From The Catholic Bishops' Conference Of Malaysia On The Occasion Of The Golden Jubilee Of Merdeka
The Catholic Bishops of Malaysia rejoice with all Malaysians as we celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Merdeka, 50 years of independence, freedom and nationhood. There is much for us to celebrate as we have made outstanding progress and achieved great development to stand out as one of the most developed countries in South East Asia.
However, as we celebrate our success, we should also be aware of areas of concern which have surfaced in recent years, namely religious and racial tensions, corruption and a rising crime rate.
Racial and religious tensions have been heightened by increasing infringements on the fundamental right to freedom of religion which is enshrined in the Constitution, and a growing perception that non-Muslims' religions and concerns are diminished or neglected. To move ahead and for Malaysians to continue to be united, we must adhere to the social contract arrived at by our founding fathers, the Federal Constitution and the Rukun Negara, our national ideology. We urge the government and elected Representatives of Parliament and State Legislatures as custodians of the rights of all Malaysians to address these issues directly. They should not let the growing number of individuals of a predominant group in the civil and armed services and the executive branches of governance to act in ways which are prejudicial or hurtful to the sensibilities of non-Muslims and those of other faiths. In addition, the government should hold dialogues between followers of various religions in the country, not only to foster greater understanding and harmony among our people of different faiths, but also to resolve by consensus, the various problems and obstacles to the peace and prosperity of our beloved nation.
We are concerned about continued reports of corruption and lack of transparency and accountability, and urge the Government to be more proactive in the eradication of corruption and more transparent in its administration of public funds and projects.
We are concerned with the rising crime rate and fear that our country may be heading towards a breakdown of enforcement of law and order if the situation is allowed to continue. It is timely for the Government to reform the Royal Malaysia Police Force for effective implementation of a better policing system.
In our role as Malaysian citizens and as leaders in the Catholic Church, we work towards and pray for the very best that our nation deserves. As such, we urge you not to be dispirited by such recurring problems and to become catalysts of nation-building especially by promoting inter-racial and inter-religious harmony, "For he is the peace between us, and has made the two into one and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, actually destroying in his own person the hostility caused by the rules and decrees of the Law" (Ep 2:14-16) and integrity in your civic duties. May Almighty God continue to bless Malaysia with continued peace and prosperity.
Sincerely in Christ,
Most Reverend Murphy Pakiam
President
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Labuan Concludes Its 150th Anniversary With Pilgrimage, Exhibition
LABUAN(CS Online).- Labuan Parish concluded its commemoration of the arrival of Msgr Don Carlos Cuarteron on its shore 150 years ago with a pilgrimage and an exhibition recently.
The events, organised by the Blessed Sacrament Parish, took place August 11.
Aside from Bishop John Lee, Fathers Cosmas Lee, Aloysius Tung and Fundes Motiung, the people who participated in the events included Archbishop Emeritus Peter Chung of Kuching, Bishop Dominic Su of Sibu, Fathers Mauro Mezzadonna and Mark Tardiff of the Pontifico Instituto Missioni Estere (PIME or Milan Foreign Missionaries) and Mike Gibby, the author of Crowned with the Stars (biography of Cuarteron).
The day started with a pilgrimage to the three sites associated with the Catholic Mission in the time of Cuarteron and his two PIME companions, Father Antonio Riva and Ignacio Borgazzi.
Representatives from the other Christian churches took part in the pilgrimage as well.
Bishop John Lee presided over prayers and reading at the first station at the Blessed Sacrament Church. Father Lee gave a brief introduction on the purpose of the pilgrimage. Subsequently, he also gave the introduction on the three sites visited.
From the church the pilgrims proceeded to Tanjung Batu where the first Mass was celebrated on 19 April 1857 in a pre-fabricated Chinese-pagoda/temple-looking chapel named Our Lady of Graces.
Apart from the missionaries and members of the crew, about 30 to 40 Christians were present.
In the same chapel, the first celebration of baptisms in Labuan was held on 26 May 1857.
Archbishop Emeritus Chung presided over the prayers and reading here.
From Tanjung Batu the 70 or so pilgrims moved to Victoria Town where Cuarteron lived.
This house, first built in September 1857 on a piece of land given by the British government, was rebuilt a number of times, for Kajang and atap could last only three or four years.
The first Mill Hill Missionaries, Msgr Thomas Jackson and Father Daniel Kilty stayed in it when they arrived in 1881, two years after Cuarteron's departure.
Based on a 1865 map, the site is believed to be located by the side of the abandoned Lido Theatre today, across the road, near where the Island Garden Restaurant now stands.
There was also a stone/brick church started but never completed by Borgazzi in 1858, situated where Victoria Hotel and Standard Chartered Bank now stand. The wooden chapel of The Most Holy Cross blessed on 13 April 1858 was probably near the brick church.
Bishop Su led the prayers and reading in the bus before the pilgrims disembarked to visit the places.
At the last site, Father Tardiff led the prayers and reading at the Botanical Garden and airport area, where for many years there was a chapel built by the Catholic soldiers.
Across North Road, there was also a mission and chapel where Mass was said regularly. Most probably, the Chapel of Our Lady of the Assumption which Cuarteron blessed on 15 Aug 1878 was situated there, on the runway in front of the present airport terminal today.
The Anglican Church of St Saviour, blessed in December 1866, was situated towards the end of the airport runway nearer to the graveyard.
The pilgrimage ended where it began, the Blessed Sacrament Church, where Bishop Lee concluded the journey in prayer.
After the pilgrimage, the bishop opened the Cuarteron Hall where the exhibition on the life and times of our first Prefect Apostolic and the Quadri Paintings put up by the Diocesan Archives was held.
The Thanksgiving Mass commemorating the event took place in the evening with Bishop Lee as the presider.
This was followed by a short presentation on Cuarteron by Gibby, the giving of souvenirs to the deserving persons, the unveiling of the Cuarteron Bust by the bishop, a fellowship meal and a short programme by the parish groups at the parish hall.
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1,500 Take Part In 2nd KK City Heritage Walk
KOTA KINABALU(CS Online).- Some 1,500 people turned up for the second Kota Kinabalu City Heritage Walk jointly organized by the Sabah Council of Churches and the Kota Kinabalu (KK) City Hall August 19. The first was held in August last year.
The event was held in conjunction with the state-level Merdeka Month celebration. Resource Development and Information Technology Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moi Chai said in his speech at the launch of the event that such community event was most welcome as it would further strengthen unity of the people in the state.
"Apart from the Heritage Walk, it also provides an opportunity to the younger generation to know the original areas in the city that had already been developed since independence," he said.
The students who took part in the event performed an integration dance before Yee flagged off the Royal Malaysia Police Force before joining in the 2.2 km walk around the city. It covered the route from Padang Merdeka to Seri Selera at Kampung Air via Lorong Dewan, Jalan Gaya, Jalan Pak Musa, Jalan Pantai, Jalan Tugu and Jalan Laiman Diki.
As they walked along the participants prayed silently for the city and nation.
Apart from that, the programme also saw funds being collected for the Prison Fellowship Sabah to assist the families of ex-convicts.
It was supported by the Sabah Tourism Board, State Archives Department and National Archives.
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KK Diocese Organises Combined Vocation Awareness Camp After Two Decades
KINARUT(CS Online).- After 20 years the religious institutes of Kota Kinabalu Diocese organized a combined vocation awareness camp at the Montfort Youth Training Centre here August 17-19.
Around 67 boys and girls, aged 16 and above, from the different parishes of both dioceses, took part in the camp.
The Vocation Team members, comprising Daughters of St Paul, Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, Good Shepherd Sisters, Gabrielite (Montfort) Brothers, La Salle Brothers and Diocesan Priesthood) took time to share with the participants their vocation stories and the charism of their respective institutes.
Time was given for personal counseling and there were a few who wanted a personal follow-up by the team members after the camp.
The first combined vocation seminar was in 1975, the last in 1987. After 1987 each institute conducted its own vocation seminars.
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Malaysia Leadership Needs To Speak Up On Religious Controversies, Says Cabinet Minister
SINGAPORE(ST).- The Malaysian leadership needs to speak up on religious controversies to reassure people that the country is not slipping towards an Islamic theocracy, said the only cabinet minister to have taken a stand on Islamisation.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Tan Sri Bernard Giluk Dompok, told The Straits Time August 18 that people want reassurance after a string of controversies over race and religion in the past few years.
"People want the position to be restated although they know that there's no way the country can become a theocracy," he said in an interview. Dompok, a Christian from Sabah, has been one of the few who have consistently spoken up.
When Deputy Premier Najib Razak declared last month that Malaysia was an Islamic state, Dompok was the only cabinet minister to refute it.
At the height of the controversy, Dompok caused a stir when he Malaysia was never conceived as an Islamic state.
The other eight non-Muslim cabinet ministers took pains to avoid comment.
Dompok said he spoke up because there is no purpose in living in denial.
"If we do not stand up and say how the communities that we represent feel about this, then it's a disservice to the nation as a whole," he said.
His public stance has been welcomed by leaders of Malaysia's non-Muslim communities, who are jittery over the controversies and yet see many top leaders are keeping mum.
Dompok, 58, heads Sabah's United Pasok Momogun (Kadazandusun Murut) Organisation, a relatively small component of the 14-party Basian Nasional.
This is not the first time he has taken a contrarian view. He had previously disagreed with his cabinet colleagues who felt that the Malay language should not be used in churches.
Early last year, he was the sole non-Muslim cabinet minister who refused to withdraw a memorandum to Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi calling for a review of laws to resolve religious disputes. The other non-Muslim ministers who had jointly submitted the memorandum retracted it under pressure from UMNO.
The latest flare-up was triggered on July 17 this year when Najib said Malaysia was an Islamic state and had never been a secular nation.
Non-Muslims were concerned that his remarks would hasten the pace of Islamisation in the country. PM Abdullah stepped in to say that Malaysia was neither a theocratic nor a secular state but a parliamentary democracy.
"I think the Prime Minister put it rather well," said Dompok.
He added that Malaysians could be assured that the government was prepared to uphold the Constitution.
Asked if he accepted the statement that Malaysia was not secular state, Dompok said it was a matter of semantics.
PM Abdullah promised two years ago to review some laws to reduce the incidence of religious tussles landing in the courts. However, nothing has been announced.
Dompok said the Attorney-General's Office was still studying the issue. But some changes can be expected to the law to resolve matrimonial disputes. They include plans to amend the law to require civil marriages to be resolved in civil courts even if one party has converted to Islam.
On the trend towards an Islamic state, Dompok said, "There are people who are interested in seeing more religious fervour but to say that it has the vote of the country, it's probably not correct. Among the Muslims there are also a lot of people who are very comfortable with being a parliamentary democracy."
On speeches by the Sultan of Selangor and Perak's Crowned Prince supporting a more tolerant society, he said: "I think it's a happy day for the nation when royalty, especially when they are learned, throw light on what they think the country should be thinking about. I think we can benefit from the wisdom of all."
"I want to be part and parcel of a maturing democracy where people are not ostracized for the views they represent," Dompok said when asked about taking a different viewpoint. "If thet happens, the parliamentary democracy that we are so proud of will cease to exist," he concluded.
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Philanthropist Builds Montfort Chapel For God
KINARUT, SABAH(CS).- June 30 marked a red-letter day in the lives of the residents of the Montfort Youth Training Centre (MYTC) here for on this day the beautiful chapel built by local philanthropist Datuk Victor Paul was blessed by Bishop John Lee during a concelebrated Mass with Bishop Cornelius Piong and a few priests.
The blessing was witnessed by around 800 people from far and near, including Brother John Kallarackal, Assistant General of the Gabrielite Brothers, delegate of the Superior General Brother Rene Delorme, Provincial Superior Brother Francis Xavier Gasper, former Provincial Superior Brother Dominic Yeo Koh and several Brothers from the Malaysia-Singapore Province.
The Herald Angels Choir led by Simon Nunis of the Hosanna Music Ministry of Singapore was especially flown in for the occasion.
The ceremony began with the cutting of the ribbon at the main entrance by the presider before the door was opened by Paul.
The bishop then blessed and sprinkled the people and the walls of the chapel with holy water.
The Liturgy of the Word took place after the blessing with Linton and Cynthia Paul proclaiming the first and second readings respectively. The liturgy was that of the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
The blessing of the tabernacle and the altar took place after the Prayer of the Faithful.
Before the Presentation of the Gifts, Paul read out the dedication of the chapel before the bishop. His wife Agnes then handed over the key of the chapel to MYTC Director Brother Francis Chua.
After Communion, the presider read out the message from the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, who could not come to the event due to prior commitment.
In his message, the archbishop said the chapel "invites all who undergo training here [MYTC] to reserve the central place in their lives to God."
He also said that "knowledge without the real wisdom from God ensures only material welfare which is ephemeral."
The archbishop ended his message with the hope that the chapel will help the graduates to bring with them God who is their "Creator, Protector and Best Friend" through life.
The blessing of the grotto dedicated to the Immaculate Conception took place in the pouring rain after the archbishop's message.
Bishop Lee, in his message for the occasion, said the gothic architecture of the chapel draws people to the "magnificence and splendour of God" and its "central location in the entire training centre depicts the centrality of God in the lives of those who support and are benefited by the mission of the Brothers of St Gabriel."
How did Datuk Victor Paul come to build the chapel?
In his message, Paul said: "I recall some years back when the Brothers of St Gabriel first came to Sabah with very little resources in hand, and armed only with their strong faith in the divine providence of the Almighty.
"I have personally witnessed the Brothers working exceptionally hard to better the lot of the young people, and oftentimes, they have had to struggle against overwhelming odds to establish this training centre."
The Brothers first came to Sabah in 1986 at the invitation of the Light of Jesus Christ Covenant Community (LJCCC), Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish, Kota Kinabalu but it was only in 1998 that they were able to open a branch here.
The LJCCC was instrumental (with the help of Tan Sri Bernard Dompok) in applying for some 50 acres of land in Lok Kawi for the MYTC.
However, the KK Diocese decided to allot another piece of 3.67 acre land in Kinarut for the purpose and earmarked the Lok Kawi land for another purpose. With the help of Paul, the Brothers purchased the land opposite the 3.67 acre land for the residential campus.
In 1998 the Brothers rented a place at Lorong Sang Kancil in Karamunsing and later was able to purchase a 1.1 acre property in Donggongon in 1999 which could house 60 trainees.
Demand for places increased yearly and the centre was unable to cope with the demand. It had to build a bigger campus which could take in 200 youths instead of the present 60.
Notwithstanding the lack of building funds, the Brothers took the leap of faith to begin the building of the Kinarut Campus, trusting in divine providence and in the many benefactors, supporters and friends of Montfort to help out.
At the start of the building project, Paul told Brother Francis: "It's easier for you to raise funds for the construction of the campus dormitories and workshops but not for the chapel. I will build it for God."
Since then, Paul has put all his interests into the building of the chapel. Almost every week he visited the construction site to painstakingly ensure that the intricate designs ( all materials from Spain) were well in place.
In his address the night of the blessing, Paul related an incident when he went for the consecration service of the Don Bosco Church in Bangalore, India (which he built last year).
"I went with all the human feelings of elation, thinking that I had done something great for God. However, my thinking soon changed.
"On the day of consecration, I entered the church early before it was opened to the congregation. When I knelt before the statue of the Virgin Mary, an overpowering thought came to me...that it was through Mary's intercession that the Lord had allowed me to build this church in Bangalore and that it was a privilege that He had given.
"It was then that the reality dawned on me that the Divine God requires no favour from man...From the very start of this project, Providence has had a hand. Originally, this chapel was to be built on a less imposing site. But overnight, this hill became available. Every phase of the design and the construction was not pre-planned, and everything seemingly evolved as the building progressed."
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St Mary's Multi-purpose Centre To Be Blessed
SANDAKAN(CS).- The opening and blessing ceremony of the multi-purpose centre situated at kilometre 3, North Road, Sandakan, will be held on Saturday, August 18, at 3:00 pm.
Bishop John Lee will officiate the ceremony.
The Management Committee would like to extend their invitation to all the generous donors and supporters of the building fund to witness the ceremony.
The centre is situated next to the primary school and right behind St Cecilia's Secondary School.
The idea of having a multi-purpose centre was mooted by Father Tobias Chi who started the initial reclamation of the land.
After a lapse of few years, the actual building construction began in early 2003.
Fundraising efforts were held through the premier show of the Royal London Circus, raffle ticket sales and sponsorship of the various rooms of the centre.
The centre has now been completed. The ground floor consists of a kitchen and dining room, two study rooms, an office, matron/warden quarters and a prayer room.
The first floor consists of 30 male and female dormitories. The second floor is an open space shaded by a roof to cater for multi-purpose functions organised by the church.
The centre is already in operation and currently houses 15 male students from outstation. They are currently looked after by a full time hostel warden. - Raymond Wong, Organising chairman
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Two More Full-fledged Members For Franciscan Congregation
BUNDU TUHAN(CS).- Two more members of a local religious congregation made their final profession June 23 at St Pius X Church here.
It was a historic occasion as it was the first time for the parish to host a final profession of the Franciscan Sisters.
The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (FSIC) welcomed Sisters Maria Banting of Kiulu and Juanah Saliun of Bundu Tuhan as full fledged members when they took their final vows.
Msgr Primus Jouil officiated the event assisted by Rector Father Ambrose Atang and a few priests.
Mother General Sister Grace Deosing accepted the vows which was witnessed by Sisters Francisca Wong and Sandra Yapp.
Sister Joan Michael, Directress of the Temporary Professed Sisters, facilitated the retreat of the two before the final profession.
More than 500 people, including family members and relatives of the sisters, turned up for the event.
Both Banting, 34, and Saliun, 33, entered the Franciscan congregation in 1999 and made their first profession in 2002.
At the end of the Mass, Mother General announced that Banting will be assigned to Stella Maris Convent Tanjung Aru while Saliun will serve in St Francis Xavier Convent Keningau.
Lunch was served at the dining hall of the Bundu Tuhan Retreat Centre followed by a short programme held in honour of the neo-perpetual professed at the parish hall below the church.
Earlier on June 16, the Franciscan Sisters commemorated their 71st foundation anniversary at regional level.
Sisters stationed around Kota Kinabalu (KK, Dontozidon, Tg Aru, Penampang and Telipok) had their anniversary Mass at St Paul Dontizidon which was presided by Father John Wong.
The congregation was founded on 16 June 1936 by Msgr August Wachter, fourth Prefect Apostolic of North Borneo and Labuan, with the help of Franciscan Missionary of St Joseph Mother Rose Charnley to serve the prefecture (now diocese).
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Holy Trinity Organises Family Seminar
TAWAU(CS).- More than 400 participants, consisting of parents and children, took part in a two-weekend family seminars organised in preparation for the parish feastday.
The seminars, organised by the Family Life Ministry of Holy Trinity Parish, were facilitated by Drs Jeffrey and Pauline Soon, and by Melissa Stephen and her youth team fromn Sacred Heart Cathedral Kota Kinabalu on April 20-21 and April 27-29.
The objective of the seminars was to renew the relationships in the family: between spouses, parents and children, and among siblings.
It aimed toward creating a more Christ-centred family, the main theme in discernment.
The facilitators touched on the nine characteristics of healthy families. These characteristics are:
Be loving: love is always patient and kind, it is never jealous, it does not take offence and be resentful, delights in the truth.
Be responsible: take ownership and control of their own lives, be accountable to God and others for their own lives, be responsible for their feelings, attitudes, behaviours and finances.
Be free - free to say 'no' to bad situations and vice versa
Have initiative - be proactive, to try new experiences, hardworking and to pay attention
Be respectful of reality - be kind to others, respect others when they don't agree with you
Be open to growth - to seek improvement through painful or unpleasant experiences
Be grateful when appropriate
Be honest - speak the truth
To love God and the Catholic Church.
In the concluding para-liturgy, there was forgiveness and reconciliation among family members.
Time was given for the Sacrament of Confession.
Family members spent time kneeling and holding hands before the crucifix.
They also used stickers to pin on the board signifying the fulfillment of the theme: Holy Trinity: One Good Family.
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Penampang Catechist Receives Tokoh Guru Award
PENAMPANG(CS).- A catechist from Penampang Parish was one of those who received the Tokoh Guru Award from the State Education Department recently.
The head of the School Management Sector, Haji Mohd Shafie Matzain, on behalf of the Director of the State Education Department, presented the said award to four retired teachers: Ahmad A Staun, Peter Lidadun (pix), Rashid Haji Alidin and Zulkifli Haji Jaafar July 7.
The event, held in conjunction with Teachers Day, was organised by the Kota Kinabalu Regional Education Office at the Sabah Cultural Centre in Penampang.
When met later, Lidadun said he became a teacher so that he can impart his knowledge to the younger generation: to teach and show them the way to become useful citizens, and to continue educate the next generation.
He said he is very happy to have chosen teaching as his vocation.
"I am very happy to see all my students. I consider this as my reward," he said.
He advises the younger generation to join the teaching profession and be willing to be posted to any place where there are students and schools.
"Teachers are to do their best to carry out fully the responsibilities as teachers.
"Parents are to look after their children and help the school to educate the children.
"Children are to study hard and respect their parents and teachers," he said.
The awardee said, "once a teacher always a teacher. I am still teaching but now as a catechist."
He has taught for 41 years in mission schools, including seven years as senior assistant and 19 years as headmaster.
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SHC Rector Writes Pastoral Letter On The Forthcoming Family Visit
KOTA KINABALU(CS).- The Sacred Heart Catheral Parish is about to launch another big scale family visit this year dubbed Parish Family Visit 2007 which will stretch from August to October.
The first such visit was in 2000, coinciding with the Great Jubilee; the second was in 2003, being part of the Parish Centenary Celebration.
The planning and organising of it is nearing completion, after a two- month hard work put in by a committee headed by Parish Pastoral Council Chairman Dr Damian Lee.
Rector Msgr Primus Jouil (pix) and his assistants are supportive of the project.
To show his support the rector has issued a pastoral letter on the project June 16.
It was printed in three languages and distributed to all the parishioners at the cathedral, Church of Mary Immaculate and St Simon's Church over the June 17 and 24 weekends.
The full text of the letter is as follows:
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am filled with joy as I write this letter because I am very excited about the forthcoming Parish Family Visit programme.
This Parish Family Visit 2007 (PFV 2007) will take place from August to October. The theme of the visit is "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Jos 24:15).
Many things fight for priority in life but I believe the Lord should be our number one priority.
In practical terms, this means we should serve Him by making the Eucharist the central focus of our lives. And from the Eucharist we will draw strength and inspiration to live our lives to the fullest, in love and in service to others.
We will try to visit all families in the parish. Visiting teams from the parish will visit the families arranged into clusters according to the Taman or location where you stay.
This PFV will continue the process of "God cares, we care" which was the theme from our previous visits.
By doing so, we are deepening the process of the Diocesan Vision of "A caring communion journeying together...to establish the Kingdom of God."
During the parish discernment weekend held in August 2006 where all the key leaders of our parish met in Bundu Tuhan, it was discerned that the family will be our top pastoral priority for the next few years.
That is why we feel this PFV is so important. This PFV will begin a series of pastoral activities we are planning for the parish in the next few years.
I am appealing to all group leaders and members to render your cooperation and help form the visiting teams and be Taman coordinators.
I am also appealing to you, parishioners, to render your fullest cooperation so that when someone from the parish calls on you, to respond enthusiastically.
Last of all, I urge all of you to keep this whole process in prayer, because only God can make this Family Visit achieve the effects we desire.
Yours in Christ,
Msgr Primus Jouil
Rector
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