Yearlong Celebration Of Priesthood Begins
KOTA KINABALU(CSOnline).- Some hundreds of Catholics gathered at the Sacred Heart Cathedral on the evening of July 31 for the launch of the Year for Priests in the Kota Kinabalu Archdiocese.
Around 26 priests concelebrated the Mass with Archbishop John Lee, assisted by two deacons.
In his homily, the archbishop stressed on the theme of the priestly year: Faithfulness of Christ, faithfulness of priests.
He reminded both priests and laity to look at the faithfulness of Christ in carrying out the will of the Father and into their own faithfulness as clergy and as lay faithful.
He urged the faithful to pray unceasingly for their priests so that they may remain faithful to their ministry and for more priestly vocations.
To mark the occasion prayer cards with the Prayer for Priests were distributed to all the faithful before Mass so that they could pray the prayer during the Prayer of the Faithful throughout the year (in place of the Archdiocesan Prayer).
As a preparation for the Priestly Year, the clergy had a weeklong seminar cum recollection at the Bundu Tuhan Retreat Centre July 27-31.
The event, facilitated by Mill Hill Father Louis Kessels, was participated by all the deacons, priests and bishops of the three arch/dioceses in Sabah, as well as the seminarians who are in their pastoral immersion.
The seminar focused on the high priesthood of Jesus based on the Letter to the Hebrews.
It touched on the true human nature of Jesus, the Incarnate Son of the Father, through which he was able to atone for all the sins of humanity and which qualified him for the priesthood of the Old Testament.
The true and eternal priesthood of Jesus inaugurated the New Covenant.
The Letter to the Hebrews gave four reasons for maintaining the Christian life: (1) hold fast to the confession of hope; (2) mutual support to live the Christian life; (3) faithfulness to the Christian Assembly; and (4) time is short and the Day is drawing near.
The Letter to the Hebrews also emphasises the element of faith in the person of Jesus Christ who is the founder and perfecter of our faith.
A general penitential service was held on the last night followed by recollection during which the participants were led to reflect on the Eucharist (cfr 1 Cor 10 & 11).
According to the latest statistics of the local Church, KK Archdiocese has 29 diocesan priests, one Religious priest and two deacons; Keningau Diocese has 17 diocesan priests and Sandakan Diocese has eight diocesan priests.
Keningau Diocese has launched the Priestly Year on July 25 during the presbyteral ordination of Deacon Ronnie Luni while Sandakan Diocese will launch it on Aug 29 during the diocesanwide seminar on Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) Aug 29-31.
Pope Benedict XVI set the Priestly Year to run from June 19 this year, feast of the Sacred Heart, to June 19 next year.
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Two To Be Ordained Priests
KOTA KINABALU(CSOnline).- Deacon Rayner Bisius will be ordained priest by Archbishop John Lee on September 16 (Wed) at Our Lady of the Assumption Sugud while Deacon Isidore Gilbert will have his priestly ordination on September 21 (Mon) at St Joseph Kiulu. Both ceremonies will be at 9:30 am. All are welcome to come and show your support.
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General Instruction Of The Roman Missal (GIRM): Some Notable Changes To Current Practices (3)
KOTA KINABALU(CSOnline).- To be fully implemented by November 29, First Sunday of Advent.
Common Postures, Gestures, Movements
Dancing is not provided for anywhere during Mass
Profound Bowing: Priest and people make a profound bow at "by the power of the Holy Spirit...and became man" in the Creed; at Communion each communicant is to make a profound bow as he or she approaches to receive the Body of Christ.
Simple Bowing/bow of the head: to be made when the three Divine Persons are named together and at the names of Jesus, of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the Saint in whose honour Mass is being celebrated.
Catechesis:
Bowing - a mark of supplication and adoration toward God, denoting respect or reverence toward human beings and things, or as a simple expression of greeting. (To be continued)
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Youth Rally With Fr. Stan Fortuna. Don't Miss It!
Announcement of an upcoming 2-day Youth Rally with Fr Stan Fortuna, "Live" in Kota Kinabalu on 26th and 27th September at Dewan Foo Chow.
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Local Church Heads Sign Historic Partnership Document
LIKAS(CSOnline).- Around 100 Christian members from the Roman Catholic Church (RC), Basel Christian Church of Malaysia (BCCM) and the Protestant Church of Sabah (PCS) attended the signing ceremony held at the 5th Sabah-Heilbronn Ecumenical Partnership Day July 13 at the Likas BCCM Kyrugma House.
The event, organised by the Sabah-Heilbronn Ecumenical Partnership (SHEP), saw the participation of the three RC dioceses of Kota Kinabalu, Keningau and Sandakan, the BCCM and the PCS.
In his address, Archbishop Lee said the occasion was a historical one because a new format of Partnership Agreement was agreed upon and drawn up.
He said he remembered the signing of the bilateral partnership charter between the Catholic and Protestant Churches of Heilbronn, and the Catholic (himself) and BCCM (Bishop Thu) in Sabah on 19 Aug 1990 at the Sacred Heart Parish Hall.
At that time, he continued, the PCS was not yet part of the signatories and there was only one Catholic diocese in Sabah.
Nineteen years later, he added, "PCS has actively joined the activities of the partnership and we have two additional Catholic dioceses, namely Keningau and Sandakan."
With this enlargement of membership in the Sabah component, he said, it is "right that a new format of partnership agreement is needed."
The archbishop said the idea was mooted by the SHEP Committee and welcomed by the Heilbronn partners.
He told the assembly that the Catholic and Protestant Deans of Heilbronn "put down their signatories to the new format, witnessed by Pastor Jimmy Assam, the PCS president."
"This evening, in conjunction with the Partnership Day, we will witness the signing ceremony of the partner churches in Sabah," he continued.
He explained about the new format:
"Unlike the 1990 charter, the new format of Partnership Agreement is no longer bilateral, between Protestants and Protestants, or between Catholics and Catholics."
Instead, he said, the new format is "ecumenical" in the sense that all the signatories of the partner churches are in one document.
This, he explained, is a "significant step in our journey."
He then stressed on the local dimension of the partnership:
"This means that while we continue to forge closer friendship with our partners in Heilbronn, we also need to work closely among the Catholic, the BCCM and the PCS in Sabah, especially in building the Kingdom of God and continuing the mission of our Lord Jesus."
Dominic Lim, founding member of the first SHEP Committee, then briefed the assembly through a slide presentation on the background of the partnership, its aims and objectives, its progress and development.
One main activity of the partnership is the exchange of cordial and mutual ecumenical visits organised once in two years between the churches of both countries.
The members then viewed a pre-recorded video greetings from Rev Otto Friedish, the Dean of the Protestant Church of Heilbronn.
He also announced that next visit by the Heilbronn ecumenical group to Sabah will be in 2010.
The heads of the churches then proceeded to sign the partnership agreement witnessed by Assam and Rev Marunsai Dawai, SHEP chairman, and other committee members.
After the signing ceremony, there was an exchange of documents and souvenirs as well as presentation of gifts from the committee to the signatories.
Four local participants of the 2008 trip to Heilbronn, shared their experiences there: Ms Yap Pak Tsun (BCCM), Fr Rudolf Joannes (RC Keningau), Ms Juraya Masandu (PCS) and Dennis Patrick (RC KK) on the theme: Migration, Integration and Community Building.
The event ended with a fellowship meal.
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General Instruction Of The Roman Missal (GIRM): Some Notable Changes To Current Practices (2)
KOTA KINABALU(CSOnline).- To be fully implemented by November 29, First Sunday of Advent.
There are some important changes with regard to the Mass Texts, Hymns, Silences & Pauses.
* Mass Texts: The exact Mass texts of the following must be used whether sung or recited:
- Responsorial Psalms
- Gospel Acclamation Verse,
- Gloria (Glory to God in the Highest)
- Sanctus (Holy, holy, holy)
- Agnus Dei (Lamb of God);
* The entrance/offertory/communion chant texts and only bishops' conference-approved substitute hymns may be used; Communion chant begins at the priest's communion.
* Pauses and Silences are now imposed:
- in and around the church before celebration
- before the Penitential Rite
- after Opening Prayer "Let us pray" (Collect)
- before the Liturgy of the Word
- before and after scriptural readings
- after the homily
- after Communion
- after Post Communion "Let us pray" when not preceded by silence after Communion.
Brief catechesis
By Fr Peter Abas, St Anne's Church, Diocese of Rochester, USA
In the revised GIRM (# 45), we read, "Sacred silence also, as part of the celebration, is to be observed at the designated times."
This means that silence is an integral and important part of every liturgy. It is called "sacred" for in this silence we meet God, the Holy One. We also meet there the holiness to which each of us is called by our baptism.
In the Mass, the GIRM tells us, we are invited to silence at these five times: at the Act of Penitence, after the priest says, "Let us pray," after each Scripture reading, after the homily, after all have received Communion. (To be continued)
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10th Tambunite Ordained To Serve In The Lord's Vineyard
TAMBUNAN(CS).- The day dawned fair and bright for Deacon Ronnie Alfred Luni to be ordained to the priesthood July 25, feast of St James the son of Zebedee, at St Theresa and Maria Tambunan.
He was the 10th person to be ordained priest from the Tambunan Parish, according to parish pastor Fr Bonaventure Unting.
Concelebrating with Bishop Cornelius Piong were clergy from both Kota Kinabalu and Keningau dioceses as well as from Kuching Archdiocese - Fr Richard Ng, rector of St Peter's College and Fr John Chong who was in charge of the Initiation Year (IY) when the candidate entered newly opened IY in Kota Kinabalu in 2001.
As usual, the celebration was preceded by traditional dances at the entrance and offertory processions.
The atmosphere was noticeably a bit more solemn this time, probably because everyone knew the candidate is the only child of his parents, lending a sharp poignancy to the ceremony.
The two-hour ceremony started with the calling and presentation of the candidate by Fr Charles Chiew to the bishop.
After the acceptance, the bishop explained the duties of the priest to both the candidate and the people in his homily, after which he examined the candidate.
It was only after the candidate clearly stated his willingness and readiness to be ordained through his promise of obedience to the bishop and his successors that the Litany of the Saints was chanted.
Following the Litany:
- imposition of hands by bishop and clergy
- investiture of stole and chasuble
- anointing of hands
- presentation of paten and chalice
- sign of peace between the newly-ordained and bishop, followed by clergy.
The neo-ordained was then led to his seat besides the bishop in the sanctuary.
After the consecration, the neo-ordained took part in the Eucharistic Prayer for the first time.
After the Mass, speeches were given by Organising Committee Chairman David Benedict, Parish Priest Fr Unting, the neo-ordained himself and the bishop.
In his speech, the bishop touched a bit on the ordination but dwelt more on the Year for Priests, expaining it and then informing the faithful that during a meeting with the clergy and lay leaders, he asked them what graces they would want for their priests.
The bishop said although the prayer composed still needs a bit of fine-tuning, it would do for the present occasion.
To mark the launching of the Priestly Year, the bishop, accompanied by Msgr Gilbert Engan, Fr Unting and the neo-ordained, unfurled a banner depicting St John Vianney and all the Keningau clergy hanging on the left wall of the sanctuary.
The clergy and the faithful of around 1,200 - including the Religious and the family members and relatives of the ordinand - adjourned to the Tambunan Retreat Centre and Hall for lunch and a cultural programme.
Born on 26 June 1977 in Kg Tondulu Tambunan, to Alfred Luni Imun and Theresa Joanne, Luni had his education at SJK St Theresa Tambunan (1984-1989), SM St Martin Tampasak (1990-1994), Sabah Institute of Studies Putatan (1995-1996) and at AMC College & Kinabalu Commercial College Kota Kinabalu (1997-1998).
He worked at Innacom Sdn Bhd as Customer & Computer Technical Support and later as supervisor at Burger King Fast Food Restaurant before entering the Diocesan Aspirancy at the Catholic Diocesan Centre Penampang in 2000.
He entered Initiation Year in 2001 in KK, in the same batch with Deacons Rayner Bisius and Isidore Gilbert (who will be ordained priests this September).
With them, he continued his philosophical and theological studies at St Peter's College Kuching from 2002 to 2007.
He was involved in the Youth Ministry in Bintawa Kuching (2004) and had his four-month pastoral immersion in KSFX (2005), St Anthony Tenom/Mission Kemabong (2006), St Peter Kuala Penyu/St Patrick Membakut (2007), St Anthony Tenom/Mission Kemabong (Jan-Aug 2008) and since Sept 2008, in St Peter Kuala Penyu/St Patrick Membakut.
After his diaconate ordination on 23 Nov 2008, he continued to serve in Kuala Penyu/Membakut.
The bishop announced in his speech that Luni will continue to serve the parishioners in Kuala Penyu and Membakut.
In sharing his vocation story in the souvenir magazine, Luni wrote:
Our brokenness can be an instrument for change. The brokenness of my family really brought meaning to our reunion. Though it was painful and heavy to carry, the burdens and wounds taught us to be more compassionate, caring, loving, committed and responsible for each other.
Pain received rightly has the power to transform our lives. But pain is not always creative: received wrongly it can lead to alcoholism, madness and suicide. Nevertheless, without it we do not grow.
Although difficult things still happen, we know that these things are a part of the life cycle and that they will eventually pass.
Personally, I know that joy and sorrow are both part of the process of growth and that each has brought something significant into my life.
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New Blood For Semi-contemplative Order
TAMBUNAN(CS).- Around 200 people witnessed the first profession of Putri Karmel Novice Cynthia (Patricia) Ajor of Tambunan and Carmelitae Sancti Eliae Br Lorenzo Ruiz de Jesu (Sham Jisan) of Tambunan and the final profession of Srs Joanne Marie (Annie) Chew of Keningau and Jacinta (Clare) Vincent Ating of Ranau July 16 at St Mary Magdalene Chapel, Kaingaran Tambunan.
The rites were officiated by Fr Charles Chiew in the Mass concelebrated with Kota Kinabalu and Keningau clergy while the vows were accepted by Sr Marieta (Sisters) and Br Gonzaga (Brother). The reception and programme were held at the basement hall. The day before, the female branch accepted one candidate into the postulancy and one into the novitiate while the male branch received one candidate into the novitiate.
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KK COR Organises 3rd Inter-congregational Gathering
BUNDU TUHAN(CS).- More than 20 members of the different religious institutes in the Kota Kinabalu Archdiocese gathered together for their third annual meet July 19-21 at the Bundu Tuhan Retreat Centre.
The theme for this year's gathering was The Word of God in the Light of Consecrated Life, facilitated by La Salle Brother John D'Cruz of West Malaysia. The other institutes represented were Brothers of St Gabriel [Montfort Brothers], Daughters of St Paul, Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception and the Good Shepherd Sisters.
The gathering is an annual event organised by the Council of Religious (COR) under the chairmanship of Gabrielite Brother Francis Chua. It came about because the COR felt the need for consecrated people serving in the archdiocese to pool their resources together for better and more effective collective ministry to the people as a whole.
The first gathering was held on 15-17 July 2007 with Gabrielite Brother Dominic Yeo-Koh as facilitator on Consecrated Life in the Postmodern Era. Jesuit Father Joseph Fung facilitated the second gathering held on 20-22 July 2008 on The Church in the Modern World Today.
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Archbishop Lee Visits Kudat
KUDAT(CS).- Archbishop John Lee made his pastoral visit to Kudat July 18-19.
In his homily during the Sunset Mass at Sacred Heart Tajau, he urged the parishioners (Tajau, St Peter Kudat and Our Lady Immaculate Taipa) to read and meditate on the three readings of the day before going to church so that they can understand the homily better.
A fellowship meal was held at the church hall where the clergy and faithful were entertained by the youth in song and dance.
The faithful from the three churches congregated again at St Peter Kudat the next day for the concelebrated Mass.
The archbishop dwelt on Jesus as the Good Shepherd and exhorted the faithful to imitate the Good Shepherd in taking care of each other in his homily.
During Communion time several children received their first Eucharist.
Both Masses were concelebrated with parish pastor Fr Edward Raymond and his assistant Fr Thomas Yip.
As usual, after Mass, speeches were made by Parish Pastoral Council Chairman Simon Lai, Fr Raymond and the archbishop. It ended with light refreshments at the Fr De Wit Memorial Hall.
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Sipitang Holds 4-in-1 Celebration
SIPITANG(CS).- St John the Baptist Parish took advantage of the visit of Bishop Cornelius Piong to hold a four-in-one celebration June 21: the birthday of its patron saint, 16th diocesan and episcopal ordination anniversary, First Holy Communion for 16 children and confirmation for 31 candidates.
In his homily, the bishop urged the faithful - especially the candidates - to imitate the life of St John the Baptist in submitting oneself to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He said every effort that unites committee members to work together is indeed the work of the Holy Spirit.
Addressing the candidates, the bishop stressed the importance of the two sacraments in making them witnesses of the truth to those around them. He exhorted them not to be shy in making the sign of the cross when eating in public and so on.
Speeches were delivered by Organising Chairman Philip Sator, Parish Pastoral Council Chairman Joseph Dua Sirup and the bishop after the Mass, followed by the beating of the gong three times by the bishop to launch the celebration.
The people adjourned to the parish hall for lunch prepared by the Women's Apostolate, followed by a cultural programme. Among the guests were Fr Peter Huang and some faithful from St Martin's Church Lawas Sarawak.
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"Word Of Honour" Ceremony Conducted In Sipitang
SIPITANG(CS).- A brief ceremony on the "Word of Honour" as commitment for a group of eight extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion was conducted after the homily July 12 at St John the Baptist's Church, Sipitang.
Assistant pastor Fr Gilbert Lasius officiated the ceremony. In preparation for this event, the eight has a day of recollection at St Valentine Beaufort the day before. The eight were Franciscan Srs Clare and Olga, Catechist Peter Yosep, Aloysius Guani, Sylvester Pangkat, Primus Motuyang, Beatrice Sanggang and Sarah Yong.
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RC Joins In Ecumenical Prison Ministry
SANDAKAN(CS).- Two parishioners from St Mary's Cathedral Sandakan, Stephen Chai and Dalius Lobinjang, enlisted their service with the Malaysian Prison Fellowship (MPF) and made their first visit to the prison July 11, arranged by the Sandakan Inter Church.
They were supposed to have their first visit July 4 but were denied entry to the prison due to some technical glitch, they said.
The approval for the July 11 visit came on June 17 from the Ministry of Home Affairs, after more than three months of screening and processing by the said authority.
When asked of their experience, they said:
"It was a privilege to meet our two brothers in Christ, Hussin Sauting (SIB) and James Gorou (Baptist) who encouraged and guided us on how they conducted the fellowship and gave us some guidelines on the one-hour activity.
"When we were in the waiting room prior to entrance into the prison compound, a lot of negative thoughts came into our minds, for example, our safety and the level of acceptance among the prisoners," they continued.
But, by the grace of God, they added, what we see inside are "human beings thirsting for God, hungry for the good news, lonely and lost."
There were some 20 inmates who attended the session consisting of praise and worship, proclamation of the Word and reflection.
"The heat inside the room didn't hamper the fellowship. In fact, they joined in whole-heartedly and it was really touching to see them during the fellowship," they said.
Chai hoped more will respond to the calling to serve in this ministry.
Those interested to commit themselves to this ministry may contact Raymond Wong, the RC representative of the Sandakan Inter Church.
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PJ Youths Visit Tuaran Parish
TUARAN(CS).- Nine youths from Petaling Jaya (PJ) visited St John Tuaran June 29-July 3. They were members of the Potter & Clay Club who joined the Lifeline College and Young Adults Ministry, PJ (from St Francis Xavier and St Thomas More PJ) for a mission trip exposure, part of a leadership training programme.
This trip was made possible through Anne Yong of PJ and husband Martin Koh of Likas, who discussed its possibility with Fr Thomas Madanan (assistant pastor of St John Tuaran) while he was attending a church seminar in Kuala Lumpur.
The youngsters arrived June 29 when they were whisked off to Kg Malangang Kiulu, Kg Logub and Kg Tambuloang Tamparuli by Tuaran Social Communication Committee members Lawrence Peter Gani and Donald Joseph Locket.
Good Shepherd Sister Imelda Sikul and some parish youth members guided them through their three-night stay with four host families in the outstations.
Their final night was spent at the parish centre where they managed to learn some steps of the sumazau and savoured some native dishes prepared by the Women's League.
The first-time visitors (with ages ranging from 19 to 38) to Sabah were motivated by Anne Yong, the organising group leader. Through this exposure, they have gained some fruitful experiences and understood better village lifestyle.
"Basically, it is a discernment whether God is calling them to be a missionary," said Yong. "We will put into practice what we have learned through the cultural exchange between east and west."
Some of their comments:
Cheong Lei Sunn @ Jamie: I found that I was in for the most wonderful experience of my life. The scenery was beautiful, the people so warm and so willing to give up their time and to share what they have with us. It was an eye-opener for me. Although the time was so short, I feel that I will never forget the faces of the kind people and their generosity.
Anne Yong: The walk from Malangang to Logub was exhilarating and tiring. We stopped at Kg Hatob-Atob for a swim at the cooling waterfall and were welcomed by the warm hospitality of the local 'Ina' (aunty) and 'Ama' (uncle). The locals are very kind and generous.
Buu-vi Kim (French-born Vietnamese boy, 21): One week in Sabah to meet young people and testify to our Catholic faith. I decided to go on this mission trip.
Martin Koh: The people from all of the three kampongs have shown me great simplicity and humility in their hospitality and their loving care.
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Sandakan Altar Servers Hold Bbq Nite
SANDAKAN(CS).- The altar servers of St Mary's Cathedral Parish held their barbecue night June 19 at Fr Mulders' Centre, Sandakan.
Most of the members attended the function together with their parents. It was pot-luck and most brought along their dishes. Parish pastor Fr Thomas Makajil took time out to grace the function.
Aside from slide shows, the boys took part in some group dynamics and a "fashion show." Everyone had a great time and all helped with the cleaning up after the function.
The servers received their T-shirts. They stayed overnight at the centre as they would be making their pilgrimage to St Paul Ulu Dusun the following day in conjunction with the Pauline Year.
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Bishop Gitom Closes Pauline Year
SANDAKAN(CS).- Sandakan Diocese closed the Pauline Year June 28 at St Paul Ulu Dusun with Bishop Julius Gitom blessing a new statue of St Paul, accompanied by William Gabriel, chairman of the pastoral committee, and Nicholas Molijol, chairman of the pilgrimage committee.
In his homily at Mass, the bishop asked the parishioners what they have learnt from St Paul, the great evangelist and missionary of all times throughout the Pauline Year.
"Often we are just too distracted with the 'instant' culture, wanting things to happen immediately and failing which, we put the blame on God," he said.
We ought, he continued, to build an intimate relationship with God but in our whims and fancies, we want God to follow our rhythm.
"Again, we are too much focused in the world of consumerism, allowing lesser time for God and family," he added.
The bishop urged the congregation to strike a balance in life, time for spiritual development and time for material gain.
The homilist then called upon all members of the faith community to love and continue to support one another in making that "love" visible in the world.
He encouraged them to emulate St Paul in bringing the Good News of Christ to others.
"Though the Pauline Year has come to an end, the door is wide open to all all activities that enrich and enhance the richness of God's Word transmitted to us by the Apostle of the Gentiles," he said.
The parishioners adjourned to the hall for lunch and a short cultural programme.
The young diocese opened St Paul's Church in Ulu Dusun, some 50 km from the town centre, as the diocesan pilgrimage centre last Oct 19.
Sixteen ministries from the local parish and KK Archdiocese made pilgrimages to the centre, close to 1,000 faithful participated in these pilgrimages.
The diocese also organised talks on St Paul in three main languages in all the parishes.
Dr Jeffrey Goh and wife Angelina from Kuching Archdiocese spoke on Living the Gospel in English, Fr Lukas Jua of Indonesia spoke on the life and journeys of St Paul in Bahasa Malaysia, and Fr John Yeow of Melaka-Johor Diocese spoke in Mandarin on the teachings of St Paul.
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Sandakan Forms SOCCOM
SANDAKAN(CS).- The Diocese of Sandakan officially established the Diocesan Social Communication Commission (SOCCOM) July 4 with Terrence Ngui as its first chairman and Airene Gumanas as secretary.
The inaugural meeting held at the Diocesan Meeting Room, Church Hill Road, Sandakan, was well attended by representatives from the four parishes.
In his opening address, Bishop Julius Gitom welcomed the participants and touched on the importance of communication in the context of the local Church.
He said the Church by now should be able to communicate with the parishioners through the printed and electronic media, a tool for communication outside the pulpit.
He added that the world of cyberspace offers "magnificent" opportunities for evangelisation and a platform for proclaiming the Gospel.
He urged the commission to explore ways whereby information can be received, understood and transmitted.
The bishop said the Internet is a powerful and effective means of communication if used with competence and a clear awareness of its strength.
However, he continued, for change to take place, there is a need for conversion as we face the challenges of the new culture of communication.
Ngui, who attended the Regional Commission for Social Communication (RCSC) meeting in Sibu recently, briefed the members on the latest development of the RCSC: its setup, roles and functions through a powerpoint presentation.
The chairman also spoke on the proposed structure of the commission at both diocesan and parish level.
Apart from that, Ngui explained in detail the process flow of print and electronic media and the right way in establishing the parish archive.
The other members then shared on the development of their social communication committee in their respective parishes.
All have established either websites or blogs. They hoped to be linked to the diocesan blog.
They said the parishes are weak in archive work and agreed to place more emphasis in this area.
It was also resolved that a training session on basic journalism and photography be organised before the end of the year for current parish media teams and potential writers.
Before the close of the meeting, the bishop launched the official diocesan blog: newsupdate.
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CWA Holds Biennial General Assembly
SANDAKAN(CS).- The St Mary's Cathedral Parish Catholic Women's Apostolate (CWA) held their biennual general assembly June 21 at the Sandakan Diocesan Centre. Forty-three members attended the event.
In his opening speech, Parish Pastoral Council Chairman John Baptis commended the members for their concerted effort in contributing to the development of the parish. He said the ladies in blue are always seen involved in all major activities of the parish and are always around to lend a hand which is in line with their motto To Serve One Another with Love.
Also present in the assembly were local Franciscan Sister in Charge Sr Appolonia Gumpu and Sr Lilian Unsoh, CWA spiritual adviser. New office-bearers for 2009-2011 were elected during the assembly with Roferda Mariano as chairperson.
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Tawau Celebrates Bible Sunday
TAWAU(CS).- Bible Sunday is celebrated yearly on the second Sunday of July in Malaysia. Before Mass begins, there is usually the rite of Bible Enthronement.
In Holy Trinity Tawau, after the Mass, some of the activities organised were: Bible exhibition, Bible quizzes, colouring competition, screening of David and Goliath and a biblio-drama on Creation. Though an annual event, parishioners gave credit to the organising committee (Bible Apostolate, Bible Sharing, BECs, Youth Ministry) for coming up with different programmes yearly. Most were surprised to find out how much (or how little) of the Bible they know.
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Stella Maris JWG Secondary Bible Class Visits Sabah Cheshire Home
TANJUNG ARU(CS).- Twenty-six students signed up for the visit to the Sabah Cheshire Home May 3. The purpose of the visit was to instill in the students a sense of charity and an appreciation for the blessings in life.
Each student brought a gift for the residents. They mingled and chatted with them, distributed food parcels, helped feed those who needed assistance and entertained them with song and dance.
Some of the residents shared their stories and advised the students on how to take care of themselves.
The students went home with a deep appreciation of their own lives, homes and families.
And 27 students from the Bible Class and other parish youths registered for the training. Richard A Gontusan , a Distinguished Toastmaster and president of the Kota Kinabalu Advanced Toastmasters Club, facilitated the training.
The objective of the hands-on programme June 27-28 was to impart important public speaking/presentation tools to the participants who are at the threshold of entering college/university and the job market.
The session was lively, humorous and the skills learned are truly valuable. Many of the participants overcame their nervousness and improved on their presentations on the second day. The ability to speak with confidence and in the proper manner will help them with a better chance of success.
The Bible Class is made up of Forms 4 and 5 students, aged 16-17. These students have already received the Sacrament of Confirmation and continue their faith formation in the Bible Class. In the Bible Class, the consecutive Sunday Readings are shared under the guidance of facilitators. Selected topics from the Year 10 syllabus are also taught. Currently, there are about 40 students in the class.
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