St. Mary Cathedral Neophytes Testimonial

Adriana Cham
I am Adriana, 17 years old. Before I join RCIA, I know nothing about God, although my family took me to the church since I was young. Most of the time I am just daydreaming and didn't care to know who Christ is. After I joined the RCIA last year and  I dare say is that I'm glad that I had made the decision and no regret.

I finally get to understand that only Christ can fill the emptiness in my heart. He died for our sins and still forgive us because he loves us more than we love him.

After knowing Christ's goodness, I make effort to change my bad habits gradually. I learned to be more patient and help those people who're in need of help.

By prayer,  my pain is eased and relieved. I thank God that he is always  with me even when I'd done wrong. He takes all of my problems and allow me to depend on him to lead and guide me daily.

Adeline Cham

I am Adeline Cham, a secondary school student. Before joining the RCIA, I do have  few experiences with the Catholic Church as I attended mass frequently with my mother, brother, sister and relatives who are Catholics but had no idea what was going on during mass. I couldn't understand anything because I wasn't really listening. I felt lost and out of place not knowing what to say when everyone in the Church was responding or saying prayers. I was curious and started asking my family questions about the Church to have a better understanding.

As such I decided to enroll for the RCIA with my sister. In the  process of our sessions, I began to realize several issues; the Catholic Church is the one true church that I was searching. I'm determine and want to be a Catholic.

I feel that I know God better. I was never alone. HE is always with me, carrying me through the dark and bright. I'm more confident.

Looking back, I found that I was wrong to believe and thinking that God had ever abandoned me and my family in those very moment of our deepest despair and lost. I know now that God loves me and allow certain things to happen in our lives because HE knows that is best for us.

He wants me to be with Him and share in His love; and I hope to be able to do just that. I am so grateful that I have this knowledge and understanding through my involvement in the RCIA session. Alleluia, Alleluia.

Alicia Noriko Suzuki

I’m Alicia Noriko Suzuki from Japan. I married a local man in 2001. I have two daughters (15yrs and 12yrs old). All my husband's family members are Roman Catholics except me. I followed them to church ever since l was married and had always observed what was performed in mass. When they went for the Holy Eucharist, I felt lonely. At that time, I didn’t have confidence to participate in RCIA because of  language barrier. I can’t speak and understand English very well.  I had thought of conversion into a Catholic in Japan but I cannot be back to Japan for such a long period for RCIA because of family commitment here in Sandakan so I pluck my courage and decide to participate in RCIA here in St Mary's Cathedral. I was a hot tempered, negative person before I joined RCIA. I began to feel better and more positive as the sessions advanced. I am able to control my feelings. The fear and uncomfortable language barrier was not in existence anymore. In this, I think and believe the Holy Spirit helped me to understand the word of God and overcome all my fear. If I’m still in Japan, I think I will  not be baptized and I will not know how to open my bible to read. I was so excited and anxious during my baptism by Father David on the Easter Vigil. I thought I was going to die as I felt I cannot breathe. But after the immersion, out of the pool, I heard  many people clapping  for me and at the same time I saw my daughters cried. Thanks God, I'm not dead, alive both physically and spiritually. When I’m received my first Holy Eucharist, I was very excited and do not know what to expect. My husband said he cried with the “tears of joy” for me. Now I believe in the existence of God.  I thank God for  I can be  with husband and family sharing the same faith. I am thankful for the right timing to participate in RCIA as all our friends there are very friendly, kind, helpful. Though I’m chosen as a leader of English RCIA in this batch, they share all my work load, understanding that I'm a foreigner. Last but not least, thank you to Bishop Julius, Fr David, all the facilitators, my family members and friends for supporting, guiding and leading us in this journey of faith. Please continue to support, guide and lead us to the happiness of heaven with God’s love. Amen.