DECEMBER 21, 2003, vol 53, no 26 by CatholicNews

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SUNDAYS DECEMBER 21 AND DECEMBER 28, 2003 SINGAPORE S$1.001 WEST MALAYSIA RM 2.00 M.I.T.A.(P) No. 105/01/2003 PPS 201/4/2004 Vol 53 No.26~|

Christians count down to Christmas, they should take seriously the Gospel’s prophetic appeal to “prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths,” Pope John Paul II said. That spiritual invitation by St. John the Baptist is still valid today, as millions of people seek serenity and peace in their lives, the pope said. He said the key to spiritual growth in the days leading to Christmas was preparing to “meet the Christ who is coming to save us.” In addition to recalling his birth more than 2,000 years ago, he said, that means “recognizing him present among us” today. “Christ in fact visits us in everyday people and events,” the pope said. JTX.S

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Sundays December 21 and December 28, 2003 □ CatholicNews

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Centuries-old devotion comes to Singapore Ss Peter and Paul parish begins devotion to Infant Jesus of Prague By Mel Diamse-Lee SINGAPORE - Dressed in royal robes, the Infang King has been venerated for centuries in many parts o f the world as the Infant Jesus o f Prague. N ow the devotion is in Singapore thanks to the Carmelite Fathers at the Church o f Ss Peter and Paul. The parish started the devotion traditionally held on Thursday evenings on N ov 13. Some 300 parishioners from all over the island have attended the Novena. In preparation for Christmas a

C H U R C H ofS s Peter and P a u l p a rish p rie s t C arm elite F a th e r Thomas L im introduced the devotion to the In fa n t Jesus to enhance sp iritu a lity.

daily novena has also been organised from Decem ber 16-24. Friar Thomas Lim, parish priest o f Ss Peter and Paul Church said the devotion to the Infant Jesus has been a Carmelite tradition and heritage dating back to the 17 th century. He said he decided to introduce the devotion here to enhance the people’s spirituality. “A devotion without spirituality is empty. Spirituality is what w e need. This devotion is for the family, for the youth, for the promotion o f vocations, for evangelisation - where people com e to know the Catholic faith through child-like simplicity.” He noted that the three Carmelites who have been proclaimed Doctors o f the Church - St Teresa o f Avila, St John o f the Cross and St Theresa o f Lisieux -

are great devotees o f the Infant Jesus o f Prague. “It was Teresa o f Avila who encouraged the devotion,” he added. In Carmelite convents all over the world there is a special place for the statue o f the Infant King. The miraculous statue o f the Infant Jesus originated from Spain and was brought to Prague in 1556. In 1628 the statue was given to the Carmelites for the purpose

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SINGAPORE - St Joseph’s Institution Old B oys Association (SJIOBA) hopes to reach out to over 20,000 former Josephians with the launch o f their own web portal JoeNet. JoeNet is believed to be the only Singaporean alumni portal on the Internet offering a secure online payment facility for former alumni joining the Old B o y s’Association. It also features job matching services, a business directory and online forums. JoeNet (http://www. sjioba.org) was launched N ov 19 at the Asian Civilisations Museum on Armenian Street. The association currently has 2,500 members and hopes to raise this to 4,000 by 2005. □

- P e te r T a n, C o o rd in a to r o f F a ith & L ig h t

Wish one and Peace and Joy this Christmas and A Happu Netf Vear i t -

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M Y wish for Faith & Light community: To grow in the littleness yet joy o f the baby Jesus, to see goodness in all people around us especially in the weak. To share the m essage o f the rejected and poor (like Mary and Joseph when they were turned away) with others in our community, that Jesus is truly with them. □

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o f spreading the devotion. Carmelite Father Cyril o f the Mother of God was instrumental in promoting the public devotion. The devotion received ecclesiastical approval from Ernest Cardinal Harrach, Archbishop of Prague on May 3,1648. Vested and adorned, the image o f the Infant King is vastly different from the child depicted in centuries o f Christian art as the Baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes. The original im age o f the Infant Jesus is carved o f wood thinly coated with wax, with the left foot barely visible under a long tunic. The left hand holds a miniature globe, surmounted by a cross, signifying the Kingship of the Christ Child. The hand is extended in blessing, in a form reserved for the pope. □

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springtime for youth ministry in Singapore. The archdiocese has begun a new thrust in her apostolate to young people by setting up a Youth Centre and a Youth Ministry Office. The Catholic Archdiocesan Youth Centre at 2 Lorong Low Koon (the former Nativity Church Centre) is now fully operational. Since its setup, numerous youth groups have held camps, retreats and social events on its premises. Besides being a hub for youth activities, the Youth Centre serves also as a place for formation and a house for youthrelated resources. The Youth Ministry Office comprises a group o f District Youth Chaplains and a team o f lay Youth Ministry Coordinators. Its role is to be an advocate for youth and to set the direction for youth ministry in the archdiocese. Fr. Frederick Quek has been appointed Archdiocesan Coordinating Youth Chaplain.

Fr Quek and Youth Ministry Coordinators A m ilia Chai, Edwyn deSouza and Ivan Lim run the Youth Centre and strategize the vision o f the archdiocesan youth ministry. In the words o f our Holy Father Pope John Paul II, the youth have shown themselves to be a “special gift o f the Spirit of God” . The archdiocese recognizes this important truth and is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that Christ is presented in a relevant way to young people. The Youth Ministry Office and youth workers in the parishes are calling the youth to direct their gaze towards Jesus in the com ing year. This invitation goes out in accordance with the theme “We wish to see Jesus” (Jn 12:21) chosen for World Youth Day 2004, which will be celebrated at an archdiocesan level. May the Lord grant the com ing year to be an occasion to give new impetus and energy to youth ministry in the archdiocese. □

CatholicNews □ Sundays December 21 and December 28, 2003

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New postings for priests

Brother Peter off to Rome BROTHER Peter M ich a e l w ill leave CAVC in January. H is name is reflected in the Franciscan website www.ofm.com as p a rt o f the staff.

SINGAPORE Archbishop Nicholas Chia has announced that the follow ing postings w ill take effect January 5, 2004: F r Stephen Y im , now at the Church o f the Holy Cross, will becom e assistant priest at the Church o f Christ the King. F r J.J. F enelon, now at Church o f the Holy Trinity, will become assistant priest at the Church o f the Holy Cross. □

SINGAPORE - Brother Peter Michael is leaving the Catholic A udio Visual Centre (CAVC) for better pastures. In January he w ill head off to Rome to join the Franciscan Office o f Communication at the Order’s headquarters, a stone’s throw from the Vatican. For the next three to six years, he will help to maintain the Franciscan website www.ofm.com. Before taking his post there, however he w ill have to study Italian for a month. Brother Peter, 47, has becom e a familiar face at CAVC where he worked for 11 years as a video

editor, graphic and animation designer and videographer. He has also given video training to religious communities and schools and helped to record on video various archdiocesan and school events. For the past 10 years the Franciscan Friar has been ministering to Indian migrant workers at the Church o f Our Lady o f Lourdes where he gives faith formation lessons and video courses. Brother M ichael has been a Friar for 13 years, having joined the Franciscans in 1989. He is the youngest o f four children. □

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Special 9 Days Christmas Novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague 16 December - 24 December 2003, 5.30pm - 6.00pm

Novena & Blessing of infants, children & students 25th December 2003, Christmas Day, 5.30pm - 6.00pm

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Youth Praise Ministry helps prepare youths for Confirmation By Daphne Koh

SINGAPORE - Thirty-three confirmants from St. Joseph’s Church Bukit Timah (SJC) participated in a retreat organised by Youth Praise Ministry (YPM ) at SJC Community Hall D ec 4-6. Talks, interactive games, praise and worship and small group sharings helped to prepare the youths for the sacrament. Fr. Edmund Chong, SJC assistant parish priest, Charlie Goh and several YPM speakers spoke on various topics. “I could see the interest the participants showed for every item o f the programme,” said Brother Emmanuel, co-ordinator o f the confirmation program at SJC. “They listened, they prayed, they clapped, they were transformed, and the Spirit came down on them mightily on the night o f healing and o f the outpouring o f the Spirit.”

“The parents’ participation was enormous,’’added Brother Emmanuel. “So many parents have com e to share with me and they were so pleased with the transformation o f their sons and daughters.” A s part o f a reflection on how on e’s brokenness can be used for the greater glory o f God, participants were each given a piece o f foam with unique crack lines from a jigsaw. They were instructed to paint their pieces as the saw fit. A ll the pieces were then put together to form “the big picture”, to inspire an understanding o f G od’s larger

ARCHBISHOP’S OFFICIAL DIARY 11.30 am Singapore Pastoral Institute: Mass Cathedral of the Good Shepherd:Christmas Eve - M’nite Mass 8.00 am Carmelite Chapel: Christmas Day Mass 11.15 am Church of the Holy Family: Feastday 5.30 pm Church of St Stephen: Feastday Dec 31

Cathedral of the Good Shepherd: New Year's Eve-M’nite Mass

point o f view. This piece o f work was turned into a mural (photo), titled “For God So Loved The World”. The artwork is now displayed at the SJC youth room. Participant Nicholas Yang said, “The retreat has made me more spiritual. N ow whenever I look at my computer, I don’t have the urge to play computer games. I look at my Bible and I have the urge to read it! I spend more time praying too.” Josephine Ong said, “I felt the presence o f God and this makes me want to know more about him.” The participants were confirmed by Archbishop Nicholas Chia during a D ec 7 Mass held at SJC. □

C h r is tm a s T h o u g h ts “IF what we needed m ost was knowledge, God would have sent an educator. If what we needed m ost was money, God would have sent an econom ist. If what w e needed most was technology, God would have sent an inventor. But, what w e needed m ost was forgiveness ... so God sent us a Saviour.” □ - Tan A n Jo o , Youth Praise M in is try member on course in Sydney

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By Gabriel Chong SINGAPORE - 1 first attended the LA Religious Education Congress in 2000. It was an eye-opener, an experience that provided me a significant beginning for the third millennium. The first thing that took me by surprise was the people. It was not just the numbers involved - that Congress recorded 37,000 participants - but the professionalism o f both clerics and lay. Gathered in one location were people in the field o f education who had com e to share their knowledge, reflections and experiences. The speakers were w ell-known professors in seminaries, authors o f text L0S books on scripture, morals and ethics, sacraments and spirituality. The discussions and talks were not merely . academic but related the teachings o f the church to the reality o f life. For the first time, I realized that the church is deadly serious about religious education. At each Congress, liturgical celebrations provided the lived experience of God. Each evening there were five Masses celebrated at the same time. Each celebration had its own cultural focus - Asian, Black American, youth, Hawaiian, Celtic, Eastern Orthodox, African or others. They made me realize that there are so many different ways o f worshipping. The third area belonged to the exhibits and the general

T H E T R IP E d u c a tio n

atmosphere. Contrary to my expectation, there was so much joy and fun. The people who attended were serious but joyful about what they did. If you do go to the 2004 Congress, do not invest all your time listening to talks. Spend som e time at the exhibition. Soak in the atmosphere. The best

C o n g re s s more than just catechism. It has to deal with daily living. There is a need for professionalism for every catechist, and this means keeping updated on a regular basis. 2. Liturgy. It made me very aware o f culture in the eucharistic celebration. Different people, different races, different age groups worship in different ways. They praise God in words and movem ents that may differ from ours but “native” to them.

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3. There is a vast resource behind every teacher o f religion. 4. R eligious education is not dull. When the Spirit is allowed to work, religious education can be joyful and enriching. 5. There is so much ground to cover, the learning is unending.

The result time to visit the exhibition is when the talks are on and it is less crowded. Talk to people. If you are not tired out by the end o f the day, try to catch som e o f the entertainment - you w ill enjoy it.

I have since introduced a few friends to the LA Congress. We went in 2001 and they, in their turn, brought new friends there in 2002 and 2003. The common experience for all o f us has been a renewal of faith. □

What did attending the Congress do for me?

Information night on Monday Dec 29, 8 pm at Church o f the Holy 1. It has widened my view o f Family or e-mail Janet<petra@singnet.com.sg> religious education. It is much

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S a d d a m ’s c a p t u r e d b u t ... VATICAN CITY - The Vatican reacted quietly to news o f Saddam Hussein’s capture, and church officials in Rome predicted that Iraq still has a rough road ahead. In Iraq, bishops and other church leaders said Saddam’s detention would help the country “turn the page” in building social peace and order. But they, too, cautioned that violence would probably continue for som e time in the country. The Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, noted that a series o f deadly attacks had continued in Iraq after Saddam’s arrest but the prospects for an era o f peace, justice and normal life in Iraqwere better. The Vatican official said the Holy See hoped the dictator’s capture would help “accelerate the involvement of Iraqis in the governing o f their country” and

help bring more involvement by the United Nations in postwar Iraq. Chaldean Bishop Shlemon Warduni, auxiliary bishop o f Baghdad, said an Iraqi government should be formed. □ CNS

U .S. L E A D E R S L t. Gen. R icardo Sanchez, commander o f U.S. force s in Ira q , and L. P aul Bremer, U .S.-appointed c iv ilia n a d m in istra tor o f Ira q , address the media in B aghdad Dec. 14 fo llo w in g the capture o f ousted Ir a q i leader Saddam Hussein.

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SINGAPORE - Christmas celebrations all over the world are usually happy occasions. At Assisi Hospice which cares for cancer patients, Christmas is different. The hospice has planned a month o f activities in December to raise $150,000. On December 17 patients and their families came together to celebrate Christmas and witness the official light-up o f a 30-foot tree made entirely o f lights at Mount Alvemia Hospital. Members o f the public were encouragd to participate in lighting up the tree and bring joy to the patients. Every $10 donation lights up one bulb on the tree. Guest o f honour at the occasion was patron o f A ssisi Home & Hospice, Mrs Goh Chok Tong. Doing his part for Christmas is 9 year old Johnathan Tan from A ssisi Children’s Centre. He has been spending m ost afternoons in the Centre drawing to raise funds for the patients in A ssisi Hom e & Hospice. Little Johnathan is battling cancer and wants to help those in A ssisi Home & Hospice by selling his paintings during the light up. Members from the RAV 4 Expedition Club did their part by washing the cars o f those who donated $10 to the hospice. Sale o f gift articles have also been organised beginning with one on the 13th (photo) and ending on D ec 20 (8 am to 4pm) and D ec 21 (10am to 5pm). The A ssisi Home & Hospice needs the funds to pay for its patient care. Last year, A ssisi Hospice cared for 380 staying patients, 270 on home care and 33 on day care. Since the

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commencement o f A ssisi Children’s Centre in August 2000, 84 children with cancer have been cared for. Eight died. If you wish to make a donation, make your cheque payable to “A ssisi Hom e &

H ospice” and send to: Christmas Light-Up, A ssisi Home & Hospice - 820 Thomson Road Singapore 574623. Write your NRIC number on the back o f the cheque to obtain double tax exemption. □

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the aged. The group has been doing this for several years. Sometimes they entertain the elderly with dances and with games. They have visited St Joseph’s Home, Villa Francis, Little Sisters of the Poor, Tampines Home for children and other homes belonging to various faith groups. □

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v 'a s CNS photo

o f the Simon Wiesenthal Center presents a menorah to Pope John Paul I I at the Vatican Dec. I. The Jewish human rights organization gave the p o n tiff its 2003 Humanitarian Award fo r his "lifelong friendship” with the Jewish people and his efforts to promote CatholicJewish understanding. The pope thanked the center fo r the award and told the representatives, “In these difficult times, let us pray that a ll peoples everywhere w ill be strengthened in their commitment to mutual understanding, reconciliation and peace.”

Pope urges Catholics, Muslims to increase dialogue A church

stands unfinished on a street com er in the central Spanish town o f Mejorada del Campo D ec. 3. Justo Gallego, a former monk, has been constructing the church single-handedly over the last 40 years. He sold part o f his inheritance to buy materials and learned about architecture and art by reading books. The construction attracts many tourists to the town outside Madrid. Gallego, who said he started the project out o f faith, doesn’t always w elcom e the attention. “It’s good if they com e,” he said . “But they need to leave donations so that I can finish it.” □ c n s photo

US$90 million for sex abuse settlement

BOSTON - The Boston Archdiocese w ill take out short

term loans from a variety o f sources to pay clergy sex abuse settlements totaling approximately U S$90 million D ec. 22. The amount is a combination o f the $85 million settlement with 541 victims of abuse and a small number o f individual settlements expected to amount to between US$3 m illion and U S$4 m illion. Money from insurance carriers and the sale o f approximately 28 acres o f archdiocesan property, including the former cardinal’s residence (photo), w ill be used to repay the loans.

□

CNS

VATICAN CITY - In a speech to Iranian Muslim leaders, Pope John Paul II urged renewed efforts to increase respect among peoples to build peace. “Religion is, in fact, called to build bridges between individuals, peoples and cultures, to be a sign o f hope for humanity,” the pope told nine Iranian Muslim leaders participating in a Dec. 2 meeting at the Vatican. The leaders, led by Ayatollah Mahmood Mohammadi Araqi, head o f the Organization for Islamic Culture and Communications in Tehran, were participating in their fourth colloquium with members o f the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. The theme o f the meeting, “Truth, Justice, Love, Freedom:

RABBI M arvin H ier

Pillars o f Peace,” was taken from B lessed Pope John XX III’s encyclical, “Pacem in Terris” (“Peace on Earth”). Pope John Paul told the delegation, “Today there is an especially urgent need for dialogue, understanding and cooperation between the world’s great religions, especially Christianity and Islam.” He asked the Iranian leaders and “all men and women o f good

w ill to join your voices with mine as I repeat that the holy name o f God must never be used to incite violence or terrorism, to promote hatred or exclusion.” Asking G od’s blessings on all efforts to promote CatholicMuslim cooperation for peace, the pope also prayed that God would grant “to all mankind the courage and strength to embrace truth, justice, love and freedom as true pillars o f peace.” □ c n s

Fear of God protects saintly people, says pope’s preacher By Cindy Wooden

C h a r is m a tic R e tr e a ts

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VATICAN CITY - The “dark night o f the soul” experienced by Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta and St. Padre Pio kept them focused on their yearning to serve God amid widespread acclaim, said the preacher o f the papal household. Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, preaching to Pope John Paul II and his top aides Dec. 12, said the feeling of being abandoned by God actually protects would-be saints, especially those who “constantly live and work under the media spotlight.” A constant, inconsolable yearning for God is “the asbestos suit o f those who must go into the flam es,” he said. At the same time, Father Cantalamessa said, the perseverance in faith o f those who do not feel the constant comfort of being loved by God makes it possible for them to touch modem men and women who long to do good, but cannot bring themselves to believe in God. For Christians, he said, Mother Teresa and other blesseds and saints who have experienced “the dark night” teach “us how to behave in times o f aridness, when our prayer becom es a struggle,

hard work, beating our heads against a wall.” “In these situations, it is important not to give up and start omitting prayer in order to work,” he said. “When God is not there, it is important that his place remain empty and not filled with some idol, especially not that which is called activism .” The Capuchin told the pope and his aides that even when they feel like their prayer is not prayer at all, that God is not listening, they should just stay in the church or chapel or other place they usually pray. “God knows that we can go and

C A PU C H IN F a ther R aniero Cantalamessa preaches to the pope and others a t the Vatican.

do a hundred other more useful things and that it would bring us greater gratification, but we should stay there,” he said. Even if one’s heart and mind cannot find a way to pray, one can force his body to stay in a prayerful position. The Holy Spirit, “without us knowing it, w ill fill in our words and our groans o f desire for God, for humility and for love,” he said. □

CatholicNews □ Sundays December 21 and December 28, 2003

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special devotion to Our Lady. Even when my friend stopped going, I continued and later took up Catechism. I was baptized at the age of 17. When the time came for me to break the news to my parents about entering the convent, it came as a shock to them. I had been keeping this secret friendship with Jesus all to myself. My father was very disappointed, but I assured him that I would return home if I could not succeed. My mother was the one who was more ready to let go. I had lost a younger brother in a tragic road accident in Australia earlier so, to her, losing a daughter to the convent was not so bad.

The story o f

S r A n g e la N g

(Fdcc) IN HER OWN WORDS JESUS spoke to me 28 years ago through the voice of a dying friend. It was a weekday in Lent, a week before Holy Week, and I was at the bedside of a woman in her late 30s. She was dying of cancer, She was the sister of a good friend and we had been taking turns to spend time with her. I remembered that afternoon well. She was groaning in pain and, hoping to help her feel better, I asked: “What would you like me to give you? Do you have a wish to make?” In a slow but steady voice, she answered, “I want to be a nun.” I thought she was delirious and I asked again: “What would you like to eat or to wear?” She repeated the same answer. I was dumbfounded. “I want to be a nun.” These words were familiar to me. I had contemplated joining the religious life for the past three years, but had been putting it off, telling myself that the convent walls were too scary for me. I was then a young teacher and a very active Girl Guide Leader. Surrendering my freedom seemed costly then. But the face of my dying friend reminded me of my Crucified Jesus. He seemed to say: “Look here! I have been calling you and you are healthy, but you are full of excuses. This friend of yours is dying and she is not able to fulfill her wish.” I left the hospital that evening and headed straight for the convent. I had thought serving Jesus as a teacher in a convent school was enough. Little did I realize he wanted me to enter into a deeper

M aking the com m itm ent

relationship with him - to be a religious Sister. At the convent, I rang the bell and a Sister came to greet me. She is the one with whom I have been journeying. My first words to her were: “Sister, I want to be a nun.” She was more than delighted because it was something the Sisters in the convent were hoping and praying for. I felt a certain peace and joy after I said those words and I prayed for courage and wisdom to make my desire known to my parents.

T he first encounter I WAS from the Singapore Chinese Girls’ School and had been brought up in a non-

Catholic family with no exposure to the religious life, so my desire to be a nun was a shock for both my parents. My father had placed his hope in me to help support my other siblings - 1 was the fourth child of 12. My first encounter with religion came when I joined the Girl Guides in Secondary One. To pass our Tenderfoot Test we had to learn some items well. Among them was the ability to make a promise and mean every word. The Guide Promise has as its first promise to serve God - 1 needed to find a God to serve. Together with another Guide friend, I attended the Novena on Saturday afternoons after our Guide meetings. By and by, I grew to love the prayers and hymns and developed a

I CHOSE to enter the convent on Easter Sunday, so as to be risen with Jesus. On Mar 31, 1 975,1 was accepted as a Postulant in the Canossian Institute. After being a Postulant for a year and a Novice for two years, I took my First Vows on Apr 23, 1978 as a Canossian Sister. I returned to St Anthony’s Convent Primary School, where I had been teaching. On Aug 14, 1 983,1 celebrated my Perpetual Profession in the Church of the Holy Cross. Life is an adventure with the Lord. As a teacher for 34 years, I found my fulfillment when I was able to teach catechism and share the love of Jesus either in lessons in the classrooms or informal chitchat sessions both with my pupils and colleagues. Sundays are precious days for me. I spend them at the Church of the Holy Cross animating catechists and celebrating the Liturgy of the Word for youth and children together with the catechists. Since my retirement from school in December 2 0 0 1 ,1 have been involved in the supervision of our Canossian Eduplex and assisting both St Anthony’s Canossian Primary and Secondary Schools as their Supervisor. I have also worked with a group of parent volunteers to compile our very own catechism workbooks from Primary 1 to 6. Canossian education has always been my passion and, till the end of my days, I will try my best to be a visible sign of the Greatest Love, which my Foundress, St Magdalene contemplated on the cross to everyone. □

T h e p a s s io n a te te a c h e r THERE is a certain serenity within the walls of the Canossian Eduplex in Sallim road. It is located just off busy Aljunied Road, but once inside, a sense of peace envelops you. It was this sense of peace that Sr Angela had found to be missing decades ago when she taught in a Government school. She said: “I wasn’t quite happy because I could not share my faith with my students.” Then a young and idealistic teacher, she was ridiculed by the more senior teachers who already had fixed ways of doing things. One day, while standing in the compound of a church, Sr Angela heard a catechism lesson in progress. “How nice it is to be in a school where I can teach religion,” she thought. As it turned out, one of the Sisters at St Anthony’s Convent Primary school was asked to go to Rome. She asked if Sr Angela would like to take over her class when she left, and Sr Angela jumped at the chance. She joined the convent in 1971. “I was really happy to know that the day began with prayer and that I could pray with the children,” she said. “I could feel the sacred presence around me... And there were the nuns. They really made a difference.” Four years later, when Sr Angela became a nun herself, her peaceful presence too would touch the children and teachers around her. “The kids tell us their problems very easily,” said Sr Angela. “Even the teachers would come to us and say, ‘Sister, pray for me .

Teaching students about God IN THE ‘70s, the Sisters were allowed to teach catechism to all the students regardless of race or religion. It was simply a part and parcel of the school’s curriculum. But with progress came more questioning parents and, by the time the school was relocated to its present site at Bedok North, more vocal parents of other faiths were protesting that their daughters were being taught catechism. “We had Muslim parents who were concerned,” said Sr Angela. “I had to explain that we were sharing our Canossian spirituality to help their daughters become better spiritual persons, not to convert them.” Even today, all the students at the convent take part in catechism. When Sr Angela talks about Lent and fasting, the Muslim girls get to share with their classmates what they do during Ramadan. And when Sr Angela leads in prayer, the girls of other faiths pray in their own ways. Because of this diversity, Sr Angela and a group of parents got together and designed a catechism curriculum that would teach the girls about life experiences with the Word of God woven subtly in. As a principal, Sr. Angela promotes the teaching of sexuality and together with her team of dedicated staff they designed a package, “Living and Growing” for all primary six pupils. “We must catch them while they’re young,” she said with a laugh. “Once they go to secondary you can’t teach them any more.

They know too much!” Among the most important lesson Sr Angela imparts is kindness to others - this she teaches best by example. “The greatest love is our benchmark,” said Sr Angela. “When other people give up on a child, we don’t give up.” Even the most difficult student is loved. And her rewards are the many wonderful women her little girls grow up to be. “They came to see me and most of them are married and very happy,” Sr Angela said.

An unfulfilled w ish BUT one small wish has not yet come true none of her girls have entered the convent in her footsteps. “When I ask how many want to be nuns, so many hands go up,” she said with a smile. “Even one Muslim girl wanted to be a nun. But with the little ones, it’s all the externals... “In Singapore, it’s very challenging (to enter the convent). We do have girls interested in our way of life, our style of prayer, but when it comes to making the commitment, they’re just not ready. Our society is just too appealing - we all have our own handphones and laptops. In poorer countries like India or the Philippines, it’s easier to let go.” And that is Sr Angela’s wish this Christmas - that more young girls would come forward to embrace the Canossian way of life. □

“ T h e g r e a t e s t lo v e is o u r b e n c h m a rk .W h e n o th e r p e o p le g iv e u p o n a c h ild ,

To find out more about the Canossian way, go to www.catholic-church.org/canossians-sg/

w e d o n ’ t g iv e u p . ”

CatholicNews □ Sundays December 21 and December 28, 2003

TH E p rid e and jo y o f the Lee fa m ily. Clockwise fro m le ft: A b ig a il, 8, Roy, 5, and John P aul, 4 months.

CatholicNews correspondent Mel Diamse-Lee shares with us what it means to her to be the mother of a new bom baby, her third. I LEARNED I was expecting my third child on Decem ber 23 last year. I w asn’t very thrilled. Here I was actively and happily involved in a ministry I felt led to by God after years o f discernment. N ow he wants me to go back to being a laidback mum-tobe? Yet the prospect o f having another baby was the best new s I’ve received in a long time. It was sym bolic for me that I came to know o f my pregnancy just before Christmas 2002. Until that time I could not understand Mary’s struggles when she learned she was to conceive the child of God. In spite o f many Advent reflections over the years, the significance o f her “y es” had not made an impact on me. In spite o f earlier m isgivings I enjoyed my pregnancy. I glided through it smoothly despite my hectic work schedule and volunteer activities. N ow I boast o f a healthy, cheerful and engaging four-month-old, our third pride

child-rearing and to enjoy every minute o f every day with him. In a mysterious way, he seem s to invite us to slow down, look at life more closely (sometimes from his perspective) and live it more consciously, graciously, passionately. A parent I interviewed recently said every new child in the family is an opportunity to becom e a better parent. I couldn’t agree more.

and joy. We named him John Paul in honour o f the present pope, who inspires me with his doggedness and fervour to look after G od’s Catholic children despite his frailty. Since his birth, John has infused vigour and joy to family life already replete with endearing m emories from our older kids - Abigail, 8, and Roy, 5. Bom after w e ’d given up trying to conceive again, John teaches us to savour

John challenges my long-held belief that I can be both a committed parent and a successful career woman. I am ready to trade the latter in order to learn how to parent better. In fact I remember feeling envious o f our helper when I went back to work follow ing my maternity leave. “S he’s enjoying my baby and getting paid for it,” I said to my husband. Just as we regularly monitored his tiny body growing in my womb I long to be there to witness and participate in everything he w ill be going through. He brings out in us an overwhelming desire to protect and shield him because o f his fragility and knowing w e can’t makes us feel helpless. This however makes us thankful o f the blessed gift o f faith that enables us to surrender to God events and instances over which we have no control. Knowing that He who formed him in my womb knew him before he was even bom and continues to watch over him now that he’s given him to us, w e would like to think that our faith in God is simply a reflection o f John’s faith in us. His childhood innocence points us to the unconditional faith with which God entrusted him to us. □

i t h

l o

T h i s is t h e s t o r y o f a S in g a p o r e C a t h o li c m o t h e r w h o a b o r t e d h e r b a b y , w h o m

IT was not good new s for Margaret Soon when she found out she was pregnant. F eeling lonely and unhappy in her m arriage, she did not want a second child. Margaret, a former researcher also saw the pregnancy as a hindrance to a career. She attempted to abort the baby by way o f a self-inflicted miscarriage, but that failed. R e sig n e d to her p regn a n cy , she changed her mind about the unbom baby - a girl - and even began to anticipate her birth. But it was not meant to be. Fifteen weeks into her pregnancy, Margaret found out that her baby suffered from Acrania, a fatal malformation whereby the baby w as form ed w ithout a skull. D octors advised her to have an abortion; they told her that the baby would not live. Margaret follow ed the advice, but that decision has ca u sed her great regret and she has feelings o f guilt even today - 12 years after the baby was aborted. “I wish I had the courage to carry my baby to full term and accept whatever happened after that,” said Margaret. In a tribute to her unbom child whom she named Joanne, she has written a book “To Joanne, With Love” which journals her personal and painful journey o f guilt and regret. She hopes that the book will be a voice for the unborn, a v o ic e to encourage mothers who are contemplating abortion to keep their babies. “I was reluctant to reveal my private

s h e c a lls J o a n n e .

is an in sp ir in g p ictu re o f G o d ’s faithfulness and love. “I feel that to some extent it was God giving me a chance to show my gratitude for all that he has done for m e and to tell the story so that others can com e to know o f his merciful love.”

life but I did it for Joanne because I think it will make her happy,” Margaret said. Indeed, it was not an easy decision for Margaret to publish the book as it involves sharing very personal and private details such as her unhappy marriage. However, she wants to share her story as she feels it

“ To Joanne, With Lo ve ” is p ric e d a t $10 a n d is a v a ila b le fr o m C a th o lic N ews B o o k & M e d ia and F a m ily L ife Society a t 2 H ig h la n d Road. Proceeds fro m sales w ill be donated to organizations dedicated to protecting the w ell-being o f women and th e ir unborn children. F o r inform ation, e -m a il: fa rle y m a rin a @ p a c ific.n e t.sg .

A BO U T seven years ago, her marriage to Ben, who was then a non-Catholic, was on the rocks. “It was God who reconciled us,” she firmly believes. ”On our own, w e could never have m oved on as there were too many bad things that happened between us.”. Ben converted to Catholicism in 1996 and today the couple lead God-centred liv es, in volvin g them selves in church work and praying the rosary every day with their three sons who are 14, 11 and 5 years old and a 2-year-old daughter. With the release o f “To Joanne, With Love”, the family now spends weekends at d ifferen t p arish es, prom oting and selling the book. A lthough Joanne is not p hysically present, she has becom e a very important member o f the family. “God has som ehow sent her back to our house in a physical way,” Margaret said. “W e’ve got her book and m oney from her book for distribution. The kids talk about her. W e’ve never talked so much about her until now. . . And that’s what Joanne w ill want.” □

CatholicNews □ Sundays December 21 and December 28, 2003

The Story o f

“Silent Night By Antoinette Bosco

J e s u s is th e re a s o n for the season Message from Archbishop Nicholas Chia | HR1STMAS is celebrated practically all over the world. In our own nation, signs of the coming feast are very conspicuous. Orchard Road is aglow with lights, shopping malls and hotels are specially decorated for the occasion. Shops and boutiques are having brisk business with their Christmas sales. Orders for turkeys, honey-baked ham, log cakes and other delicacies are commonplace. The post offices are deluged with Christmas mail. All these are wonderful signs of celebration for the feast. They certainly contribute to the joy of the occasion. BUT... BUT... what Christmas are we celebrating? There is so much concentration on all these trimmings, but CHRIST, the REASON for this celebration, is often missing!! It is like going to a birthday party concentrating on the food and decorations without a thought for the person who is the reason for the celebration! As Catholics and Christians we must be focused in our celebration. The lights, the decorations, food and cards are not ends in themselves. They are just reminders for us regarding the real joy of our celebration, namely the BIRTH OF CHRIST! We rejoice because “a Saviour has been for bom for us”. Jesus Christ has come into the world to dispel the darkness of sin and evil and to offer us salvation. This is the Good News, this is the reason for our celebration. There is no Christmas unless we put Christ at the centre of our celebration, unless we let Christ be bom in our hearts so that we can live the message of Christmas, the message of love and peace. Christ came as “Light of the world” to dispel the darkness of sin and evil. In order that his light can shine in us we must empty our hearts of sin and sinful attachments otherwise there is no room for his light. May we allow room for his light to shine on us so that we can live the message of Christmas - the message of love and peace. On this joyous occasion let us thank Almighty God for the gift of his only Begotten Son and thank Jesus for coming into the world for love of us, to show us the way to salvation and to give his life for us. May Christmas be CHRISTMAS for all of us. And this is my Christmas prayer for you: God grant you peace at Christmas and fill your hearts with cheer. God grant you health and happiness throughout the coming year, God guide you with his Wisdom and keep you in his care. | A BLESSED CHRISTMAS TO AI Devotedly yours in Christ, Archbishop Nicholas Chia

I W OULD wager that everyone reading this column has felt the beauty and peace that shines from “Silent Night, Holy Night,” the Christmas carol said to be loved around the world. Stories o f the origins o f this beautiful song tell how Franz Xavier Gruber, organist at the Catholic church in Obemdorf, Austria, confronting a broken organ, com posed the music for “Silent Night” on an old guitar on Christmas morning 1818. But rarely have w e ever heard the whole story. Few know that the words had been written on that Christmas Eve by the 25-year-old priest assigned to that town, Father Joseph Mohr. This Christmas, as we celebrate the 185th anniversary of “Silent N ight,” I wanted to tell the story o f how I learned about the origins o f my forever favorite Christmas carol. Several years ago I was at a used-book sale, saw a thin, hardcover book, with its original attractive paper cover, titled “Silent Night, Holy Night: The True and Touching Story o f the Greatest Christmas Song o f A ll Tim e,” published in 1933. I grabbed it immediately. It was written by Frederick H. Jaenicken, in Chicago, who explained that the story emerged from his research with several historical societies in Austria. I was impressed with his account o f the relationship between F ather M ohr and Gruber, then 32 years old. T h e p r ie st had a spectacular tenor voice, and the organist was a baritone. T hey w ould often get to g eth er to s i ng in the church gard en or rectory. Villagers w ould linger to listen and announce, “The pastor and teacher are singing again.” How they remained fo re v er l i nke d as inspired co-com posers GIUSEPPE Maria Crespio f the great Christmas The Holy Family (c.1735) h y mn is an am a zin g story. On Christmas Eve 1818, a tired woman cam e to Father M ohr’s door with a m essage from a young woodcutter w hose w ife had just given birth. He was asking if the priest would com e and bless them. Father Mohr set out in the snowy night and made it to the cabin where he saw “a scene never to be forgotten - an infant on a bed o f pine logs, a young mother, a husband glowing with joy.” He said that “a strange radiance filled the room,” and he was overwhelmed with the thought, “Jesus the Savior is here.” On the way back, his path lit by glittering snow and stars, he felt he was seeing symbols o f everlasting light on this “silent night, holy night.” The words stayed with him so powerfully that back at his study he sat at his desk and wrote the words we so well know. Early in the morning, he brought his manuscript to Gruber, who was “visibly animated” by the beauty in the words he read. Both men knew these should be set to music. Gruber was devastated that the organ was broken. Father Mohr saw the old guitar on the wall and said to his friend, “Let this be your instrument.” B efore the afternoon Christmas service, Gruber had com posed the music to fit the young priest’s words. The people, it is said, were “spellbound” as they heard the beautiful voices o f their priest and organist singing “Silent N ight.” The song might have been lost and forgotten if not for an organ repairman who rediscovered it a year later. This, too, is a great story - perhaps for next year! Jaenicken ended his lovely book, in those troubled days o f the world’s history, with his belief that “Silent Night” has an everlasting spiritual mission: “Its prayer for harmony and better understanding among all nations cries out above the troubled regions o f the earth.” Let us sing - and remember this!

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Sundays December 21 and December 28, 2003 □ CatholicNews

“ C o n c e r n m u s t b e s h o w n a b o v e a ll t o th o s e w h o a r e d is a d v a n t a g e d a n d in

n e e d .”

- P o p e John P aul II

EIGHT hundred million people go to bed hungry every night.

and fights for basic human rights for children, including education, immunization, and against exploitation of children. How you can help: You can be a short term volunteer with Unicef or even begin a career at the organization. Go to www.unicef.org for more information. You may also make an online donation at this website. In Singapore, support Unicef by purchasing Unicef gift and greeting cards. They are available at Table A rt Decor at Holland Road Shopping Centre and at Table Art, Too at the Paragon.

Every eight seconds, a child somewhere in the world dies from drinking contaminated water. Every four seconds, someone dies of hunger. 75 per cent of them are children under five. You’ve read so much about the world’s poor. Help to make their lives better this Christmas - it only takes a click of a finger.

Caritas Internationalis Who they are: Caritas Internationalis is a confederation o f 162 Catholic relief, development and social service organisations working to build a better world, especially for the poor and oppressed, in more than 200 countries and territories. It is one o f the world’s largest humanitarian networks. Caritas’ latest appeals include the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and support for the Holy Land Programs. How you can help: In Singapore, Caritas is represented by Catholic Welfare Services. Visit their website at www.catholicwelfare.org.sg to make a donation to the poor in Singapore or to find out how you can volunteer your services.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Who they are: CRS was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops o f the

United States to assist the poor and disadvantaged outside the country. CRS provides direct aid to the poor, and involves people in their own development, helping them to realize their potential. How you can help: Visit www.catholicrelief.org to make an online donation.

Humanitarian Relief Program

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Who they are: The Office o f

disasters that hit Vietnam and Cambodia; the massive earthquake in Gujarat India, and the helicopter crash in Mongolia. How you can help: HRP needs people with relevant skills such as medicine, public health, engineering, mental health care, logistics and project management. To become a volunteer or help in cash or kind, go to

www.hoDeproiect.org.sg/ involved/volunteer.html#HRP

Who they are: The Humanitarian Relief Programme (HRP) is one of six programmes under the Singapore International Foundation (SIF). It has no religious affiliations. Its main mission is to respond to disasters in Asia and to provide relief assistance. When a disaster strikes, it organises and supports relief missions made up of Singaporeans who volunteer their skills to help alleviate the suffering and the pain of disaster victims. It has carried out six relief missions: in Afghanistan: the flood

Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Singapore Who they are: JRS is an international Catholic organisation with a mission to accompany, serve and defend the rights o f refugees and forcibly displaced people. In Singapore, JRS started with a food project for East Timor. Its mission today is to reach out to refugees, in particular those in Asia. How you can help: Visit the JRS website at

www.catholic.ore.sg/irssg to learn more about the needs o f the refugees. They range from textbooks and tools to scholarships and computers. E-mail them to find out how to make a monetary donation.

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Who they are: MSF or Doctors Without Borders is an international humanitarian aid organisation that provides emergency medical assistance to populations in danger in more than 80 countries. How you can help: Learn how to become a MSF volunteer at www.msf.org

Project Macbodia Who they are: Project Macbodia is a community service effort under the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) to empower the youths o f Cambodia with the knowledge and skills for desktop publishing on

Macintosh computers. The Don Bosco Foundation (www.boscohall.org/ cambodia/) in Cambodia currently runs a boys’ vocational school near Phnom Pehn that teaches about 300 students vocational skills in the areas o f electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and printing. To better prepare the students for the printing and publishing industry, they need to introduce the students to desktop publishing. Project Macbodia aims to provide the manpower needed to set up the computers and teach the students this. The project w ill last 18 days, and is scheduled for 6th March 2004 to 23rd March 2004. How you can help: I f you are a Mac whiz or just a keen teacher, and between 17 and 26 years old, email Roland Lim at roland@limbeer.com

United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) Who they are: Unicef is represented in 158 countries

the UNHCR was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. Today, UNHCR is one o f the world’s principal humanitarian agencies, helping some 20 m illion people in more than 120 countries. How you can help: You can make an online donation at www.unhcr.ch

World Food Program (WFP) Who they are: Set-up in 1963, WFP is the United Nations frontline agency in the fight against global hunger. Last year, it fed 72 m illion people in 82 countries, including most of the world’s refugees and internally displaced people. How you can help: Make an online donation to the program at www.wfp.org You may choose to fight hunger on any o f four fronts: emergency operations, recovery projects, development programs, and global school feeding. □

Title: Notes From My Travels Visits With R efugees In Africa, Cambodia, Pakistan, and Ecuador A uthor: Angelina Jolie (Foreword by Ruud Lubbers, UN High Commissioner for R efugees) Publisher: Pocket Books Price: $27.60 (all the author’s proceeds will be donated to the UNHCR)

kicks butt, )lie has heart I am also remembering that young boy w ith the sweet fa c e who has severe spinal damage. H e w ill never w a lk again. I am resting in a hotel, and he is s till in the co rn e r on that dusty d ir t flo o r. I never crie d when I was in S ierra Leone. W ith everything I saw, I never cried. Tonight I ca n 't seem to stop crying. Tom orrow I w ill see new fa c e s ... I don’t w ant to w rite anymore. I fe e l nauseous. — F rom N otes F ro m M y Travels

YO U may know her better as the bodacious tomb raider, Lara Croft, but when H ollywood A-lister Angelina Jolie isn ’t busy kicking butt in front o f the camera, sh e’s giving her heart to some o f the world’s poorest people. Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Jolie has been visiting refugee camps around the world in hope o f better understanding their conditions and to highlight their needs to the world. After three years, she has finally published her journals from the field. Notes From My Travels is just that - her raw unadulterated diary. Jolie is clearly no writer and Notes certainly is no literary work o f art, but therein lies its beauty. Within its pages, one o f H ollyw ood’s most controversial actresses reveals with startling clarity the utter destitution yet awe-inspiring courage o f the refugees. Jolie is evidence that each o f us can make a difference, no matter how small. What started out as a curious phone call to U SA for UNHCR after a night o f reading from her cushy vantage point, she couldn’t figure out how so many people could be living in such dire states o f poverty - has led to an amazing journey that has changed her worldview forever. Read Notes and it just might change yours too. Angelina Jolie has starred in more than 20 film s including Girl, Interrupted, Gone in 60 Seconds, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. When she is not film ing or in Los A ngeles, she lives in Samlot, Cambodia with her adopted baby son, Maddox. □

E u n ic e O ls e n , f o r m e r M is s S in g a p o r e U n iv e r s e , te a c h e s g r o o m in g s k ills to te e n a g e rs a t a g ir ls ’ h o m e .

SINGAPORE - A co-host o f the local version o f a popular international game show, she schedules her work around this volunteer activity. Says Eunice Elizabeth Olsen

o f her volunteer work, “If the girls still want me I w ill continue because I enjoy helping the girls. I w ill continue until they get tired o f m e.” M iss Olsen is among 40

E unice O lsen, a C atholic, at the launch o f “ I ’ m a volunteer to o !” on December 5 as W illie Cheng, in his H o ly F a m ily Church w arden’s unform , looks on.

volunteers featured in the book, “I ’m a volunteer too!” published by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) and launched on Dec 5, the U N designated International Volunteer Day. According to an NVPC survey done last year, there are now some 400,000 volunteers in Singapore. This is 160,000 more than in 2000. O f these 25% are Christians. A volunteer is “one who works out o f free w ill for the benefit o f the community without financial gains.” The book is available at selected bookshops and at the NVPC office (6235-0955). □

2003’S TOP MOVIES, SANTA STYLE By David DiCerto ‘TWAS the night before Christmas And all through the land A ll the theaters were empty ‘Cause the movies were bland. The studio execs were tucked in their beds While visions o f Oscars danced in their heads. While Ma in her kerchief and I in my cap Were perched on the sofa, the remote on our lap. We checked local listings, we even checked twice But most shows were naughty, and too few were nice. We surfed through the stations, and what did we see? Tabloid-style tell-alls and reality TV.

When up on the roof I heard a loud swish, I jumped up and moaned, “ Not that dam satellite dish!” When what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. With a little old driver, so lively and quick, Was it a “ Queer Eye” guy, or jo lly St. Nick? No sooner down the chimney did he appear, Than he informed me he’s changed his career. He said with a sigh, “ I ’m old and arthritic, I ’m giving up toys, I ’m now ‘ Santa C ritic.’ ”

SO, just which movies did make Santa’s Top 10? I ’ll give you a hint: None starred J-Lo and Ben. “ ‘Finding Nemo’ was great, ‘ Big Fish’ ranked quite high, ‘ Spellbound’ is a gem, ‘ Seabiscuit’ made Rudolph cry. ‘Master and Commander’ is up there, so’s ‘Return o f the K ing,’ Perhaps ‘Mystic River’ or ‘The Triplets o f Belleville’s’ your thing. “ While 'Cold Mountain’ and ‘Last Samurai’ have grand scope and size, In truth, ‘Winged Migration’ should take home the prize. More films to see before my work is done, But could you give my red suit to Paris Hilton?

“ Such a request, I know, sounds rather bold, But from what I hear, she might be quite cold.” Then I heard him exclaim, as he drove out o f sight. “ Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” □ DiCerto is on the sta ff o f the Office fo r Film & Broadcasting o f the U.S. Conference o f Catholic Bishops.

Give gifts faithful to the true meaning of Christmas EXCHANGING meaningful gifts at Christmas need not entail spending a lot o f money. The simple gifts are almost always the most meaningful - whether homemade or hand-picked. Although gift giving at Christmas time is blown out o f proportion by advertisers, it is an inherent part o f the story. God gave his Son to the world; the wise men brought gifts to baby Jesus. Two thousand years later, we are still giving gifts in the spirit o f the first Christmas. It has become as much a part o f the holiday season as singing Christmas carols or attending midnight Mass. To help their readers exchange gifts while still faithfully observing the true meaning o f Christmas, Catholic newspapers offered some alternative gift ideas this year. Here are some: The answer to the age-old question o f what to get for someone who “ has everything” may be a gift for someone who has nothing, given in their name. You can purchase baby chicks for a woman in Zimbabwe for US$20, or give a goat to a family in the Dominican Republic for US$120, through Web sites such as www.heiferproject.org, www.altemativegifts.org or www.worldconcem.org. The organizations that sponsor the sites provide the giver with cards to tell friends and family about the gifts given in their honour. There are a variety o f Web sites run by monasteries, religious publishing companies and agencies promoting economic development among the poor. The monks o f Light o f Christ Monastery in Borrego Springs, California, offer 165 colorful icons, both traditional and modernistic, through a catalog and Web site at www.monasteryicons.com. Icon subjects include fathers and martyrs of the early church, newly minted saints such as St. Katharine Drexel, angels and great feasts o f the church, such as the Visitation and the N ativity o f Christ. Some o f the best gifts aren’t purchased, but are handmade. Avoid the malls and traffic jams, and make a personal gift from your home. I f you enjoy baking, consider giving fresh baked cake, brownies or cookies wrapped in decorative tins and topped with a thoughtful note. Or, design a gift certificate pledging your time or talent to help family and friends. Offer to baby sit for a couple who does not go out often or promise to perform a roommate’s chores one day a week for a month. For someone who is searching for the truth or in need o f spiritually and morally inspiring stories, a gift o f a one-year subscription o f the CatholicNews, the Catholic Digest or The Word Among Us might just be what he or she needs. □

Sundays December 21 and December 28, 2003 □ CatholicNews

Christm as 2003

By Gerard Perseghin WASHINGTON - Christmas creches - som e looking like lively theatrical tableaux, som e baroque and mannerist, and some naive in style - are on display at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington through Jan. 25. The creches in the exhibition, called “Joy to the World: The Third Annual International Nativity Exhibit,” all define the spirit o f Christmas, the birth o f Christ, through the eyes and experience o f the cultures where they were made. T he center is sh ow in g 177 creches from 58 T IN Y fig u re s countries. o f M ary, T he N a tiv ity sc en es w ere se lec te d from the Joseph and the in fa n t Jesus collections o f Msgr. Adam M cCloskey, Father James rest inside a Profota, and James and the late Emilia Govan. hollow ed-out The president and co-founder o f the national w a ln u t shell in F rien d s o f the C rech e S o c ie ty , G ovan n ow a N a tiv ity scene com m issions artists around the world to create creches fro m Costa that reflect their local cultures. The Govans amassed Rica. a collection o f more than 300 Nativity scenes from nearly 80 countries. The creches collected by Msgr. McCloskey, pastor o f A ll Saints Church in Houston, reflect the Southwest and H isp an ic cu ltures in clu d in g a C osta R ican “Nativity in a Walnut” with the Holy Family nestled in a hollo wed-out walnut shell. Father P rofota, pastor o f St. B a sil Parish in Eastpointe, Michigan, has donated almost 300 creches to the John Paul II center. The tradition o f displaying a creche scen e at Christmas began with St. Francis o f A ssisi, the 13thcentury saint who wanted to revive the excitem ent of Christmas. He wanted it to be a reverent expression though, so he sought and gained the permission o f the PART o f a fo lk lo ric creche fro m pontiff. The tradition o f displaying a creche has P o rtu g a l features the V irgin M a ry in continued since. p ra y e r near a slum bering in fa n t Jesus. The Vatican displays an enormous, larger-than-lifesize Nativity scene in the square in front o f St. Peter’s Basilica until late January. □

WHAT is it about Christmas that stirs our deepest vulnerabilities? Each year as a pastoral counselor I witness a slight regression in clients and in som e people who are in spiritual direction. They re-face tender feelings from growing-up days. A long with the lovely longing and expectation o f the Advent/Christmas season is hidden fear, anxiety, self-doubt, depression and loss. At least that’s what it looks like from my armchair. The Christmas holidays, more than other special times, are loaded with emotional impact. If a loved one has died near Christmas it forever marks the season, but there are also other issues. A man I’ll call Jack grew up in a heavy drinking family with a dad who made lots o f promises but rarely follow ed through. Jack dreamed o f a Christmas Day where his often-fractured family went peacefully to church together, sat under the Christmas tree, opened presents and ate a big happy meal. Instead, there was disaster and chaos in at least one o f those events every year. He remembered the tears o f his mother, and

Antidote to the too-busy Christmas By Jean Sweeney his own terror and protection o f younger siblings, during fierce arguments, plate throwing, slamming doors. He grew up feeling isolated and different from others. As a married man with his own family, Jack’s inner anxiety caused him to control and orchestrate the family Christmas. His ideas ruled. He had no tolerance for any normal family mishap that changed the grand plan o f the day. He drove his wife crazy with his inability to endure any family mistakes (like eldest daughter buying the wrong Christmas lights). Jack had to learn the lesson o f the first Christmas. Mary and Joseph needed to have a great deal o f flexibility. Things didn’t happen as they wanted them to. For instance, a cave is not an inn. But love is what is remembered. Jack came to learn that faithfulness to family was not built on controlling all that

happened. He began to bear the anxiety of living with the unexpected in his children. He learned to look for the real love present. Kathy had always tried to earn the love o f her “too busy” parents in her big city childhood. They each had careers that were interesting and absorbing. Family time was squeezed in between work engagements. Kathy remembers one Christmas when her parents both napped m ost o f the day w hile she played by herself. She brought them food. A s Kathy grew, she became a bit o f a parent, keeping the household running. A s an adult she was, by habit and need, still earning love from friends, acquaintances and family with her organizational skills and giving. It meant that she was up late baking Christmas cookies and breads, making gift crafts, sewing and writing cards. All this was in addition to her full-time job,

O N E o f the three M a g i is shown in a N a tiv ity scene created o f painted m etal fro m the P hilippines. A C H O IR o f angels appears above fig u re s o f shepherds, kings, M ary, Joseph and the in fant Jesus in a wooden N a tiv ity scene fro m Poland.

housework and doing homework with three children. Depression set in as she began to dread the season o f giving. The Christmas season is a challenge for those who are beset by the exhaustion o f perfectionism and the earning o f love. An antidote to the too-busy, tooperfect Christmas is to stop. — Stop to take stock o f your energies, your time, your real desires. — Stop to think through your values. — Stop to make real choices. — Stop to take some moments to receive the people that you live with by listening to them. — Stop to listen to concert music. — Stop to hum som e tunes. — Stop to sit on the couch and snuggle with the children. — Stop being afraid that you w on’t measure up. Emmanuel, God-with-us, already knows you are limited. You are only fooling yourself. (Sweeney is a pastoral counselor at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Arlington, Va. E-mail her atjeansween@ erols.com .) □

A F L A R E and bullets f ly over the centre o f Bethlehem d u rin g an Is ra e li attack in the West B ank town late A p r il 4, 2002. P alestinian gunmen were holed up in a convent near the Church o f the N ativity, the tra d itio n a l b irthplace o f C hrist.

‘O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie.” ■.

CNSfile photo

Bethlehem prepares for Christmas 2003 A N UNIDENTIFIED student from the Terre Santa School in Bethlehem visits the grotto at the Church o f the Nativity in Bethlehem D ec. 9. The grotto is traditionally believed to be the site o f the birth o f Christ.

WE all recognize the heartwarming carol. But sadly, today’s Bethlehem is not still. Since the occupation o f Gaza and o f the West Bank (where Bethlehem is located) by the Israeli D efense Forces in September 2000, violence has escalated greatly. According to the Catholic Near East Welfare A ssociation a papal agency for humanitarian and pastoral support - Israel’s determination to crush a handful o f Palestinian militants with tanks, helicopter gunships and snipers is causing great suffering throughout the region. Daily Israeli attacks often harm innocent Palestinian bystanders. In recent months, greater Bethlehem has been subjected to Israeli bombardments, tank fire and rocket attacks. Though most Christians there have stayed out o f the fighting, that has not protected them. Muslim fighters often shoot at the nearby Jewish settlement o f Gilo from the rooftops o f Christian houses. In retaliation, the Israeli military fires upon Christian civilians and their homes. Christian schools in the West Bank and Gaza have experienced terrific hardship. CNEWA reports that “during the last year, 225 schools underwent a direct missile hit.... At least three schools were occupied by Israeli soldiers and turned into military camps. More than 2,000 students have been injured on their way to or from school, and 137 have been killed trying to make it to school.” Students attending the Latin Patriarchate’s Catholic schools are living in terrible

Bethlehem! By Tony Magliano circumstances. “A long with thousands o f Palestinian children, they have been suffering immense psychological tension as a result o f Israeli brutality and the deaths o f Palestinian people.” Prior to 2000, Bethlehem residents earned U S$2,500 per year. Since then their annual income has plummeted to U S$500! Three years o f violence

have destroyed the city's tourist industry. This has been especially painful for Bethlehem ’s Christians, who make up approximately 80 percent o f the Arabs em ployed in tourism. Sixty-five percent o f the people in the West Bank and Gaza are living below the poverty line o f U S$2.10 per day! “Israel has taken deliberate

AN ISR A E L I tank p a tro ls the southern border o f Jerusalem overlooking the m ainly C a th o lic village o f B e it Ja la near Bethlehem, c n s file photo

measures to suffocate the Palestinian econom y, including roadblocks, road destruction, military checkpoints and deep trenches dug around entire cities and towns,” says CNEWA. “Christians in the Holy Land feel a sense o f abandonment.... Christian support for Israel has been devastating for local believers.... Rather than supporting the state o f Israel, local Christians believe that Christians worldwide should recognize the existing injustice and take a proactive stand against it.” Since the United States provides Israel with more than U S$4 billion annually in military and econom ic aid, American Catholics are in an excellent position to influence the politics o f the region. A promising new CNEWA initiative called the Labor Intensive Community Developm ent Program is designed to fund projects in the Bethlehem area that w ill create jobs for local workers while enriching and healing the community. You can help this effort by sending a Christmas gift to the war-ravaged people o f Jesus’ birthplace. Kindly forward your donation to Catholic Near East Welfare A ssociation, 1011 First Avenue, N ew York, N Y 100224195. Praying, advocating and giving on behalf o f our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land is a highly sym bolic and effective way to prepare ourselves for the Lord who came, and who is to com e again. □ cns

VICTOR HOSH, a Palestinian Catholic, inflates a giant Santa Claus in front o f his store in Bethlehem, West Bank, D ec. 9. Hosh sells Christmas music and decorations to the local Christian community.

VOLUNTEER Drew Rogers distributes candy during a Christmas party at a school for the blind in Beit Jalla, West Bank, D ec. 6. The network of foreign residents living in Jerusalem participated in a Christmas-season volunteer project that distributed gifts to needy Palestinian children.

Sundays December 21 and December 28, 2003 □ CatholicNews

The V7onlaf

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Sunday, Decem ber 2 1 0 Micah 5: 1-4; Psalm 80:2-3,15-16,18-19; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45

What sickness can teach us about life JOHN P ow ell once wrote a rem arkable little book entitled Unconditional Love, the story of Tommy, a former student o f his who died o f cancer at age 24. Shortly before he died, Tommy came to Powell and thanked him for a precious insight he had once drawn from one of his classes. Powell had told the class: there are only two potential tragedies in life and dying young isn’t one of them. It’s tragic to die and not have loved and it’s just as tragic to die and not have expressed your love to those around you. Sometimes only death can teach us that. Sometimes, through a painful conscription, we can learn it without having to die to pay for its wisdom. Here’s an example: for 20 years, I’ve been teaching a summer course at Seattle University. One of the rituals I’ve developed during those summers is to spend the big American holiday, July 4th, with some family friends on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle. This family has its own rituals and one of these is that it watches the July 4th parade off the front lawn of one of their friends’ houses Four years ago, sitting on that lawn, waiting for the parade, I was introduced to the youngest daughter in that family. She was a senior in high school and a member of their state-winning basketball team, but she was also suffering from cancer and the debilitating chemotherapy treatments being used to combat it. Just 18 years old, weighing less than lOOlbs because of those treatments, she sat wrapped in a blanket (on a warm summer day), quiet and melancholy, while her friends, healthy and robust, drank beer and celebrated life. Things didn’t look good that day. The long range prognosis was iffy, at best, and her body and spirit didn’t belie that, though friends and family did. She was surrounded on every side by attention, affection, concern, the sense that everyone cared. She was very ill, but she was loved. I GOT to know her a little that day and somewhat more in the months and years that follow ed. Her family and others prayed hard for her, storming heaven for a cure. Those prayers, along with the medical treatments, did their work. She hung on, against the odds at times, slowly im proved, and after m any m onths emerged healthy, whole again, back to By F r R onald normal, except once you’ve stared death R olheiser in the face “normal” is never quite the same again. When she eventually returned to school, rejoined her friends in their social activities, and picked up the pieces of her former life, she knew that, while things were the same again, they were also very, very different. In the wake of such an experience, ordinary life is no longer something you take for granted, there’s a deeper joy in all things ordinary and a new horizon, wisdom, maturity, and purpose that wasn’t there before. God writes straight with crooked lines and sometimes cancer, terrible as it is, gives more than it takes. Her new health is more than physical. It’s also a thing of soul, a colour, a depth, a wisdom. Asked publicly by her friends if, given the choice, she would give the illness back so as to have the life she could have had without it, she replied: “No, I wouldn’t give it back. Through it I learned about love.” Like the young man in John Powell’s story, the love she experienced when she was ill taught her that there are worse tragedies in life than getting cancer. DOCTORS who research on the human brain tell us that we only use about 10 per cent of our radical brain capacity. Most of our brain cells never get activated, both because we don’t need them (they exist for wisdom rather than utility) and because we don’t know how to access them. The same doctors tell us that, paradoxically, two things do help us access them: the experience of love and the experience of tragedy. Deep love and deep pain, together, deepen a soul in a way that nothing else can. That explains why Therese of Lisieux was a doctor of the soul at age 24. It also explains the wisdom that this young woman now lives out of, gently challenges her friends with, and radiates to the world. Five years ago, a young girl had her youth and dreams stolen from her by a brain tumour. There was pain, disappointment, depression, some bitterness, little hope. Everyone seemed luckier than her. That was then. Today, a radiant young woman, Katie Chamberlin, strolls the campus of Gonzaga University, healthy, happy, preparing for a career as a teacher to special needs children, and, more important, wise, beyond her years, having learned at a young age what most of us only learn when we die, namely, that ordinary life is best seen against a bigger horizon, that life is deeper and more joy filled when it isn’t taken for granted, and that love is more important even than health and life itself. □

How the Holy Spirit works WE all know people who try to guess what is in a present before opening it. Shaking the package, feeling its shape, even sm elling it, can provide c lu e s that h eig h ten the a n ticip a tio n . W hen E liz a b e th saw M ary, the unseen gifts o f the children in their wombs responded to one another’s presence. The baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy, and she herself was filled with the H oly Spirit. This was one case where there was no need to guess about the gift that Mary brought with her. In her heart, Elizabeth reco g n ized that Mary w as bearing her Messiah. This is how the Holy Spirit works. He m eets us where we are and, as w e a llo w him , draws us beyond ourselves into the divine life for which we were bom. Our hearts can leap with joy when w e m ove from knowing the truth o f the g o s p e l i nt e l l e c t ua l l y to experiencing it in our spirits. P e o p le w h o are l o v i n g caregivers for the elderly or for children with special needs realize the blessings that flow from embracing these responsibilities. When they speak ‘ about the way their work has taught and blessed th em , w e k n o w t he y are sp ea k in g out o f experience, not just theory.

The same can happen for us as we press on to know the Lord. At Mass, w e can know in our minds that the bread and wine become the body and blood o f Jesus. But God wants to give us more than an external observation o f his miracle. As we let the Spirit move in us, we can ex p e r ie n c e Jesus personally at Communion. We can becom e engulfed in the overflowing love o f a God who would send his only Son to die and rise for our salvation. An experience o f this kind o f love will m ove us to worship and adoration. It will also m ove us to lo v e Christ in others by treating them with the same love he has shown to us. The Holy Spirit doesn’t want us to just rattle and squeeze G od’s gifts. H e wants us to experience all that God has in sto re for u s. L earn in g to recognize his m ovements will fill us with joy, just as it did for Elizabeth. Trust in G od’s promises, and you too w ill see signs o f the Spirit all around you. □ “ Father, I w ant to know you to the depth o f my being. H elp me to experience the jo y yo u r H o ly S p irit wants to reveal in y o u r presence."

Sunday, Decem ber 28 The H oly Family O Sirach 3:2-7, 12-14; Psalm 128: 1-5; Colossians 3:12-21; Luke 2:41-52

The Holy Family: Our model WHAT a strange incident the church asks us to reflect on for the Feast o f the H oly Family! In L u ke’s account o f the finding o f Jesus in the Temple, w e see the H oly Family - the m odel for all human fam ilies dealing with confusion and miscommunication - to the point that the couple’s only child is lost for three whole days! So what m akes Jesus, Mary, and Joseph such shining examples o f how w e are called to live? The answer lies in the way they responded to the crisis they faced. When Mary and Joseph discovered that Jesus was missing, they didn’t w aste any time arguing about which o f them was to blame for losing him. Rather, they united in a prolonged and painstaking search for their lost son. And even when they found their adolescent boy safe but unapologetic, they didn’t erupt in anger or try to heap accusations and guilt upon him just to make him feel bad for putting them through such an ordeal. Surely they were anguished, but they did not focus all their upset feelings on him. Evidently, a dozen years sharing the same roof with Jesus had taught them to trust, even when they didn’t fully understand. Even well-intentioned and loving fam ilies face m isunderstandings, hardships, and tragedies at times. It’s at times like these that we can especially remember the Holy Family and draw from their example. N o matter how “h oly” w e feel, every fam ily can learn to weather the storms o f life by placing their needs before their heavenly Father and believing that he w ill never let them out o f his hands.

Jesus seem ed very far away during Mary and Joseph’s three-day ordeal. But all the time, he was waiting for them in his Father’s house. There w ill be times when our own children, spouses, or parents may seem far from us, too. But as members o f G od’s family, sooner or later w e can expect to find each other in our Father’s house. In the meantime, let’s consecrate our families to Jesus and ask him to teach us how to live in the same faith and trust that Mary and Joseph knew. □ “ H eavenly Father, throughout th e ir lives together, you blessed M a ry and Joseph f o r th e ir love and compassion. L e t y o u r H o ly S p irit unite the members o f o u r fa m ilie s as w e ll.”

CatholicNews □ Sundays December 21 and December 28, 2003

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Editorial Email: cnedit@catholic.org.sg Please include your full name, address and telephone number. Advertisements: Ms. Elaine Ong Email: elong@catholic.org.sg In Memoriam: Ms. Susan Lim Email: suslim@catholic.org.sg Subscriptions: Richard Paul Email: rpaul@catholic.org.sg Address: The Catholic News Office 2 Highland Road #01-02 Singapore 549102. Telephone: 6858-3055

CN has improved much I WOULD just like to give my support and encouragement to the team behind the Catholic News. I think it has improved much in recent months. It is informative and visually attractive. I applaud the direction that CN has been taking, giving more coverage o f individuals who have given their life in service to our local archdiocese. I am especially edified reading these features. There are truly heroes in our

midst working in worthy causes that receive too little attention. I hope and pray that CN will continue to improve and expand. The church in Singapore has grown and prospered over the years and its newspaper must strive to always meet the current needs and expectations o f its members. G od’s blessings to the whole CN team!

I WAS passing through Singapore and I went to the CN office. I wanted to congratulate you for the total transformation o f the archdiocesan paper, Catholic N ew s. Everything is excellent. I picked up a copy o f Catholic

For fu rth e r e n q u irie s , c o n ta c t Sam a t 9 6 9 4 - 5 7 9 2

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understanding o f Mass and lay spirituality here. However, Latin remains part o f our tradition’s rich patrimony with a distinctive quality o f universality, and it has been sad to observe its dem ise in so many local churches, despite clear directions from the Council and popes to the contrary (see for example SC 36, 54). I would like to encourage our parishes to adopt more Latin and chant into our regular M asses, especially for the common dialogues and prayers. Perhaps a few parishes may even find them selves able to offer a w eekly Mass in Latin (except for the readings, o f course.)

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I W OULD also like to share my opinion on the celebration o f the Sacrament o f Penance in our archdiocese. It appears that it tends to be too juridical. A few priests that I ’ve encountered are rather brisk in their approach, and more fail to make full use o f the Church’s reformed Rite of Penance. Some priests even omit the full form o f the absolution, saying only the essential words: “I absolve you ” .

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C h r is tm a s T h o u g h ts CHRISTMAS is not about shopping, trees, cakes, presents, reunion, or even midnight M asses. Christmas for m e is the stark reality that God is present in the unwelcom ed and the helpless. Christmas is also the spirit o f giving not o f presents but o f the person to another in need. For God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son! Peace and love to all - that is Christmas.

B ridget L ew (centre) w ith residents o f M adonna G rotto, the shelter f o r migrants.

B ridget Lew Chairman Archdiocesan Commission for Migrants and Itinerant People

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Fr. E rnest P oruthota Sri Lanka

An impoverished celebration o f this wonderful sacrament runs the risk o f giving this beautiful encounter between sinner and the merciful Lord the appearance o f empty formalism. Perhaps our archbishop might give som e attention to how this sacrament is celebrated in our parishes. I pray that this fortieth year after Sacrosanctum Concillium will see further enrichments to the liturgical life and understanding in our local church. When the subjective aspects o f our liturgies express the richness o f the mystery o f our faith, minds are lifted up to contemplation o f God, faith is strengthened and Christian vigour renewed. I would also like to encourage our region’s bishops to quickly give us an official translation o f the 2002 General Instruction o f the Roman M issal, and to provide us with the necessary adaptations to the venerable Roman liturgy that are suited to the culture and needs o f our local community. □

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Have Gregorian chants and Latin Masses, please THE Sacred Liturgy is one o f the most important acts in the Church’s life. Indeed, the whole Christian life flows out o f it and is directed towards it. This December 4 marked the fortieth anniversary o f the monumental Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum C oncillium , o f Vatican II, and I would like to take this opportunity to encourage a further renewal in liturgical catechesis and practice in our local church. This anniversary presents an excellent time for our church to reflect on the Church’s liturgy as described in various official documents and our celebrations o f it in our parishes. Further growth can occur only by building on the strengths and correcting the weaknesses o f our liturgical celebrations. In particular, I would like to comment on the absence o f Latin and Gregorian chants in Massejs throughout our archdiocese. The flourishing o f the vernacular and popular hymns has certainly been one o f the great fruits o f the liturgical reform, and has contributed much to the laity’s

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T H A N K S G IV IN G Thank you Father Sacred Heart of Jesus, Mother Mary, Saints Jude, Joseph, Anthony, Therese, Anne, Gerard, Infant of Prague for prayers answered. Please continue to bless and guide us. In gratitude: Serena & Eileen

C IT Y D IS T R IC T CATHEDRAL OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD Dec 24: 11 pm carols, M ’nite Mass. Dec 25f8 am. 10 am. CHURCH OF SS PETER & PAUL Dec 24: 11 pm carols, M ’nite Mass. Dec 25: 8.30 am (M), 10 am. ST JOSEPH’S CHURCH Dec 24: 9 pm Mass. Dec 25: 9 am. CHURCH OF OUR LAD Y OF LOURDES Dec 24: M ’nite Mass. Dec 25: 8 am (T), 10 am. CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART Dec 24: 9.30 pm carols, 10 pm (M), M ’nite Mass. Dec 25: 9 am. 11 am. CHURCH OF ST BERNADETTE Dec 24: 9.30 pm, M ’nite Mass. Dec 25: 9 am (M), 10.45 am. CHURCH OF ST M IC H AEL Dec 24: 8.00 pm. M'nite Mass. Dec 25: 8 am (M), 9.30 am. CHURCH OF ST TERESA Dec 24: 8.30 pm Children’s Mass, 11.30 pm pageant, M'nite Mass. Dec 25: 8.30 am, 10 am. NOVENA CHURCH Dec 24:9 pm vigil. Dec 25: 8.30 am, 5.30 pm.

N O R T H D IS T R IC T CHURCH OF ST JOSEPH Dec 24: 9 pm (M), 11 pm carols & pageant, M ’nite Mass. Dec 25: 8 am. 9.30 am, 11 am. CHURCH OF ST ANTHONY Dec 24: 7.45 pm (M). 9.30 pm. M'nite Mass. Dec 25: 9.15 am, 6 pm. CHURCH OF OUR LADY STAR O FTHE SEA Dec 24: 8 pm, 10 pm, M ’nite Mass. Dec 25: 9 am, 10 am. 11.45 am. CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Dec 24: 6 pm Childrens’ Mass, M'nite Mass. Dec 25: 7 am. 9 am, 11 am CHURCH OF THE RISEN CHRIST Dec 24: 11 pm Cantata & pageant, M'nite Mass. Dec 25: 7 am, 8.15 am (M), 9.30 am. 11 am, 6 pm. CHURCH OF CHRIST THE K ING Dec 24: 6 pm (Children’s Mass). 9 pm Mass, M'nite Mass. Dec 25: 8.15 am (M), 9.45 am. 11.30 am, 6 pm.

W E S T D IS T R IC T CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI Dec 24: 9 pm (M), 11.30 pm pageant. M ’nite Mass. Dec 25: 9-am, 10.30 am.

CHURCH OF ST MARY OF THE ANGELS Dec 24: 6.30 pm. 8 pm carols, 10 pm. Dec 25: 7.30 am (M), 9 am, 10.45 am. 12.30 pm. CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS Dec 24: 9 pm, M ’nite Mass. Dec 25: 7.15 am (M), 8.45 am, 10.30 am. BLESSED SACRAMENT CHURCH Dec 24: 7 pm (M), 9.30 pm Mass, M'nite Mass. Dec 25: 9 am (M), 10.30 am, 5.30 pm. CHURCH OF ST IGNATIUS Dec 24: 6 pm, 11.30 pm. Dec 25: 8.15 am, 10.15 am, 12 noon, 6 pm.

E A S T D IS T R IC T CHURCH OF ST STEPHEN Dec 24: M ’nite Mass. Dec 25: 8 am (M), 10 am. CHURCH OF OUR LAD Y QUEEN OF PEACE Dec 24: 8.45 pm pageant (M), 9.45 pm Mass (M), 11.15 pm pageant, M ’nite Mass. Dec 25: 9 am (M), 10.30 am, 6 pm. CHURCH OF THE HOLY FAMILY Dec 24: 9 pm, 11.30 pm pageant. M ’nite Mass. Dec 25: 9.15 am, 11.15 am, 6 pm (M). CHURCH OF OUR LAD Y OF PERPETUAL SUCCOUR Dec 24: 9 pm, M ’nite Mass. Dec 25: 7.30 am (M), 8.45 am, 10.15 am, 12 noon, 6 pm. CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY Dec 24: 6 pm Children’s Mass, 9 pm, M ’nite Mass. Dec 25: 8 am (M), 9.30 am, 11 am, 12.30 pm.

S E R A N G O O N D IS T R IC T ST ANNE’S CHURCH Dec 24: 8 pm Family Mass, M ’nite Mass. Dec 25: 7.30 am, 9 am, 10.30 am. CHURCH OF THE N A TIVITY OF THE BVM Dec 24: 7.30 pm Children’s Mass, 11 pm carols & pageant, M ’nite Mass. Dec 25: 7 am, 8.30 am, 10 am (M), 11.30 am. CHURCH OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL Dec 24: 9.30 pm. M ’nite Mass. Dec 25: 7 am, 9 am, 11 am, 6 pm. IM M AC U LATE HEART OF MARY CHURCH Dec 24: 7 pm Children’s Mass, 8.30 pm carols, 9 pm Mass, 11.30 pm carols, M ’nite Mass. Dec 25: 8.30 am, 10.45 am. CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER Dec 24: 6 pm Children’s Mass, 9 pm. M ’nite Mass. Dec 25: 9 am, 10.45 am. 5.30 pm. N o te: A ll M asses in E nglish unless indicated. (M ) M a n d a rin , ( T ) Tam il.

Special thanks to Sacred Heart of Jesus, Mother Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St Anne and Saint Jude for protection and prayers answered. Please continue to pray and intercede for us. Angela

In loving memory of

Thank you and heartfelt gratitude to Lord Jesus, Mother Mary, Holy Spirit and St Jude Thaddeus for repeatedly answering my prayers, particularly with regard to my medical health. Please continue to watch over and pray for my family and bless our health, safety and well being. We are also very grateful to all for watching over our safety and well being during our recent trip to Australia. With Love, Jean and Family

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DEREK ROGER ISAAC Called home: Jan l, 2002 Even though you are not her with us, we still love and miss you. Always remembered by Evelyn, Brian, Ivor, nieces, nephews and loved ones. from our family. But we know that you have returned to your father in heaven. Your memory still lives deeply, in all our hearts, and we still love you deeply. Entemal rest grant unto him O Lord. ---- Always loved and ■ remembered by Wife: Ivy Children: Catherine, Gabriel, Hillary ✓ t Daughter-in-law: VICTOR DAVID Shelley Anne De Departed:Dec 27, 1978 Rozario Although it has been Grandson: Michael 25 years now, and grand-daughter: that you have gone Adrianna.

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In loving memory of

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Thirteenth Anniversary In cherished memory of

... . Ninth Ann.versary ^ loving memory of

R. APPADURAI SANDANA MARIE Departed: Dec 28, 1975Departed: Dec 4,1994

God took them home, it was His will But in our hearts, we love them still; Their memory is as dear today As in the hour they passed away We often sit and think of them When we are all alone; For memory is the only friend That grief can call its own. Lovingly remembered by sons, daughters, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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Sixth Anniversary

CONSECRATION TO GOD THE FATHER

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FRANCIS THE PROPHET: A NEW VISION IN A TIME OF CRISIS Date: Jan 5 to 9, 2004, 9 am - 6 pm Place: LifeSprings, Canossian Spirituality Centre, 100 Jalan Merbok Speaker: Br William Short, ofm Contribution: S$150 (includes lunch) Contact: Gabriel Chong (6242-3242)

RCIA Date: Tues. Feb 24, at 7.30 pm.Venue: Verbist Hall, 4th Fir, Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (31 Siglap Hill). Enquiries: Joanna Wong (63398868) Amanda Woon (6374-8302).

SILVA FERDINAND Departed: Dec 24, 1990 Dearest Papa, There’s a sad but sweet remembrance There’s a memory fond and true, And a token of love and affection And a heartache still for you But the certainty of your happiness In God’s glory and holy presence, Fill the heart with joy and hope And a longing to meet in Heaven. Lovingly remembered and sadly missed by beloved daughter Beatrice.

TERESA LEE SENG NEO Departed:DeC 31, 1994 Her smiling way and pleasant face Are a pleasure to recall; She had a kind word for each And died beloved by all. Some day we hope to meet her, Some day, we know not when, To clasp her hand in the better land, Never to part again. Remembered by husband, Soo Long, children and grand-children.

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MR GORDON STEVEN Departed: Dec 30, 1997 God took him home, it was His w ill, But in our hearts we love him still, His memory is as dear today As in the hour he passed away. We often sit and think o f him When we are all alone, For memory is the only friend That grief can call its own. Dearly missed by wife, daughters, mother, siblings and all loved ones. In loving memory of

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JOSEPH EDMOND RAJ Departed: Dec 29, 2002 No farewell words were spoken, No time to say goodbye, You were gone before we knew it, And only God can tell us why.

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He had a kind word for each And died beloved by all. Some day we hope to meet him, Some day, we know not when, To clasp his hand in the better land, Never to part again. Dearly missed and fondly remembered by daughters Elizabeth, Margaret, Anna, FRANCIS TAN Marion; sons-in-law WEE SOON Christopher, Derek, Departed:Dec 29, 1990 Alan; grandchildren His smiling way and Debra, Daphne, pleasant face Denise, Melanie, Are a pleasure to Andrea and Ashley and recall; all loved ones.

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Departed:Dec 22,1984 Departed: Dec 12,2001 Departed: Dec 5,2002 Missed is the touch We cannot forget you A year has passed by Our loved one so dear; of your friendly hand, since the Lord Your memory grows Gone is your kindness took you home for beyond recall; Sweeter year after year. eternal rest. Gone to a world where May your soul rest in Always remembered peace and love peace with our prayers. by wife, daughters, Are given son, sons-in-law and Always remembered and gained by all. grand-daughters. by loved ones. Always remembered by mother, brother, Fourteenth In loving memory of sisters, brothers-in-law Anniversary and nieces. In loving memory of

THOMAS VINCENT GOMEZ Departed:Jan 1, 1999 May he rest in peace. Sadly missed by your loving nephews and nieces.

Seventeenth Anniversary

In loving memory of

Tenth Anniversary

In loving memory of a father and a husband

MDM MANGALAM MARY

FRANCIS NEELANKAVIL Bom: Dec 1932 Departed:Dec 30,1999 “ We have loved them dearly during life, let us not abandon them until we have conducted them by our prayers into the house of the Lord.” - St Am brose In loving memory of

A.S. DAVID JOSEPH GOMEZ Departed:Jan 3,1994 Dear one who left us in such sorrow But whose presence taught us much strength to go on He lives and always will. Your loved ones.

Departed:Dec 24,1989 We cannot forget you Our loved one so dear; Your memory grows Sweeter year after year. Always remembered by sons, daughters and loved ones.

First Anniversary In loving memory of

Departed.Dec 31,1986 You are gone, dear mother, Gone beyond the world of tears, But the memory of you will ever linger Through the passing years. Lovingly remembered by sons and daughters and all loved ones.

Fifth Anniversary In loving memory of

(P salm 2 7 :4 )

JOYCE TAM BENG NEO Departed: Dec 31,2002 Peacefully sleeping, AGNES LER resting at last, HUIKIANG The world’s weary Departed:Dec 29,2000 troubles and trials are past Put your arms In silence she suffered, around her, Lord in patience she bore, Tend her with your Till God loving care. called her home to Dearly missed by suffer no more. loved ones. Mass at Church of Lovingly remembered St Francis Xavier on and missed by family, Dec 29 at 6.30 pm. relatives and friends.

JOSH GERALD LOPEZ Departed:Dec 19, 1998 God gave us the strength to bear it, And courage to fight the blow, What it has meant to lose you, God alone will ever know. Always remembered by parents, sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews.

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From your loving wife, children, grand-children and loved ones.

“I a m th e r e s u r r e c tio n a n d th e life, h e w h o b e lie v e s in M e , th o u g h h e m a y d ie , h e s h a ll liv e .” J o h n 1 1 :2 6

Fondly remembered by Mary (Mummy), Angela and Benjamin, Philip and Mary, Linda and Surya, Christina, Mathew, Vanessa, Bryan, Adrian, Gerald, Ashley, Alexis and relatives.

Third Anniversary In loving memory of

Departed: Dec 23, 1971 One thing I ask of the Lord; This I seek: To dwell in the Lord’s house All the days of my life. To gaze on the Lord’s beauty, to visit his temple.

JOSEPH EE HONG KIAT Gone home to to the Lord On 26 December 2001 And we have not forgotten you For a part of you is always in us. Not a day has gone by When we would not smile and remember Your quizzical smile, your quirks and quips. A person with so much passion for our Blessed Mother, Madonna And yet enjoys Madonna, The singer just as much. Full of love, joy and fun, you were, Your patience for us, a Noble Prize. We miss you awfully You know we do. And you will always be with us Until we meet again.

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ANDREW AUGUSTINE CHEONG LIM KHUN Departed:Dec 18, 1995 For showing us the Light & imparting “ My Peace, I give to you” 8 years ago you went home to the Lord, We always remember your Love, Smile, Care and Concern. Wife: Annie Sons: Paul, David, Patrick and Francis. Daughters-in-Law, Grand and Great Grand Children.

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Departed: Dec 21, 84 Departed: Jan 10. 93 Departed: Jan 26, 91

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AIDS & condoms Issue far from settled at the Vatican By John Thavis VATICAN CITY - A s the world paused in early December to assess the gravity o f the AIDS epidem ic, the Vatican found itself under a fresh barrage o f criticism on the issue o f condoms. “Activists Blast Vatican Stand on Condoms,” “Catholics Should Challenge Church’s AIDS Claim,” “U N Official Slams Vatican” and “In the Fight Against AIDS, Catholics Can Only Be Ashamed” were just a few o f the headlines appearing in major publications around the world. Never mind that the church estimates its agencies provide 25 percent o f the care to AIDS sufferers worldwide. For many, the only real issue is the church’s failure to support condom campaigns. The condemnation o f the Vatican’s position was all the more pointed in the wake o f recent comments by a top Vatican official, Cardinal A lfonso Lopez Trujillo, who told the British Broadcasting Corp. that the latex used in condoms was porous enough to allow the AIDS virus to pass through. Several medical experts dism issed the cardinal’s remarks as inaccurate. Some accused him o f carrying out a Vatican disinformation effort. In the face o f all this negative publicity, the Vatican kept a low profile. Its major health care statement on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, did not mention the question of condoms; no Vatican official addressed the controversy, and papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls declined to answer questions on the subject.

No official position yet THERE were good reasons for downplaying the condom issue. For one thing, the Vatican doesn’t really have an official “position” on the question. Pope John Paul II, for example, has never specifically addressed whether condoms could or should be used in AIDS prevention. Nor is it taken up in the “Catechism o f the Catholic Church.” “W e’ve never published a document on this. Som e individuals have made remarks, but that is not the same as an official position,” Franciscan Father Maurizio Faggioni, a moral theologian and a consultor to the Congregation for the Doctrine o f the Faith, said in an interview. “I ’m amazed that the press continues to attribute to the church and the magisterium positions that have never been expressed,” he said. He rejected the idea o f a Vatican “crusade” against condoms, saying the reality is much more complex. In fact, one reason the church has made no definitive pronouncement on use of condoms against AIDS is that there is continuing theological debate on the issue. Som e o f the debate is going on inside Vatican offices. Father Faggioni said the doctrinal congregation has discussed the issue from several viewpoints. So far, he said, it has

concluded that there is not much new to say - use o f condoms against the threat of AIDS is seen not so much as a novel doctrinal issue but as a pastoral question involving individual Catholics and their confessors. Over the years, a few Vatican officials have responded to journalists’ questions by stating simply: “The position is very clear. The church does not accept condom s.” But behind the scenes, there’s considerable evaluation going on. Father Faggioni, for one, believes a case can be made for the use o f condoms by Catholic married couples seeking to protect themselves from AIDS. “I maintain that there can be situations in which the use o f the condom is licit not as an exception but licit in itself because it is used with the goal o f health protection,” he said.

Noriega, who specializes in sexual ethics, said the condom is always a technical solution that risks “deforming” the value o f married love as taught by the church. Father Jean Laffitte, a moral theologian at the same institute who advises the doctrinal congregation, said it was important to remember that the church’s “no” to condoms stems from its vision of married love as a form o f self-giving that may indeed require sacrifices. He said there’s a practical issue, too: If the church says yes to condoms for AIDS protection, many Christian couples would question why contraceptives are not also justified by other serious reasons. Vatican officials say the press often wrongly assumes that the church opposes condoms for anyone and under every circumstance. In fact, many church experts would say that the contraception teachings

H IV PATIENT, Chea Semoeun, aw aits treatment a t a hospital in Phnom Penh, Cam bodia, Nov. 25. Cam bodia is among the countries most affected by H IV IA ID S in Asia. On the occasion o f W orld A ID S Day, Pope John P a ul I I called f o r p ra y e r and education to prevent the spread o f the pandem ic disease.

C A R D IN A L Alfonso Lopez T ru jillo , in an interview in Rome in October, insisted that the virus that leads to A ID S could pass through a latex condom. Several m edical experts dismissed the cardinal's remarks as inaccurate.

D U R IN G the Ju ly 2002 W orld Youth D ay in Canada, a group not a ffilia te d w ith o ffic ia l C a th o lic sponsors o f the in te rn a tio n a l event handed out condoms to young p ilg rim s w ith the message, “ I f abstinence isn’t w orking f o r you, d o n ’t leave it up to yo u r G uardian A n g e l.’’

“In such a case, there is not an intention o f contraception, which is what the church finds morally objectionable about the condom ,” he said. Father Faggioni emphasized that he was speaking about sexual acts within the context o f marriage. He said he was thinking o f the pastoral reality in places like Nigeria, where “there are hundreds of Catholic couples with one o f the partners HIV-positive,” and where pastors must try to help them deal with the question of conjugal relations. Father Faggioni said many o f these couples would, in fact, like to have children but do not want to risk death by having sexual relations without a condom. In these cases, condom use can be morally defended, he said. But other moral theologians take a different stand. At the Lateran U niversity’s John Paul II Institute in Rome, Father Jose

have real relevance only within marriage; all other sexual activity is already considered immoral by the church, so whether a condom is used or not is beside the point. “In these other contexts, the problem is not condoms. The problem is disordered sexuality,” Father Faggioni said.

Practical considerations FROM a public health standpoint, the church has been critical on other grounds. For one thing, some Vatican officials have suggested that the widespread use of condoms may encourage promiscuous sexual activity, which itself is a factor in the spread o f AIDS. Church officials have also noted that condoms are not 100 percent effective, and so cannot - from a personal point o f view - offer com plete protection from the AIDS virus.

The church provides 25 percent of the care to AIDS sufferers worldwide, but for many critics the only issue is the church’s refusal to support condom campaigns.

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Father Faggioni said that leaves a dilemma. Even while the condom does not offer individuals com plete protection against the disease, “one can understand that for health authorities it’s better to use condoms and lower the level o f the epidem ic,” he said. Sometimes church agencies have discovered a margin o f cooperation with organizations that promote condoms in the battle against AIDS. Earlier this year, Caritas Intemationalis and the Joint U.N. Program on HIV/AIDS signed an agreement to work more closely together even while noting, in footnotes, their different approaches to the condom issue. Some Catholic experts believe that despite its m isgivings, the church should simply allow health authorities to do their jobs - especially given the dimensions o f the AIDS epidemic. “The church has certainly never taken a position against a serious health policy that is truly for the good o f the people,” Father Faggioni said. One Vatican official who asked not to be identified said there was strong sentiment at the Vatican for bishops not to publicly criticize or oppose their governments for handing out condoms. Whether that ever will be said publicly is another question. A measure o f the issue’s sensitivity can be seen in the fact that in 2000, the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers announced it was nearing completion on guidelines for church personnel working with AIDS sufferers. Three years later, the document is still awaiting final approval. □

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