Two boarders of St Mary's Hostel among ten scholarship recipients

Sandakan : Badan Amal dan Kebajikan Tenaga Isteri-Isteri (BAKTI) champions many community and welfare projects to help all Malaysians regardless of race, religion and culture. Established in 1977, Bakti has been involved in many charitable activities to help the poor and the less fortunate.

Yang Berbahagia Datin Dr Linda Lee, wife of YB Datuk Liew Vui Keong, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister Department cum Member of Parliment P186 Sandakan was in St Mary's Secondary School on Friday, 11th June 2010 to present scholarship awards to ten promising upper secondary school recipients. The scholarship in the amount of RM600 each is for two years in running. They have been receiving the said scholarship since last year.

 Raily receiving the scholarship from Datin Dr Linda

Jack Patrick, another boarder of St Mary's Hostel, receiving the scholarship

 Raily, Jack and William Fung, the hostel warden

Among the ten recipients, were two boarders from the St Mary's hostel, both fifth formers, currently studying in St Mary's Secondary School. The boys are Raily Rindau of Jaya Bakti, Beluran and Jack Patrick of Ulu Dusun. Both had been staying in the hostel since its inception in January 2006.

Also present at the function were  Puan Chee, the principal of St Mary's Secondary School, representatives of  all the secondary schools and Henry Wong, Chairman, of the School Board of Management.

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First Holy Communion at Holy Trinity Church, Tawau

Tawau : 73 children from the English, Bahasa and Chinese Sunday School classes received their first Holy Communion on Sunday, 6th June 2010 during Eucharistic celebration of the the Solemnity of The Body and Blood of Christ, celebrated at Holy Trinity Church.

In his homily, the celebrant Msgr. Nicholas Ong said,” Receiving the body and blood of Christ is a symbol of a new life, one that is renewed each time we participate in a Eucharistic celebration.”

Touching on the Gospel’s story of Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand with the five loaves and two fish, he also said,” Let us live according to what we need and not what we want. We always want many things that we do not actually need. This also will be a good way to protect our environment, preserving the planet earth God has given us.”

Before ending his homily, the Rector exhorted the children receiving their first Holy Communion to draw inspiration from the sacrament and be faithful to God’s calling, especially if it happens to be one for the priesthood.

After the mass, all the candidates for first Holy Communion were invited to a lunch fellowship at the parish hall.

Julita

Gabungan 4 KKD Anjur Kaamatan Gereja St Mark 2010

Sandakan: Tema Kaamatan, "Berjalan Bersama Kristus Melalui Kebudayaan" membawa erti yang mendalam. Seperti tahun-tahun yang sudah, Kaamatan diraihkan setiap tahun pada bulan Mei sebagai tanda terima kasih dan kesyukuran untuk segala hasil bumi yang Tuhan telah berikan kepada umat manusia.

 

Situasi Kini Komuniti Indonesia di Paroki Holy Trinity, Tawau

FR. PHILIP MUJI, PEMBANTU PADERI PAROKI HOLY TRINITY, TAWAU:

1. Sebagai Pembantu Paderi Paroki, bagaimana anda melihat penglibatan Komuniti Pastoral Indonesia (KPI) di paroki anda? Bagaimana hubungan antara ahli KPI dengan masyarakat tempatan? 

Pada 12 Mac 1992 (berdasarkan buku laporan KPI), KPI telah menandakan yang paling mengesankan dalam sejarah Paroki Holy Trinity Tawau ketika mereka rasmi ditetapkan sebagai Komuniti Pastoral di Gereja. Tujuan awal dan halatuju KPI adalah untuk melayani komuniti Katolik Indonesia di Tawau. Tahun demi tahun, dengan dedikasi dan komitmen untuk mengambil bahagian dalam pelbagai kegiatan gereja, KPI telah diintegrasikan dengan masyarakat lain di paroki. Mereka secara aktif terlibat dalam program Pastoral Paroki seperti masyarakat lain. Hubungan dengan lain-lain ahli gereja sangat menggalakkan. Saya meramalkan bahawa mereka boleh bekerjasama dengan satu sama lain tanpa masalah. Umat tempatan melayan mereka sebagai rakan setara dalam apa pun penglibatan di Paroki. Tambahan lagi, seorang dari kalangan mereka telah dilantik sebagai wakil KPI di Majlis Pastoral Paroki (MPP) Holy Trinity.

2. Pada ketika ini, dengan cara apakah Gereja menjangkau komuniti ini? 

KHEMAH SUARA DUNIA BELIA LAHAD DATU

Paroki St. Dominic Lahad Datu. 4-6 Jun 2010. Lebih 300 belia telah menyertai Khemah Suara Dunia Belia. Program ini mengajak para belia mengenali dunia belia dan cabarannya masa kini. 

News from Fondacio, Phillipines by Anna Theresa Peter Amandus

Anna Theresa Peter Amandus in the Kadazan costume at far right

Dear Uncle Francis,

Just to inform you that I'm adapting well here in IFFA. I just came back from a four- day retreat which was different from the one I used to attend. The retreat was totally a new thing to me. It made me realized my past and to identify God's calling.

In this retreat, I experienced

Current and Upcoming Events

Holy Trinity Church of Tawau

Date	Time	Venue	Particulars
05.06.2010    Saturday	10.00 am	Conference Room	Outstation Youth Sub-Committee Meeting
	7.00 am	Church	Confession & Rehearsal for the 1st Holy Communicants
06.06.2010    Sunday	9.00 am	Church Parish hall	Mass/First Holy Communion Fellowship after Mass
08.06.2010    Tuesday	7.30 pm	Annex Room 2	CPC Meeting
12.06.2010	7.30 pm 7.30 pm	Annex Room 2 Church basement	Environment Committee Meeting Chinese Youths’ Fellowship
19.06.2010    Saturday 20.06.2010 Sunday	6.00 pm 7.00 & 9.00am	Church Entrance	Youth’s Father’s Day Sale
20.06.2010    Sunday	1.00pm	Church Compound	Gotong Royong
26.06.2010    Saturday	7.00 pm	Parish Hall	FSIC Foundation Day Fellowship
27.06.2010    Sunday	8.30 am 6.00 pm	Parish Hall Promenade Hotel	‘Marriage Renewal’ Seminar ‘Marriage Renewal’ Agape Nite

Seri Murni Crisis Center, Sandakan (Pusat Perlindungan Seri Murni)

Pusat Kebajikan Good Shepherd (PKGS), satu badan kebajikan rasmi yang dikendalikan oleh Kongregasi Sister-sister Gembala Baik adalah organisasi sukarela bukan kerajaan. Pada 24 Mei 2010, secara rasminya, Seri Murni Crisis Centre (SMCC) ditubuhkan di Keuskupan Sandakan. 

Fokus PKGS adalah untuk memberi perlindungan dan pengharapan agar gadis remaja yang bermasalah dan isteri-isteri yang mengalami keganasan rumahtangga dapat mengalami cinta kasih Tuhan. 

Seri Murni Crisis Center, menawarkan sebuah tempat yang selamat dan penampungan sementara bagi wanita dan gadis-gadis dalam situasi krisis seperti; 

Holy Trinity Church of Tawau celebrates its feast day

Tawau : The Holy Trinity Parish celebrated her feast day, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, on Sunday 30th May 2010 with a Holy Mass presided by His Lordship Rt Reverend Julius Dusin Gitom, Bishop of the Diocese of Sandakan, con celebrated by Msgr. Nicholas Ong and Fr. Philip Muji.

In his homily, the prelate told the congregation that, as their parish is named after the Holy Trinity, the celebration always has special meaning.

“The Trinity is the symbol of unity” he said, “so the promise of Christ in sending the Advocate will be fulfilled in a community of love and happiness.”

It is the most fundamental mystery of the Christian faith - that God is a Truine God. There is but One Almighty God, yet, we realize the true nature of Our God - He is three persons. For God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are but the same God merely in three different persons.

The Holy Trinity can be observed in the Gospel through the words of our Lord: "Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:18)

He went on to say that “Our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit and therefore glorify God in your body

where we can see and project the 'Church' within the Community.

 His Lordship also asked the parishioners to continue the pastoral process of establishing a community of communion in the diocese through the Basic Ecclesial Communities. The communities are considered as a new way of being Church - the Church at the grassroots, neighborhood churches and these communities are a sign of vitality within the Church, an instrument of formation and evangelization. 

 After the Mass around 500 parishioners adjourned to the parish hall for a lunch fellowship, with presentations provided by the various BEC groups of the parish.

In his speech, the prelate asked the parishioners to be committed and to pray for the upcoming diocesan assembly for direction in identifying our diocesan vision and mission for without a vision the people will perish.

Among the activity were cutting of the cake, photo taking with the newly baptized who also gave their sharing.

Among them was Andy Ng who said, “Jesus revealed to me through the cross.”

Said Suzita,” living with Christ means to live with love and forgiveness.”
Emily shared that Christ revealed to her through her own mother, though she was slow to respond to it in the beginning.

Another neophyte Feril shared that it took his wife 14 years of perseverance to respond.

The activity ended at 1.30pm with closing prayer by His Lordship.

The activity ended at 1.30 pm with a Closing Prayer led by the prelate.

Julita

BEC of Taman Indah Jaya organizes Block Rosary

Sandakan : The month of May is traditionally dedicated to Blessed Virgin Mary in many cultures. May is considered the season of the beginning of new life. There are many ways to celebrate this particular devotion.  The important thing is that Mary be honored in a special way. 

The Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC) of Taman Indah Jaya, one of the biggest housing estates in Sandakan and located some 6.5 kilometers from the town center held a month long block rosary. The number of families offering to host the block rosary far exceeded the number of days in the month of May so those who offered but yet to be visited will be visited in October. The younger members were keen to be involved and it is a good sign that the faith could be passed on unto them.

Family members taking their pledge

 Block Rosary seeks to bring into a neighborhood the basic building blocks of society; a love of our fellow men, based on the life of Christ, as found in the mysteries of the Rosary. It seeks to achieve a unity of mind and soul in the oneness of Christ. 

Sr Maria Dipal RGS in one of the Block Rosary

 Peace be with you!

 Salam damai!

 The month long block rosary devotion and experience had brought members of the BEC of Taman Indah Jaya ever closer to Jesus through Mary for praying together makes the neighbors stay together. It brings Christ in our midst, ( “Where two or three are gathered together, there am I in the midst of them,” Matt.19:20) It gathers and unites people. It enhances the relationship of members and brings other inactive members into the fold.

Younger members actively involved in the devotion

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A Visit to the Diocesan Retreat Centre

Ulu Dusun :The Diocesan Retreat Centre, some 45 kilometers from Sandakan town, located on a slightly elevated hill slope amidst a natural setting and surrounded by oil palm trees, offers a quiet and peaceful environment for spiritual retreats and renewal, seminars and campings.

 The Chapel

Initially the center sits on a 1.75 acre piece of land and sometime last year, the Diocese acquired another 4.25 acres, adjacent to the original land. It now has an acreage of 6.00 acres, giving it ample space for future expansion and development.

 The bungalow

 Facilities, include a bungalow with four bedrooms, a chapel for private or group meditation, a double-storey dormitory, ample space for small group dynamics and a good number of open car park space. Catering is available for meals, coffee breaks and snacks.It is most appropriate for a moderate group of 50 persons.

The dormitory

 Rooms for group dynamics

The center has been operational since last year and many of the Cathedral parish groups/ministries had taken the opportunities to use it.

 Anthony Wong, proposing other development projects

Anthony Wong, the Chairman of the said Retreat Center together with Henry Wong, Chairman of the Diocesan Finance Council, Francis Tan, the Diocesan Executive Secretary, Michael Tivit, the Operation Manager and Jerry Lo of the Cathedral Parish made a study visit to the center, yesterday 31st May 2010.

According to Anthony, future plans include :

• Extend and upgrade the chapel to accommodate some 70 persons at any one time.
• Incorporate a mini park with water features to make the environment more conducive
• Provide a minimum of 30 parking lots
• Beautify the frontage of the center
• Construct two units of staff and labor quarters

We welcome all Church groups to utilize the center, and for more information, you may call;

• Michael Tivit  - 0168319748 or
• Shirley Joseph - 089-217071

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44th World Communications Day

Sandakan :  St Mary's  Cathedral Parish Soccom organized a talk,  in conjunction with the 44th World Communications Day  on the theme “The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in Digital World: New Media at the Service of the Word” on 30^th.May 2010 after Sunday mass, in room A of the former Kindergarten block. 

The event was participated by most of the Sandakan Parish Soccom Committee headed by Chairperson , Airene Gumamas. Also in attendance were  Terrence Ngui, Chairman of the Diocesan Social Communication Commission and John Baptis, Chairman of the Cathedral Parish Pastoral  Council.

The first session started with a power point presentation by  Francis Tan,  Executive Secretary of the Diocese, on the subject of “The importance of Social Communication in the mission of evangelization”. He high lighted that through the digital technologies, those involve in Soccom can now use this powerful instrument for 'E'-vangelisation and what is more interesting, through this technology it created an avenue for a two way communication e.g  blog thus promoting a modern way of reaching out. 

He said by using this technology, eg the internet, we can reach the masses just within a ‘click’. “It is a powerful instrument and if we are not tuned to this we will be left  far behind.  The Pope himself has urged Catholic to maximize the utilization of the new media. Media utilization is very essential today and when we talk about Sunday school today, we need to adopt the new trend of teaching methodologies whereby text, sound and images are involved”.  

During his presentation, he also reminded the participants that Soccom has a role to play in every aspect of the Church mission and should be an integral part of every pastoral plan. His talk ends with an invitation to the Soccom committees to reach out more to the parishioners with our message through utilizing the modern gadgets.

 


The second session for WCD was given by Rev. Fr. Thomas Makajil, the rector of the Cathedral. His opening talk started by asking the participants to name the traditional ways of communication channel which they can think of. Touching on the Pope’s message calling priests, religious and those involved in Pastoral ministry in a digital world, Fr. Thomas said the church has been responding in every means and ways using new communication technologies to spread the news. He explained that there are pros and cons in the digital world, and these technologies are similar to the tongue where it can be used for blasphemy, blessing or cursing. 

He elaborated that,  in our context, the technologies can also be avenues where we can purify the usage of mass media, and that is what the Pope is pushing for, to purify the usage of mass media according to our Christian’s teachings. He reiterated that through  Soccom, we can be part of that catalyst, and hopefully through the attendance of the  committees here, we  may have a rippling and multiply effect and he concluded his talk by saying that, by our respond to the message of the Pope, we will be blessed in our effort [putting the media ever more effectively at the service of the Word]. 





The last slot was the questions and answers session, facilitated by Terrence, and followed by a luncheon fellowship which ended at 2.00pm.
  
by Dalius LL,

Sandakan Parish Soccom