CFC HOLD organises 7th Echo Conference

KOTA KINABALU – The Couples for Christ – Handmaids of the Lord (CFC-HOLD) organised its 7th Echo Conference at the Sacred Heart Parish Centre here on 12 Sept 2016.

An Echo Conference is a local duplication of the annual HOLD International Conference (ICON) held in Manila attended by some of the key members.  These members then return to their respective countries and organise similar conferences.

This year’s theme was At the Heart of the Celebration.  The conference began with Holy Mass at the cathedral presided by Abp John Wong.

In the conference, divided into five sessions comprising talks, testimonies and creative expressions, the 200-strong participants were shown the stairway to heaven and sainthood.  Among the participants were Anita Tunggolou and Amelia Laukang of the Archdiocesan Women Commission.

In Session 1: Touched by God’s Transforming Love, Norah Tan presented St Paul’s conversion and how he did not allow anything to get in the way of his mission in bringing the Good News to others.

In the second session, Stairway to Heaven, Karen Sigawal touched on the first four Beatitudes.  It focused on the journey of a soul searching for a right relationship with God.

The third session, presented by Bernadette Lidadun, focused on the last four Beatitudes.  It told of the continuing journey of a soul that has become transformed, starting to bear fruit as it witnessed to its deepening relationship with God.

Wendy Carvalho proposed some practical steps one can take to attain a lifestyle of deep intimacy with God in the fourth session: In His Intimate Presence.

In the fifth and final session, At the Heart of the Celebration, Ivy Henry Majanil presented to the participants how they can become women of prayer, of gratitude and of joy, which is part of the human journey towards sainthood.

The Handmaids of the Lord (HOLD) target mature women, regardless of status, or situation, from ages forty-one (41) and above. The ministry has a three-fold mission: personal transformation, evangelisation to bring her family and others especially women to a renewed life in the Lord, and wholehearted service to bring glad tidings to the poor. It provides a strong teaching track, special teachings for women in different states of life, and a leadership programme to equip leaders to be more effective and better servants. The mission promotes the missionary spirit among leaders to realise its vision.