Courtesy Call

L-R : Brother Desmond De Silva, Brother Ramerez Don Don, Bishop Julius and Brother Clarence Motoyou

Sandakan : Three young Friars in Formation at the Franciscan Friars (OFM) of the Custody of St Anthony of Padua, Singapore paid a courtesy call on Rt Rev Julius Dusin Gitom DD, Bishop of the Diocese of Sandakan yesterday 20th June 2011 at the Diocesan Conference Room. 

The three friars, Brother Clarence Motoyou and Brother Ramerez Don Don both of Sabah are in 2nd year philosophy and Brother Desmond De Silva, in first year theology. They are in Sabah for a one-month mission outreach program and together with their collaborators hope to identify the real needs of the people and live out a spirituality of mission and communion.

The one month exposure, a deepening experience in living out the 'missionary calling' saw them in Sonsogon and Kota Marudu of the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu from the 6th - 19th June. They will be in  Pensiangan of the Diocese of Keningau from 22nd - 27th June and their final exposure will be Segiaan of the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, 29th - 30th June.

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Courtesy Call

Mr Liow, Miss Stephanie, Bishop Julius, Sr Maria RGS, Poh Choo

Sandakan : Mr Liew Tong Ngan, the CEO of World Vision Malaysia and Stephanie Chin, the personnel in charge of International Programme accompanied by Chin Poh Choo, the Director of Pusat Kebajikan Good Shepherd Sabah and Sr Maria Dipal RGS, Sister in Charge of the Sri Murni Crisis Centre in Sandakan paid a courtesy call on Bishop Julius Dusin Gitom, yesterday morning, 26th April 2011 at the Sandakan Diocesan Office. 

World Vision, based in 110 countries worldwide is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities  to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. 

Motivated by faith in Christ, they serve alongside the poor and oppressed as a demonstration of God’s unconditional love for all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. The day before they visited the Sandakan Sri Murni Crisis Centre, St Mary's Hostel and St Mark's Community Learning Programme, an educational programme designed to cater for children of migrant workers, some 20 kilometres from town.

After meeting Bishop Julius they went up to Telupid to  visit the Pride's Hostel in St Martin's Parish in Telupid, 170 kilometres from Sandakan. The hostel, built  last year is to cater for needy students from the rural areas. 

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Courtesy call to Bishop

Sandakan: On the 27th August 2009, the National Minister of SFO Oceania (covering Australia, Singapore, Sabah), Mrs Helen Briton sfo, Regional Minister of Singapore, Mrs Patricia Tan, Sabah SFO Steering Committee headed by Petronella Munting sfo and Friar Arul Mariadas, ofm the Regional Spiritual Assistant of Singapore and Sabah as well as Sr Frances Mani fsic the Spiritual Assistant of the Sabah SFO together with several other team members paid a courtesy call to Bishop Julius Dusin Gitom at the Diocesan Meeting Room.

The aim of the visit was to have a better understanding, collaboration and participation of the SFOs in the local church as well as to brief the Bishop on the existence of the Sabah SFO steering Committee. Apart from that the team also sought the Bishop’s blessing for future canonically establishment of the regional fraternity in Sabah especially in the Diocese of Sandakan.

The Secular Franciscan Order (SFO) is a community of Roman Catholic men and women who seek to pattern their lives after Christ in the spirit of St Francis of Assisi. Secular Franciscans are members of the third order of Franciscans which is approved and recognized by the Holy See entrusted the pastoral care and spiritual assistance.

Currently there are four canonically established fraternities in Sabah;

• Sacred Heart Fraternity, Kota Kinabalu
• St Joseph Fraternity, Papar
• Holy Rosary Fraternity, Limbahau and
• St Francis Xavier Fraternity, Keningau.

There are another five emerging SFO fraternities;

• Our Lady of Fatima, Beluran, Sandakan
• St Mary, Sandakan
• St John, Tuaran
• Stella Maris, Tanjung Aru and
• Blessed Sacrament, Labuan

After the courtesy call, the visitors had lunch at the Parish Hall. On hand to welcome the visitors were Sr Appolonia Gumpu fsic, Adriana Sampog sfo of the local emerging fraternity of St Mary and about 20 professed members and inquirers.