The Holy See has approved three alternatives to the priest's final words at Mass: Ita missa est or in English, The Mass is ended, go in peace.
 Cardinal Francis Arinze, head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Sacraments head, made the announcement on Oct 18. Pope Benedict has approved the alternatives, which were requested at the 2005 synod on the Eucharist to express the missionary spirit that should follow from the celebration of Mass.
 According to Cardinal Arinze, the Pope had asked for suggestions to be presented. The congregation received 72, from which they prepared nine proposals. The Holy Father has chosen three. The alternatives are in the revised
Third editio typica of the Roman Missal, which was recently printed, the cardinal said.
The alternatives are:
• Ite ad Evangelium Domini nuntiandum- go to announce the Gospel of the Lord
• Ite in pace, glorificando vita vestra Dominuzn -- go in peace, glorifying the Lord
   with your lives
• Ite in pace - go in peace with alleluia, alleluia added during Easter season.

College General Major Seminary rejoiced as she welcomed back her sons, the alumni - all her past students - for her bicentennial celebration which culminated with the Eucharistic Celebration on Oct 2 and continued with a dinner on the evening of the same day. Although the College of Martyrs was founded in 1665, she had a rich history of preregrinations before finally setting foot in Penang in 1808 Here, she has remained for two hundred years.
Invitations were sent out as far as Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore Brunei, Vietnam and Cambodia. The celebration was aptly theme Celebrating Faithfulness and Thanksgiving which summed up the spirit of College General. Heeding their alma mater, many returned from near and far. There were Archbishops Bishops and Emeriti, priests - retired, serving and past, seminarians and ex-seminarians alike. College General also played host to the seminarians and College Fathers from St Francis Xavier Major Seminary Singapore, and also the Rector and seminarians from the CDD Minor Seminary, Pulau Gadong, Melaka, and the Rector and staff from St Peter’s College, Kuching.

Born in Ayuthia, Siam in 1665, the College General was a baby of the Paris Foreign Missions, which was to rise to grandeur in the centuries to come. Persecution took her to Hondat in Cambodia and to Virampatnam and later to Pondicherry in India in 1770. She had no intention of remaining long in India which had its own seminary. She had set her mind to serve the Churches in East Asia. Her temporary closure from 1783 saw her re-opening in Pulau Tikus in Penang in 1808 and being christened as the College of Holy Angels. True to her intention, she formed students coming from Thailand, Burma, Malaya, Singapore, Borneo, Indo-China, China, and some other countries in Asia. This being so, she took on another name – College General. In the nineteen seventies of the 20th. century, the MEP Fathers passed the College to the local and particular Churches in the Region.
The grandeur of the College General lies in the number pf priests she has formed for the Region for which she was founded and therefore in the growth of the local and particular Churches in the Region through the dedicated priests who graduated from her.

Ordination Date           Name                                     Place

1. Feb 25, 1955     Domine VENDARGON           Kuala Lumpur
2. Mar 13, 1955     Francis CHAN                     Penang
3. April 9, 1968      Gregory YONG                   Penang
4. June 8, 1973     James CHAN                     Melaka/Johor
5. Sept 29, 1977   Anthony Soter FERNANDEZ   Penang
6. Sept 1, 1980     Anthony SELVANAYAM         Penang
7. Oct 4, 1995       Murphy PAKIAM                 Kuala Lumpur

The XIV General International of the Confederation of, the Society of St Vincent de Paul Jose Ramon Diaz Torremocha accompanied by his personal assistant Juan Tirado made an official visit to Malaysia From Sept 13-15.
 He is also a member of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum appointed by the late Holy Father John Paul II.
On the evening of Sept 13, the President General was accorded a simple welcome at St Anthony's Church for a Eucharistic Celebration con-celebrated by Frs Mari Arokiam, Edward Soosai and Bernard Hyacinth. The Mass was attended bv Vincentians from all over Malaysia.
After the Mass, The President General, The Asia Group 2 coordinators Thomas Tan, Singapore National Council President Lucas William, and State Council Presidents, adjourned to the Dewan Dominic.
 The President General visited two SSVP run homes, namely the Rumah Ozanam Batu Arang (shelter for women and children inflicted with HIV/AIDS) and the Rumah Keluarga Kami (RKK) Children's home in Kajang.

Fr Michael Chua, Parish Priest of the Church of the Visitation Seremban, was recently selected as a scholar for the Fulbright Interfaith Community Action Programme (ICAP).
The Fulbright Programme was established by the United States Congress in 1946 "to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States, and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange".
This particular programme, ICAP, was piloted by the US State Department to bring together a multinational group of ten religious leaders, scholars of religion and community leaders from diverse religious backgrounds (primarily from Muslim nations) in order to engage their experience and expertise on
Inter-religious dialogue.
The sessions of this three-week seminar focus on freedom of religion. separation of religion from government, religion and religious tolerance from multidisciplinary perspectives, religious pluralism, and transforming interfaith dialogue into interfaith community action and cooperation.

The Carmelite Sisters at the Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph are committed to a lifetime of continual formation and learning as they ceaselessly contemplate the sacred mysteries of God through daily prayer.
From August to November this year, they are going through a series of studies called What's the Difference? This course, comprising of a series of eight study sessions, highlights the main similarities and differences in the practices and beliefs of Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Christians.
What's the Difference? was initially designed to be taught as a parish-based course at the Church of the Visitation Seremban. It has now been adopted by the Kuala Lumpur Archdiocesan Ministry of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs (AMEIA) as a part of its course offerings to the various parishes in the Archdiocese.
The formation sessions at the Carmelite monastery are usually held on Monday evenings by Dr Sherman Kuek, who designed and teaches the course, and who is also Pastoral Associate for Formation at the Church of the Visitation.

Whoever said a bunch of happening young people can not bring the roof down with praise and worship. Well, that perception would totally change if they had attended the Youth Rally organised by the churches of Our Lady of Lourdes and Holy Redeemer.
Two gospel bands, four speakers and three days kept 170 youths on their feet, singing, jumping and praising God. They were full of energy yet deep within, they had a longing "to know God better
The theme for the rally was taken from  Matthew 28; 19-20, Go Forth ...and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and behold I am with you always until the end of time. This theme was chosen to coincide with the Holy Father's intention to make this year a year of evangelizing.

Parishioners of the Church of St Anne had the opportunity to display their cooking skills at a cooking competition recently. The competition was organised by the Women's Charter of the parish to foster close rapport and spirit of teamwork amongst its members.
For the competition, each participant and her assistant had to prepare a chicken dish within one hour. Marks were given based on taste, recipe, presentation and timing. Contestants prepared dishes like debal curry, mustard chicken parettal, spicy dried chicken, fried spicy chicken and ayam masak rendang. Mrs Bridget Sta Maria and her assistant Kristeen James emerged winners with their debal curry dish. Second and third place went to Soosaiammal Mary and Lily Rose respectively. Everyone had a good time watching the participants prepare the dishes and tasting after the judges had made their rounds.
The women’s Charer was formed in February this year to cater to the needs and interest of women in the parish.

On Sept 30, the parishioners of Good Shepherd Church celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival with much fun and fellowship. Organised by the Chinese Language Apostolate, this annual celebration was held to foster closer relationships and to share the Chinese culture with the various communities within the parish.
One of the highlights of the night was a demonstration on art of making Chinese tea. Dressed in traditional Chinese garb Leo Chow gave the parishioners several tips on how to make a good cup of tea.
The demonstration proved to be a hit as many came around to sample the different types of tea available.
Another highlight was the release of three giant lanterns  into the clear night sky. The floating of these lanterns into the sky signified the hopes of the people being brought up to heaven.
At the end of the event, everyone went home with a better understanding of the Chinese culture and some moon cakes  to share with their family and friends.

A series of enlightening talk on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism Islam and Sikhism was held at the Church of St Francis of Assisi (SEA) or Fridays, since July 25, 2008 and concluded with an Inter-faith Prayer Session to world peace on Sept 12.
The understanding of world religion was organised by SEA parish committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, with the aim to help foster world peace, particularly at national level; understanding and goodwill among adherents of different faiths; living together in a multi-religious and multi-racial nation, like Malaysia.
Sherman Kuek, a theologian gave the talk on Christianity; Prof Autar Singh, a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Accounting in UiTM, Shah Alam and former President of the Malaysian Sikh Youth Organisation presented a basic understanding of the Sikhs and Sikhism, Selvalingam of the Hindu Sangam talked on Hinduism; Vijaya Samaravickrama, a lecturer in comparative religions at Taylors College spoke on Buddhism and Shah Krit bin Kakulai Govindji from the Islamic Information Service Foundation presented Islam.

`Come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while.' Quoting these words of Jesus to his weary disciples, Fr L'Hour began our retreat ... leading us immediately to the desert. That place which is the home of evil beings and wild animals, the domain of plundering tribes, a barren place of nothingness.
Drawing from the Scriptures Fr L'Hour depicted the desert to be a place of all beginnings and of all rebirths. It was in the desert that Jesus and the Old Testament prophets sojourned before embarking on their difficult missions. Our own times in the desert are times of testing and temptation as well as times of renewal and rebirth. Times when we either turn away from God or come away spiritually nourished and strengthened to do His will. It is only in the desert, Fr. explained, that we can discover who the Lord God is and that He is the only source of life.

The Islamic Information and Services Foundation held its annual Buka Puasa (breaking of fast) gathering for non-Muslim friends at the Impiana KLCC Hotel on Sept 19. Members of' the Archdiocesan Ministry for Ecumenical & Interreligious Affairs (AMEIA) team, as well as representatives of the various religious communities were present to join with tile Muslim brethren in breaking fast on tile day.
 The gathering began with a welcome address by Puan Sabariah Abdullah, tile Managing Director for Saba Islamic Media Sdn Bhd.
 This was followed by a sharing by Mr Shah Kirit, the Principal Da'wah Officer of the IIS, on the Muslim practice of fasting during the month of Ramadhan.
 During the meal, Muslims and non-Muslims shared on the different practices of fasting found in tile different religious traditions. Rev Dr Hermen Shastri of the Christian Federation of Malaysia and Dr William Lau OF AMEIA shared the Christian perspective and practices of' fasting.

A Media Youth Camp organized by the Catholic Mission here in collaboration with Cahayasuara Communications Centre of Kuala Lumpur was held from Sept 4-6 at the Terengganu Equestrian Resort, Kuala Ibai.
 The 64 participants consisted of upper secondary school students from Dungun and Kuala Terengganu, undergraduates from University Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) and Institut Peguruan Kuala Terengganu (IPKT), and trainees from Institu Teknoloqi Petroleum Petronas (INSTEP), Akademi Laut Malaysia (ALAM) and IPKT. Despite this diversity the participants were able to get together and interact.
The main objective of the camp was to create awareness and exposure about the media and its influence.
Those who do not recognize or even have the slightest hint of the word 'media' must be of the Stone Age. Indeed media has become the most influential and fast-paced entity in the society we are living in. Generally, media is known as the source of information, entertainment, and "stuff' but many do not realize that media is more than just what we see or hear everyday.

In conjunction with World Youth Day 2008 the Melaka-Johor Diocesan Service Team (MJDST) of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal took the initiative to organize the formation for youths in the four language groups with the theme Youth, the hope of the Church. Almost 250 youths gathered at St Louis Church to attend this programme.
 What was especially unique of this formation was that it was the first ever gathering of youths by MJDST from the four different language groups, Mandarin. Tamil, Bahasa and English. There were even 14 youths from Timor Leste.
 Mervin J. Ratnasingam, from the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, really brought home the message of 'unity in diversity' with emphasis on the challenges the youths face today and how it means to be the hope of the Church and to live out the joy of the Lord in our day to day living. He further invited them to reflect on and examine our perceptions and understanding of God and his love for us as youths and to see that his love enables us to be the hope of the Church.

A combined total of' some RM750,000.00 worth of scholarships are available, at the disposal of the Society of St Vincent De Paul (SSVP), Malaysia.
 Watson Peters, the National Chairman of Scholarship and Education Committee, SSVP said that in March this year the Society received these scholarships pledges from two colleges, namely Brickfields Asia College and Olympia College Malaysia.
"Now SSVP is inviting applications from deserving and qualified needy students to apply for these scholarships from these two colleges offered through Yayasan Ozanam, a foundation wholly managed by SSVP, Malaysia," said Watson.
He also clarified that the applications are open to Malaysian citizens of all religions and ethnicity from all over Malaysia. Yayasan Ozanam is able to help 25 students.
 Watson stated that the scholarship covers only tuition lees, which in fact covers the cost of the major part of the course. Successful students only pay for the registration and examination fees. However, he said if any student still finds it difficult or hard to pay, SSVP is prepared to assist those qualified candidates to pay the extra costs, but on a case to case basis.

The migrant communities of the Cathedral of St John (SJC) came together to celebrate Migrants' Sunday on Sept 14.
 The celebration began with a Thanksgiving Mass with hundreds of migrants joined by locals. The Eucharist was presided by Fr Philip Chua from Miri Diocese, with this year's theme being The Migrant Family: Challenges and Future Directions. The celebration was organised by SJC Migrants Ministry.
 In his homily, Fr Chua expressed his happiness to see many migrant people present for the Eucharist and welcomed them to the church. He said the migrants were here in Malaysia either to work or to study and there was a need for them to adjust and accustom themselves to the local cultures. He told them that regardless of race, language and culture, they are all one people of God's family.
 As Sept 14 was also the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, Fr Chua spoke at length about the feast as an important feast of life and hope.