| Christians should be united in witnessing |
| KUALA LUMPUR: In an attempt to boost unity among all the Christian denominations in Asia, the Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU) held a seminar themed "Our Common Witness in Contemporary Asia" at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre. The AMCU was an initiation by the CCA and the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences The seminar commenced on June 11 till June 14 2007 and was attended by bishops, priests' and evangelical representatives. Fr Tom Michel SJ, pic, a lecturer who attended the seminar and now heads the Jesuit office for inter-religious affairs in Rome said that the term Common Witness is simply what we say about our experience as Christians. The Christian Conference of Asia and the Catholic Church have already joined in forming the Asian Congress of Theological Students (ACTS) and The Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS). - Posted by Herald |
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| We must be willing to share our lives for Christ |
| PUCHONG: The Petaling District Catholic Churches held a joint celebration for the Feast of Corpus Christi at the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Puchong, on Sunday, June10. The six churches, namely the Church of St Francis Xavier, Chapel Kurnia Kristus, Church of the Assumption, Church of St Ignatius, Church of the Divine Mercy and the Church of our Lady of Guadalupe, celebrated the evening Mass together, to commemorate the supreme gift of the institution of the Holy Eucharist by Our Lord on Holy Thursday. The procession is for the Christian faithful to make public profession of faith and worship of the Most Blessed Sacrament, reaffirming their solidarity as people of God, journeying with the Lord and proclaiming faith in Him who is God amongst the people. The celebration ended with refreshments being served outside the church. - Posted by Herald |
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| Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist renew their commitment |
| KUALA LUMPUR: Thirty-two Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist were present at the Cathedral of St John (SJC) on June 10 to renew their com¬mitment during the 6.00 pm Mass. The members present were from both the Cathedral and Madonna Heights chapel in Ampang. The renewal rite of commitment was presided over by parish priest, Msgr James Gnanapiragasam in the presence of Fr A Amalanathan and the congregation. He also went on to quote from the Pope's encyclical God Is Love on Jesus' institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper. This sacrament according to Fr Amalanathan is a great sign of our salvation, to be united with us as he is united with the Father. "God's presence is seen among us and acting in us by our act of worship through the Holy Eucharist," he con¬cluded. - Posted by Herald |
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| Bachelor of Nursing for nurses |
| KUALA LUMPUR: Assunta Hospital in collaboration with the University of Sydney under the faculty of Nursing & Midwife is offering a 2-year part-time conversion course, which is designed specifically for registered nurses wishing to upgrade their qualification. This course provides the students with a stronger foundation in the field of nursing and further equips them to progress on to the Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) or graduate on coursework study. The pioneer intake will be on July 2007 and the next on February 2008. Since this is a new venture between both par¬ties, there would only be one intake from next year onwards, which is on February till further notice. For further information, contact Ms. Tang Wai Mun at 03-76807000 or e-mail her at tang@assunta.com.my. - Posted by Herald |
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| Goodwill Games 2008 launched |
| KLANG: "The Goodwill Games 2008 will take on a new approach by involv¬ing our migrant brothers and sisters, as well as a fun-filled day for the faith community," said Fr John Gnanapiragasam at the Press launch of the Goodwill Games 2008 that was held recently at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes (OLL). Taking on the theme of Goodwill Boleh the Goodwill Games 2008 is scheduled to be held on April 5, 2008 at the Panasonic Sports Complex, Shah Alam. OLL was handed over the respon¬sibility of hosting the Goodwill- Games 2008 by the previous host in 2006, Church of Visitation, Seremban. The date of the Goodwill Games 2008 has been brought forward to the beginning of the year, despite being organized twice at the end of the year in 2004 and 2006. It is planned to cater for our stu¬dents facing examinations and it will be held during the school holidays. - Posted by Herald |
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| Transfers in the of KL Archdiocese |
KUALA LUMPUR: Effective June 21, five Parishes will have new Parish Priests and Assistant Parish Priests. There will also be three priests who will be going overseas for further studies. This was revealed in a Chancery notice given on June, 2007 by the Chancellor of the KL Archdiocese, Fr Jestus Pereira.
a) Parish Priests
Fr Paulino Miranda - Church of the Divine Mercy, Shah Alnm
Fr Ferdinand Magimay - Catholic Mission, Kuala Terengganu
Fr Valentine Gompok, OFM Cap - Church of St Francis ofAssisi, Cheras
Fr Michael Chua - Church of the Visitation, Seremban
b) Assistant Parish priests
Fr Andrew Manikam OFM Cap St Francis ofAssisi,
Fr George Packiasamy Church of the Visitation,
Fr George,Harrisnn, Church of the Holy Family
c) Going for further Studies
Fr Raymond Pereira: EAPI, Manila
Fr. Albert Arockiasamy: Rome
Fr Julian Leow: Rome. Herald. - Posted by Herald |
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| Feastday Marks Launch of Parish Vision Statement |
| SEREMBAN: Acceptance of the Parish Vision Statement that emerged from the 2006/2007 Parish Pastoral Assembly held in February this year, became a visible commitment by the people of God in Visitation parish on the occasion of the Feast of the Visitation on May 31, 2007. Seen as a gift to Mary, the exemplary disciple who responded to and visited her cousin Elizabeth in her time of need, the leaders of zones, coordina¬tors of BECS, heads of Parish ministries and leaders of parish apostolate groups, made a firm declaration to renew their faith, and through this renewal, strive to be in dialogue and to cooperate with people of other faiths. As an initiative of the Parish Ministry of Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs (PMEIA), invitations to the parish Feast Day cele¬brations were extended to all component groups of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism MCCBCHST). - Posted by Herald |
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| Family Day Celebration for Fatima Parishioners |
| KUALA LUMPUR: The Church of Our Lady Of Fatima, Brickfields, celebrated their family day at the Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur field on June 2. Many turned up for the family day and had lots of fun, from children right up to senior citizens. The event started with an opening speech by PCC chair¬man Shamala Soosai followed by a speech by parish priest Fr Clarence Devadass, and thereafter by cutting the ribbon bal¬loon. Fr Clarence in his opening speech said that it was nice to see all the parishioners gather¬ing together as one family and having fun and fellowship with other families. The event then came to a close in the afternoon with a closing prayer and final blessing¬ by Fr Clarence. - Posted by Herald |
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| Family Day at the Holy Rosary |
| The Sunday School (English Session) of the Church of the Holy Rosary held a "Family Day" on May 26. The objective of the event was to promote greater under¬standing, unity among the students, teachers and parents, thus generating solidarity with each other in the spirit of Christian brotherhood. According to Francis Khoo, the Coordinator of the Sunday school (English Session) the Family Day was a great suc¬cess as all parties participated and enjoyed themselves in all the programmes that were lined-up for the day. He also added that parish priest, Msgr Daniel Lim was pleased with the Family Day organisation, as the event will foster better relationship and cooperation among the parents, Sunday School students and teachers. - Posted by Herald |
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| The Human Development Ministry that Cares |
| KAJANG: Members of the Parish Integral Human Development (PIHD) ministry of the Church of the Holy Family attended a two-day retreat at the Joy's Home, Taman Haneko Industrial Park, Semenyih, recently. Fourteen PIHD members attended the retreat facilitated by Fr Julian Leow, Fr William Michael, and Robert Tan. The theme of the retreat was One Body in Christ. The three sessions during the retreat helped to answer the question "Who do I serve'?" Members also learnt about the PIHD, and the role it plays. One of the components of the retreat was a trip to the Orang Asli settlement in Sungai Lallang Semenyih. The trip answered a ques¬tion that was posed during one of the sessions. "I went to the retreat because I wanted to learn what PIHD ministry is all about, and 1 definitely got the answers, which now help me understand the role of the PIHD" shared K Jugah. - Posted by Herald |
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| Back to Nature for KA Youth |
| KUALA LUMPUR: This year Kristus Aman (KA)Youth Ministry held the Youth Camp from May 25 to 27 at The Farm with the theme Bring Me Back. It meant "Bringing us back to God and His Creation. Unfortunately. "Bring me back home" was more commonly used after realizing that there was almost no handphone coverage, no electronic entertain¬ment and lots of bugs. Parish priest Fr Mitchel began with the story of five blind men, each of whom held a differ¬ent description of all elephant. He taught the value of unity, the importance of togetherness and the fruits of caring for one another. Finally, the camp rounded off with a testimonial session. Everyone took turns to present their views and learn something new about one another. The camp was indeed an eye-opener for the city folks, the forestry surroundings gave a sense of calm, the lack of technology and football brought us closer to God and most of all to one another. - Posted by Herald |
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| Sexually Camp for SFA Students |
| CHERAS: The secondary stu¬dents (Form 1,2,3 and 4) from the Church of St Francis of Assisi attended a three-day- two night camp at Golden Sands Baptist Centre, Port Dickson on May 28, 29 and 30. There were a total of 61 participants accompanied by 15 facilitators. This camp was conducted by Fr Danny Mathews. The theme of this camp was Adolescence, Sex and Moral Issues. He was very down to earth and open in sharing his knowledge with us. While adding humor, Fr Danny was able to present even the most serious and embarrassing facts with much ease. The sessions covered topics such as pre-marital sex, reasons for sex which is only for those who are married, mastur¬bation, being responsible and maintaining self-control which is v e r y impor¬tant. If y o u h a v e control of your mind, you are able to control the world. - Posted by Herald |
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| Our Bishops attend Communications Session |
| PETALING JAYA: Archbishop Murphy Pakiam, Bishop Antony Selvanayagam and Bishop Dominic Su attended a training ses¬sion on converging communications for ministry in Asia at the Assumption University, Bang Na, from May 28 to June 2, 2007. The training session, organized by the Office of Social Communications of the FABC (Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences), was attended by about 50 bishops, priests and media practitioners. They reflected on online communication and interacted on its pastoral possibilities. Practitioners of online communications presented their vari¬ous services on the Web and invited the participants to consider these tools for the Church's mission. Furthermore, the bishops were also given the opportunity for hands-on training in computer usage. One of the outcomes of these sessions was a statement of recommendation to the bish¬ops of Asia. - Posted by Herald |
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| CHRISTIAN FEDERATION OF MALAYSIA (PERSEKUTUAN KRISTIAN MALAYSIA) |
| The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) is disturbed and saddened by the decision of the Federal Court in the Lina Joy's case, where the Court has confirmed the National Registration Department's right to insist on a certificate from the Syariah Court that she has apostatized, prior to registering her con¬version in the identity card. We reiterate that the NRD's insistence on such a certificate being produced has cur¬tailed the fundamental right of an individual to profess and express his or her religion as provided for in Article 11. We have also noted with much concern that this decision reflects a growing trend of decisions in the courts where civil courts are abdicating their responsibility of providing legal redress to individuals who only seek to profess and live their religion according to their conscience. As a result of this decision, it is now more pressing for the government and lawmakers to revisit the relevant legislation and to rein¬state the jurisdiction of the Civil Courts so that equal protection of the right to choose and express one's religion is accorded to all Malaysians, as enshrined in Article 11. The CFM will continue to cooperate with the government and all Malaysians to uphold the Government's vision of upholding the multiracial, multicultural and multi-religious character of our nation. - Posted by Herald |
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| Disappointed by Federal Court’s Judgment |
| Christian leaders have expressed grave concern over the Federal Court's decision not to recognize a Muslim convert's wish to be recognized as a Christian. On May 30, a three-judge panel issued a split decision rejecting Lina Joy's appeal to have the word "Islam" removed from her government-issued Malaysian identity card. The ruling directed her to approach the Syariah Court should she wish to renounce her faith. Reverend Hermen Shastri, general secretary of the Council of Churches of Malaysia, said that if the plaintiff "still seeks to be a Christian, she will find it difficult to live in Malaysia." "Lina Joy and all other former Muslims who have chosen to convert out of Islam will find no redress in the country's civil courts." Catholic Bishop Paul Tan Chee Ing of Melaka-Johor, chairman of the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), said in a press statement issued the same day that the Federation is "disturbed and saddened by the deci¬sion of the Federal Court." - Posted by Herald |
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| Pentecost Vigils Held at KL Parishes |
| KUALA LUMPUR: In preparation, for the feast of the Pentecost, several parishes throughout the city organized vigils on May 26 to welcome the outpouring of the Spirit into the lives and transform them to be witnesses of Christ throughout the world. At the Cathedral of St John some 170 parishioners participated the nine hour long vigil that started 8.15pm with the theme Come Ha Spirit. The vigil was held in the cathedral with Benediction by parish priest Msgr James Gnanprigasam. Together with the faithful, he and Fr Amalanathan spent an hour in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In the agenda lined-up were Vespers, Praise & Worship session Rosary recitation, Laud Reflections, Sunday Gospel Reading Prayer of Repentance and Forgiveness, Prayer of Surrender Divine Mercy Chaplet, Holy Hour devotion, Litany of the Holy Spirit testimonies by several faithful and fellowship. - Posted by Herald |
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| Session on Ageing Gracefully |
| KUALA LUMPUR: Recently some 70 senior citizens from the Cathedral of St John attend¬ed a talk entitled Ageing Gracefully that was presented by Sr. Stephanie Samy, IJS, held at the cathedral's old parish hall. Sr Stephanie focused her talk on several areas, first by explor¬ing the myth about ageing. She said that we should dispel the fear of `growing old' and the tendencies that often set in at this time of life as the ailments related to the body systems will make one aware of the irregu¬larities in bodily functions that can befall one due to neglect. Hence according to Sr Stephanie not only the nutri¬tional aspect, mental, spiritual, physical and mental exercises and therapies for relief and for enjoying a healthy and active life, form the core of ageing gracefully. "It is necessary that, as we age, we progressively take charge of our own healthcare and independent living, prepar¬ing ourselves to remain fit, as ageing is a state of mind, not just a physical process." - Posted by Herald |
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| World Communications Day celebrated at PJ Parish |
| PETALING JAYA: World Communications Day (WCD) was cel¬ebrated on May 20 at the Church of the Assumption. The theme of this year's celebration is Children and the Media: A challenge.for Education, a theme specially chosen by the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. The parish level celebration saw Fr Aloysius Mowe, SJ celebrating the 8.30am Mass with parish priest, Fr Philips Muthu concele¬brating. In his homily, Fr Mowe challenged parents and educators to first address their own issues with the mass media before trying to help their children deal with the different media. WCD was also marked by an exhibition from the dif¬ferent media organizations in the Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese. Parishioners at all Masses were also given special World Communications Day kits, pre¬pared by the Daughters of St Paul. Each kit contained the WCD message from His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, a guide for parents and educators in man¬aging the media and an activity sheet for children, aimed at making them think about how they use different forms of media. - Posted by Herald |
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| Uruvadum Kudumbam Celebrates 20th. Anniversary |
| KUALA LUMPUR: Uruvadum Kudurnbam (Dialoging Family), a monthly magazine for the Catholic Tamil-speaking population cel¬ebrated its 20th anniversary on May 19, 2007. It was only apt that the celebration was held at the Church of the Holy Family, Kajang as the Urtrvadttm Kudurnbam means family. More than 1,000 subscribers and supporters participated in the Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Archbishop Murphy Pakiam. Concelebrating were Uruvadum Kudumbam editor Fr Amalanathan, and Frs Julian Leow and Albet Arockisamy. In his homily, Archbishop Pakiam spoke on Pope Benedict’s message in conjunction with World Communication Sunday. "The media plays an important role in our lives," he said. "It can be used negatively or positively. In the Catholic Church, one of the most important types of media is the print media; we have the HERALD and also the Uruvadum Kudumbam. "It is very important to use the media to share our faith. Parents too play an important role in ensuring that their children are taught media awareness,” - Posted by Herald |
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| Jubilee Celebrations for Three IJ Sisters |
| CHERAS: Sr Pascaline of the Infant Jesus celebrated her Platinum Jubilee who is 104 years old. Together with Sr Alphonse Coombs who, at 96 years of age, celebrated her Platinum Jubilee just two days prior to her passing and Sr Rita Rodrigues, who was celebrating her Diamond Jubilee, they were feted in a special celebration held at the Sisters of the Infant Jesus Convent on May 17. The day began with a Eucharistic Mass, which was celebrated by parish priest of Sacred Heart Church, Fr Anthony Thomas. In his homily, Fr Anthony gave a rich understanding of the word Theophilus, which means `Lover of God.' "I believe that every person is called to be a lover of God. It is only a deep faith and love for God which must have been the ultimate belief of our three Jubilarians Sisters to live for God's service and His mission," added Fr Anthony. The Mass was concelebrated by Fr Michael Raymond, OFM Cap and Fr Valentine Gompok OFM Cap. - Posted by Herald |
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| Weekend Session for RCIA Catechists |
| KUALA LUMPUR: "Christians are not born but made." These words of Tertullian, first great writer of Latin Christianity sparked one of the many animated discussions which took place in the course of the formation session "Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults: Historical, Theological and Pastoral Perspectives." The two-day session at the Archdiocesan Pastoral institute was part of the API's series "Theological Formation for the Laity" and was presented by Dr Steven Selvaraju STD. Saturday, May 19 began with a journey into the past. Beginning with the Acts of the Apostles, the growth of the early Church and the process of conversion of the early Christians unfolded before our eyes in a panorama of mystery and secrecy, prudence and caution and above all a willingness to die for the faith in the prevailing climate of persecution. - Posted by Herald |
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| Retreat for extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist |
| KUALA LUMPUR: Twenty extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist from the Church of the Immaculate Conception went on the retreat to the Cameron Highlands with Fr. Gerald Theraviam director and facilitator. The theme for this retreat was: Put out into the Deep... Deepening our Discipleship. Fr Gerard explained to the retreatants what it meant to be a disci¬ple, and that discipleship was about being a follower of Jesus, and so in their lives they should put their belief into practice. Mass was celebrated everyday. The Sunday morning mass was celebrated at the Church of Our Lady of Mt Carmel by Fr Gerard, together with the residents of Cameron Highlands. There were spiritual exercises and a healing session as well. On their return journey sharing and testimonies were given by all who attended this retreat. - Posted by Herald |
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| BEC visits school for autistic children |
| KUALA LUMPUR: Members of St Joseph's BEC recently paid a visit to autistic children and young adults of the Special Needs Learning Centre. The BEC belonging to St John's Cathedral made the trip to the school in Bkt Nanas, on May 18. According to BEC leader, Gabriel Saminathan, the visit was aimed at learning more about the centre and its opera¬tions, in order to offer assis¬tance to the school and its stu¬dents. Gabriel expressed his happiness on finding out the school's purpose, which is to assist these autistic children and young adults. The Special Needs Learning Centre has an enrol¬ment of 17 students and near¬ly all are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The school's programmes are designed to deal with the vari¬ous deficits of the autistic individual. Each student poses different types of challenges as their deficits varies from one student to another. - Posted by Herald |
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| Philippines Ambassador Joins in Mother’s Day Celebration |
| KUALA LUMPUR: The Filipino migrant community of St John's Cathedral celebrated a special Mothers' Day this year when the Philippines Ambassador to Malaysia and his wife joined them in the festivities. His Excellency Victoriano M. Lecaros and his wife, Melissa C. Lecaros took time off from their busy schedules to be with some 120 Filipinos for celebrations at the Community Service Centre (CSC) in Bukit Nanas on May 13. Philippines Embassy Consul General, Antonio A. Morales was also present and the three of them were greeted upon arrival by Corazon Moran who is the co-ordinator of the St John's Filipino Ministry and the ministry's committee members. The celebrations began with a bazaar organised by the Filipinos themselves, sell¬ing a variety of items such as cookies, toys, clothes, dresses, after Mass in Tagalog at the Cathedral. - Posted by Herald |
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