KUCHING ALPHA CONFERENCE

The Alpha Conference in Kuching was held from the 16-04-2010 to the 17-04-2010. It was a conference attended by approximately 1400 participants from all over the Region. There were participants from India and even from the Sychelles. It was a conference that took 2 years of planning to it's fruition headed by a fellow Catholic from St. Joseph's Cathedral Kuching. In his opening address ArchBishop John Ha, it was an invitation extended six years ago to Nicky Gumbel of Alpha International. This was a conference also attended by ArchBishops, Bishops and Priests from the Catholic Church.

It was a heart warming experience to see the bigger picture of Alpha at work. For our Diocese, there were participants from Sandakan, Tawau and Lahad Datu. Monsignor Nicholas Ong from Tawau and Rev. Fr. Simon Kontou of Lahad Datu were among the participants. There were 10 participants from Sandakan led by the Sandakan Alpha Leader Mr. Henry Solibun and the Alpha Administrator Mr. Terrence Ngui. They took the opportunity of sampling the various aspects of Alpha expericence.

Group photo at the Kuching airport.

Getting a shot with Nicky and his wife Pippa.

Henry with Fr. Simon.

Sr. Lillian happy to see a familiar sign.

Henry again with Bishop Cornelius Sim of Brunei.

Participants visit Alpha at St. Teresa School during lunch break.

The ladies in the traveling party.

Sampling the Alpha marriage course.

Indonesian Pastoral Community of HTC Tawau celebrates 18th Anniversary

Diocese of Sandakan sets up Catechetical Office

Sandakan : Catechesis is the responsibility of the entire community and is most effective when there is a real partnership between the parish community, the family and those who serve as catechists in parish programmes.

In accordance with the General Directory of Catechesis (GDC) 267 which reads, 'Catechesis is so basic to the life of every particular Church, that no diocese can be without its own catechetical office' and with that Bishop Julius Dusin Gitom announced in late March 2010 the setting up of the Diocesan Catechetical Office.

Belia HTC Tawau merayakan Hari Belia Sedunia

Tawau :  Hari Belia Sedunia pada 28 Mac 2010 lalu telah meninggalkan seribu kenangan buat belia-belia di Paroki Holy Trinity, Tawau khasnya. Seramai 150 orang belia turut serta dalam perarakan minggu Daun Palma dengan berpakaian putih yang menjadi warna pilihan pada hari tersebut. Pada masa yang sama, keempat-empat paroki di Keuskupan Sandakan  iaitu paroki St Mary Sandakan,  St Martin Telupid, St Dominic Lahad Datu dan Holy Trinity Tawau mengadakan program yang sama pada hari tersebut termasuklah pengutusan Tim Kerasulan Belia Paroki di setiap paroki masing-masing.

Selesai perayaan misa, program belia untuk Hari Belia Sedunia yang bertemakan "Guru yang baik, apa yang harus ku perbuat untuk memperoleh hidup yang kekal" untuk tahun ini bersambung di dewan paroki dengan pelbagai aktiviti yang menarik dimulai dengan kata-kata aluan dari Msgr Nicholas yang gembira melihat penyertaan ramai belia dan kemudiannya disusuli dengan  perkongsian dalam kumpulan mengenai pesanan Bapa Suci untuk tema WYD pada kali ini.

Selepas itu, mereka dibahagikan kepada beberapa kumpulan dalam aktiviti "Amazing Bible Race" yang baru diperkenalkan oleh tim. Jelas program pada hari tersebut menarik perhatian belia-belia yang hadir dan tergambar perasaan gembira di setiap wajah mereka serta terjalin persahabatan yang erat dikalangan semua yang hadir.

 Tim Kerasulan Belia Paroki (KBP) Tawau sesungguhnya sangat bersyukur dan berterima kasih di atas sokongan dari Msgr Nicholas Ong, Fr Philip Muji, para religius serta semua umat yang turut menjayakan program pada hari tersebut.

felsa may

逾越奧蹟三日慶

聖週星期六 ( 复活前夕弥撒 )

二零一零年度山打根圣玛莉教区华文组复活前夕弥撒于晚上八时圣若瑟堂进行。圣堂里里外外都被布置的很有节庆的气氛。教友们也纷纷“借出”家里的盆栽和花卉把圣堂四周和院子布置的美轮美奂。这也充分地反映出教友们对此庆典的重视，并表现了教友们乐于奉献的精神以及团结合一之美德。

今晚的弥撒分四个部分进行：（1）烛光礼（2）圣道礼（3）慕道者洗礼（4）圣祭礼。

彌撒開始前，圣堂内所有灯光都關上。神父在圣堂的后院生了火，首先祝圣了火，之后又祝圣了复活蜡烛，并用这新火点燃了此代表光明与希望的复活烛。接着在蜡烛上刻画代表元始与终结的希腊字母α（阿而法）及Ω （噢梅戛）。然后刻画上本年的年份，并插入五根钉子代表耶稣的五伤。此时，教友们每人手持一根蜡烛，这蜡烛由复活烛上的新火所点燃，众教友列队徐徐向圣堂游行前进。待众人均列席圣堂内，此时蜡烛被吹熄，继而圣堂内的灯光被开启。

接着是圣道礼，通过读经和讲道，圣教会晓谕教友们有关天主从创世开始为他的子民所行的各种奇妙化工。在三篇旧约读经完毕后，就唱光荣颂，接着是一篇新约读经。福音前，我们也唱了四旬期四十天没唱过的“阿肋路亚“。神父在讲道中提醒我们领了洗的人，要拥有一颗“无私的心“，这心中要充满爱，不再是从前那的自私，没有爱的人了。

圣道礼过后，是圣教会一年一度的成人洗礼，但今年也有婴儿一起领洗。众候洗的慕道者在”诸圣祷文“的歌声后列队前往领洗池。首先，神父把复活烛浸入池内祝圣池水。众侯洗者在代父母的陪同下，一一进入领洗池，神父在他们宣誓了圣洗意愿后，以天主圣三之名为他们授洗。今年领洗的中文组成人慕道者有十七位，领坚振的有三位，婴儿有十二位。

最后部分是圣祭礼。众新教友在教友们欢迎的掌声下进入圣堂，象征着被接纳进入圣教会这大家庭内。在圣祭礼中，新教友初领耶稣的圣体圣血及领受坚振圣事。教友们也在圣祭礼中重宣圣洗誓愿，弥撒在教友们领完耶稣圣体后结束。

弥撒结束后，神父与新教友合照。之后神父亲自带领众教友到后院精心布置的花园中举行复活派对，共庆主复活之喜悦。院子中也布置了一座模拟的空坟墓，用石头砌成的，象征主已复活。华协妇女组也准备了复活蛋分派于教友们，華協也準備了茶點與教友們一同分享慶祝。逾越节三日庆典在欢乐的气氛下划下完美的句点。

逾越奧蹟三日慶

聖周星期五

雖然苦難禮儀下午五時舉行，但三時半開始，已陸陸續續有教友抵達圣若瑟堂；四時半幾乎都坐滿了，有些教友還是站著参与。

在讀經員頌唸受難史時，教友彷彿再度沈浸於吾主耶穌受難至死的此段經歷中。

一个接一个的，教友们都前来跪下亲吻十架上的耶稣。教友便在静默中离开。苦難禮儀也在肅靜莊嚴中結束。

Neophytes' Nite at St Mary's Cathedral

Sandakan : Some 150 neophytes and their family members gathered at the St Mary’s Parish Hall to celebrate the Neophyte’s Night on Sunday, April 18th 2010. Also in attendance were the rector, Fr Thomas Makajil, his assistant, Fr Paul Lo, Deacon David Garaman and religious sisters.

This year, a total of 129 catechumens were baptized in the Cathedral Parish, during Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday on April 3rd and 4th respectively. The newly baptized are now the Neophytes, priestly persons among priestly people, going through a period of deepening of the understandings in the mysteries of the faith. Traditionally, this period is called the mystagogia, the final stage for the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults which will last till Pentecost.

Fr Thomas, in his welcoming speech extended his appreciation and congratulations to the neophytes, the faith animators, the sponsors and family members who had journeyed together during the year long RCIA process. Perseverance is the key word to the successful journey towards the Sacrament of Initiation and it is perseverance that will eventually lead to maturity of faith.

He urged the neophytes to appreciate and share their gifts, fitting into the community, in building up the Kingdom of God. He also told them to put into practice the new set of life skills acquired through the process and to find time to stay close to God.

Eight neophytes shared their testimonies touching on how they were called, how they were touched and moved and the transformation that occurred within them.

Shirley Chan, among what she shared, ‘The moment has come, the calling was so strong and I was well geared to face the challenges ahead and I shall never be washed away by the waves of the ocean anymore and with that, I enrolled in the RCIA process. I now believe that one should submit totally to Him and trust that He will lead the way.’

Caroline Bryant Hernaez shared, ‘Emptiness in life led me to the RCIA process. His Words has uplifted me. I am now more forgiving. I hope the teachings will make me a better person.’

Selviana Pius in her sharing said, ‘I have never regretted for a moment to be with the RCIA process. Each RCIA lesson brought me closer to God.’

In a joint interview with Sr Lilianna Gubud fsic, the Chairperson of the Parish Catechetical Committee, Suzanna Hon, Lawrence and Gabriel Chin, Coordinator of the English, BM and Chinese RCIA respectively, having been with the RCIA for many years, shared that it is in sharing the faith with the catechumens that they also enrich and renew themselves. They expressed their joy serving in the ministry as they could be able to carry on the mission of Christ – to spread the Good news to all nations.

However, Sr Lilianna fsic lamented that the number of animators is far from satisfactory with only 17 animators tending to more than a hundred catechumens. There are only three animators in the BM RCIA process. As in Luke 10:2, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few, therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.' She hoped that more parishioners will respond to volunteer as animators for the coming RCIA process scheduled to begin sometime in June.

by: dospo

Four events at St Marks Church at the same day

Sandakan : St Mark’s Church, some 20 km from the town center had  four events happening on the same day, Saturday April, 17th 2010.

The Kadazan Dusun Committee of St Mark, convened a meeting, chaired by Adriana Sampog to discuss on matters pertaining to the preparation of the upcoming Parish level ‘Pesta Kaamatan’ scheduled to be held in Our Lady of Fatima’s Church, Beluran on 2nd May 2010. According to Adriana, members of the local community are gearing up for the ‘big do’ on the said day.

The newly established Sub Parish Pastoral Committee held its inaugural meeting after the ‘Pesta Kaamatan’ meeting. Demeh Koyopo, the new Chairman of the Pastoral Committee said that the members deliberated at length on the current pastoral issues and had come out with a pastoral plan to suit the local need. Among which are catechism classes and reaching out to the migrant workers.

After the Pastoral Committee meeting, members together with representatives of the various communities had a farewell fellowship lunch for Fr Paul Lo, who is scheduled to be transferred to the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu at the end of the month. He is expected to leave for Rome, sometime in June, to take up a four year course in scripture

Demeh Koyopo, on behalf of the local community, took the opportunity to thank Fr Paul for his five years of dedicated and committed service in shepherding the people of God.. He called on the people to continue to pray for his success.

Fr Paul, in his farewell speech, thanked the local community for their support given him during his five years stint in the Cathedral Parish. He asked to be forgiven, had he unintentionally offended anyone during the duration of his service. He, being a strong promoter and supporter of the environment, asked the parishioners to be present during the monthly adoration at St Mary’s Cathedral on April 22nd 2010 as it coincides with World Earth Day.

Later, at noon time and at the same Church, Deacon David A Garaman baptized and presented certificates of baptism to some 48 infants.

It was indeed a hectic day for the community at St Mark's Church.

dospo