Beaufort Hosts Keningau Diocesan Anniversary For The Second Time
BEAUFORT(CS Online).- St Valentine Beaufort hosted the 16th triple celebration: episcopal ordination of Bishop Cornelius Piong, Keningau Diocesan Anniversary and the Diocesan Kaamatan Celebration May 2.
It was the second time this interior parish, located 90 km south of Kota Kinabalu, hosted it, the first was on 1 May 1999.
It was a low-keyed affair with a concelebrated Mass with all the local clergy, religious and some 1,000 faithful. Native dancers led the entrance (sumazau) and presentation of the gifts (murut) processions.
The Prayer of the Faithful was done in the different languages by the different parishes and missions: BM (Beaufort), Mandarin (Keningau), Lundayeh (Sipitang), Tatana (Kuala Pengu), Dusun (Toboh and Tambunan), Kadazan (Membakut), Dusun Lobou (Sook), Murut Timugon (Tenom) and Murut Tagol (Kemabong).
Speeches by the organising chairman John Engguan, parish priest Fr Anthony Mikat and the honoree himself were held after the Mass.
In his address, the bishop announced the assignment of Fr Gilbert Lasius as the assistant pastor to the host parish, to the loud applause of the parishioners.
To mark the celebration, the bishop beat the gong three times followed by the announcement of the next host parish: St Anthony Tenom.
The host banner was then presented to the Tenom representative by the bishop.
The clergy and faithful then adjourned to the parish hall for lunch and a short programme.
Following the cake-cutting ceremony, the bishop was presented with a mock key of the vehicle given by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, represented by Datuk Claudius Roman. Visits to the different stalls were done after lunch.
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SHC To Celebrate Solemnly Its Titular Feast Day
KOTA KINABALU(CS Online).- In line with its thrust to foster a family spirit among its parishioners, the Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) under its Parish Family Pastoral Network (PFPN) decided to celebrate with a greater solemnity its titular feast day - Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - on June 20.
The organizing committee has lined up various activities in conjunction with the celebration. Following is the schedule of activities leading to the feast day:
May 29: Closing Marian Month Mass, 7:30 pm
June 01: Rosary and Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 7:30 pm
June 06: Talk on Family Issues, 7:30 pm
June 13: gotong-royong (church compound), 8:00 am - 10:00 am
June 14: Blood Donation, 8:00 am - 1:00 pm
June 17: Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (English), 7:30 pm
June 18: Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Mandarin), 7:30 pm
June 19: Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (BM), 7:30 pm
June 20: Eucharistic Celebration, 6:00 pm
June 21: Parish Family Day
All parishioners are welcome to join in these activities in honour of Our Lord and Master and to manifest their oneness and sense of belonginingness to this parish.
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AEC Organises First BOG Seminar
KOTA KINABALU(CS Online).- For the first time in its history, the Kota Kinabalu Archdiocesan Education Commission organised a seminar for all the Mission Schools' Board of Governors (BOG) April 23 at the Sacred Heart Parish Centre.
The organising team was pleased with the turnout of the participants which was more than expected.
Around 130 people - AEC members, BOG chairpersons and members, headmasters and principals, parish priests and those involved in the management, administration and maintenance of Mission Schools of the archdiocese as well as of the Keningau and Sandakan Dioceses took part in the seminar.
In his keynote address, Archbishop John Lee noted the timeliness of the seminar held:
"...we now have a new education minister who might wish to understand better the contribution of mission schools in the country," he said.
And "many of our Board of Governors have just been appointed" so seminar of this nature will "first prepare the participants to understand their role as the body that officially represents the Church in our schools" as well as "help them to know where they are when dealing with the relevant authorities," he added.
The archbishop noted the fact that while in the present education system, though the buildings and lands belong to the Church, the Church has lost much of its influence in the administration of the schools which existed long before the independence of the country, there is still "some room in influencing the management of our schools" through the "establishment of the Board of Governors for the management of mission schools or government-aided schools" and appointments to this BOG "rests with the Church."
The archbishop pointed out to the participants that their "primary task" is to "preserve and protect the character, ethos and the identity of the schools."
The BOGs, he continued, are to ensure that any policy decision introduced by the school authorities "should not remove or affect the ethos of our schools" and that the schools continue to produce "morally upright and well disciplined students."
He stressed the need for BOGs to work closely with the school principals or headmasters, the Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) and to consult the parish priest regarding the stand of the Church on matters related to the mission schools.
Archbishop Lee then urged the BOGs and the parish priests to make occasional visits to the schools so as to "encourage and uplift the morale of the teachers and students."
He said these visits would also "instill a sense of belonging to the Church among the Catholic teachers and students."
That would only come about, the archbishop reminded the participants, through knowing and loving the Lord Jesus and in so doing, they will see the role in the BOG as an "extension of the mission of Jesus" and not "feel it burdensome" as they would draw their strength from Him.
He elaborated on the results of this relationship with Jesus such as placing love above all things and making sure that the schools will not be "breeding grounds" for evil, injustices, inequality, selfishness, abuses and hatred."
Other outcomes of a close relationship with Jesus would be the promotion of a conducive environment for nurturing peace, joy and love in the schools and encouraging the schools to produce not only good academic results but young people who are God-fearing, according to the archbishop.
Lawyer Jeyan Marimuttu touched on the amended 2009 Instrument of Government of Government-Aided Schools which spells out the role and functions of the BOG.
As pointed out by one of the participants, the Instrument needs further fine-tuning.
This was followed by a panel discussion on finance and management moderated by Marimuttu.
The panelists were Commission Head Sr Rita Chew fsic (on the recent allocations received from the Federal Govt), Commission Member Winnie Kual (on application for financial aid from the government) and Justin Paujik who shared his experiences as a BOG.
Questions from the floor ranged from the need to define the character, ethos and the identity of the mission school to the administration of funds or monies collected by the BOG. Both Keningau and Sandakan participants requested that the Instrument be broadened to include their respective dioceses.
The participants were divided into 13 groups for the workshop held after lunch, followed by group reporting.
The seminar ended with words of inspiration from Sr Rita and a closing prayer by Msgr Jouil.
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SHC Organises Formation Talk On The Rosary
KOTA KINABALU(CS).- Sacred Heart Cathedral organised a formation talk on the rosary April 25 at the parish centre.
The organising committee was pleased with the turnout of the participants - more than 120 of them - from SHC rosary leaders (who lead the rosary prayer before or after Mass on weekdays and Sundays), Legion of Mary, Parish Family Pastoral Network (PFPN) coordinators, parish groups and ministries and other interested parishioners.
Neil Mah of the Catholic Pastoral Centre Penampang facilitated the talk after a brief opening prayer and remarks by Msgr Primus Jouil.
Mah touched on the history, promotion and format of praying the rosary.
He told the participants that the Church received the rosary in its present form from St Dominic who received it from the Blessed Mother as a means of "converting the Albigensians and other sinners."
Among the promoters of the devotion were St Louis Marie de Montfort (founder of the Gabrielite Brothers), Blessed Pio of Pietrelcina, Blessed Bartolo Longo who promoted the Christocentric and contemplative dimension of the rosary, Pope Leo XIII (Supremi Apostolatus Officio 1883), Pope Paul VI (Marialis Cultus 1974) and Pope John Paul II (Rosarium Virginis Mariae 2002).
Mah explained what is meant by the rosary as a contemplative prayer and its fruits.
He gave three reasons for praying the rosary:
(a) commitment to contemplate the Christian mystery - the Gospel message;
(b) training in holiness and prayer; and
(c) to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ so as to experience the love of Jesus.
Mah also said that to contemplate Christ with Mary means "to look at the face of Christ, recognise its mystery amid the daily events and the sufferings of his human life, to grasp the divine splendour revealed in the risen Lord" through the joyful, luminous, sorrowful and glorious mysteries.
He explained that "in contemplating Christ's face, we become open to receive the mystery of the trinitarian life, experiencing anew the love of the Father, delighting in the Holy Spirit."
Mah then quoted Paul VI: "Without contemplation, the rosary is a body without soul, and its recitation runs the risk of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas, in violation of the admonition of Christ."
The facilitator then presented the method or format of praying the rosary based on John Paul II's Rosarium Virginis Mariae which was published to mark the 25th anniversary of his pontificate.
Mah said more time should be alloted to the praying of the rosary in public as it is intended to help the faithful to understand the richness of its symbolism and in harmony with the demands of life.
Otherwise, he warned, it risks being regarded as an amulet or magic object (for obtaining favours), thereby radically distorting their meaning and function.
Mah explained that the rosary is also a prayer of and for the family because through it, the family can learn to put Jesus as the centre of family life as well as the children learning from an early age to conform to Jesus.
After the talk, Sr Celestine Nandu fsic, head of the Para-Liturgy subcommittee, presented appointment letters to the rosary coordinators (English, Chinese and BM) of the cathedral and Church of Mary Immaculate.
Mah also presented the same talk at Stella Maris Parish April 26.
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SHC Holds First Easter Party For Children
KOTA KINABALU(CS).- In its ongoing efforts to promote the parish family spirit, Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish Family Pastoral Network (PFPN) held its first Easter party for children April 26 at its parish centre.
Under the coordinatorship of petite Jane Chia, the organising committee roped in talented youngsters from both the cathedral and the Church of Mary Immaculate (CMI) to make the party a time of fun and learning for the 318 7-to 12-year-olds with the help of 60 taman and zone coordinators.
Shawn Palencia and his CMI choir enlivened the party with their music and songs while Bosco Martin, Jonathan Wee and Lucy Yong took turns to host the event in BM, English and Mandarin respectively.
Palencia also took charge of the games which formed the bulk of the event with the children divided into 10 groups (names of the apostles). St James won two out of the three games organised.
The event was graced by Msgr Primus Jouil who gave a short address to the children, and some parish pastoral councillors.
At the heart of the party was the talk show hosted by Norman and the guests were the witnesses of Jesus' Resurrection: Simon Peter, John, Mary Magdalene, a pharisee and the Roman Centurion.
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Divine Mercy Sunday: Day Of Fellowship For SHC Senior Parishioners And DM Devotees
KOTA KINABALU(CS).- Divine Mercy Sunday April 12 was certainly a day of fellowship for Sacred Heart Cathedral senior parishioners and devotees of the Divine Mercy at the right wing of the parish centre.
First, both the Chinese and English Units of the Senior Parishioners Ministry took the opportunity to organise the Easter fellowship for the senior parishioners under their care respectively.
Second, the Divine Mercy Group (Servant of Divine Mercy) also celebrated the day after eight days of novena (starting on Good Friday) with a fellowship meal after Mass and the veneration of the sacred image.
The Servant of Divine Mercy members meet on Saturdays at 2:30 pm for their weekly devotion at the parish centre.
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SHC Organises Neophytes' Nite
KOTA KINABALU(CS).- Sacred Heart Cathedral organised a night of fellowship for the new members of the parish April 19 at the parish centre.
Most of the neophytes of the three language groups (English, Chinese and BM) turned up for the function, including the Koreans who were late.
Catherine Wan (being proficient in the three languages) hosted the event.
Dinner was served after the speeches of welcome and orientation by Msgr Primus Jouil and Parish Pastoral Council Chairman Damian Lee.
Church of Mary Immaculate Chairperson Victoria Voon organised the ice-breaker of passing the parcel which got all the neophytes and fellow parishioners all excited as they would have to "endure" the punishment if they got caught with the parcel when the music stopped.
After the ice-breaker, the neophytes queued up to receive their certificates and gifts distributed by Msgr Jouil (BM), Fr John Wong (Chinese), Deacon Rayner Bisius (English) and Fr Damian Choi (Korean).
The organising committee also distributed copies of the parish directory to the neophytes so that they will know the different groups and ministries available in the parish in the hope that they will eventually join the groups they feel can help them in their faith journey.
Both the English and BM neopytes contributed a number each on stage before the emcee called it a day.
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Bishop Gitom Visits Retreat Centre
SANDAKAN(CS).- Bishop Julius Gitom made an official visit to the Diocesan Retreat Centre (DRC) Ulu Dusun, which is about 45 km from the town centre April 21.
Anthony J Wong, DRC chairman, and Michael Tivit, management team head, briefed the bishop on the current and future development of the said centre.
The retreat centre, comprising a double storey semi permanent bungalow, a chapel, a double storey concrete block and a wooden labour line, sits on a 1.75 acre of land donated by a generous parishioner.
Repair and upgrading works are in progress and are expected to be completed by end of June.
All premises except the labour line of the centre will be fully air-conditioned and bathrooms will have water heaters.
The centre can accommodate up to 50 persons at any one time.
Beautifiation and landscaping are also in progress to ensure that the said centre has a conducive and inviting environment.
Wong brought the bishop to see the proposed 4.25 acres of land adjacent to the centre which the diocese intends to acquire.
Negotiation for the purchase has been finalised.
The contour of the proposed land is suitable for future expansion of the centre.
The bishop said he was pleased with the progress of the renovation and hoped that it will be operational and functional according to schedule.
He also would like to see that upon acquiring the additional piece of land, a thorough and detailed study of the retreat centre be undertaken.
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Bishop Gitom Blesses St Cecilia's Multi-resource Centre
SANDAKAN(CS).- Bishop Julius Gitom officiated the rite of blessing of St Cecilia's multi-resource centre April 25 during its grand opening.
The building was declared open by YB Aw Kam Wah, the state assemblyman for Elopura.
Among those present were Ir James Wong the Sandakan Municipal Council president, Mohd Ali, Sandakan Divisional Education Office representative, Fr Thomas Makajil, pastor of St Mary's Cathedral, other local dignitaries, former students and church leaders.
In his address, Bishop Gitom thanked God that through his grace, the project had materialised.
The bishop hoped that the building will be utilised to the optimum for the benefit of the school children.
The diocesan head stressed that effective schools can only prevail through a strong partnership of all concerned parties.
Gitom also touched on the need to balance physical and spiritual development of the children and urged all those entrusted with the duty to place more emphasis in moulding the young in accordance with the national educational philosophy.
This, he said, will help the younger generation to deal with the negative influences that come with digital advances.
In his turn, Aw commended the working committee for a job well done and he pledged to contribute RM20,000 towards the purchase of computers.
The assemblyman assured the school authorities that the government is always concerned and has always given priority to educational development in the country.
Aw cited the example where mission schools throughout the country had recently been alloted grants to repair and upgrade the schools and he was happy to note that St Cecilia's Secondary School was among the recipients.
After the ribbon cutting ceremony by the bishop and the assemblyman and the rite of blessing by the bishop, Alice Kok, Board of Governors chairperson, expressed her appreciation to all who had responded to the invitation to the event.
Kok thanked all the donors who had contributed towards the project and presented mementos to the guests of honour.
Later, the bishop and the assemblyman officially declared open the bazaar, the last of the series of fundraising programme for the building project.
St Cecilia's Convent Secondary School was established by the Franciscan Missionaries of St Joseph (FMSJ = "White Sisters") in 1966 for girls.
Mother St Leonard was the foundress and first principal who was replaced by Sr Francis Theresa in 1968.
The school is located about four km from the town centre and within its vicinity are St Mary's Secondary School, St Mary's Convent Primary School, St Mary's Town Primary School and St Mary's Labuk Primary School.
The idea of constructing a new block of building to house the science and IT laboratories was conceived in 1998.
Due to the frequent changes of principals, the proposed building was shelved for quite a while until Lily Lim took over the helm of the school in 2004.
Lim reactivated the idea but with a change of plan from a double to a triple storey building.
With God's blessing and through the collaboration of school members, the alumnae association and the school board of governors, the challenge was taken up and the first fundraising was held in 2005 with a jogathon and a food bazaar.
There was no fundraising project in 2006 as both Lim and Kok were occupied with their master's degree programme.
In 2007, a 40th anniversary charity dinner for 100 tables was successfully held and from then on they never looked back.
The groundbreaking ceremony was officiated by Bishop Gitom on 24 April 2008 and two more fundraising projects followed: a charity show and a charity golf tournament.
Kok said the total cost of the building and fixtures is close to RM1 million and she hoped that the proceeds derived from the April 25 bazaar could cover the balance of the final payment.
She said the success of the project is due to the close working relationship among fellow committee members who are committed to a common vision and purpose.
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Heibronn Visitors Pay Courtesy Call On Bishop Gitom
SANDAKAN(CS).- Peter Seitz, executive secretary of the Catholic Deanery of Heilbronn, Germany and Dr Ute paid a courtesy call on Bishop Julius Gitom at his office at the Diocesan Centre, Church Hill Road, Sandakan April 17.
The ties between the churches in Sabah and Heilbronn date back to 1982 when an ecumenical study group from Heilbronn visited Sabah and Sabah Christians made a 'return visit' to participate in Heilbronn Mission Festival in 1984.
In 1990, formal agreements were signed between church heads to seal the partnership which allow both parties to experience fraternal unity and enrich each other in the common faith journey.
The three Catholic bishops and the Basel Church bishop will sign the Sabah- Heilbronn Agreement this July 13 at the BCCM Hall Likas.
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Sr Veronica Appointed Chairperson Of Sandakan Diocesan Catechetical Commission
SANDAKAN(CS).- The Sandakan Diocesan Catechetical Commission was officially established April 18 with Franciscan Sr Veronica Kandaung as chairperson and Pius Gorohom as secretary.
The inaugural meeting of the commission was held April 18 at the Diocesan Meeting Room, Church Hill Road Sandakan with Bishop Julius Gitom presiding the meeting.
The representatives were Sr Liliana fsic and Bridget Chen (Sandakan), Sr Hilda fsic and Danny Carreon (Tawau), Sr Veronica fsic, Benedict Blasius and Shirley Serob (Lahad Datu) and Richard Lobinjang (Telupid).
After the bishop's opening prayer and reflection on the word, Sr Veronica thanked the bishop for the appointment and pledged to do her best with the commission members to enhance the catechetical situation of the diocese.
She then briefed the commission on issues raised during the Feb 2-4 Malaysian Catechetical Commission (MCC) meeting in Johore, relating to the Malaysian Catechetical Series (MCS) for Sunday School, RCIA programme, and Catechetical Sunday.
Members then did an overall analysis of the various catechetical programmes in the diocese.
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SHC CLOW Ministry Organises Annual Retreat With A Difference
BUNDU TUHAN(CS).- Sacred Heart Cathedral Children's Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) Ministry organized the annual retreat for the children with a difference March 17-19 at the Bundu Tuhan Retreat Centre here.
Adopt a Family is the novelty introduced during this year's retreat for 135 children which involved interaction with the village families in Bundu Tuhan.
The retreatants (divided into nine groups named after animals) were happy to be able to visit the families they 'adopted' as their own. The adopted families were invited to attend Mass and have fellowship with the retreatants. Sr Cabrini Mobilik fsic identified nine families who were prepared to receive the children into their homes.
The participants were divided into animal groups and they reported their activities with their adopted families at the following session. Some groups reported activities like planting chili, clearing the garden, harvesting vegetables or digging up sweet potatoes.
Others had interactions like playing football, praying the rosary together or simply singing songs and chatting and getting to know the family members.
The participants had the opportunity to practise penance in the form of carrying the cross covering a short distance. It was a touching experience for the children to be able to reconnect their relationship with the Lord through this form of penance.
Contributions to the needy via the Franciscan Sisters (through Sr Cabrini) was another Lenten offering the Children's Liturgy Ministry had the opportunity to carry out.
Neil Mah of the Catholic Pastoral Centre Penampang facilitated the Lenten retreat and helped the children to understand the meaning of Lent.
As is common in any gathering or camp, the children sang their hearts out too. The total number of participants - inclusive of the facilitators, organisers (Children's Liturgy Ministry) and helpers - was 152 from Sacred Heart Cathedral, Church of Mary Immaculate and Stella Maris Parish.
The retreat is one of the annual activities organised by the Children's Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) Ministry.
The CLOW started in Sacred Heart Cathedral on 23 June 1991 and is held every Saturday and Sunday during the Mass. CLOW is a liturgical experience of God's presence in the ritual proclamation of the Word. During Mass, before the opening prayer, the children are called forth by the presider and then are sent forth with a minister for their own Liturgy of the Word in the chapel. The children return during the preparation of the gifts.
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Tenaganita Organises First Awareness Workshop For Local Media
KOTA KINABALU(CS).- Non-governmental organisation (NGO) Tenaganita jointly organised the first awareness workshop for local media on The Role of Media in Countering Trafficking in Persons with International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) Jakarta in collaboration with the Sabah Journalist Association (SJA) April 14-15 at the Likas Square.
The objective of the two-day workshop was to recognise media's role and work out a partnership to run an effective campaign to combat human trafficking.
More than 30 representatives from the secular and Catholic media as well as from government bodies took part in the workshop.
The workshop was facilitated by Tenaganita Director Dr Irene Fernandez and Aegile Fernandez, coordinator of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons programme.
Aegile gave the overview and definition of trafficking in Malaysia.
Trafficking in persons is a long standing issue in Malaysia, she said.
The Malaysian government had addressed trafficking under the Penal code through its vice raids conducted in various places.
The women, especially foreign women who were arrested during such raids were charged under the Immigration Act for not holding their passports or for overstaying. They were further victimised, she added.
Aegile said that between 2007 and 2007 Tenaganita was able to rescue 21 Filipinas from the clutches of prostitution syndicates linked to human traffickers in Sabah.
In Keningau, the coordinator said, they rescued seven young girls while in Kota Kinabalu, six and eight from Labuan.
The freed teenagers were mostly from Cebu and Zamboanga, Aegile added.
Dr Irene Fernandez who facilitated the case studies, identified Labuan, Sandakan and Limbang as the latest "hotspots" for human trafficking and prostitution in the country based on the victims they rescued who had been forced into prostitution.
The victims were mostly from Indonesia and the Philippines.
Ms Padmaja Padman, a journalism trainer, facilitated the session on ethics in reporting.
In principle all journalists are bound by the Journalism Code of Ethics, a refresher for the participants.
The director also facilitated the awareness session on how media reporting is done in the local papers.
On the second day, Mr Nur Amin Jamir who has been a journalist in Makassar Indonesia for 18 years, shared on how reporting on anti-human trafficking is done in Indonesia.
The facilitators then screened two short video clips (expose on human trafficking on the Malaysian-Thai Border [in Chinese] and on Nike factory working conditions [in English] on investigative reporting on Anti-Trafficking in Persons by NTV7.
The role of media, they stressed, is to raise awareness on this heinous crime, to monitor the role of enforcement agencies in countering trafficking in persons and make traffickers accountable.
Role play for media reports - interviewing an abused domestic worker and a trafficked sex worker - was also part of the workshop.
It brought to the fore that in Sabah the issue still new and that is why there was awkwardness during the role play.
Emerging issues and concerns were brought up and the workshop ended in a commitment of the journalists to work together to counter trafficking in persons.
Tenaganita, a women and migrant rights organisation which worked with sex workers especially on interventions related to HIV/AIDS in 1993, found it important for the government and Malaysians to understand that women and children were brought through fraudulent means and forced into prostitution.
What is shocking is also the revelation that foreign men and boys are also trafficked into the fishing industry in the country.
In 1995, Tenaganita launched its first campaign through a national conference entitled Trafficking in Persons - A Growing Phenomena in Malaysia.
The conference addressed the gaps in support for victims and survivors, no understanding of trafficking in persons and the legal framework that victimises and criminalises trafficked women and children.
The campaign continued in monitoring of cases through rescuing of women through Tenaganita shelter for trafficked women and development of support mechanisms and safe repatriation to home country.
In 2006 Tenaganita, together with the Police DiRaja of Malaysia and National Crime Prevention Society, organised another conference entitled Stop Trafficking in Persons - A Transborder Crime.
In July 2007, the Malaysian Parliament passed the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.
The Act was gazzetted and came into force in February 2008.
However, the road is still narrow and winding for effective enforcement.
Only one trafficker has been charged and sentenced under the Act to date.
Since 2008, Tenaganita, jointly with ICMC-Jakarta and KK Archdiocesan Human Development Committee (AHDC), is implementing a joint project on jointly countering trafficking of Indonesians to Sabah.
Awareness workshops had been organised in the East Coast (Tawau, Sandakan, Lahad Datu) where there is easy access of movement for the traffickers and trafficked victims, in KK and in Keningau this January and February.
Participants were from Catholic Sabah, Bernama Sabah, New Sabah Times, Utusan Malaysia, Borneo Post, Sin Chew Daily, Utusan Borneo, Berita Harian, Daily Express, Overseas Chinese Daily News, Radio Televisyen Malaysia, Information Department Sabah (Media Corporate Communication Division), AHDC, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Sabahkini.net, Jabatan Hal Ehwal Wanita Sabah, MKE Commercial Services, Gindol Initiative for Civil Society Borneo, Jabatan Penerangan and Sabah Journalists Association.
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Putatan Church To Hold Ground Breaking Ceremony In May
PUTATAN(CS).- The construction of the new St Catherine of Siena Church in Kg Dimbaan Putatan is expected to commence as soon as the groundbreaking is done by Archbishop John Lee May 18.
Site preparations have been completed and the steering committee headed by Stephen Sondoh is now making preparations for the important occasion.
Among the items included to coincide with the groundbreaking are:
- Handing-over by church members or participants of contributions for the building of the church to the archbishop. It is hoped that as many donors as possible will come forward to give the committee their support and participate in the programme.
At the moment, the committee has in its list more than 50 registered donors. The target for the day is 100,000 pieces of bricks, 300 cubic metres of stone and 300 cubic metres of sand.
- Tree planting in the vacant spaces to prevent soil erosion and to beautify the surroundings of the church.
Trees used are local species such as takobakob, tabaus, fruit trees, ornamental trees and shrubs.
Sondoh said anyone can participate in this programme by contributing a minimum of five bricks at RM0.40 per brick or a minimum of one bag of cement at RM17.50 per bag depending on the ability to contribute.
He also said that contribution can be in the form of a pledge payable by installment.
Contributions can be channelled through appointed members or through their bank account (Maybank) payable to "RTDKK St Catherine of Siena Church, Putatan, Sabah Malaysia," the account number is 510189007514.
Alternatively, Sondoh said contributions can be channelled through Stella Maris Tg Aru, St Thomas Kepayan, Sacred Heart Cathedral KK, Church of Mary Immaculate Bukit Padang and St Simon Duvanson.
He gave the following statement regarding the contributions:
If you want to be part of the church's growth please forward your contribution to the Chairman, St Catherine of Siena Building Fund c/o Stella Maris Parish Church, P.O. Box 10533, Kota Kinabalu or call the chairman at 013-8658333 or 088-764330. When making the contribution please let us know your name, address, tel/cell phone number and the amount sponsored and most of all, 'be with us on May 18 at 8:00 am.'
Sondoh said the targetted amount to be raised to complete the church is RM4 million.
He said that although the target has not been met yet, "we will go ahead with the project and with God's blessing and your support and commitment I believe we can do it."
He added that experienced and professional volunteers (architect, civil and electrical engineers and consultant) have "pledged to work with the committee to make the church a reality."
At this stage, Sondoh continued, earthworks, survey and other site preparations have been completed.
He said that in order to save costs, the building committee is doing the following on a gotong-royong basis:
- access and exit roads
- surrounding drainage system
- parking bays outside the church compound
- painting the church building
- beautification and landscaping
The chairman said that while they have members who are willing to join them for the gotong-royong for the above, the committee wants to have more church members living around KK and Penampang to be involved and be part of the growth of the new church.
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SHC Youth Produces Passion Play On Good Friday
KOTA KINABALU(CS).- This year the Sacred Heart Youth produced the Passion Play which was staged on Good Friday April 10 at the Centenary Monuments within the cathedral compound.
The play was produced by the Sacred Heart Indonesian community last year. The play was integrated with the parish Stations of the Cross Devotion led by Msgr Primus Jouil.
Under the directorship of Melissa Nicholas the cast had their preparatory meeting March 31 and two practices on April 5 and 8.
In preparation for their roles, the actors (from the three language groups - English, Chinese and BM) fasted and prayed daily for their roles and for the intention that God would touch the hearts of the people who would be coming for the event.
The names of the cast are as follows: Fabian Philip (narrator), Deon Fletcher (Pilate), Jeshua Randy Philip (Jesus), Marianna Sinam (Mary), Keith John Ansibin (Barabas), Emmanuel Mojikon (soldier 1), Cristiano Peter (soldier 2), Brian Chong (soldier 3), Lucy Wong (woman 1), Vivian Ng (woman 2), Lena Liau (woman 3), Hellyrianna Alexander (Veronica), Steff Cornelius (Joseph of Arimathea) and Eric Sin (Simon of Cyrene).
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DC Holds Screening Meeting On PPC Nominees In Sandakan
SANDAKAN(CS).- Father Thomas Makajil, pastor of St Mary's Cathedral and the Discernment Committee (DC) for the selection of the Cathedral Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) members 2009-2011 sat April 2 to screen and scrutinise the list of nominees who had indicated their desire to serve during the workshop session held March 28.
DC Chairman Henry Solibun urged the committee to consider the basic criteria in the process of the selection and suggested a number of qualities that councillors need to possess in order to make the PPC effective and dynamic.
All committee members shared on the qualities and criteria of the nominees.
After a period of silence the committee listed the candidates in ranking order.
The list of potential candidates was then handed to Makajil who shall then make the final selection.
The names of all selected candidates would subsequently be announced in the cathedral and its subparishes and be posted in the weekly bulletin and official blog of the diocese newsupdatedospo.blogspot.com sometime after Easter.
This came after a period of preparation in the cathedral parish.
It held the parish assembly Feb 28 which was attended by 250 parishioners in which 45 nominees were received.
Out of the 45 nominees, 24 responded to the invitation to attend the half-day workshop session held March 28 at the Catechetical Room.
During this workshop session 18 nominees responded and signed the 'Declaration of Intent' form.
For the final phase of the selection process, the pastor invited those who had committed to serve for an interview before the new PPC would be commissioned during Easter.
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Tawau Completes Selection Process For New PPC
TAWAU(CS).- The nomination/selection process for the new Parish Pastoral Council of Holy Trinity Church has been completed.
It started off with nominations of parishioners followed by a general workshop for the candidates.
In it, assistant pastor Fr Phillip Muji gave a powerpoint presentation on the diocesan mission statement and the role, purpose and function of the PPC.
A former PPC chairman shared how the lay participation in the parish over the last two decades had changed the task-oriented parish council of the pre-Diocesan Organisational Pastoral Plan (DOPP) era to a post- DOPP parish pastoral council with its emphasis on discernment, pastoral planning and formation.
In his comments, Msgr Nicholas Ong told the group that changes and new directions are to be expected in a new diocese. He also said that small parish groups such as the Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs) would be asked to play a more active role in the parish life.
The new PPC was commissioned after Easter and had its first meeting April 14 where the office bearers were elected.
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