TAWAU/KOTA KINABALU – The Chinese community of Holy Trinity Parish Tawau experienced double blessings for the Year of the Goat. Not only were they privileged to have Bishop Julius Gitom presiding over the Chinese New Year Thanksgiving Mass on Feb 19, but also to have him making his rounds visiting the homes of a few Chinese parishioners.
QUEZON CITY – Fifteen students of IFFAsia Batch 9, coming from across Asia, attended the Launching Mass for the School Year 2015 at the Chapel, Radio Varitas Asia Feb 14. The new batch consists of students from eight countries: China, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. On this day, the Rite of Commitment to the Lord was made by the students, and witnessed by more than 50 people who came to lend support.
The theme for the launching is ‘Live Christ! Share Christ.’ It is the call taken from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Pastoral Exhortation on the Era of New Evangelization for the Year of the Poor, 2015.
TAWAU – Some 300 parishioners gathered at Holy Trinity Parish Hall Feb 15 to bid Sr Aquinas Voon fsic a fond farewell and at the same time to extend a warm welcome to Sr Martha Jonik fsic and seminarian Walter Milter Mario.
Andrew Kiat, the PPC Chairman. in his welcoming speech, thanked God for the gift of Sr Aquinas and for her wonderful service extended to the community especially on spiritual guidance and accompaniment.
KOTA KINABALU – The Catholic legal fraternity of Sabah had been reminded to practise their profession with mercy and love during the fourth annual Red Mass celebration held at the chapel of St Simon Catholic Church Likas on Feb 14.
In his address, Archbishop John Wong beckoned the crowd to be like God, an image of love – God shows “tremendous care and concern” despite humanity’s fall in the Garden of Eden as His mercy far surpasses the gravity of men’s wrongdoings.
KOTA KINABALU (CS) – The Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu shared the joy of witnessing the election of 1,141 new catechumens at the liturgical rite of Election and Enrolment of Names at Sacred Heart Cathedral Feb 22, with a crowd of more than 2,000. The elects hailed from 20 parishes in Kota Kinabalu Archdiocese, including Labuan, coming together with their godparents, and supported by their parish priest/assistant priest.
Rose Tagal: My friends and I were expecting to see Pope Francis during his closing Mass at Luneta, Rizal Park. We got up as early as 2 am with high hope that we would get a good place to see the Pope. I was not feeling well that morning as I was down with flu and sore throat, nevertheless with this hope, I joined my tour group for the walk to Rizal Park. From afar, I was amazed to see so many people already queuing to enter the park. It looked like what we had planned yesterday was just mere planning because the reality is beyond expectation.
KOTA KINABALU – The Council of Religious held a Day of Recollection at Montfort Youth Training Centre Kinarut Jan 31, which was attended by 60 religious Brothers and Sisters.
The recollection was presented by Fr Collin Tan, Provincial Superior of the Society of Jesus of Malaysia-Singapore Region.
PENAMPANG – On its vocation page this year, Catholic Sabah (CS) focuses on the Lasallian charism.
Saint John Baptist de La Salle was born in France in 1651. He belonged to one of the more important families in the city of Rheims. At the age of 27 he was ordained a priest.
Attentive to God’s voice, a voice calling him to place all his trust in Him, John Baptist stripped himself of everything: first of his title as canon, then of his patrimony which he distributed to the poor during a famine that desolated France in 1683 and 1684, thereby becoming completely poor himself just as the young people who came to his schools, and just like the teachers whom he encouraged to place their faith in God.
PENANG – EMI, the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants, organized the 4th edition of the Exodus Retreat, themed The Mission of Jesus Unto Me, at the idyllic Stella Maris Retreat Centre in Penang Jan 29-Feb 1. Fifty participants came from various parishes and lay organisations of Malaysia as well as from ACMI, the Migrant Commission from Singapore.
SANDAKAN – The Sandakan Diocesan Family Life Commission for the new term of 2015-17 held its first meeting cum Study Session on the Relatio Synodi document at the Diocesan Retreat Center, Ulu Dusun Feb 6-7.
13 members coming from across the diocese attended the meeting. Bishop Julius Gitom, who is also the Spiritual Director for Family Life Commission, was present to guide them through the document.