Putatan church site inspection gives room for improvement

PUTATAN – The inspection by Archbishop John Wong to St Catherine Laboure Church site here on 1 March 2017 gave room for improvement in the layout of the church proper.

The prelate was accompanied by Fathers Johnny Raju and Tony Mojiwat, assistant pastors of Stella Maris Parish Tanjung Aru.

On hand to welcome them were Stephen Sondoh, head of the Steering Building Committee, and Dominic Chong, a member of the committee.  A representative of City Top Roofing was present to show the material design for the roof.

With an eye for detail and capacity for visualisation, Abp Wong proposed the location for the tabernacle, the sanctuary area to be widened, the need for drainage holes in the roof gutter, the location for the spiral staircase, semi-circular pews,  among other things.

He also agreed to the suggestion of Fr Johnny Raju for a holy door and a portable baptismal font at the main entrance.

To date, the church project is 68 percent completed.  Started in 2013, the estimated RM7.3m  four-storey building sits on a two-acre land donated by Mdm Catherine Moinin in Kg Imbaan Putatan.  It is scheduled to be completed in 2018.  An additional one acre adjacent to the land was acquired by the Steering Committee for RM70,000.

The building project consists of level 1 (mini-museum, auditorium, cafeteria), level 2 (multipurpose hall with seating capacity of 1500), level 3 (church proper with a seating capacity of 1200) and level 4 (mezzanine floor with a seating capacity of 300).  There are also provisions for a lift, church office, administrative office, meeting rooms, and a catechetical centre.

The church development plan includes a rectory, a memorial hall for the deceased, and a children’s home.

So far RM5.1m of the RM7.3m has been raised from various sources.  Out of the RM5.1m raised, RM3.8m has been spent for the construction.  A further RM2.2m is needed to complete the project.  The balance of RM1.4m in the bank account will be exhausted by August 2017.

Among the fundraisers will be a bazaar on July 9 at the Sacred Heart Parish Centre Karamunsing, raffle ticket sales, a jogathon and a golf tournament.

The committee expressed the hope that generous donors and benefactors will come forward to support the fundraisers so that the target of RM2m will be reached to avoid the project being shelved.  All proceeds will be channelled to the building fund – payable to RTDKK St. Catherine Church Putatan A/C No 510189007514 Maybank Putatan.