIVERSARY
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Petaling Jaya : The Catholic Pharmacists Association celebrated its first anniversary on Oct 17 with a Eucharistic celebration and fellowship at the Church of the Assumption. Also present at the celebration were Catholic nurses and lawyers. To date, the association has organized several projects including donation of drugs to East Timor, free clinic in joint collaboration with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Catholic Doctors Society. In a related event, the Catholic Pharmacists Association of Malaysia (CPAM) became the first Asian country to be admitted as a member to the International Federation of the Catholic Pharmacists (FIPC) at the 24th FIPC Congress held in Lisbon from Oct 5 to 11. (Herald)
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ARCHBISHOP PAKIAM CALLS FOR SPIRIT OF COMMUNION
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Seremban : “The traditional I and my God must give way to a sprit of communion,” stressed Archbishop Murphy Pakiam, when he addressed the parish assembly of the Church of the Visitation, Seremban on Oct 12. “We must be present for one another like a husband to a wife and a wife to a husband or a father’s presence in his family at home. Our presence for each other in the BEC is as important as our presence for each other in the family and in the parish ministries that we belong to.” Archbishop Pakiam urged that community relationship be modeled on the community of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He pointed out that efforts must be made towards being an effective Church rather than merely doing activities. He added that the BEC is the main task of the parish and witnessing has to take place where we live. The Good News is proclaimed by the way we live. (Herald)
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SILVER JUBILEE OF HOLY FATHER
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Kuantan :The Catholic community of the Church of St. Thomas came together on the evening of Oct 16 to participate on a special Eucharistic celebration marking the 25th anniversary of the pontificate of Pope John Paul II. The Eucharist was concelebrated by Frs. Eugene Benedict and George Packiasamy. In his homily, Fr. George said that many will agree that the Holy Father has achieved more than any leader can ever hope to achieve during their tenure. “The Pope has tremendous impact on the world and the Church because he is a great Christian witness and most persuasively embodies the liberating power of the Christian faith,” he added. Concluding his homily, Fr. George said that we can all emulate the Holy Father, who despite his age and ailments, continues with his duties and responsibilities. (Herald)
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YAYASAN TAN SRI DOMINIC VENDARGON LAUNCHED
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Kuala Lumpur :The Yayasan Tan Sri Dominic Vendargon was officially launched by Archbishop Emeritus Soter Fernandez on Oct 19 at the Flamingo Hotel in Ampang. “The Foundation draws inspiration from, and is appropriately named after Tan Sri Dominic Vendargon who has always shown a profound love and concern for the education of our young people, “ said Archbishop Emeritus Fernandez. Accompanied by a glittering multimedia display, the new crest of the Foundation was unveiled. The crest bears the motto, ‘Didik untuk Berbakti’. Brig Gen (Rtd) Dato’ Richard Robless, Chairman of the Council of Directors of the Foundation said that the Foundation provides financial assistance to needy children to enable them to attend the Stella Maris schools. During the dinner, six students of the Stella Maris secondary school received scholarships and awards from the Foundation. (Herald)
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NEW STELLA MARIS SCHOOL IN AMPANG
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Kuala Lumpur :The Catholic Church is always grateful to the government for recognizing the Church’s role in education, said Archbishop Emeritus Anthony Soter Fernandez. “We want to continue to play a formative and constructive role in grooming our young people to be good citizens,” said Archbishop Soter in his speech during the opening of the new Stella Maris private primary school in Ampang on Oct 18. He congratulated the Yayasan Tan Sri Dominic Vendargon for its vision and initiative in setting up the school. Over 200 guests including Archbishop Murphy Pakiam attended the opening ceremony. Archbishop Soter pointed out that the starting of Stella Maris is a continuation of the mission of the Church to provide wholesome education for young people. He added, “We believe that all children, irrespective of race or creed, rich or poor, deserve the best that we can provide. They are God’s gift to us and we must look after them.” (Herald)
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SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL FEAST DAY
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Kuala Lumpur :“Live out your mission of service to the poor in response to the call of the Gospel where service to the poor is without question,” said Fr. Julian Leow to members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SSVP) of Negeri Sembilan during the feast day celebration of St. Vincent de Paul on Sept 27 at the Church of the Visitation. “We serve the poor regardless of race, colour or creed. We serve God’s poor,” said Fr. Leow who congratulated the conference for their commitment to their caring programmes. The following day, more than 200 poor and underprivileged children and adults cared for by the SSVP, were treated to an outing to the National Science Centre, the National Museum and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The outing was made possible through the efforts of the SSVP of the districts of Seremban, Mantin, Tampin and Port Dickson. (Herald)
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IJ SISTERS CELEBRATE JUBILEES
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Cheras :The Infant Jesus sisters held a four-in-one celebration recently to mark the birthdays and jubilee celebrations of four of their nuns. The celebrations which commenced with a triduum from Sept 26 to 28 marked the 100th birthday of Srs. Denise Chan and Pascaline Brevi, the platinum jubilee (70 years) of Sr. Marie Celine Pereira and the diamond jubilee (60 years) of Sr. Josephine Ong. The main celebration held on Sept 29 began with a mass celebrated by Archbishop Emeritus Anthony Soter Fernandez, Archbishop Murphy Pakiam, and Fr. Michael Raymond, OFM, Cap. During Mass, the 45 IJ sisters present renewed their religious vows. After Mass, tributes to the four sisters were read. More than a hundred guests heard how each one of the four sisters had touched the lives of those they worked for and lived with. The celebration was certainly a witness to a religious life well-lived by the four sisters. (Herald)
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