Pilgrimage Tour to South Western India

Group photo taken in front of the Archaeological Museum in Goa.

A group of 15 parishioners from St Mary's Cathedral, Sandakan led by Henry Solibun together with 9 other brothers and sisters from West Malaysia are in South Western India performing a pilgrimage tour. The tour covers three historical and important cities where Christianity was introduced in the 16th century to Asia. The tour covers Bangalore, Goa and Kochi.

Ruins of a Church

The Church where the remains of St Francis Xavier is kept

It is in Goa where some ruins of churches were found. The group toured the church where the remains of St. Francis Xavier, who help spread Christianity missionary activity in India is kept and also to other churches as well.The group will join a retreat to be held from 28 Aug. till 2 Sept at the Divine Retreat Centre, Potta, Kerala State in South India.

Raymond Wong

CFM Statement - Merdeka Day & Malaysia Day 2011

Walk for Jesus - Love Malaysia

Datuk Peter Pang front row 5th from left flanked by Pastors and Elders of Sandakan Inter Church

Sandakan : 'Walk for Jesus - Love Malaysia'  held simultaneously  in 14 towns on Sunday 28th August 2011 at 4.00 pm is a bi-annual activity organized by the Sabah Council of Churches. It is aimed at promoting ecumenical commitment among the various Churches as well as to pray for the blessing for Sandakan, the nature city, the State and the Country.

The event, blessed with fine weather drew a crowd of near 2,000 people representing the 14-member Churches of the Sandakan Inter Church at the Municipal Town Padang. Some 400 Catholic members from  St Mary's Cathedral, led by Patrick Seah, Chairman of the Parish Pastoral Council participated in the walk.

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Datuk Peter Pang graced the occasion. He urged everyone to chip in to support the government in its effort to curb and stem out acts of immorality and the influence of social ills prevailing among the young people. He called for the commitment to pray for peace, prosperity and unity for the nation and for that to happen, we need conversion of hearts.

The walk is also in support of the noble work carried out by the Prison Fellowship Malaysia (Sabah), a non profit organization focus in restoring the dignity of prison inmates and the gradual and eventual acceptance into the community through God's message of love.

Flagged off at exactly 4.00 pm by YB Datuk Pang, the participants walked along 1st Avenue turning into Pyrer Road, along the Coastal Road, passed Tun Razak Park and ended at St Mary's Cathedral. A prayer,  Praise and Worship session was held at the Cathedral Parish Hall marking the conclusion of the event.

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New Parish Pastoral Council Holy Trinity Church

Pledge by the new PPC line-up

Tawau : 15 new Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) members of Holy Trinity Parish were commissioned during the sunset mass on 27 August 2011 by the rector Msgr. Nicholas Ong.

Selected from the list of nominated parishioners who had attended a catechesis and briefing session, the new parish pastoral council members for the term 2011 to 2013 are Agnes Lee, Danny Carreon, Djermias Hermanus, Esther Albert, Felsa May Bontilao, Francis Clement, Francis Kamuntah, Gabriel Nunang, Jerome Lim, Jocelyn Angar, Mario Domingo, Mary Lee Esporton, Ricardo Dragon, Stuart Lai and Thadeus Sibir.

Msgr Nicholas Ong blesses the new PPC line-up

In his homily, Msgr. Nicholas Ong said to them :" Jesus told us in this week's Gospel reading that to follow him entails not only sacrifice but also suffering, and we can do it only with the help of the Holy Spirit."

In their response, the new councillors pledged to be faithful to their prayers and sacrament, journey together in discerning the needs of the parish and lead the parishioners toward the diocesan vision.

Call to remain faithful in their service

With almost half of the PPC members comprising of new faces, the new PPC will be playing a crucial role in working together with the parish pastoral communities, clergy and religious in the formulation of the vision and mission statements of the new diocese. They will be entrusted with the task of gathering feedback from the grass root levels of the parish as to the kind of diocese the parishioners aspire to have and bring these views up in the next parish delegates assembly.

The new council will be having its first meeting on 13 September 2011 during which the office bearers will be elected.

Soccom

Holy Trinity Church Tawau

“MARI KITA BERMULA LAGI………” (St. Francis dari Assisi)

Sandakan : Retret tahunan Sekular  Franciskan  Order  (SFO) yang bertemakan “MARI KITA BERMULA LAGI”  diadakan di dewan Paroki St. Mary, Sandakan pada 19 – 21 Ogos 2011 yang lalu.  Pendaftaran mencatatkan kehadiran seramai 191 orang ahli SFO dari tiga keuskupan di Sabah (Holy Rosary, Limbahau, St. Joseph, Papar, St. John, Tuaran, Stella Maris, Tanjung Aru, Blessed Sacrament, Labuan, St. Francis Xavier, Keningau, St. Joseph, Kiulu, Holy Cross, Toboh, Our Lady of Fatima, Beluran dan Katedral St. Mary, Sandakan sebagai tuan rumah.

REV FR NICHOLAS STEPHEN

(RETREAT MASTER)

Retret bermula dengan pendaftaran pada jam 2.00 petang dan disusuli dengan Doa Petang dan seterusnya Misa Kudus Pembukaan pada jam 6.30 petang yang diselebrankan oleh Rev. Father Nicholas Stephen dari Keuskupan Agung Kota Kinabalu selaku “Retreat Master”. Dalam homilinya, beliau menyentuh betapa besarnya erti sebuah cintakasih yang benar-benar lahir dari sebuah hati yang murni. 

Dalam sesi pengenalan, Rev. Father Nicholas   menerangkan makna  “Retret” yang bererti berundur dari tempat kebiasaan ke tempat yang sunyi dengan  meninggalkan kesibukan untuk bersama dengan Tuhan. 

Sesuai dengan tema retret tahun ini “MARI KITA BERMULA LAGI……” Fr. Nicholas menjemput para  peserta untuk  menyelami diri sendiri dan berusaha untuk menjadi serupa dengan Kristus dengan mengikuti jejak Francis dari Assisi. 

Dalam sesi pertamanya, Rev. Father Nicholas menyentuh tentang HIDUP BERDOA dengan mengajak para peserta untuk mencontohi teladan Francis yang menjadikan  DOA sebahagian daripada hidupnya.  .

Atas berkat pertobatan,  Francis sering melambungkan puji-pujiannya  kepada Allah melalui alam semula jadi. Menjadikan dia di angkat sebagai Penaung kepada alam semula jadi dalam tahun 1978 oleh Bapa Suci Yahones Paulus II.

Sesi diteruskan lagi dengan topik KASIH DAN PENGAMPUNAN. Katanya, Kasih dan Pengampunan memerlukan tindakan.  Seperti Yesus yang telah memberikan seluruh hidupNya kepada umat manusia tanpa batas. Cintakasih Tuhan harus diwartakan kepada semua orang maka dengan itu, jadilah pembawa damai dan pengampunan.  

Slide-slide yang diperlihatkan tentang  “Servant Leadership Of Pope John Paul II”, memberi kesedaran betapa indahnya Kasih itu.  Semangat seperti itulah yang harus ada pada kita iaitu menjadi garam dan terang dunia.  Semangat ‘missionary’ haruslah diteruskan.

Sesi hari itu telah diteruskan dengan Sakramen Pertobatan dan disusuli dengan sesi Perdamaian diantara sesama di hadapan Sakramen Maha Kudus.

Local Minister Fraterniti St. Mary, Sis Helda Laurencius, sfo  merakamkan ucapan terima kasih kepada semua yang terlibat didalam persiapan dan perlaksanaan retret itu dan seterusnya menyerahkan Rosari Makhota Franciskan kepada Local Minister Fraterniti St. Joseph, Papar Sis  Petronella Munting yang akan menjadi tuan rumah bagi Retret tahunan 2012. 

Retret Tahunan 2011 telah diakhiri dengan Misa bersama dengan umat di St. Mary, Katedral dan disusuli dengan jamuan makan tengah hari sebelum para peserta kembali ke destinasi mereka masing-masing.  

 Sis Brenda De Guzman, sfo

Katedral St. Mary Membuat Persiapan untuk Perhimpunan Umat Awam

Sandakan – Paroki Katedral St. Mary, Sandakan memulakan mesyuarat persiapan Perhimpunan Umat Awam yang mana tujuannya ialah untuk mencari Visi dan Misi Keuskupan Sandakan, telah diadakan pada 22 Ogos 2011 bertempat di Bilik A, Pusat Paroki.

Mesyuarat yang dihadiri oleh Majlis Pastoral Paroki (Sesi 2011-2013), mantan ahli Majlis Pastoral Paroki (Sesi 2009-2011) serta perwakilan pemimpin umat yang telah menghadiri Program Latihan Fasilitator pada November 2010 oleh bro John D’Cruz ini menunjukkan respon positif oleh pemimpin umat awam.

Jacob Chin Koordinator Perhimpunan Umat Awam

Koordinator PDA (Parish Delegate Assembly) iaitu Jacob Chin yang telah mempengerusikan mesyuarat tersebut berharap ahli komiti bersama dengan Paderi Paroki serta Pembantu, Fr Thomas dan Phillip dapat menjalankan amanat yang telah diberi oleh Yang Mulia Bapa Uskup Julius Dusin Gitom melalui Surat Pastoral yang telah dikeluarkan pada Februari 2010.

Dalam sesi pertemuan ini Francis Tan, Setiausaha Eksekutif Diosis telah memberi sedikit perkongsian berkenaan ‘Apakah Itu Gereja?’ dan 'Peranan Umat Awam' bertujuan membantu para perwakilan memahami peranan sebagai pemimpin umat awam yang akan bertanggungjawab membentuk ‘Gereja’.

Terrence Ngui, ahli Majlis Pastoral Diosis juga memberi input tentang ‘Visi dan Misi’ dengan merujuk Surat Pastoral yang telah dikeluarkan oleh Uskup Julius.

Dengan memetik petikan dari Amsal 29:18 adalah menjadi harapan Uskup Julius untuk para umat khususnya Paroki Sandakan bersama-sama membentuk Visi dan Misi Diosis yang bermula dari dasar yang mana penglibatan setiap umat, kumpulan, komuniti, komiti, KKD adalah amat penting.

Satu latihan khusus untuk Komiti Penganjur PDA akan diadakan pada 24 September 2011 bertujuan membantu setiap ahli komiti untuk melihat dengan lebih jelas bagaimana hendak melaksanakan pencarian Visi dan Misi Diosis.

Soccom SMCat, Sandakan, AAG

TASK FORCE FOR PARISH DELEGATE ASSEMBLY

Sandakan : Around 30 leaders and representatives from the Parish Pastoral Council, from the various ministries and groupings of the 3 language communities of St. Mary’s Cathedral Parish, converged in Room A, Parish Hall, 22nd August 2011 to deliberate on the upcoming Parish Delegate Assembly. The objectives are for them to plan, to conduct / facilitate the continuation of an ongoing mini assemblies towards establishing the formulation of the Vision and Mission Statement for the Diocese of Sandakan. 

The discussion was facilitated by Jacob Chin (Parish Delegate Assembly Task Force Coordinator) and assisted by Airene Gumanas, both attended the Diocesan Facilitator Training Program held last year and are ex PPC members. In his briefing, Jacob explained that the setting up of the task force for the Parish Delegate Assemblies (PDA) is mainly to facilitate / assist in organizing mini assemblies at grass root level through the many channels available i.e BECs, Parish Groups, Youth Groups, Parish Ministries or Communities, Migrants, Sub-Parishes in collecting feedback for the formulation of the Vision and Mission statement of the Diocese. In order to be able to have an effective working committee from the main language communities (Bahasa, Mandarin and English), it is beneficial for them (task force) to attend a half day training program on how to conduct the mini PDA. 

The session began with a power point presentation by the Executive Secretary of Sandakan Diocese, Francis Tan on the overview of the Church and the role of the parishioners in shaping the future of the Catholic Church in Sandakan. He explained that the task force as a means of reaching out to parishioners to gather their views and concerns regarding pastoral needs and issues and be documented for the main Parish Delegates Assembly. 

Terrence Ngui

The response from the members was encouraging and he hoped that by the 5th anniversary of the Sandakan Diocese, we should be able to finalize the Vision and Mission statement of the Diocese. “We have from now on until October next 2012, approximately one year to work hard to reach out to the grass root”. The last session was an additional input from Terrence Ngui, a member of the Sandakan Diocesan Pastoral Commission on the definition of Vision and Mission. 

The PPC Chairman, Patrick Seah noted that an effective way of reaching out to the parishioners is through the role of the various communities such as the BECs or language based communities. He called upon those present to work hand in hand for the success of this task. The meeting concluded with a closing prayer led by Michael Lai. 

DaliusLL 

Parish Soccom

Friendship Encounter - Gathering of Youth

Group photo after the sharing session

Tawau : Every once in a month the youth leaders from the Parish Youth Apostolate known as PYA in Tawau will have a gathering for “Friendship Encounter”. This encounter, conducted by the Diocesan Youth Apostolate (DYA) and co-ordinated by Anna Peter Amandus meets every month with all the youth leaders and potential leaders with various youth backgrounds who are currently actively involved in church activities.

'May our Dreams be fulfilled'

We had our first meeting  on 24^th June 2011 with the theme “Let’s Hang Out”. Aimed at introducing the event, the simple gathering and fellowship with singing, games and sharing  was well received by everyone. The DYA believes that this program will provide the right venue for the members to strengthen their relationship with each other. At the same time, it is hoped that through such activity as the "Friendship Encounter", new youth leaders will emerge and get recognized.

Deep in concentration - 'I have a dream'

The 2^nd gathering was on 23^rd July 2011 with the theme “I Have A Dream”. The objective was again to instill unto them a strong sense of bonding among members and to encourage the young people especially the potential leaders to voice out their dreams. 

Ready for an interactive game - awaiting instruction

It was full of fun and good sharing as everyone expressed their beautiful stories and dreams. Everyone got to know each other more closely as they shared and voiced out the dreams they wished to fulfill.

A game in progress - 'King, King, what do you want?'

Anna Peter expressed her joy in serving other friends through this program and shared her dream in walking together with others  in faith and continuing to serve the Lord through her calling as a youth leader.

The next gathering for the encounter will be on 21^st  August 2011 with a new theme “I am Special”. 

Felsa May

Tawau Parish Youth Apostolate

(PYA)