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January 2007 News
| Youths attend exposure-immersion programme by AOHD |
Kuala Lumpur : Seven youths from different parishes were part of the Exposure Immersion programme organised by the Archdiocese Office for Human Development (AOHD) recently. The youths gathered at AOHD at 10.00am, they were then briefed on the mission and objectives of the Exposure Immersion Programme. This programme, organised for the first time, is to help conscientise the youths on the social realities and to guide them to make a positive response in the light of their faith. Their first exposure of the day was the Feeding Programme carried out by the community Services Centre. After lunch, they gathered to share their thoughts and reflections. Then, they departed by bus for Batang Berjuntai, Kuala Selangor. Upon arrival at the Church of St Paul of Hermit, the youths were briefed on the struggles and efforts for a better education among the estate workers. Besides that, they also met Parish Priest Fr Terrence Thomas who later celebrated Mass with the parishioners at the Chapel of St Anthony in Minyak Estate. After the Mass, amidst their fear and anticipation, the youths met their respective host families, whom they were going to spend three days and two nights with. The morning of the fourth day, they returned to St John's Cathedral. The participants visited the Archdiocesan Youth and Single Adult Office and were briefed on the work of the Student Ministry. They then met Fr Mitchel Anthony and Tony Wee and shared their experiences throughout the programme. Later they helped out at the Christmas Party of the Feeding Programme and had a good time chatting with the people.-Herald
Migrant ministry launches newsletter
| Kuala Lumpur :It was a new milestone for the migrant community of St John's Cathedral with the launch of its inaugural newsletter. Named CAHAYA, the newsletter was launched by parish priest, Msgr James Gnanapiragasam at a Dec 10 2006 gathering at the old parish hall. Among those present to witness the event were Filipino, Vietnamese, Myanmarese and several Indian citizens. Also present were the Philippines Embassy Consul-General, Antonio Morales, the Philippines Embassy Welfare Officer Rachael Tunting, Bro Anthony Rogers FSC and Dr Linda Lumayag-Too, a researcher based at Universiti Putra Malaysia. Msgr James said that the new newsletter comes from St John's Cathedral, and that he prefers that the word `migrant' not be used, although it is commonly used worldwide. Instead he opted to call them `International Community', so as not to create a negative attitude on the part of local people towards the migrants. The first issue of CAHAYA is being published this month and will also feature Msgr James' message to the community. According to Maggie Regino, the chairperson of the Migrants Ministry, the newsletter will be published on a quarterly basis and will consist of eight pages, with one page each in the Tagalog, Tamil, Vietnamese and Myanmarese languages, and the rest in English. Contributions in the form of articles will come from the various communites and the newsletter will be educational, informational and communicative, while including pictures and proverbs, featuring the migrants' affairs as well as spiritual development.-Herald |
Public forum on bioethics will answer Catholic concern
| Petaling Jaya : The Catholic Doctor's Association of Malaysia is organising a public forum on Bioethics and the Gift of Life on January 27 at the Tun Tan Cheng Lock College of Nursing, behind Assunta Hospital, Petaling Jaya. Four Catholic doctors will be speaking at the forum, which aims to increase awareness of the principles of bioethics. The forum is aimed at the medical community, healthcare professionals, practitioners and providers, nurses, pharmacists and others, but is also open to the general public who want to learn more about Catholic beliefs and practices in medical care. "As an association affiliated with the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations, we are actively involved in conferences on Bioethics. The decision to organise this public forum came about from the realisation that Catholics are generally uninformed about the stand of the Church on medical issues. Many wrongly believe that abortion is allowed for health reasons and some even pursue in-vitro fertilisation to facilitate pregnancy," commented Dr Chong Khin Yam, a physician with the Subang Jaya Medical Centre and also the Chairman of the Bioethical Committee. He also noted that, "The topics bioethics addresses such as abortion, infertility, euthanasia, HIV, the use of condoms and others are very real and very pertinent concerns to every Catholic." The forum will begin at 4pm and light snacks and refreshments will be provided after the talk. The forum is free and everyone is welcome to attend.-Herald |
Gone but not forgotten
Petaling Jaya : The Catholic Doctor's Association of Malaysia is organising a public forum on Bioethics and the Gift of Life on January 27 at the Tun Tan Cheng Lock College of Nursing, behind Assunta Hospital, Petaling Jaya.
Rawang : Xavier Muthu, a devoted Catholic and senior parishioner of St Jude's Church, passed away peacefully at the aged of 82 on January 5. He was the father of Fr Phillips Muthu, parish priest of Assumption Church, Petaling Jaya. He leaves behind his spouse and eight children. The huge turnout of people numbering close to 600 at the Eucharistic celebration at his funeral on January 6 at the St Jude's Church was indicative of their love and respect for him and his family members. Fr Phillips was the main celebrant at the Funeral Mass, which was concelebrated by Msgr Daniel Lim and Fr Peter Bretaudeau, MEP. Twenty-two other priests and two FMM Sisters were also present to pay their last respects to the late Xavier. Fr Simon Labrooy, currently assisting at the parish of the Assumption in Petaling Jaya, preached in English. Fr Stanislaus Soosaimariam of the Church of St Joseph then preached in Tamil. The casket of Xavier was briefly opened for the final time at the entrance of the church for the clergy and the faithful to pay their last respects, before it was taken for burial.-Herald |
Luncheon for the marginalised
Petaling Jaya : The Catholic Doctor's Association of Malaysia is organising a public forum on Bioethics and the Gift of Life on January 27 at the Tun Tan Cheng Lock College of Nursing, behind Assunta Hospital, Petaling Jaya.
Kuala Lumpur : Residents, both young and old, from several welfare homes were guests-of-honour of a special luncheon held on Jan 4 at the Holy Rosary parish's Dewan John Hsiong. The luncheon for the approximately 150 marginalised and underprivileged elderly persons and children was sponsored and co-organised by the parish's Centering Care for The Elderly (CCE) ministry as well as the Parish Integral Human Development Ministry (PIHDM). The luncheon kicked off at 1130am with the arrival of the guests. Msgr Daniel Lim arrived and said grace and he warmly welcomed everyone. Msgr Lim then went from table to table wishing each and everyone present. Several parishioners also came together to render their kind assistance in welcoming these special guests and helped in feeding some of them, especially the visually impaired. Msgr Lim then joined the organising committee of CCE, PIHDM and the parishioners who served as volunteers at the luncheon, as they performed several Christmas carols to the delight of the guests. According to Elena Chan who is the chairperson of the PIHDM and Secretary of CCE, this year they managed to collect a total of 580 presents from generous parishioners during the `Hamper of Joy' charity drive which was held during the season of Advent Chan added that 580 marginalised and under-privileged people including the 150 who turned up for the charity lunch will each receive a present according to what they had earlier `wished for'.-Herald |
Uncle Murphy Pakiam and the AOHD host Christmas party for the poor
| Kuala Lumpur : A Christmas party for the urban poor was organised by the Archdiocesan Office for Human Development (AOHD) last year. In the spirit of Christmas, Carl d'Cunha, the coordinator of the Welcome Caring Services Feeding Programme and a small group of volunteers decided to make it extra special for their poor brothers and sisters this year. The homeless people were treated to an extra sumptuous meal in the beautifully decorated former St John's parish hall, rather than at the usual venue at the back of the hall. It was such a beautiful sight to see our guests singing along as Christmas carols were sung by Jeffrey Nathan. The guests said Grace before meals in four different languages. Archbishop Murphy Pakiam when invited to cut the Christmas cake, invited the homeless people to do the honours together with him. The joy of Christmas was truly in the air. Laughter, merry making could be heard as the guests who were from different races, faiths, age and gender, ate, drank and chatted animatedly throughout the party. The Archbishop, AOHD volunteers and staff mingled freely with them and served them joyfully. This comment was heard in passing, "It is so nice to hear our guests feeling so at home with the Archbishop and calling him, "Uncle, Uncle". "He has shown us what it is to lead by example when he himself served the poor, and even helped wash the plates at the end of the party." The faces of the guests lit up with joy when they were given a small goodie bag and an ang pow after the party. - Herald |
St John's Feastday Mass celebrated with Latin hymns
| Kuala Lumpur :Latin hymns were the highlight at the Eucharistic Celebration to commemorate the feast of St John the Evangelist at St John's Cathedral on Dec 31, 2006. Parish priest, Msgr James Gnanapiragasam presided over the 10.30am Mass with assistant parish priest Fr A Amalanathan con-celebrating. Msgr James said that once a year we sing parts of the Mass in Latin to celebrate our patronal feast, which is actually celebrated on Dec 27. The choir who had practised much earlier for the feast day hymns, assisted the congregation in singing the Kyrie, Gloria, Santus, Pater Nosier and Agnus Dei. "John being an apostle of Jesus - and was known as `son of thunder' - was under the leadership of Jesus and had followed Jesus happily. He developed in love and grew spiritually. All of us have to grow too and let go by letting God into our lives," concluded Msgr James. After Holy Communion, Msgr James said that the `Holy Family' is there in humanity to discover the divine presence of God. The celebration ended with the recessional hymn "Saint of the Sacred Heart" that was dedicated to St John the Evangelist. - Herald |
Health screening and carnival part of feastday celebrations
| Kajang : "Strengthening Relationships" was the message for the Holy Family Feast Day triduum celebrations at the Church of Holy Family, Kajang. The three-day cele�bration which began on Friday, December 29, 2006, ended on Sunday, December 31, 2006 with approximately 2,000 people attending on the last day. The Eucharistic Celebration for all three days was divided into two parts. The first part was done in four different languages at four different locations. Speakers for the different languages were invited to share their own experience and thoughts on the theme of the day. The theme for the first day was Strengthening relationships with those whom we reject. The guest speakers for the triduum were Fr Michael Raymond OFM Cap (English); Fr Rajan (Tamil); Fr Joseph Ng (Mandarin) and Fr Valentine Gompok OFM Cap(Bahasa). The triduum ended with refreshments and health screening for all and a micro carnival organised by the youths for children below 12 years old. Peter Chang, the Chairperson of the Holy Family Feast Day Committee was pleased with the outcome of the triduum celebrations saying that overall it was a success. -Herald |
Senior citizens organise Advent retreat
| Klang : A Spirituality of the Church was the theme of Our Lady of Lourdes parish's Advent retreat. Held on Nov 25, 2006, the retreat was organised by the parish's Senior Citizens Ministry (SCM). Parish priest, Fr John Gnanapiragasam, facilitated the retreat, which saw the participation of 56 senior parishioners. The session began with the recital of Morning Prayers from The Divine Office which were projected onto a large screen for easy following, as many had not been trained to use the Divine Office prayer book yet. The Divine Office spiritual exercise - also called the Liturgy of the Hours - comprise various prayers or "hours" offered by the clergy at different times of the day. The participants were presented with a booklet on the Liturgy of the Hours and briefly shown how to use it. The Lectio Divina refers to a holy reading of scriptures or other text, with prayerful reflection of the text, leading to communion with God in prayer. In keeping with the season of Advent, during which time the retreat was held, Fr John also touched on Five ways To Have A More Joyful Christmas.-Herald |
SFA's altar servers find fun and joy in serving
| Oh, who are those people dressed in white robes on the altar, assisting the priest? Are they deacons? Brothers? No, no... they're altar servers. They're there every Sunday to serve for Mass, and even on Saturday sunset Masses. It's a commitment these young men make and it was time a little appreciation was given to them. And so that was the case with the altar servers from the Church of St Francis of Assisi who recently had their retreat at Villa Dominic, Genting View Resort. Just like any other retreat, it was for 3 days and 2 nights. Certainly this retreat was one to be remembered, as it was a mixture of sessions as well as physical activities which incorporated teamwork and leadership values. With the theme Finding fun and happiness in altar serving, this retreat was certainly one which really opened up the true meaning of what it was to be an altar server. Nevertheless, the main Subject of the session conveyed by the facilitator, Fr Valentine Gompok, OFM Cap. Fr Val is also the assistant parish priest of SFA. The sessions were based on the idea of the function and purposes of an altar server, both on and off the altar, as well as the meanings behind the different parts of the Mass. On the second night, the fun filled day at the theme park was capped by a campfire. This retreat opened everyone's mind to what altar serving is all about, that it's not confined to serving at the altar but the many other activities which come with it. The altar servers' ministry is certainly not a place where we focus solely on discipline, nor is it a place where total prayerful life is required, but the altar servers' ministry is a place of equal balance of all the important aspects of a growing Catholic.-Herald |
Uphold Christian values says Najib at National Christmas Open House
| Kuala Lumpur : "Christian Values that uphold the spirit of Forgiveness, feelings of mutual respect, caring and giving are important values that exist in all Malaysians." These were the salient words uttered by our Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak during the National Christmas Open House held at PWTC on December 27, 2006. The function was also attended by the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Sultan Mahmud and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, the wife of the DPM, and lastly our very own Archbishop Dato' Murphy Pakiam. From llam many performances were conducted in various booths around the PWTC hall. At around 3pm, the arrival of the awaited guests-of-honour was announced. All activities and performances came to an abrupt halt as everyone paid thier respects to the royal couple. There was a procession leading the honoured guests to their seats and this procession was led by the Collective Congregational Choir (CCC). The Choir, managed by Mr Patrick Michael and led by Mr Francis, comprised Catholics primarily from the Church of St Francis of Assisi, Cheras and the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Peel Road. The king took a walk around the hall and watched, for a moment, the performances at every booth before being seated. After the intial formalities, it was time to officiate the ceremony. Both the King and Queen, accompanied by other guests, stepped up to do the honours. At 6pm, the function ended with a finale in which all the performers were called on stage for one last presentation of We Wish You a Merry Christmas. After that, the ceremony officially came to an end.-Herald |
Syariah Courts have no jurisdiction over non- Muslims
| Petaling Jaya :The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) strongly protests at any pressure towards non-Muslims to `submit' themselves to the jurisdiction of the Syariah Courts. This was revealed in a statement released on December 21, 2006 signed by R. Thiagaraja, the Honorary Secretary General of MCCBCHST. The statement reminded all concerned that under the Federal Constitution, Syariah Courts only have jurisdiction over Muslims. The statement cited that after the introduction of Article 121 (IA) of the Constitution, where there is a dispute, which includes non-Muslims, the matter must be referred to the High Court.-Herald |
CFM 'Open House' Christmas celebration
| Kuala Lumpur : Many came for the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) open-house and Christmas reception. Held at St Mary's Orthodox Syrian Cathedral, Church leaders of the Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, Lutherans and Evangelicals were in joyful mood with friends from the Pure Life Society, National Council of Women's Organisations, Deputy Home Affairs Minister Datuk Tan Chai Ho and foreign dignitaries. Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen represented the Prime Minister. Also present were clergy from various churches and representatives from the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST).-Herald |
Filipino ministry brings Christmas cheer to residents of Asrama Cahaya
| Kuala Lumpur : Members of St John's Cathedral Filipino Ministry brought early Christmas joy to residents of Asrama Cahaya in IJ Convent, Bkt Nanas. Their visit on Dec 17 aimed at spreading the warmth of Christmas spirit to the differently-abled women residents. They broke into applause as the 14-member delegation made their way into the hall and greeted each one of them personally. The Filipinos performed a number of Christmas carols accompanied by the strumming of a guitar by one of its members. After the carols, the group visited two bedridden residents in their rooms and sang a Christmas song for each of them. Maggie Regino who is the chairperson of the Filipino Ministry said that they plan to make their visit to the home an annual affair. "The purpose is to bring the message of Christmas that Christ is present among them as well, despite their physical or mental disabilities," she said. Sr Stephanie Samy, IJ, the animator of Asrama Cahaya (Rumah Wanita Cacat) was also happy to welcome the group back to the Home. It was a pleasant tea time for the residents as the Filipino group had also brought along homemade Christmas cake, sandwiches and curry puffs that they had prepared in the kitchen back at the old parish hall of the cathedral. The Filipino group not only brought gifts but spent some quality time with the residents, interacting with them to bring a sense of love and belonging from those in the outside world.-Herald |
Holy Rosary youths organise Christmas party for parishioners
Kuala Lumpur :The Youth Ministry of the Church of the Holy Rosary (English section) organised a Christmas Party for some 170 parishioners on December 16. The event was held in Dewan John Hsiong from 6.30pm to 10pm and the main purpose of this celebration was to invite non-Christian friends to share the spirit of Christmas and to know the real meaning of this celebration. This fellowship party was also a way to foster relationship and Christian unity between the English-and Mandarin-speaking youths and parishioners and as a means to reach out to others to feel being part of this parish community. According to Andrew Ho, the Coordinator of Youth Ministry (English section), this event brought the young and old together as there were various games for children, youths and family as well as performances by the Chinese and English-speaking youths. Parish priest, Msgr Daniel Lim thanked all those present for their time and effort in making this celebration a success. The English-speaking youths showcased a variety of Christmas carols with the Chinese youths belting out a few songs in Mandarin. Not to be left out of the fun were the senior citizens from PAMSPEC who beautifully captured the festive spirit when they presented a play entitled Four Candles - the advent candles of Peace, Faith, Love and Hope, where they highlighted the meaning of the values of these candles and the consequences when the meaning was lost.-Herald |
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