KOTA KINABALU – Sabah churches celebrated Malaysia Day this year by issuing an unprecedented declaration’ titled as the Kota Kinabalu Declaration claiming the promises of God for the nation as they move into a new season.
The 30-point declaration is the most significant Christian statement after the Kuching Declaration made by church leaders in 1989 over the Alkitab and Allah issue.
TUARAN (CS) – Sixty cycling enthusiasts from St John Parish Tuaran and parishes around gathered for CYC 5 on 5 Sep 2014.
CYC 5 is the fifth edition of Cycle for Christ, a brainchild of Fr Nicholas Stephen, who is himself an avid cyclist.
The objective of ‘Cycling for Christ’ is manifold. It is a means to build faith, to improve and maintain good health, to do charity work, to care for the environment, as well as to evangelize.
The main target is to reach those most distant and rarely visited rural chapels to share fraternal love and to instill oneness. At the same time, it offers an excellent channel to build communion with other Christians as these cylists do not only come from the Catholic parishes.
LABUAN – The Catholic Charismatic Group of Blessed Sacrament, Labuan organised a Renewal, Revival and Restoration Seminar Sep 26-28 as part of our Strengthening the Faith program. It was facilitated by Jude Antoine who is a Catholic lay missionary from the Diocese of Kuala Lumpur.
INANAM – St Catherine Church Inanam’s hall was fully packed with parishioners who came to bid farewell to their outgoing priest, Fr Michael Modoit, and to welcome the incoming priest, Fr Rayner Bisius at the farewell fellowship Sep 28.
Fr Michael Modoit has been assistant priest for St Catherine Inanam for the past 12 years, sharing the pastoral load with rector Fr David Sham. Effective Oct 1, he would be taking up his new post at St Pius Bundu Tuhan as rector.
INOBONG – Two hundred faithful turned up for the inaugural Mass of Holy Trinity Madsiang-Inobong on 1 Oct 2014 at Sacred Heart Inobong.
The Mass was presided by Msgr Primus Jouil and concelebrated by Fr Alex Sipanul, the parish’s first priest, and concelebrated by Fr Jimsy Julius, assistant priest, Fr Michael Modoit, Fr Rayner Bisius and Fr Florian Dompok.
KOTA KINABALU – In conjunction with the major reshuffling of priests, Archbishop John Wong announced that two new parishes will be established effective October 1st, 2014. They are Holy Trinity, Madsiang-Inobong which is carved out from St Michael Penampang and St Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Kiulu, which used to be part of St John Tuaran. The reason behind such move is for effective and efficient pastoral administration since both Tuaran and Penampang have big territories and faithfuls.
Holy Trinity Madsiang-Inobong will comprise of Catholic communities in Zon Inobong, Zon Pogunon, Zon Kipouvo, Zon Babagon, and Zon Moyog whilst St Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Kiulu will cover Zon Kiulu, Zon Lokub and Zon Pukak. Fr Alex Sipanul is appointed as the first parish priest of Madsiang-Inobong to be assisted by Fr Jimsy Julius, and Fr Bruno Yasun the first parish priest of Kiulu with Fr Daniel Jomilong as his assistant.
LABUAN – Totally convinced by the exhortation of Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium to live out the call of an evangelizing community, the Marvellous Light of Yahweh Covenant Community (MLYCC) took a leap of faith to reach out to 600 Catholic students currently studying at Labuan Matriculation College in providing foster-parenting care.
SANDAKAN – Bishop Julius Gitom signed the contract with Terusan Enterprise, who has successfully bidded for the extension of St Mark’s Multi-Purpose Hall, at St Mary’s Cathedral Parish Conference Room Sep 12, and extended his appreciation to those who had initiated the extension, especially John Pang who was instrumental to spearhead the project. He expressed his full confidence in the Building Committee and the contractor that they would ensure the project to be completed as scheduled.
KOTA BELUD – Twenty-eight students and facilitators braved the storm in the early hours (5.30am) of 7 Sep 2014. Nothing would deter their mission to the Mother of Divine Grace Convent, Kota Belud. Everyone was on time. No one complained. The carrying of all the heavy goods for the convent in the heavy rain was not a bother!
Reaching Kota Belud, we celebrated Mass with the local parishioners at St Edmund’s Church. Fr Federick Raymond was the celebrant and though he had such a tight Sunday schedule, he made time to meet the students from Stella Maris Parish and he blessed them for their coming SPM exams.
KOTA KINABALU – A spirit of love and a great show of communal support pervaded the charity dinner organised by the building committee of St Catherine of Laboure, Putatan at Putera Theatre Ballroom Aug 3, with 1,100 people in attendance.
The event was one of the major fundraising drives for the building of St Catherine of Laboure, Putatan, for which construction work began in December 2012.