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Thousands honour Our Lady of Fatima Message of Fatima stressed at Mass held in SJI field By C hristopher K hoo Heed the message of Mary at Fatima so as to live the lives that God wants for us, said Archbishop W illiam Goh at an outdoor Mass to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Mary’ s apparitions in Fatima, Portugal. “Her message to us all is to fast, practise mortification, to pray, to receive the Eucharist, and most of all to truly live the life of C hrist,” said Archbishop Goh at the Mass held at the school field of St oseph s Institution S I on Sept 3. The event, which saw some 5 ,000 people participating, was the highlight of a weeklong series of spiritual celebrations in the archdiocese in connection with the visit of the “International C entennial Pilgrim Image of O ur Lady of Fatima”. The Marian statue was one of six blessed by Pope Francis which are making their way to different continents in the world, bearing the message of prayer and penance. In his homily, Archbishop Goh noted that Mary “wants us to join her in saving humanity because God loves everyone” and that she is asking “us all … to consecrate ourselves to her Immaculate Heart”. There are three things to do, he said. Firstly, “we are called to contemplate on esus for how we should live our lives”, he said. “D oing the will of God is what gives us peace in this life,” he said, and “to consecrate ourselves to Mary is simply to do the will of od especially in difficult times. The second step is to embrace suffering “positively – that is what it means to share in the mortification for the conversion of sinners”, especially
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INSIDE HOME
Joint effort by Tamil, Sri Lankan Catholics They come together to create Scripture apps n Page 10
Celebrating Catholic Education Sunday School-church-home partnership stressed n Page 12
Novena Church to reopen O n Feast of Archangels n Page 13
ASIA
Protect Rohingya Muslims Pakistani bishops tell Aung San Suu K yi n Page 15
WORLD The I nternational C entennial P ilgrim I mage of O ur L ady of F atima being carried in procession on Sept 1 3 .
when one is sick, he said. The third step is to find od in all things”. “W herever you are called to do ... whatever you’ re supposed to do, if everybody is devoted to his vocation, to his responsibilities in
‘H
life, that’ s the greatest glory you can give to God. That is what it means to do the will of God at all times,” said Archbishop Goh. Hours before the Mass started at 7.30 pm, people were already arriving at the venue, waiting pa-
er message to us all is to fast, practise
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– A rchbishop W illiam G oh
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tiently in the afternoon heat. D uring the entire Mass, the Marian image was placed in a position of honour on stage. It was later carried in procession through the crowd as people recited the rosary while holding lighted candles. Forming part of the procession were children dressed as the shepherd children who saw Mary at Fatima, and girls dressed as angels. n C ontinued on P age 2
We want to talk about sex and sexuality Say young people at Vatican meeting n Page 17
POPE FRANCIS
Pope meets freed Salesian priest Fr Tom was held captive for 18 m onths n Page 21
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A rchbishop W illiam G oh blessing the crow d w ith the Blessed Sacrament.
Sunday October 1, 2017 n CatholicNews
The archbishop and priests celebrating Mass at St Joseph’ s I nstitution on Sept 13.
P hotos: V I TA I mages
A night of prayer and devotion
The crow d holding lighted candles during the recitation of the rosary.
C hildren dressed as the young F atima vi sionaries w ho saw Mary. n F rom P age 1
There was also benediction with the Blessed Sacrament and a prayer of consecration to O ur Lady. Participants who attended the event told C atholic News they found it spiritually enriching. “Awesome! ” said Ms Faustina
Julianna Lim, adding that it was a “once in a lifetime historical event”. “For those who couldn’ t go there [to Fatima in Portugal], O ur Lady came and visited us,” said Ms Lim, who had attended the prayer vigil at the C athedral of the Good Shepherd the previous two nights. Juan Tan, a 17- year-old SJI student, found it an “interesting experience … very different from what I usually experience at Mass”. He said he was quite impressed at “so many people coming together. Q uite nice to see believers gathering at one space, just praying.” His schoolmate, Shawn Leong, 18, said he found the atmosphere “prayerful” and “enriching”. He added that he had not really experienced devotion to O ur Lady of Fatima before. n christoph er.kh oo@catholic.org.sg
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Pilgrim image makes its way around the archdiocese
Prayers and devotions accompany the Marian image as it is taken to various churches and organisations The visit of the International C entennial Image of O ur Lady of Fatima started at the C athedral of the G ood Shepherd on Sept 11 as rector Msgr Philip Heng received and crowned the statue that has been blessed by Pope Francis. A crowd of 2,000 witnessed the ceremony. Huge crowds also packed the evening Masses here on Sept 11 and 12, the all-night vigils and the following morning’ s 6 am Masses. Those who came for the vigils were invited to light a votive candle to symbolise the renewal of their faith and/ or their desires to be the Light of C hrist and peace to the world. Some 8 ,000 votive candles were lighted. The rosary recitations were conducted in Malayalam, Tamil, K orean, C hinese ( Teochew) , Filipino, Bahasa Indonesia and English. This was to symbolise the need to continue building an inclusive C hurch, said Msgr Heng. The statue was also taken to several venues for private devotions. For example on Sept 14, it was taken to St A nthony’ s C anossian P rimary School, where 350 students from the C anossian, Marist and Infant Jesus schools, as well as Holy Innocents’ Primary and St Stephen’ s schools came together for a time of prayer. They learnt more about the significance of ur Lady and the message that she brought to the children at Fatima 100 years ago. This was followed by a rosary devotion session, the consecration of families and a Mass. Later, the C anossian school students had a rosary devotion session where they re ected on ur Lady s message and intentions. The C atholic parents of St Anthony’ s C anossian Primary School were also invited for a private rosary session led by the C anossian Sisters. The statue was later brought to the C hurch of St Mary of the A ngels. Vespers and Mass were celebrated, followed by a candlelight rosary procession. There was also an investiture of the brown scapular. More than 2,000 people attended the celebration. O n Sept 15, the pilgrim image was taken to the C atholic Spirituality C entre for the culmination of the centre’ s 3 3 D ays to Morning lory wee ly re ections. The investiture of the brown scapular, Marian consecration and the recitation of the rosary commenced the centre’ s celebration of the Feast of O ur Lady of Sorrows. A day of recollection on Sept 16 and a day of prayer the following day – which included talks and devotion to O ur Lady of Fatima – c ompleted the programme.
Msgr P hilip H eng crow ns the image at the cathedral.
F r Simon P ereira speak s about O ur L ady at St A nthony’ s C anossian P rimary School.
P hoto: V I TA I mages
V otive candles at the cathedral’ s all- night vi gils.
C andlelight procession at the C hurch of St Mary of the A ngels.
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The statue is carried into the C hurch of Sts P eter and P aul.
P hoto: A L EX A N D ER A N TH O N Y CH O O N G
F r E rbin F ernandez celebrates Mass at the C atholic Spirituality C entre.
The C hurch of Sts P eter and P aul hosted the Marian image on Sept 18 with Mass and rosary prayers in Mandarin. About 1,000 people attended the event with many having to stand outside the church. Fr Henry Siew blessed about
1,000 brown scapulars. People were also invested in the brown scapular by priests and nuns. The visit of the statue to the C hurch of O ur L ady Q ueen of P eace on Sept 18 was like a “homecoming” for O ur Lady of Fatima to the parish.
C onsecration to Jesus and Mary at the C hurch of O ur L ady Q ueen of P eace.
O n April 19, 1978, a similar Pilgrim Virgin Statue was received and carried aloft by two priests – the late Frs C arlo Ly and Alfred C han. More than 3,000 parishioners from the East D istrict attended that event then. Now almost 30 years later, this
same parish honoured O ur Lady with a Mass, candlelight rosary procession, Eucharistic adoration and benediction followed by the investiture of the brown scapular. n A rticle contribut ors: M SG R P H I L I P H EN G , A N G EL IN A
P ER EI R A , P ER P ETU A
H O , CA TH O L I C SP I R -
I TU A L I TY CEN TR E and P A R I SH ES
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‘I keep going because the poor keep coming’ ... says founder of Willing Hearts who recently received the Magsaysay award
Mr Tony Tay receiv ing the R amon Magsaysay A w ard from P hilippine v ice president L eni R obredo at the C ultural C entre of the P hilippines in Manila on A ug 3 1 . P hoto: R A M O N M A G SA Y SA Y A W A R D F O U N D A TI O N
By Jared Ng hen he first received phone calls telling him he was one of the winners of the hilippines a mon Magsaysay ward, Mr Tony Tay thought it was a scam . Mr Tay, 70, founder of the charity organisation illing earts, recalled that he hung up the phone when he received calls from what he later found out was the award committee. e was convinced only when he received official documents a out the award. The award is sia s highest honour and is often regarded as the region s e uivalent of the o el ri e. In electing Mr Tay to receive the award, the amon Magsay say oundation cited his a iding dedication to a simple act of ind ness sharing food with others and his inspiring in uence in en larging this simple indness into a collective, inclusive, vi rant volunteer movement. illing earts, founded in 2003 and located at em angan Chai Chee Community u , has a soup itchen run y a out si staff and 300 volunteers a day. It prepares, coo s and distri utes meals to the poor and needy seven days a wee . Mr Tay is the third Singapore an to win the award after pioneer ministers Lim im San and oh eng Swee in and 72 re spectively. Mr Tay said that he was en couraged y his volunteers and staff to go on ehalf of illing earts to the award ceremony at
the Cultural Centre of the hilip pines in Manila on ug 3 . The award for me recognis es the effort of the volunteers, said Mr Tay, who received a US 30,000 S 0,000 cash pri e, a certificate and a medallion. Mr Tay, a parishioner of the Church of St Michael, said he lives out his faith through serving the less fortunate. I elieve in action, and I feel my faith grows through my actions, he said, adding that he than s od for always watching over him. hen as ed whether he wor ries a out not having enough food supplies to prepare for eneficiar ies, Mr Tay told Catholic ews that he also elieves in providence. illing earts relies on do nors for its food supplies. e shared an e perience one day when he was planning to uy
Mr Tay, s een here w earing a hairnet for food preparation, s aid he started W illing H earts because of a desire to serve the poor and needy.
rice ecause there was not enough to go around. That morning efore he left home, a woman came and donated ags worth of rice. Mr Tay also highlighted the important role that the organisa tion s family of volunteers play and said that what we do every day would not e possi le without their energy, strength and support. They can e from any reli gion, race or ac ground. ere we don t udge, said Mr Tay. andoned y their father, Mr Tay and his three sisters were raised y their mother. rom the age of five to 0, he stayed at a Church run home.
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e too on odd o s when he was 2 and later wor ed in a printing company. hat made him decide to start illing earts was a desire to serve the poor and less fortu nate and also unite a community through food. The easiest way of uniting people is food and tal ing, Mr Tay said with a smile. e arrives at his soup itchen at a out .30 am to egin coo ing with volunteers. ac ing and deliveries start at a out 7 am and end y 2 pm. fter that, Mr Tay and the volunteers collect food donations and prepare for the ne t day s food deliveries.
be lieve in action, and I feel my faith grow s through my actions.
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– M r Tony Tay, f ounder of W illing H earts
Mr Tay w ork ing in the W illing H earts soup k itchen located at K embangan C hai C hee C ommunity H ub.
e shared that he usually reaches home around pm. Today, illing earts serves a out ,000 eneficiaries. These include the elderly, people with disa ilities, the homeless and o less. The organisation s eight vehi cles travel to a out 0 locations a day to distri ute the pac ed meals. The charity also provides den tal, spectacle and TCM services on selected days, said Mr Tay. n what has ept him go ing, Mr Tay said, I eep going ecause the poor eep coming. I en oy what I do and in life that is important. evertheless, he shared that he plans to step down from illing earts at the end of this year ut will continue to serve as a volunteer. n jared.ng@catholic.org.sg
olunteers help to pac food for beneficiaries.
5 BUILDING BUILDINGTHE THE CHURCH CHURCH OF OFTOMORROW TOMORROW 3
Sunday October 1, 2017 n CatholicNews
encountering god and hope in the workplace
The Gift of My Church (#TGOMC) is a series featuring how Catholics from all walks of life have been touched by God through their service or participation in the life of the Archdiocese of Singapore. In this issue, writer Carolyn Lim discovers how an undergraduate found hope during an internship at a Catholic organisation. When undergraduate Joshua Chan, 24, struggled to find an internship during his third year at the National University of Singapore, he began to wonder if God was testing him. Discernment and prayer led him to consider an internship in a Catholic organisation, even though his peers were heading for roles with large corporations. Joshua had found himself desiring something other than “meeting KPIs and making money”, he shared. So, when he learned of an internship offered by the Office for Catechesis (OFC) through a friend, he readily applied. OFC, located at the Catholic Archdiocesan Education Centre at Highland Road, has 11 fulltime and part-time staff. They are tasked with the training and formation of catechists, analysing the state of catechesis in the archdiocese, and developing strategies to strengthen faith formation. They began offering internships to young people about six years ago. The internship gives young people an opportunity to go “behind the scenes” and experience how an archdiocesan organisation works.
a catholic workplace Catechesis is not new to Joshua, who has been serving
Joshua Chan (centre) in a group photo with his colleagues from the OFC. Photo: Joshua Chan. as a catechist at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (OLPS) since 2012. But his experience interning at OFC between June and August this year proved to be an experience he had not expected. Throughout his internship, Joshua found himself being constantly reminded of how different it was to be in “a workplace where Christ could exist and in the people who worked there.” Joshua received the opportunity to contribute to future plans for confirmation camps in various parishes, and managed other administrative and support work. Admittedly, some tasks he had to perform were mundane, but he found that doing such tasks seemed different when he did it for OFC. Such a thought crossed his mind one day while laminating and cutting materials. “Even though I end up doing this
it is very rewarding to know that from the little you give, god can still work his miracles. sometimes, I actually find it rewarding because I know I am doing it for a greater purpose,” he shared. He added, “It is very fulfilling to know that from the little you give, God can still work His miracles. I could do some really simple thing, but God would do so much more through someone else’s conversion.” Joshua also had the chance to see the Church at work beyond the parish and was given the opportunity to go to different parishes to observe how things were done. “That really got me curious about the possibility of working for the Church in the future,” he said.
Archbishop William Goh speaking to the catechists during the Launch of the Catechetical Year event held at the beginning of every year. Photo: Office for Catechesis.
Our archdiocese envisions a more vibrant, missionary and evangelistic Church. As the fundraising arm of the Archdiocese of Singapore, the Catholic Foundation has launched the Giving in Faith & Thankfulness (GIFT) campaign to urge every Catholic to participate in making the vision of the archdiocese a reality.
finding hope On top of gaining new knowledge and new friends, Joshua felt his experience at OFC had also embodied the Gospel message that it is more blessed to give than to receive. He explained, “Honestly I was feeling quite lost when I was looking for an internship. I started thinking about life and I felt unsure of what to do anymore. But working at OFC has given me hope and direction again.” Like many Catholics, Joshua gets discouraged at times by events unfolding around the Church. “I worry about what could happen to the Church in the future. But when I see what God does when I give my time for the Church, and when I see the passion of people who work for the Church and who share its vision, I see hope,” he said. After benefiting from the internship, like others before him, Joshua now encourages fellow young Catholics to not be afraid in doing more for the faith. “If we do not take that step and give of our time, we would not even get to experience what it is like. God is in this place and the Church needs more who want to serve,” he said.
The Office for Catechesis (OFC) is one of several organisations in the archdiocese supported by the Catholic Foundation. It provides training and formation for catechists and those involved in catechetical ministries. This not only includes children’s and youth catechesis, but also special needs catechesis, RCIA, and Liturgy of the Word with Children. A regular financial pledge to the Catholic Foundation will enable OFC to continue equipping Catholics to help form the faith of those learning about Christ.
GE PLEDW NO
a series contributed by
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Verbum Dei marks 20 years “These 20 years are a reminder for love through the way of life as a me of God’ s faithfulness as well consecrated person.” as the need to continue to trust in Before the Mass began, the Him” said Verbum D ei Mission- congregation watched a video ary, Sr Maria Jose M. Egido. “I showing how the community have seen so many miracles that started as well as the blessings it God has worked in our commu- has received, A commemorative nity because I trusted in Him.” C D , featuring three songs comSr Maria Jose was speaking at posed by Verbum D ei Sr Monika a Sept 9 Mass to mark the 20th an- Punan, was also given to guests. niversary of the Verbum D ei Missionaries in Singapore. The nun History established the R eligious community here in 1997, and was sharing O n Sept 12, 1997, Sr Maria Jose about the initial challenges she M. Egido set foot in Singapore experienced. and established the Verbum D ei At the Mass held at the C hurch Missionary Fraternity upon reof the Holy C ross, she recounted ceiving approval from the late that many people told her it was dif- Archbishop Gregory Y ong. ficult getting local vocaAnother Sister, Sr tions, renting a at and Y olanda D e La Fuente, I have seen eventually joined her. getting a visa to stay. They initially stayed However, “miraso many in a three-room rented cles” happened, and miracles at in Clementi. the Sisters now have that G od has The Verbum D ei several local vocations as well as their own w ork ed in our Sisters now have a permanent house at 4 permanent home after community. Sommerville R oad. renting various houses Presently, Srs Maover the years. – S r Maria Jose In his homily, M. E gido ria Jose M. Egido ( from Spain) , Leticia C andeFranciscan Friar JohnPaul Tan noted that the Verbum lario Lopez ( from Mexico) , Sandra D ei charism centred on the W ord Seow and Monika Punan ( from of God which is much needed in Singapore) as well as the three local postulants live on the premises. the C hurch today. Here, they conduct prayer sesHe also noted that there are eight local Verbum D ei vocations sions, retreats and faith formation and three local postulants in the based on the W ord of God as well community, adding that the C hurch as spiritual direction. Since November 2014, the cannot say that there is a lack of Verbum D ei Missionaries have vocations among young people. It is important to have vision been tasked by Archbishop W iland trust, he said to the 300 people liam Goh with running the Archpresent consisting of Verbum D ei diocesan Biblical Apostolate, conlay disciples, friends and R eli- ducting Scripture-based sessions, retreats and seminars. gious from various communities. In his congratulatory letter, Postulant Maureen Tan shared during the Mass her experience Archbishop Goh said the archof Jesus through the Verbum D ei diocese “is deeply appreciative of your contribution to the deepencharism. “Jesus has become a close ing of the faith of our C atholics friend whom I want to continue here through a love for the W ord to walk with,” she said. “It is on of God”. F or more information on the this basis that I have taken this decision to move in and start this V erbum D ei M issionaries, visit experience; to learn how to stay in http: / / verbum deisingapore.org/ n
V erbum D ei Srs Maria Jose M. E gido and Sandra Seow ( from left) cutting the annive rsary cak e on Sept 9.
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Anaesthesiology – Pain Management • Cardiology • Cardiothoracic Surgery • Dentistry • Dermatology • Endocrinology •
Gastroenterology General Surgery • Geriatric Medicine • Hand Surgery • Medical Oncology • Neurology • Neurosurgery
Obstetrics & Gynaecology Ophthalmology • Orthopaedic Surgery • Otorhinolaryngology (Ear, Nose, Throat) • Palliative Medicine • Plastic Surgery
Psychiatry Radiation Oncology • Renal Medicine • Respiratory Medicine and Intensive Care Medicine • Sports Medicine • Urology
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Serve all with Love
V erbum D ei community in Singapore. F ront row ( from left) : postulant Maureen Tan, Sr Monik a P unan and postulant Sabrina Tan. Back row ( from left) ; Sr L eticia C andelario L opez , Sr Maria Jose M. E gido, Sr Sandra Seow and postulant Margaret L ee.
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Montfort Junior School C atholic students doing an action song.
F r E dw ard Seah leading students in adoration at the Sept 1 r etreat.
Montfort students enjoy retreat About 60 Montfort Junior School C atholic students returned to school on Sept 1, Hari R aya Haji, for a retreat. W ith exams looming, principal W ilbur W ong had highlighted these verses to parents in a letter about the retreat: “C ommit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” ( Proverbs 16 : 3 ) and “I can do all things through Him who
strengthens me” ( Philippians 4 : 13 ) . The retreat started with praise and worship songs before students entered into a time of C hristian meditation to get into a prayerful mood. Fr Edward Seah led students in Eucharistic adoration, interspersed with prayers and hymns. A few students later shared that this was their favourite session. Fr C ornelius C hing talked about
encountering C hrist and why and how important it is to spend time with Jesus every time, every day. He shared stories and examples and related personal experiences. Gabrielite lay chaplains Z erah Goh, Gerald K ong and W ilson C hew facilitated an activity titled Sowing Seeds which saw students using seeds in a game based on the Parable of the Sower. n
Students playing the Sow ing Seeds game based on the P arable of the Sow er.
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proclamation on the family is good news indeed. The Joy of Love experienced by families is also the joy of the Church. The desire to marry and form a family remains vibrant, especially among young people, and this is an inspiration to the Church. As a response to that desire, “the Christian proclamation on the family is good news indeed”.
Finding Faith Through Job Loss
According to data released by the Ministry of Manpower this year, the slowing economy has hit job seekers hard. The struggle to find new jobs was even harder for older workers, degree holders and PMETs (professional, managers, executives and technicians). Two families came forward to share their stories with Margaret Leong and Tee Hun Ching, hoping to encourage and support fellow families to soldier on, knowing that God has a plan for them amidst the difficulties. Jason and Jenny first met at a friend’s birthday party in their hometown of Malacca. He was 21 years old, searching for direction in life. She was 16 years old, freshfaced and full of zest for life. This was the start of their bittersweet life together, one which is now unfolding with Christ. Being young and full of dreams, Jason and Jenny moved to Singapore and worked hard at their jobs hoping to carve out a wonderful life together. Jason was a highly skilled machinist in a multinational company dealing with Oil Tools. Jenny was an accountant and also in a multinational company. They took frequent holidays together and ate out regularly in restaurants. To their families, Jason and Jenny seemed like the perfect couple living the perfect dream. However the crisis at work began to unravel the empty married life they were living for the past 10 years. In their pursuit of making money, they forgot each other. “Even though we were living in the same house, our conversations had become very superficial.” recalled Jenny. “We didn’t know what the other person was doing or what was happening in each other’s life.” Jenny pulled long hours at work and even took on additional jobs to make more money. On the other hand, Jason’s shift was from 7am to 4pm. When he left for work early in the morning, Jenny would still be asleep. When Jenny returned from work at midnight, Jason was already fast asleep. The only time they spent together in the week was attending Sunday Mass. As the economy started to slow down, manpower changes were made in the company Jason had worked in for the past 18 years. Cheaper foreign labour was brought in and Jason found it increasingly difficult to communicate and work with his co-workers. Frustration and worry mounted as he thought
of his financial commitments to the family. Meanwhile, Jenny faced her own set of problems at work. A massive restructuring exercise at her company saw Jenny given a bigger portfolio without pay compensation. The 14 hours of work she was putting in daily was leading her to depression. Each struggled with their work problems in their own silos. Eventually Jason was given the pink slip in June last year while Jenny decided to call it quits in September the same year. Initially both felt relieved that they no longer had to face the oppressive work environment. But relief soon turned into worry as they saw their bank accounts decrease and bills increase. Growing up in a family with deep faith, Jenny turned to God for strength. After a few months of recuperating, she decided to take the leap into direct sales which offered her flexible working hours and an opportunity to better lives through the products she sold. Because of her bubbly personality, she was able
‘Even though we were living in the same house, our conversations had become very superficial. We didn’t know what the other person was doing or what was happening in each other’s life.’ to grow her network of business associates and customers quickly and had to travel often for overseas conferences. Jason, on the other hand, struggled to find a stable job. He lowered his salary requirements and tried working in different industries but still nothing worked out. Frustrated and lonely, he eventually turned to a common female friend for solace. The final blow came when Jenny invited Jason to join her on a trip to Guangzhou and found out that he had planned an overseas
Refusing to give up on their marriage gave Jason and Jenny the chance to reconnect with each other again.
trip with this female friend they both knew. Jenny’s world collapsed. In the midst of the pain, both had the grace to desire to salvage their marriage. “I never thought of giving up. It never crossed my mind.” Jason said. “We had to beg Fr Bruno for a space in the Marriage Encounter Weekend,” added Jenny as tears flooded her eyes. During the retreat, they pleaded with God to heal their wounded marriage and help them start afresh. They remembered their beginnings and saw how work had overtaken their relationship. It took a crisis to unravel the empty married life they had been living. Now, Jason has a full-time job. Even though this job doesn’t pay as much and they have to make drastic changes to their lifestyle, Jason and Jenny are thankful. On top of attending Sunday Mass together, they begin each day renewing their commitment to each other in prayer with God. “We are still learning, still recovering and growing in our marriage. Our dream now is to be financially stable so that we can serve in church together.” says Jason as they looked at each other. Held Up by Faith For 12 years, Alex Budiman enjoyed a successful career with a company that developed and produced medical devices. When its chief executive was replaced unexpectedly last
October, there was some unease. Then, for the first time in his adult life, Alex, 50, found himself out of a job last December, in a company he had invested in. “I thought I was safe as part of the management staff. I was looking forward to the challenging and exciting times in making a successful acquisition for the company and a potentially lucrative return on my personal investment,” recalled Alex, a vice-president with the firm. As the sole breadwinner, his biggest concern was naturally the family’s financial security. He received a good severance package but, as he put it, the money “was certainly not enough to retire in Singapore”. With two of his four children living overseas, Alex and his wife, Ann, quickly drew up a budget and trimmed their spending even as Alex poured his time and energy into hunting for a new job. “We quickly realised that we might have to sell our house if I couldn’t land a job within a year. We gave ourselves six months before we would seriously consider downsizing.” Their children were supportive and understanding, but their concern added to his mental load. Another challenge the couple faced during this rough period was adjusting to what he termed “the extensive face-time”. Ann recalled, “There were times when we fussed over little things around the house. Looking back, I think Alex was stressed and not as patient as he normally is.” The couple, who have been married for 23 years, credit their faith for pulling them through. “I kept thinking that God has a plan for us and no matter what, we were going to be fine,” said Ann. Meanwhile, Alex grappled with the uncertainty of what the future held. “The what ifs kept coming to mind. I remember Continue on page
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Finding Faith Through Job Loss
Amoris Laetitia
Continued from page 6
An excerpt from Amoris laetitia ( Latin: The Joy of Love) a post-synodal apostolic exhortation by P ope Francis released in April 2016.
T hrough all the distress, A lex p reserved with the unwavering support of his wife, A nn.
asking myself: what if God’s plan was for me to do something else? ” Friends also provided much support and encouragement. “We saw God’s love manifested in our friends and community during this difficult time,” said Alex. But it was Ann, with her unwavering belief, who became his rock. So strong was her conviction that Alex even wondered if she truly grasped how the loss of income would affect their lives. As he kept reminding himself that God was in control, he came across P roverbs 3: 56, which became his motto: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” Around this time, his parish priest, R ev Fr K enny Tan of the Church of Our Lady of P erpetual Succour, spoke to him about nominating him to chair the P arish P astoral Council Executive Committee. Alex wondered if that was the sign to dedicate his time to church work. But upon learning that he had been laid off,
Fr K enny promptly told him to focus on finding a job. “God spoke through Fr K enny,” said Alex. God also answered his prayers. After receiving three offers from four job interviews, he began working at a reputable multinational company in March, taking on a similar role as that in his previous firm. The brief spell of unemployment has reminded the couple not to take anything for granted and to review their spending. It has also pulled them closer together. In May this year, they attended the Marriage Encounter Weekend, 10 years after their first ME retreat. “We needed the booster jab. Our perspective, family situation and priorities have changed,” he said. “We returned home with a renewed sense of intimacy and appreciation for each other.” Most importantly, the trial has bolstered their faith. “The experience affirmed our belief that we need to stay firm in our faith to God and surrender. He is in charge and will take care of us,” said Ann.
Connecting Catholics At Work The Catholic Business Network Singapore ( CBN Singapore) is a non-profit organization that has been set up by a group of professionals and businessmen with the aim of bringing fellow Catholics closer together in the marketplace. The mission of CBN is threefold: • To provide a network of Catholic fellowship for members • To support the advancement of Catholic morality, values and ethics in the workplace and business practices • To encourage members to live their faith more fully in the workplace and to serve
Catholic Family Events in October - November 2017 October 1 3
C areer C ounselling R ecently, CBN also launched a career counselling programme for P METs and tertiary graduates entering the workforce, in collaboration with a group of volunteers. The career counsellors, who include full-time HR practitioners, lecturers and senior executives, hold a Specialist Diploma in Career Counselling and provide the service at no charge.
the community through their work efforts C ommunity E mployability D ay & Resume W riting W ork shop CBN partners with the Employment and Employability Institute ( e2i) in organizing a Community Employability Day each year. Through this job fair, CBN aims to help rank and file workers find employment. A resume writing workshop, where job seekers receive tips on how to write resumes that help them stand out, is typically held in conjunction with the job fair.
V isit www.cbn.sg, email admin@ cbn.sg or call 68017491 to find out more.
F or a list of family events in the Archdiocese visit
catholicfamily.org.sg/ events
November 24
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M arriage Retorno
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P ieta M onthly S upport S ession for B ereaved P arents 13 - 15 October ( Friday - Sunday) , 24 October ( Tuesday) , 7.30pm - 9 pm 8pm - 5pm ( Depart on Friday 4: 00 pm) Agape V illage, Miriam Convent, J alan B atu Pahat, 8 6 0 0 0 K luang, J ohor 7 A Lorong 8 Toa Payoh, S ingapore 3 1 9 2 6 4 F or every married couple who wishes to
M arriage E ncounter W eek end
P ieta M emorial M ass for C hildren who have died
C HO I C E W eek end
3 - 5 November ( Friday - Sunday) , 8pm - 6pm Marriage Encounter House, 2 0 1 B Punggol 1 7 th Avenue, S ingapore 8 2 9 6 5 1
10 November ( Friday) , 7pm
24 - 26 November, Friday 7pm - Sunday 6: 30pm CHO I CE R etreat House, 4 7 J urong West S treet 4 2 , S ingapore 6 4 9 3 6 8
deepen a sense of communion with one another and with the Lord through scriptural prayer and desires to make couple prayer their way of life.
We meet as a group of bereaved parents to find mutual support through prayer, scripture and sharing of experiences.
D iscover the weekend that has been transforming marriages all over the world for more than 4 0 years.
N o need to register, just walk in.
F or couples married two years and above.
catholicfamily.org.sg/ marriageretorno/ to download the registration form
P ieta.singapore@ gmail.com facebook .com/ P ietaS ingapore
Stanley ( 9 819 1883) Esme ( 9 011 279 5) Steven & Susie ( 9 655 3708)
Programme starts F riday (8 pm) and ends S unday (6 pm). wwmesg.org/ me- week end- selector to book a weekend.
I f you wish to include mention of your child (including unborn and adult children), please register with your name, telephone and email address before 1 5 O ctober at pieta.singapore@ gmail.com. For more information please see www.facebook .com/ P ietaS ingapore/
CHO I CE is for single young adults aged between 1 8 – 4 0 years old (Catholics and N on- Catholics) seeking for some time to re- examine the values, lifestyle and relationships in their own lives. registration@ choice.org.sg Hillary ( 9 79 0 0537) Carrie ( 9 671 669 5) Francesca ( 9 710 9 680)
This section is produced by the Archdiocesan Commission for the Family and is published on the last issue of each month. For more information on Catholic family life matters, visit catholicfamily.org.sg.
P hoto by C T S B ook s
It is clear from the very first pages of the Bible that work is an essential part of human dignity; there we read that ‘ the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it’ ( Gen 2: 15) . Man is presented as a labourer who works the earth, harnesses the forces of nature and produces ‘ the bread of anxious toil’ ( P s 127: 2) , in addition to cultivating his own gifts and talents … ‘ Economic constraints prohibit a family’s access to education, cultural activities and involvement in the life of society. In many ways, the present-day economic situation is keeping people from participating in society. Families, in particular, suffer from problems related to work, where young people have few possibilities and job offers are very selective and insecure. Workdays are long and oftentimes made more burdensome by extended periods away from home. This situation does not help family members to gather together or parents to be with their children in such a way as to nurture their relationships each day’ ( R elatio Finalis 2015, 14) .” – Amoris Laetitia, 23, 44
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Tamil, Sri Lankan Catholics create Scripture apps By Jared Ng
Members of the Tamil community doing an audio recording for a Scripture mobile app in Franciscan Friar Julian Mariaratnam’s office in 2012.
Everyday for six months in 2012, members of the Tamil and Sri Lankan community came together to do audio recordings for mobile apps that provide daily Scripture readings in Tamil and Sinhalese. “It really was a big effort,” recalled Franciscan Friar Julian Mariaratnam, chaplain of the Sri Lankan community, who opened up his office at the Church of St Mary of the Angels for this project. He also supervised their efforts.
Thanks to these efforts and the could do and I began to do some work of Mr John Louis, who de- research,” he said. signed and programmed four such Prior to developing the mobile apps, Tamil and Sinhalese Catho- apps, Mr Louis had only designed lics now have the option to boost web pages. However he felt that their spirituality in languages they “a mobile app would be more conare familiar with. venient for them [his community] Three of the apps provide daily to use”. Scripture readings in Tamil, Sinha“I hope the apps will prove lese and English while the fourth useful to people and be a way of contains prayers such as the rosary evangelising,” said Mr Louis. and Stations of the Cross in Tamil. Although the apps have been in The English existence for a numapp content was ber of years, “There taken with perhave been constant The four apps mission from the improvements provide daily United States Conmade to make them Scripture ference of Catholic more user-friendly,” Bishops. Mr Louis, 37, readings in Tamil, said According to Mr who works in the IT Sinhalese and Louis, who is with industry. the Tamil commuThe apps reEnglish and also nity at the Church quire an Internet contain prayers connection to funcof St Francis of Assisi, the idea such as the rosary tion, and contain to start these apps audio, text and came about because and Stations of the video. The audio he wanted to help recordings are acCross in Tamil. “share the Bible companied by with his community background music. in India”. Users can also get information “Very few of them can read about the saint of the day. or write, so listening is the best The English daily Scripture way for them,” said Mr Louis. He reading app is call Missal-Good added that he was also motivated News, the Tamil app is called to help his mother listen to daily Iraivarthai and the Sinhalese app Scripture readings. is called Supuwatha. Mr Louis came to Singapore The app with prayers in Tamil from Chennai in 2007. It was dur- is called Iraiputhaham. ing his visits home to Chennai that There have been more than he realised there was a need to 120,000 downloads for the apps cater to the spiritual needs of his worldwide. n community. “I was thinking of what I jared.ng@catholic.org.sg
Mr John Louis showing one of the apps he developed.
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Archdiocese celebrates Catholic Education Sunday St dents ere resent in h r hes on Se t R ight: St. A nthony C anossian P rimary and H ai Sing C atholic schools’ students forming the choir at the C hurch of D ivi ne Mercy. Below left: exh ibition on C atholic education. Below right: a St G abriel’ s Secondary School student reads during Mass at the C hurch of St F rancis X av ier.
to affirm the im ortan e of s hool h r h home artnershi Students from C atholic schools, highlight the critical role C atholic their parents, staff and alumni education plays in the formation were at various parishes recently of young people. They said they to emphasise the collaboration hope future C atholic Education between school, church and home Sundays will be given greater in the formation of young C atho- publicity in all parishes. lics. Many parents and staff in O ver the Sept 9- 10 weekend, C atholic schools said they wished students served in the choir for to see a stronger presence of Masses at some parishes, while priests and R eligious in schools, others served as lectors, altar serv- working closely with the school ers and greeters in addition to pre- community for Masses and other senting the offertory gifts. faith formation activities. Parishioners arriving for the Priests at the parishes also 11 am Mass at St. Anne’ s C hurch welcomed the efforts by the Archwere pleasantly surprised to be diocesan C ommission for C atholic greeted by a choir of C HIJ St Jo- Schools ( AC C S) and the C ouncil seph’ s C onvent girls welcoming of C atholic Schools’ Principals them at the church en( C C SP) to raise awaretrance. ness and appreciation M any St Joseph’ s Instiof C atholic education parishioners in Singapore. They tution students, who were present at dessaid they believe that said they ignated Masses at parishes could work w elcomed various churches, also more closely with visited parishes not schools in faith forthe efforts served by schools to activities and to highlight mation give out prayer cards. motivate more young the critical Printed on these is C atholics to serve in a prayer for C atholic role Catholic parishO ministries. schools composed by ne catechist at education Archbishop W illiam the C hurch of St FranGoh for C atholic Eduplays in the cis X avier, Mrs C lare cation Sunday, which Leong, said she had formation of registered her daughthe archdiocese has designated this year young people. ters in C HIJ O ur Lady for the first time on of Good C ounsel to the second Sunday of strengthen their faith September. formation while receiving their The special occasion was to academic education and character affirm the importance of the part development. She believes that nership between school, church this is the holistic education that and home to deliver a unique her children need. C atholic education where C hrist Mario R inaldi, a student of St is at the centre. Gabriel’ s Secondary School, said More than 18 parishes took part he chose to be in a C atholic school in marking the special occasion. to “feel God’ s presence every day D uring the celebration, pa- in school, and not just on Sundays rishioners were able to glimpse in church”. the rich heritage of local C atholic ther students said they find schools spanning 165 years, led that the C atholic environment and by seven R eligious orders and the friends are strong reasons to be eduarchdiocese, through a mini exhi- cated in C atholic schools. Sub mitted b y: bition. Parishioners also viewed a CO U N CI L O F CA TH O L I C SCH O O L S’ P R I N CI P A L S The mini ex hibi tion and video, short video on C atholic education. Many parishioners inter- put together by A CCS and CCSP , viewed welcomed the efforts to can be found at accs.sg. n
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Novena Church to reopen on Feast of Archangels Sept 29 was specially chosen for the first Mass in the newly reno vated Novena C hurch because it is the feast day of the archangels Michael, a riel and aphael, said church rector Fr Peter W ee. “W e need their protection and assistance, their companionships, in continuing the mission of esus, our oly edeemer in ringing plentiful redemption to a world in need of reconciliation, healing and peace, r ee told Catholic ews. “W e hope that Novena C hurch will continue to be a shrine and home for Catholics and indeed for all people to experience prayer and peace, healing and Saturday Nov ena dev otions n 8 am n 2.30 p m n 9 . 3 0 am ( Mandarin) n 1 1 am n4p m n 1 pm n 5.30 p m
hope, life and love, he added. ovena Church recently an nounced that it will celebrate its first Mass on Sept 2 at .30 pm. The 7 year old church, offi cially known as the C hurch of St lphonsus, will hold its first ove na devotion on Sept 30 at am and first Sunday Mass on ct at am. rch ishop illiam oh will cele rate the edication Mass on ct 2 at .30 pm. ovena Church, located at Thomson oad, was under reno vation for almost three years. ccording to the church, the schedule of Masses and ovena devotions is as follows:
W eek day Masses Saturday Masses n 6.30 am n 7 am n 12.5 p n 6.30 p m m n 6.30 p m
Sunday Masses n 8 am n 10 am n Noon n 5.30 p m
The new ly renovat ed Nove na C hurch, located at Thomson R oad, w ill hold its first Mass on Sept 29 at 6.30 p m.
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F or more information, visit w w w .novenachurch.com
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OBITUARY
Fr Albert Brys called to the Lord
The D aughters of St P aul made a cameo appearance during the Sept 9 concert. F rom left: Sr Theresa L im, Sr W endy O oi and Sr G esuina Marik o O gata.
Night of music to aid nuns’ building projects By Theresa K hoo As the haunting tune of a bagpipe pierced a packed C hurch of Sts Peter and Paul, the audience strained to see where the music was coming from. A young man in tartan kilt marched in from the front left of the church, playing Amaz ing Grace, and was soon joined by two singers mouthing the familiar words. This opening act to the God’ s Spirit in Song C oncert unveiled an evening of diverse music as six singing groups in the archdiocese came together with several guests
to give praise to God and raise funds over two consecutive Saturdays for the building projects of the C enacle Sisters and the D aughters of St Paul. The concerts were held on Sept 2 for the C enacle Sisters and Sept 9 for the D aughters of St Paul. The groups included the God’ s Spirit in Song C ore Group; O NEworship; Q uickpick Band; Angels Voices from St Mary of the Angels parish; St C ecilia C horal Group, a C hinese ministry group in the archdiocese; and acapella group Filipino Voice Symphony.
Scheut Missions Fr K amelus K amus and sopranos Shu C hiaC hien and Lin Li Y ing also participated in the concert. The audience was treated to a wide genre of music, ranging from crowd pleasers such as Like a D eer and W hat a Beautiful Name, to pop songs such as Hallelujah and Sailing, to soundtracks such as Nella Fantasia from the movie The Mission. O rganised by a committee which included C armelite Fr Thomas Lim and Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Sr Mary C hua, and led by concert director D r R eginald Teo, the concert was 16 months in the making. fter this first concert, said D r Teo, “we are keen to explore opportunities to put on concerts for other causes. The experience will further build the bonds of understanding and friendship among the performing groups. n
Fr Albert Brys, of the Scheut Mis- to Belgium was indicated. There, sionaries ( C IC M) , passed away on he enjoyed another six years in Sept 17 in Torhout, Belgium. He a C IC M retirement home, in the passed away peacefully on that company of former mission comSunday morning, after a last visit panions in C ongo and in contact by his relatives and surrounded by with his younger brothers and his confreres, two weeks short of sisters. W hen conversation had his 92nd bi rthday. ecome difficult, r rys ept Fr Albert Brys was born in repeating to his visitors, in deep O stend, Belgium on O ct 5, 1925. gratitude, “I have had a beautiful He joined C IC M in 1946 and life. was ordained a priest in 1951. People invariably loved Fr After further studies, he left for Brys for his great sense of pastothe then-Belgian C ongo in 1954 and exercised his missionary ministry mainly as a teacher and educator. In 197, he was recalled to Belgium for service at the C IC M Motherhouse in Scheut, Brussels. He then volunteered for a new mission assignment and was sent to Singapore in 1982 – where he found a new culture, new languages, and a new missionary start at age 57. Fr Brys ministered for another 29 years as an assistant priest in three parishes first for a short time at the C hurch of St Vincent de Paul, subsequently for 14 years at the C hurch of O ur Lady of Perpetual Succour F r Brys passed aw ay on Sept 17. L S until 7, and finally for 12 more years at the C hurch ral service, his kind and humble ways, and also for his legendary of St Francis of Assisi ( SFA) . Throughout his ministry in incidents as “distracted profesSingapore, Fr Brys was a great sor . e will e remem ered as force behind the R ite of C hris- a kind, gentle, learned and discitian Initiation of Adults ( R C IA) , plined man. A memorial remembrance for from when it was first introduced at O LPS until his years at SFA. him was scheduled to take place He was also an appreciated pre- on Sept 23 at the C hurch of O ur senter at Marriage Encounter Lady of Perpetual Succour. and Engaged Encounter. His talks and homilies were always D etails of Memorial well prepared, based on hours of D ate : 23 S eptember 2017 ( Sat) ( Sunset Mass) study and research; improvisa- Time : 4.45 pm tion was out of the question. He V enue : C hurch of O ur Lady of Perpetual Succour was a man of principle, of firm ( O LPS) self-discipline, and of enthusias31 S iglap Hill, Singapore tic commitment. 456085 In 2008, Fr Brys retired at St W e invite you to remember Joseph’ s Home in Jurong, where he conducted weekly Bible class- him in your Masses and prayers. es until 2011 when his medical n Subm itted by the CH A N CER Y O F TH E R O M A N condition was such that a return CA TH O L I C A R CH D I O CESE O F SI N G A P O R E
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R ohingya refugees reach to receive aid on Sept 14 at a mak eshift camp in C ox’ s Baz ar, Bangladesh. P ak istani bishops have condemned the attack s on R ohingyas in Myanmar. CN S photo
Bishops tell Suu Kyi to protect Rohingya Muslims KARACHI, PAKISTAN – Pakistani C atholic bishops are pleading with the de facto leader of Myanmar, ung San Suu yi, to protect the minority R ohingya Muslim community. The latest estimates suggest a out 20,000 ohingya have ed to angladesh in recent wee s. According to the United Nations, most of the refugees are vulnera le women, including pregnant and lactating mothers, as well as children and the elderly. In a media statement, Pakistan’ s bishops condemned the attac s on ohingyas in Myanmar. They noted that Pope Francis, during his ug 27 ngelus address, stated that he was following the sad news. The pope asked that R oh-
ingya in Myanmar e given full citi enship rights. The president of Pakistani C atholic bishops’ conference, rch ishop oseph Coutts of arachi, and Bishop Joseph Arshad
The bi shops called on the government of P ak istan, to initiate dialogue w ith M yanmar to allow humanitarian organisations access to the affected community. of Faisalabad, “strongly condemned attac s on the ohingya. They pleaded for State C ounsellor ung San Suu yi to ensure full rights for R ohingya in her nation.
They also appealed for Myanmar to cease all military operations in northern R akhine State, where there is a large R ohingya population. The ishops said the appro imately ,300 deaths as a result of ethnic cleansing constitute tyranny. Furthermore, the bishops called on the international community, in particular the government of Pakistan, to initiate dialogue with Myanmar to allow humanitarian organisations access to the affected community. “The C atholic C hurch in Pakistan stands strong with R ohingya people and extend prayers for their safety and wellbeing, hoping that a peaceful solution will be found soon, the ishops statement concluded. n U CA N EW S.CO M
Preparing spiritually for papal visit MYANMAR – C ardinal C harles Bo of Y angon has asked Myanmar’ s C atholics to be spiritually prepared to help ensure the success of the first papal visit to their country. In a statement released by the Y angon archdiocese on Sept 6, C ardinal Bo guided the country’ s 700,000 C atholics on how they could spiritually prepare for Pope rancis ov 27 30 visit. “Say special prayers for the pope s visit every day. Ma e the intention while saying the rosary daily. ray at Mass, Cardinal o said. The pope first arrives in the usiness capital angon on ov 27 where he will parta e in several meetings. e will then travel to the capital Naypyidaw to meet President tin yaw and State Counsellor ung San Suu yi on ov 2 . t least 300,000 Catholics and other faiths across Myanmar and
special prayers ‘Say for the pope’ s visit every day. M ak e the intention w hile saying the rosary daily. P ray at M ass.
’
– C ardinal C harles Bo of Y angon to Myanmar’ s C atholics
neighbouring countries are expected to join Pope Francis for an openair Mass ac in angon on ov 2 . The next day, the pope will pray with young people at St Mary s Cathedral in angon. Later that day he will travel to neighouring angladesh. The papal visit comes after Myanmar and the Vatican estab-
lished full diplomatic relations on May 4, shortly after Pope Francis met privately with Ms Suu yi at the atican. C atholics are a minority in the Buddhist majority country of 51 million people. Myanmar s Catholics are served y ishops, more than 700 priests and 2,200 eligious. n U CA N EW S.CO M
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New HK bishop Russia ‘returning to admits to realistic Christ’, says archbishop approach to China KO NG – Bishop Michael Y eung, the new Hong K ong bishop, has outlined his approach to dealing with the religiously repressive regime in C hina as one of healthy realism that must consider ongoing talks between the Vatican and Beijing. In an interview with ucanews. com, Bishop Y eung was keen to remind people that he is not a diplomat nor engaged in VaticanBeijing negotiations, adding that he would not “rock the boat” of the relations between the C hurch and mainland C hina. “If I was not the bishop of Hong K ong and I was just a priest; maybe I will join in a lot of demonstrations. But as a bishop of Hong K ong, people will see me differently. I have to think about the VaticanSino relations,” Bishop Y eung said in his office on ong ong island. “I don’ t want to rock the boat. If there is any possibility to maintain the dialogue, I would by all means if it is possible,” he said. Bishop Y eung, 71, and his predecessor, C ardinal John Tong, 7 8, who stepped down in July, have been criticised in some C atholic circles for not speaking out enough about issues affecting C atholics on the mainland. Among them, the fate of bishops and priests who have been unlawfully detained or placed under house arrest, or official anti religion campaigns such as the cross removal and church demolition campaign in the C hinese province of Z hejiang and elsewhere. “I try to view such issues as a local problem, not to escalate it so it becomes a top political issue,” Bishop Y eung said. “If the W enz hou government is tearing down crosses and if it is just in W enz hou then this is a local
HO NG
problem. And if it is one church, a Protestant church, then you should keep it small and manageable,” he said. Bishop Y eung said the C hinese government is reluctant to lose face. If you say you fight against it, then they will say ‘ alright let s have a fight, he said. Bishop Y eung said the C hina C hurch faces a situation with the
Bishop Michael Y eung said he w ould not ‘ rock the boat’ of the relations betw een the C hurch and mainland C hina. CN S photo
government and the C hinese C atholic Patriotic Association( C PA) . “The C PA actually [works] as a bridge between the government and the C hurch. The government will not deal with the so-called Bishops C onference in C hina even though that too is not officially sanctioned by R ome and is a party-run organisation], they tell the C PA what to do,” he said. Bishop Y eung stated strongly that the C atholic C hurch is not a political organisation but if a situation arises which is against social justice and C atholic teachings, then the C hurch should speak up. n U CA N EW S.CO M
Rome holds first interreligious half-marathon V ATICAN CITY – After thousands of runners completed the first ever multireligious half marathon in R ome, Pope Francis praised the initiative, which was sponsored y the ontifical C ouncil for C ulture. “I greet participants in the ‘ Via Pacis’ athletic race, which passed places of worship of the different religious faiths present in R ome,” the pope said on Sept 17. “I hope that this cultural and athletic initiative fosters dialogue, coexistence and peace,” he told those gathered for the Angelus prayer in St Peter’ s Square, which was near the end of the 21-km course. Some 2,000 people took part in the half-marathon and almost 4 ,000 people signed up for the “fun run,” according to Msgr Melchor Sanchez de Toca y Alameda, under-
secretary of pontifical council and head of the office s section on sport. Priests, nuns, people with disabilities, refugees and parents pushing kids in strollers were just some of those who took part in the events. Some 200 members of R ome’ s grand mosque participated, as well as members of the Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu and Bahai communities, Msgr Sanchez told SIR , the Italian bishops’ news agency. About 20 Vatican employees, dubbed “the pope’ s marathoners,” also took part, with one member of the Swiss Guard completing the half-marathon with an impressive time of one hour, 20 minutes, he said. The race started and ended near St Peter’ s Square, where Pope Francis delivered his Sunday Angelus prayer and address at noon. n CN S
MO SCO W – C atholics across R ussia are celebrating the centenary of the 1917 apparitions of Mary to shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. According to one of the children, Sr Lucia D os Santos, Mary asked for a special consecration of R ussia to prevent the country from disseminating its “errors throughout the world,” a phrase nowretired Pope Benedict X VI interpreted as referring to communism. Mary promised that R ussia would “be converted” if her request was heeded, and C atholic Archbishop Paolo Pez z i of Moscow said he had witnessed this conversion in his lifetime. “I thank our God that I became one of the witnesses of the return of R ussia to C hrist,” he said. But “we should not interpret O ur Lady of Fatima as foretelling R ussia’ s conversion to C atholicism.” Mary “still calls R ussia to convert to C hrist, but she did not say what form this conversion should take,” the archbishop said. Though ussia has no official state religion, the majority of R ussians identify with Eastern O rthodoxy, a branch of C hristianity that has not been in communion with R ome for nearly a thousand years. According to a recent study from the US-based Pew R esearch C entre, less than one percent of the ussian population identifies itself as C atholic. Archbishop Pez z i said the C atholic C hurch’ s minority status in R ussia is actually one of its greatest assets for evangelisation. A C atholic in R ussia “cannot base his faith on the tradition of
F r A lek sandr Burgos, a priest based in R ussia but originally from Spain, is pictured next to a R ussian- style icon of O ur L ady of F atima. CN S photo
the majority or on governmental support,” Archbishop Pez z i said. “This situation is a joyful opportunity for us: W e can be defenceless witnesses of our faith.” After an evening Mass at the C athedral of the Immaculate C onception in Moscow in early summer, the Italian archbishop spoke to C atholic News Service about the challenges of living the C atholic faith in modern R ussia. “R ussian C atholics sometimes feel themselves not so welcome. O rdinary people have the idea that if you are R ussian, you ought to be O rthodox,” Archbishop Pez z i said. “But I think that R ussian C atholics should not feel hurt”
M ary promised that R ussia w ould ‘ be converted’ if her reque st w as heeded, and Catholic A rchbi shop P aolo P ez z i of M oscow said he had w itnessed this conversion in his lifetime.
by such sentiments, he said. O n the contrary, “it means that they should show in their own life that C hristianity can penetrate into all cultures and all nations.” O f the estimated 250,000 C atholics registered in the Archdiocese of Moscow, the archbishop said, probably only 10-20 percent are actively practising the faith. Part of the challenge of encouraging a C atholic renaissance in R ussia is administrative: Because the government favours O rthodoxy, the work of opening a new parish can be met with bureaucratic roadblocks. “There is freedom, but there are also hardships,” said Fr Aleksandr Burgos, a priest based in St Petersburg but originally from Spain. “In some cases, there is some pressure. I serve in St Petersburg, a city with a tradition of tolerance, so for us it is easier than it is in other parts of R ussia.” n CN S
Remembering Japan’s early martyrs V ATICAN CITY – Many challenges
in Japan make the C hurch’ s evangelising call to be the “salt and light” of hope and meaning even more urgent than ever, Pope Francis told the country’ s bishops. In fact, the nation’ s long history of courageous martyrs represents “the true evangelising power of your C hurch,” he said, and they are a great treasure that should always be remembered, cherished and built upon. The pope’ s remarks came in a letter, addressed to all bishops in Japan, that was to be delivered by C ardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the C ongregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, who was visiting Japan from Sept 17- 26. Some of the many worrying problems the country faces include high divorce rates, suicide,
A w oman prays during Mass in the U rak ami C athedral in Nagasak i, Japan.
religious indifference and an “obsession for work and earnings,” the pope said in the letter dated
Sept 14, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy C ross. A highly developed nation can produce material wealth, but also material, spiritual and moral poverty and exclusion, he wrote. That is why it is urgent the C hurch in Japan constantly “be salt and light” in the world, he said. Like real salt, he said, the C hurch must prevent “decay and give avour, and li e light, eep darkness from prevailing.” Like the tiny mustard seed, the minority C atholic C hurch in Japan has been entrusted with a great mission, and the lack of priests and R eligious there must never impede the call to evangelise, he said. R ather, it should inspire them to tirelessly seek new workers for the Lord’ s vineyard. n CN S
WORLD 17
Sunday October 1, 2017 n CatholicNews
Don’t be embarrassed to talk about se o ths tell t o fi ls V ATICAN CITY – Several young people attending a Vatican-sponsored seminar on the upcoming Synod of Bishops urged the Vatican and the bishops themselves to be open to listening to youths talk and ask questions about love, sex and sexuality. A “big gap” exists between the concerns young people want to talk about and the issues most bishops are comfortable discussing, said Ms Therese Hargot, who describes herself as a philosopher and sexologist. C ardinal Lorenz o Baldisseri, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, said he wanted to hear from young adults and experts about the challenges young people are facing in the C hurch and society. Twenty people under the age of 3 5 , along with 7 0 theologians, priests and academics met from Sept 11-15 as part of the preparatory process for the 2018 Synod of Bishops on “young people, faith and vocational discernment.” The cardinal s office planned a doz en long, formal talks on subjects including “the search for identity,” political commitment, planning for the future, technology and transcendence. But Ms Hargot, who leads sex education programmes at C atholic schools in Paris, told the gathering on Sept 13, “it’ s surprising we are looking at politics, economics, etc., but not at sexuality and affectivity, which are very important topics for young people.” “Y oung people want to talk about sexuality and love,” she told C atholic News Service. “They love learning about the theology of the body,” a term referring to St John Paul II’ s approach to sex and sexuality. “I don’ t know why no one here is speaking about love. It’ s amaz ing.” Ms Ashleigh Green, an Austral-
P eople participate in a small group discussion during a V atican- sponsored seminar about the concerns of young people at the Jesuit headq uarters in R ome on Sept 13. Seve ral young people attending the seminar urged the C hurch to be open to listening to topics about love and sexu ality. CN S photo
ian delegate to the seminar, said that going around Australia in preparation for the synod she found that “a lot of young people feel like they cannot talk about issues that matter to them” in most C hurch settings. “It’ s important to open up and talk” about sex, sexuality and sexual orientation, she said. “And it’ s central to vocation,” which is part of the synod’ s focus. Ms Severine D eneulin, an associate professor in international development at England’ s University of ath, said she was finding it hard to figure out what the atican wanted from the seminar. “Is it to
listen to young people? D oes that mean they are willing to change something? Are they willing to change the criteria for ministry? ” “That’ s why I have a secular career,” she said. In academia “I am accepted for who I am and for my talents. In the C hurch, I would not be. If we are worried about leadership in the C hurch, why do we ignore half the C hurch,” meaning the women. “W hy aren’ t we talking about this? ” Ms Natalia Shalata, a young woman from Ukraine who runs a programme to support orphans and street children, brought a different
s surprising w e are look ing at politics, ‘I t’ economics, etc., but not at sex uality and affectivity, w hich are very important topics for young people.
’
– M s Therese H argot
o r sm sho ld e efit travellers, local communities V ATICAN CITY – W
hile tourism can broaden travellers’ horiz ons and improve local economies, it cannot be seen as being part of “sustainable development” unless it includes respect for workers’ rights, the local culture and the environment, said C ardinal Peter Turkson. The UN General Assembly proclaimed 2017 the International Y ear of Sustainable Tourism for D evelopment, noted the cardinal, who is prefect of the atican official for integral human development. In a message for the celebration on Sept 27 of W orld Tourism D ay, C ardinal Turkson said that according to the social teaching of the C atholic C hurch, “true development cannot be restricted to economic growth alone. In fact,
to be authentic, it must be well rounded; that is, it must foster the development of each man and of the whole man.” The W orld Tourism O rganisation ( W TO ) reported that in 2016, the number of international tourist arrivals was around 1.2 billion; one out of 11 jobs globally are in tourism. “It therefore occupies an important place in the economies of individual states and in policies that focus on inclusive development and environmental sustainability globally,” the cardinal wrote in his message, which was released on Aug 1 by the Vatican. The Vatican, C ardinal Turkson said, supports the W TO vision of “sustainable tourism,” which is a form of tourism that is “respon-
sible and not destructive or detrimental to the environment nor to the sociocultural context of the locality. Moreover, it must be particularly respectful of the population and their heritage, with a view to safeguarding personal dignity and labour rights, especially those of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people.” Morally, he said, holiday or vacation time “cannot be a pretext either for irresponsibility or for exploitation: In fact, it is a noble time in which everyone can add value to one’ s own life and that of others.” Sustainable tourism is a means of development, he said, when “it becomes a vehicle of new opportunities and not a source of problems.” n CN S
concern to the seminar on Sept 13 . D uring the discussion about young people and politics, she told the gathering, “For my generation it is extremely important” to learn how to be effective and to be heard. “W hen political leaders don’ t live up to their expectations, they [the
young] are willing to take extreme action,” including suicide. Ms Shalata said the C hurch must “go out and hear these strong cries” for help. C ardinal Baldisseri opened the seminar on Sept 11 explaining that the gathering was one attempt to “frame or photograph the situation of young people, identifying the basic traits that are common for youths today while also paying attention to the plurality” determined by geographical and cultural differences. Pope Francis, he recalled, wants the synod in O ctober 2018 to not just be about young people, but with young people. s part of that, his office has posted a questionnaire at youth. synod2 0 1 8 .va and is inviting young people aged between 16 and 29 to respond. “In the roughly three months it has been online, more than 110,000 young people have responded to the questionnaire,” he said. It s a significant num er considering the absolute novelty of the initiative, and one that is bound to increase in the coming months.” The response rate, he said, “demonstrates the great desire of young people to have their say.” n CN S
18 POPE IN COLOMBIA
Sunday October 1, 2017 n CatholicNews
Pope to Colombians:
Social inequality, lack of respect for human life wer
C a n
CN S photos
B O G O TA, CO L O MB IA – R espect
human life, work towards peace and a culture change in a country attempting to pursue a path of reconciliation. These were the main points made by Pope Francis at three Masses during his Sept 6- 10 visit to Colom ia. It was the first papal trip to C olombia since 1986, when Pope John Paul II visited. Pope Francis arrived after the signing of a peace accord promising to put C olombia on a path of ending more than 5 0 years of armed con ict. ust days efore the visit, the government and the National Liberation Army, a Marxist organisation carrying out crimes like kidnapping and bombings, agreed to a four-month cease fire. The Colom ian con ict, ongoing for more than 50 years, is a war between C olombian governments, crime syndicates, and left-wing guerrillas such as the R evolutionary Armed Forces of C olombia C , fighting each other to increase their in uence in Colom ian territory. In his homily at a Mass on Sept 7 in Bogota’ s Simon Bolivar Park, Pope Francis said consolidating peace in C olombia will mean overcoming “the darkness” of inequality and a lack of respect for human life “Here, as in other places, there is a thick darkness which threatens and destroys life,” he said. C olombian authorities said more than 1.1 million people gathered in the park for the Mass. For C olombia, and for many other nations as well, the pope said, the threats come from “the darkness of injustice and social inequality; [and] the corrupting darkness of personal and group interests that consume in a selfish and uncontrolled way what is destined for the good of all.” The threats include “the darkness of disrespect for human life which daily destroys the life of many innocents, whose blood cries out to heaven; the darkness of thirst for vengeance and the hatred which stains the hands of those who would right wrongs on their own authority; the darkness of those who become numb to the pain of so many victims,” he said. But “Jesus scatters and destroys all this darkness.” “Jesus invites us to put out into the deep, He prompts us to take shared risks, to leave behind our selfishness and to follow im, Pope Francis told the crowd, which included C olombia’ s President Juan Manuel Santos and his wife. C elebrating another Mass on Sept 8, in Villavicencio, a city filled with those who ed their
homes during the war and with former fighters trying to start over, Pope Francis pleaded for honesty and courage. If just one victim of C olombia’ s civil war forgives his or her aggressor, it can set off a chain reaction of hope for reconciliation and peace, Pope Francis said. At the beginning of the Mass, he held up two heroic examples of those who gave their lives to “rise up out of the swamp of violence and bitterness”: Bishop Jesus Emilio Jaramillo Monsalve of Arauca, who was murdered by C olombian Marxist guerrillas in 1989, and Fr Pedro Maria R amirez , who was killed at the start of the C olombian civil war in 1948. ope rancis eatified the two at the Mass, which was celebrated in the middle of a road field, typical of the area’ s cattle ranching terrain. In his homily, the pope acknowledged that, during 52 years
f Colombi a w ants ‘aI stab le and lasting peace, it must urgently tak e a step in this direction, w hich is that of the common good, of equi ty, of j ustice, of respect for human nature and its demands.’ –P
ope F rancis
of war, many at the Mass suffered horrors. “How many of you can tell of exiles and grief,” he said. The C hristian call to reconciliation is not something abstract, the pope said. “If it were, then it would only bring sterility and greater distance.” It requires acknowledging the truth and letting victims speak. uring his final Mass in Colombia on Sept 10, Pope Francis called for culture change in a country attempting to pursue a path of peace and reconciliation after decades of armed con ict and centuries of social exclusion. The pope issued his call in C artagena, on C olombia’ s C aribbean C oast, where he remembered St Peter C laver and urged the country to follow the example set centuries earlier by the priest, who tended to
V
e G t i o b n
f a S s f
m G “ b h a p l s d
P ope F rancis greets the crow d as he arrive s to celebrate Mass at Simon Bolivar P ark in Bogota, C olombia, on Sept 7.
slaves arriving on ships by showing kind gestures and dignity. “W e are required to generate ‘ from below’ a change in culture, so we respond to the culture of death and violence with the culture of life and encounter,” Pope Francis said. “How many times have we ‘ normalised’ the logic of violence and social exclusion, without prophetically raising our hands or voices? ” Pope Francis asked. “Alongside St Peter C laver were thousands of C hristians, many of them consecrated, but only a handful started a countercultural movement of encounter.” He also invoked the motto for his trip, Let s ta e the first step. The motto refers to the collective action needed to pull together a country polarised by class divisions, social inequality and how to implement a recently approved peace accord. But Pope Francis pleaded with C olombians to play their personal part in achieving peace and for C atholics to set the example by living their C hristian values. e pray to fulfil the theme of this visit Let us ta e the first step nd may this first step e in a common direction. To ta e the first step’ is, above all, to go out and meet others, with C hrist the Lord,” Pope Francis said. “If C olombia wants a stable and lasting peace, it must urgently take a step in this direction, which is that of the common good, of equity, of justice, of respect for human nature and its demands,” he continued. n CN S
i i p
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Y
The Mass at Simon Boliv ar P ark in Bogota.
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F o t t
w
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o “ 7 A portrait of F r P edro Maria R amirez is unve iled as P ope F rancis celebrates his beatification Mass at atama field in illavicencio olombia on ept .
m g t
POPE IN COLOMBIA 19
Sunday October 1, 2017 n CatholicNews
: work towards peace
were among issues raised during his Sept 6-10 visit.
s
s
Contribute to peace as pastors, not politicians V ATICAN CITY – Q uoting cel-
ebrated C olombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez , Pope Francis told the country’ s bishops he knows “it is easier to begin a war than to end one” and that, to succeed, C olombia needs bishops who are pastors, not politicians. “All of us know that peace calls for a distinct kind of moral courage,” the pope told the bishops on Sept 7. “W ar follows the basest instincts of our heart, whereas peace forces us to rise above ourselves.” W elcoming Pope Francis to the meeting, C ardinal R uben Salaz ar Gomez of Bogota told the pope, “O ur homeland is struggling to put behind it a history of violence that has plunged it into death for decades,” but the process of building peace “has become a source of political polariz ation that every day sows division, confrontation and disorientation.” O ne temptation, the pope said, is for the bishops and priests to get involved in the country’ s heated partisan political debate. R esist, the pope told them. The country needs pastors. It needs ministers who now firsthand how marred is the face of this country.” “C olombia has need of you so that it can show its true face, filled with hope despite its imperfections,” he said. Finding a magic formula to
fi pro lems is a temptation, ope Francis said. But the C hurch’ s ministers “are not mechanics or politicians, but pastors.” But it also needs internal unity, the pope told the bishops. “So continue to seek communion among yourselves. Never tire of building it through frank and fraternal dialogue.” ope rancis made two specific requests of the bishops: Pay more attention to “the Afro-C olombian roots of your people,” he said ( referring to C olombian citiz ens of African descent) and show more concern for the C hurch, the people and the environment in southern C olombia’ s Amaz on region. The region holds “an essential part of the remarkable biodiversity of this country,” and protecting it is “a decisive test of whether our society, all too often prey to materialism and pragmatism, is capable of preserving what it freely received, not to e ploit it ut to ma e it ear fruit.” In a speech that included several references to the duty to defend human life, Pope Francis said he wondered if society could learn from the indigenous people of the Amaz on “the sacredness of life, respect for nature and the recognition that technology alone is insufficient to ring fulfilment to our lives.” n CN S
On ‘sacred ground’ of suffering, pontiff prays for reconciliation He prayed that C hrist would help “us to commit vice where victims and perourselves to restoring your petrators of violence stood body.” under the gaz e of a bomb“May we be your feet damaged crucifi , ope that go forth to encounFrancis urged C olombians to ter our brothers and sisters summon the courage to make in need; your arms to empeace. brace those who have lost Symbolically presiding their dignity; your hands to over the event on Sept 8 was bless and console those who what remained of a crucifi weep alone,” Pope Francis from the church in Bojaya, prayed. an image of Jesus whose “C hrist broken and witharms and legs were blown off out limbs is for us ‘ even in 2002 when an improvised more C hrist,’ ” the pope said, homemade mortar launched “because He shows us once by rebels crashed through more that He came to suffer the roof of a church and e for His people and with His ploded. people.” The United Nations was Four people gave their una le to verify the e act testimony at the encounnumber of people killed; ter: Ms D eisy Sanchez R ey, some reports say 79 people who fought in a paramilitary died, others say 119 people group for three years before died. All agree that almost she was arrested and imprishalf the victims were chil- P ope F rancis prays before the remains of a cruoned for two years; Mr Juan cifi of Jesus during the national reconciliation dren. C arlos Murcia Perdomo, a “I am standing on sacred pra er meeting at Las Malocas ar in illaviceC fighter for 2 years ground,” Pope Francis said ncio olombia on ept . CN S photo Ms Pastora Mira Garcia, at the prayer service, “a whose two small children bers of a paramilitary group; the were killed by the paramilitary land watered by the blood of thousands of innocent victims church, where frightened civilians militias; and Ms Luz D ary Landaand by the heart-breaking sorrow were hiding, was between their po- z ury, who was wounded in 2012 by sitions. of their families and friends.” a bomb blast. R eferring to the bombing that In 2016, leaders of the R evoluPope Francis responded ditionary Armed Forces of C olombia, tore the arms and legs from the rectly to each of them, paying tribcommonly called FAR C , apolo- C hrist of Bojaya, Pope Francis ute to their honesty, their pain and gised for the massacre in the Bo- said, “They have torn away your their efforts to start a new life by jaya church. The rebels had been children who sought refuge in forgiving and asking for forgiveengaged in a firefight with mem- you.” ness. n CN S
V IL L AV ICE NCIO , CO L O MB IA – In a raw, honest prayer ser-
Young Colombians must teach elders to forgive B O G O TA, CO L O MB IA – Pope Francis met with young people on Sept 7 and urged them to help their elders “not grow accustomed to pain and death.” He also assured them that it was okay to be “vulnerable”. As C olombia strives to build a lasting peace, the country’ s elders need the encouragement and insistence of young people, who believe with all their hearts that forgiveness is possible and grudges don’ t have to last for decades, Pope Francis said. The pope turned what was originally described as the “blessing of the faithful” on Sept 7 into a rallying cry to an estimated 22,000 young C olombians gathered in Plaz a Bolivar outside the cathedral.
P ope F rancis w alk s “D ream big,” he told w ith young people them. “Help us, your during his vi sit. elders, not grow acCN S photos customed to pain and death.” Pope Francis not only described the youth as the “hope of C olombia and of the C hurch,” but he said that when they walk the path of empathy, understanding, encounter, forgiveness and hope, people can see in them the actions of Jesus, “the messenger of peace, the one who brings us good news.” “D o not let anyone rob you of your joy,” the pope told the young people, who were singing, dancing and waving flags
and homemade, oversiz ed foam gloves. At his other meeting with young people with D own Syndrome and other developmental challenges, Pope Francis was delighted by the precision of the traditional C olombian songs and dances they performed for him on Sept 7 outside the Vatican nunciature, where he was staying. But the atmosphere changed when one of the young women spoke. Just to make sure everyone heard her, the pope asked the “beautiful Maria” to repeat what she had said. “W e want a world in which vulnerability is recognised as essential to the human person,” she repeated. Vul-
nerability, “far from weakening, strengthens and dignifies us” and is “a common meeting place that humanises us,” she said. Pope Francis seconded what Ms Maria said, insisting vulnerability is part of “the essence of being human.” “W e are all vulnerable, everyone,” he said. Some people are particularly vulnerable in their feelings and reactions to other people, so no one sees that vulnerability. O ther people have vulnerabilities that are obvious, he said. Pope Francis ended the brief meeting by leading the young people in reciting a Hail Mary. And, to his usual “please, do not forget to pray for me,” he added, “because I am very vulnerable.” n CN S
20 POPE IN COLOMBIA
Sunday October 1, 2017 n CatholicNews
Pope says he hopes Trump reconsiders DACA decision AB O ARD THE PAPAL F L IG HT F RO M CO L O MB IA – Politicians
who call themselves pro-life must be pro-family and not enact policies that divide families and rob young people of a future, Pope Francis said. Flying from C olombia back to R ome on Sept 10, Pope Francis was asked about US president D onald Trump’ s decision to end the D eferred Action for C hildhood Arrivals ( D AC A) programme, which allowed some 800,000 young people brought to the United States illegally as children to stay in the country, working or going to school. Mr Trump announced on Sept 5 that he was phasing out the programme; his decision was strongly criticised by the US C onference of C atholic Bishops. Pope Francis said he had heard of Mr Trump’ s decision, but had not had time to study the details of the issue. However, he said, “uprooting young people from their families is not something that will bear fruit.” “This law, which I think comes
not from the legislature, but from the executive [branch] – if that’ s right, I’ m not sure – I hope he rethinks it a bit,” the pope said, “because I’ ve heard the president of the United States speak; he presents himself as a man who is prolife, a good pro-lifer. “If he is a good pro-lifer, he understands that the family is the cradle of life and its unity must be defended,” the pope said. Pope Francis said people must be very careful not to dash the hopes and dreams of young people or make them feel “a bit exploited,” because the results can be disastrous, leading some to turn to drugs or even suicide. Pope Francis spent only about 35 minutes answering journalists’ questions and commenting on his five day trip to Colom ia. After he had answered eight questions, the pope went to the journalists’ section of the plane still wearing a small bandage on his left eyebrow and sporting a large bump, which had turned black and blue, on his cheek. He told them that he had been reach-
‘U prooting young people from their families is not something that w ill be ar fruit.’ P ope F rancis smiles as he answ ers q uestions from j ournalists aboard his ight from artagena olombia to ome on ept 10. arlier that da the pope cut and bruised his face on the popemobile w indow when he was greeting people. CN S photo
ing out of the popemobile to greet people and turned. “I didn’ t see the glass,” he said. Pope Francis was asked about the apparently increasing intensity of hurricanes and other storms and what he thinks of political leaders who doubt climate change is real.
ope Francis commenting on president onald Trump’ s decision to end the eferred ction for hildhood rrivals programme
“Anyone who denies this must go to the scientists and ask,” he said. “They speak very clearly. Scientists are precise.” Pope Francis said he read a report citing a university study that asserted humanity has only three years to reduce the pace of climate change before it’ s too late. “I don’ t know if three years is right or not, but if we don’ t turn back, we’ ll go down, that’ s true.” “C limate change – you can see the effects,” Pope Francis said. “And
the scientists have told us clearly what the paths to follow are.” Everyone has a moral responsibility to act, he said. “And we must take it seriously.” “It’ s not something to play with,” he added. “It’ s very serious.” Asked why he thinks governments have been so slow to act, Pope Francis said he thinks it’ s partly because, as the O ld Testament says, “Man is stupid, a stubborn one who does not see.” But the other reason, he said, is almost always money. Tal ing a out his five day stay in C olombia, Pope Francis said he was “really moved by the joy, the tenderness” and the expressiveness of the people. In the end, they are the ones who will determine whether C olombia truly has peace after 52 ye ars of civil war. Politicians and diplomats can do all the right things to negotiate peace deals, he said, but if the nation’ s people aren’ t on board, peace will not be lasting. In C olombia, he said, the people have a clear desire to live in peace. n CN S
POPE FRANCIS 21
Sunday October 1, 2017 n CatholicNews
Freed Indian Salesian meets Pope Francis V ATICAN CITY – A day after his release from captivity, Salesian Fr Tom Uz hunnalil met with Pope Francis. According to the Vatican newspaper, L’ O sservatore R omano, the pope welcomed Fr Uz hunnalil at his residence, the D omus Sanctae Marthae on Sept 13 . Arriving before Pope Francis, the Salesian knelt before him and kissed his feet. Visibly moved by the gesture, the pope helped him up and kissed his hands, the Vatican newspaper said. Before blessing Fr Uz hunnalil, the pope embraced him and said he would continue to pray for him as he had done during his imprisonment. Fr Uz hunnalil was kidnapped on March 4, 2016, from a home for the aged and disabled run by the Missionaries of C harity in Aden, Y emen. Four Missionaries of C harity nuns and 12 others were murdered in the attack. According to O man’ s staterun news agency O NA, Fr Uz hunnalil was “rescued” on Sept 12 by O man authorities “in coor-
dination with the Y emeni parties.” Fr Uz hunnalil thanked the pope, telling him that “he prayed every day for him, offering his suffering for his mission and the good of the C hurch.” R ecalling his time in captivity, the Salesian told the pope that although he was unable to celebrate Mass, “every day, I would repeat to myself, in my heart, all the words of the celebration.” Fr Uz hunnalil said he continues to pray for all those who have been spiritually close to him, particularly for the four nuns and 12 other people murdered when he was abducted. Also present at the meeting was C ardinal O swald Gracias of Mumbai, India, who told L’ O sservatore R omano that “after this terrible experience, the es-
alesian Fr om hunnalil who was released on ept 12 after having been idnapped 1 months ago in den emen is anointed b ope Francis during a ept 1 meeting at the atican. CN S photos
sential message Fr Tom wants to convey is that ‘ Jesus is great and He loves us.’ ” “Truly, every day, I felt Jesus close to me,” Fr Uz hunnalil said. “I always knew and felt in my heart that I was never alone.” Born in K erala, India, the 56- year-old priest had been serving in Y emen for the past four
every day, I felt J esus close to me. ‘Truly, I alw ays k new and felt in my heart that I w as never alone.’ alesian Fr om
hunnalil recalling his time in captivit
years as a chaplain to the Sisters. O n Sept 16, Fr Uz hunnalil recounted his release at a news conference at the Salesian headquarters in R ome. “Those who kept me came to where I slept [and said], ‘ I bring you good news. W e are sending you home. If you need to go to the bathroom, go. Take a shower, but quickly! ’ ” Fr Uz hunnalil said. Although reports following his kidnapping suggested the attack was carried out by the so-called Islamic State, Fr Uz hunnalil said his captors never identified themselves.
To this day, the Indian priest still wonders why he was the only one spared in the slaughter. “W hy they did not kill me, why they didn’ t tie my hands, I don’ t know,” he said. Fr Uz hunnalil said he found consolation in the words of a hymn, “O ne day at a time, sweet Jesus.” “Just give me the strength to do every day what I have to do. Y esterday’ s gone, sweet Jesus, and tomorrow may never be mine. Lord, help me today, show me the way, one day at a time,” he would sing to himself in the solitude of his room. n CN S
Church law on Mass translations amended CO L O MB IA – In changes to the C ode of C anon Law regarding translations of the Mass and other liturgical texts, Pope Francis highlighted respect for the responsibility of national and regional bishops’ conferences. The changes, released by the Vatican on Sept 9 as Pope Francis was travelling in C olombia, noted the sometimes tense relationship between bishops’ conferences and the C ongregation for D ivine W orship and the Sacraments over translations of texts from Latin to the bishops’ local languages. The heart of the document, which applies only to the Latin rite of the C atholic C hurch, changes two clauses in C anon 83 of the C ode of C anon Law. The Vatican no longer will “review” translations submitted by bishops’ conferences, but will “recognise” them. And rather than being called to “prepare and publish” the translations, the bishops are to “approve and publish” them. Pope Francis made no announcement of immediate changes to the translations currently in use. The document is titled Mag-
ME D E L L IN,
The V atican no longer w ill ‘ review ’ translations subm itted by bi shops’ conferences, but w ill ‘ recognise’ them. A nd rather than be ing called to ‘ prepare and publ ish’ the translations, the bi shops are to ‘ approve and publ ish’ them. he first ucharistic pra er is seen in the oman Missal in nglish. he atican released a new document allowing bishops’ conferences to approve and publish’ translations of te ts from Latin to their local languages.
num Principium ( The Great Principle) and refers to what Pope Francis called the “great principle” of the Second Vatican C ouncil that the liturgy should be understood by the people at prayer, and therefore bishops were asked to prepare and approve translations of the texts. Pope Francis did not overturn previous norms and documents on
the principles that should inspire the various translations, but said they were “general guidelines,” which should continue to be followed to ensure “integrity and accurate faithfulness, especially in translating some texts of major importance in each liturgical book.” However, the pope seemed to indicate a willingness to allow some space for the translation prin-
ciple known as “dynamic equivalence,” which focuses on faithfully rendering the sense of a phrase rather than translating each individual word and even maintaining the original language’ s syntax. hile fidelity cannot always be judged by individual words but must be sought in the context of the whole communicative act and according to its literary genre,” the pope wrote, “nevertheless some particular terms must also
be considered in the context of the entire C atholic faith, because each translation of texts must be congruent with sound doctrine.” The pope said the changes would go into effect on O ct 1, and he ordered the C ongregation for D ivine W orship and the Sacraments to “modify its own ‘ R egulations’ on the basis of the new discipline and help the episcopal conferences to fulfil their tas as well as wor ing to promote ever more the liturgical life of the Latin church.” The greater oversight provided earlier by the Vatican was understandable, Pope Francis said, given the supreme importance of the Mass and other liturgies in the life of the C hurch. The main concerns, he said, were to preserve “the substantial unity of the R oman rite,” even without universal celebrations in Latin, but also to recognise that vernacular languages themselves could “become liturgical languages, standing out in a not-dissimilar way to liturgical Latin for their elegance of style and the profundity of their concepts with the aim of nourishing the faith.” n CN S
22 OPINION
Sunday October 1, 2017 n CatholicNews
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T hev iew sor pos itionspr esentedi nar ticlesi nC atholicN ew sdon otn ecessarily r epr esentt hev iew sof t heC hu rch. A dv ertisem entst hatappe ari nC atholicN ew sar en otn ecessarily e ndorsedby t heC hu rch.
Protect child migrants who face greater risk of abuse ...says pope in message for Migrant Sunday, celebrated locally on Oct 1 V ATICAN CITY – C hildren are the most vulnerable and hardest hit among the world’ s migrants and require special protection, Pope Francis said. Children are the first among those to pay the heavy toll of emigration, almost always caused by violence, poverty, environmental conditions, as well as the negative aspects of globalisation,” he said. “The unrestrained competition for uic and easy profit rings with it the cultivation of perverse scourges such as child traffic ing, the exploitation and abuse of minors and, generally, the depriving of rights intrinsic to childhood as sanctioned by the International C onvention on the R ights of the C hild,” he added. The pope made the comments in a message on the theme of “C hild Migrants, the Vulnerable and the Voiceless” for the W orld D ay for Migrants and R efugees 2017 . In his message, the pope called for greater protection and integration of immigrants and refugees who are minors. In particular, they have “the right to a healthy and secure family environment, where a child can grow under the guidance and example of a father and a mother; then there is the right and duty to receive adequate education, primarily in the family and also in the school,” the pope said. “C hildren, furthermore, have the right to recreation,” he added. “In a word, they have the right to be children.” C hristians must offer a dignified welcome to migrants ecause every human being is precious and “more important than things”, the pope said. He urged long-term solutions to be found to tackle the root causes of migration such as war, human rights violations, corruption, poverty, environmental injustice and natural disasters.
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migrant mother holds her child outside a transit camp in early F ebruary in G evge lij a, Macedonia. P ope F rancis highlights the plight of migrant children in his message.
In so many of these scenarios, Pope Francis said, “children are the first to suffer, at times suffering torture and other physical violence, in addition to moral and psychological aggression, which almost always leave indelible scars”. “But the most powerful force driving the exploitation and abuse of children is demand. If more rigorous and effective action is not ta en against those who profit from such abuse, we will not be
U nrestrained ‘competition for rb ings w ith it the cultivation of perverse scourges such –P
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ope F rancis
able to stop the multiple forms of slavery where children are the victims,” he said. Immigrant adults must cooperate more closely with host communities “for the good of their own children,” he said. C ountries need to work together and communities need to offer “authentic development” for all boys and girls “who are humanity’ s hope”, he said. The pope praised the “generous service” of all those who work with minors who migrate, urging them to “not tire of courageously living the Gospel, which calls you to recognise and welcome the Lord Jesus among the smallest and most vulnerable”. The message is availabl e at http: / / w 2 .vatican.va/ content/ francesco/ en/ messages/ migration/ documents/ papa- francesco_ 2 0 1 6 0 9 0 8 _ w orld- migrantsday- 2017.ht ml n
Achievement versus fruitfulness THER E’ S a real difference between our achievements and our fruitfulness, between our successes and the actual good that we bring into the world. W hat we achieve brings us success, gives us a sense of pride, makes our families and friends proud of us, and gives us a feeling of being worthwhile, singular, and important. W e’ ve done something. W e’ ve left a mark. W e’ ve been recognised. And along with those awards, trophies, academic degrees, certificates of distinction, things we’ ve built, and artefacts we’ ve left behind comes public recognition and respect. W e’ ve made it. W e’ re recognised. Moreover, generally, what we achieve produces and leaves behind something that is helpful to others. W e can, and should, feel good about our legitimate achievements. However, as Henri Nouwen, a D utch C atholic priest and theologian, frequently reminds us, achievement is not the same thing as fruitfulness. O ur achievements are things we have accomplished. O ur fruitfulness is the positive, long-term effect these achievements have on others. Achievement doesn’ t automatically mean fruitfulness. Achievement helps us stand out, fruitfulness brings blessing into other people’ s lives. Hence we need to ask this question: How have my achievements, my successes, the things that I’ m proud to have done, positively nurtured those around me? How have they helped bring joy into other people’ s lives? How have they helped make the world a better, more-loving place? How have any of the trophies I’ ve won or distinctions I’ ve been awarded made those around me more peaceful rather than more restless? This is different from asking: How have my achievements made me feel? How have they given me a sense of self-worth? How have my achievements witnessed to my uniqueness? It’ s no secret that our achievements, however honest and legitimate, often produce jealousy and restlessness in others rather than inspiration and restfulness. W e see this in how we so often envy highly successful people. Their achievements generally do little to enhance our own lives but instead trigger an edgy restlessness within us. The success of others, in effect, often acts like a mirror within which we see, restlessly and sometimes bitterly, our own lack of achievement. W hy? Generally there’ s blame on both sides. O n the one hand, our achievements are often driven from a self-centred need to set ourselves apart from others, to stand out, to be singular, to be recognised and admired rather than from a genuine desire to truly help others. To the extent that this is true, our successes are bound to trigger envy. Still, on the other hand, our envy of others is often the self in icted punishment spo en of in Jesus’ parable of the talents wherein the one who hides his talent gets punished for not using that talent. And so the truth is that we can achieve great things without being really fruitful, just as we can be very fruitful even while achieving little in terms of worldly success and recognition. O ur fruitfulness is often the result not so much of the great things we accomplish, but of the graciousness, generosity, and kindness we bring into the world. Unfortunately our world rarely reckons these as an achievement, an accomplishment, a success. W e don’ t become famous for being gracious. Y et, when we die, while we may well be eulogised for our achievements, we will be loved and remembered more for the goodness of our hearts than for our distinguished achievements. ur real fruitfulness will ow from something beyond the legacy of our accomplishments. It will be the quality of our hearts, more so than our achievements, that will determine how nurturing or asphyxiating is the spirit we leave behind us when we’ re gone. Henri Nouwen also points out that when we distinguish between our achievements and our fruitfulness, we will see that, while death may be the end of our success, productivity, and importance, it isn’ t necessarily the end of our fruitfulness. Indeed, often our true fruitfulness occurs only after we die. W e see that this was true too for Jesus. W e were able to be fully nurtured by His spirit only after He was gone. Jesus teaches this explicitly in His farewell discourse in John’ s Gospel when He tells us repeatedly that it’ s better for us that He goes away because it’ s only when He’ s gone that we will be able to truly receive His spirit, His full fruitfulness. The same is true for us. O ur full fruitfulness will only show after we have died. Great achievement doesn’ t necessarily make for great fruitfulness. Great achievement can give us a good feeling and can make our families and loved ones proud of us. But those feelings of accomplishment and pride are not a lasting or deeply nourishing fruit. Indeed the good feeling that accomplishment gives us is often a drug, an addiction, which forever demands more of us and sets loose envy and restlessness in others as it underscores our separateness. The fruit that feeds love and community tends to come from our shared vulnerability and not from those achievements that set us apart. n
FAITH ALIVE! 23
Sunday October 1, 2017 n CatholicNews
How can one get more out of the Mass? Here are some tips and suggestions By K elly Bothum At some point in our lives, nearly all of us have been stuck in this cycle. W e go to church, listen to the Gospel, receive the Eucharist, go home and do it all over again the next week. W hen we’ re operating out of habit, we’ re present but not really present. It’ s a shame, too, because active participation in Mass offers a special opportunity to deepen our faith and more fully explore our relationship with C hrist. As practising C atholics, we know this. But some days are harder to engage than others, whether it’ s the drone of an uninspiring homily, the distraction of fidgeting ids or the weight of carrying heavy personal burdens. So how can we make sure we’ re getting our faith’ s worth when attending Mass? Being open to change can be a good start. Sometimes, it’ s a simple shift, like swopping your regular seat in church for one with a different vantage point. O r if you’ re a regular at the 8 am Mass, consider attending the evening Mass instead. This could give you a different experience and possibly help you get to know other parishioners. If you’ re struggling to fully participate in Mass, perhaps it’ s a sign to consider a more active role. Serving as an extraordinary minister of holy C ommunion or lector means assuming a hands-on role that can help you feel more connected. ( The same advice goes for bored kids – being an altar
I f you’ re struggling to fully participate in M ass, perhaps it’ s a sign to consider a more active role such as serving as an ex traordinary minister of holy Communion or a lector.
server may help Mass feel more like a real thing rather than a nebulous experience.) Music makes the difference for someone like Mr Joe Gawinski, 63, who has been singing in organised choral groups since he was a child. He’ s currently part of the choir at St Helena’ s Parish in W ilmington, D elaware. USA. The choir learns new music each week to correspond with the readings. “O ften the priest will mention something in his sermon that corresponds to a piece in our repertoire,” said Mr Gawinski. “O ur director will run to our music files and distribute a piece that drives home what the priest just mentioned.” Mr Gawinski said singing in the choir helps him focus on why he s there, ut the enefits of the
music extend beyond the church doors. “D uring the week, all I need to do is think of a recent song title,” he said, adding that the words give him inspiration. It’ s also worth realising that our needs during Mass can change depending on the stage of our life. In our youth, it may be the actual habit itself that we are cultivating. As we get older and our lives get
more hectic, Mass may be valuable because of the opportunity for silent prayer and thanksgiving. Ms Joanna Fitz maurice of Great Falls, Virginia, uses the uiet time of Mass to re ect on the past week and think about the week ahead of her. Sitting in church with her husband and three children, it’ s easier to give thanks to God without the
chaos of daily life to distract her. She also returns to the readings and ospel as part of her re ection. Advances in technology have certainly made our lives easier. But there’ s one place we can’ t be on autopilot, and that’ s at Mass. O ur faith depends on it. n CN S B othum is a freelance w riter and a mother of three.
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Sunday October 1, 2017 n CatholicNews
By Jennifer Ficcaglia John had been exiled to the Greek island of Patmos because he was a C hristian. He was worshipping one Sunday when he heard a loud voice behind him. He turned and saw Jesus, whose face shone as bright as the sun. Jesus gave John messages to give to the seven C hristian churches in Asia. hen esus finished, ohn saw an open door to heaven. “C ome up here and I will show you what must happen afterwards,” Jesus said. John was taken up to heaven. There was thunder and lightning, as well as four living creatures, 24 elders and many angels surrounding the throne of God. Everyone in heaven worshipped God continually. John was given many visions. O ne of them was of a pregnant wom-
an. She was clothed with the sun, had 12 stars in a crown on her head and had the moon under her feet. John also saw something very evil. It was a red dragon – Satan – that wanted to destroy the woman’ s child. The woman gave birth to a son who was to rule the world. He was caught up into heaven to the throne of God. The woman ed to the desert, where she was protected from the dragon. Then a great war broke out in heaven. Michael the archangel and all of his angels started to battle against the dragon. The dragon had angels of his own, and they all fought back against Michael and his friends. But Michael and his angels were much stronger than the dragon and his angels. At the end of the battle, the dragon and his angels were defeated. They were thrown out of
SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS:
St Francis of Assisi Francis was born into a wealthy family in Assisi, Italy, in 118 2. He had a very easy life and was more interested in having a good time than anything else. W hen Assisi declared war on a nearby city, rancis oined the fight. e was captured and imprisoned for more than a year. After he was released, he became seriously ill. W hen he recovered, he felt that Jesus was calling him to change his ways. As a result, he founded the O rder of Friars Minor, also known as the Franciscans. He also helped to found the Poor C lares and the Franciscan Third O rder. Francis is the patron saint of animals, environmentalists and Italy. He died in 1226 , and we honour him on O ct 4 . n
heaven and down to earth. The victory against the dragon caused much rejoicing in heaven. But a loud voice also gave a warning. “But woe to you, earth and sea, for the D evil has come down to you in great fury, for he knows he has but a short time,” the voice said. W hen the dragon realised he had been kicked out of heaven, he tried to hurt the woman who had given birth
to the child, but she was protected from harm. So instead, the angry dragon turned his wrath towards those who keep God’ s commandments and bear witness to Jesus. n R ead more about it: R eve lation 12
Q & A 1.
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BIBLE TRIVIA: W hat does Michael the archangel’ s name mean?
Bible Accent: A nsw er to puz z le: 1. T ; 2. F ; 3. F .; 4. T A nsw er to B ibl e Trivia: W ho is lik e G od?
PUZZLE: U sing the hints provi ded, put a T next to the statements that are true and an F next to the ones that are false.
n1. John w as told to eat a scroll. ( R ev elation10: 9) n2. There w ere 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 people mark ed w ith a seal. ( R ev elation 7 : 4 ) n3. John w as told to measure the throne of G od. ( R ev elation 1 1 : 1 - 2 ) n4 . John saw the new heav en and the new earth. ( R ev elation 2 1 : 1 )
A nsw er to W ordsearch
There are many places in the Bible where angels are mentioned. For example, in Luke 2: 9, shepherds who were eeping watch over their oc s were visited y an angel, who came to tell them about Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. In Lu e 0, after esus had finished telling some parables, He said there would be much rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repented. And in Matthew 18: 10, Jesus talked about guardian angels: “For I say to you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my heavenly Father.” O nly three holy angels talked about in the Bible are mentioned by name – the archangels Michael, Gabriel and R aphael. Michael is mentioned in the books of D aniel, Jude and R evelation. In R evelation 12, he is the warrior angel who defeated Satan. Gabriel is the angel who appeared to Mary to tell her she would give birth to the Messiah, and R aphael is the angel who kept Tobit’ s son, Tobiah, safe on a journey. These archangels have their own feast day. They are honoured together on Sept 29. n
WHAT’S ON IN MEMORIAM 25
Sunday October 1, 2017 n CatholicNews
RCIA/RCIY
E V E NT SU BMI SSI O NS WH
A T’ S O N submissions now req uire the completion of a form from the A rchdiocese before the eve nt can be publicised. F or eve nts w ith foreign speak ers, p lease submit the necessary documentation for approval to the C hancery. F or more information and to dow nload the form, v isit http: / / w w w .c atholic.s g/ eve nts/ announcementadve rtisement- req uest/ . O nce forms have been submitted online, k indly send us details of your eve nt for publication at w w w . catholicnew s.s g/ w hatson/ at least one month ahead of the publication date.
JU NE 15, 2017 TO MA R C H 31, 2018 R C I A @ C H U R C H O F TH E NA TI V I TY O F TH E BV M very Thursday from pm 0pm. very Sunday from 0.30am 2.30pm. or more information, contact the parish office at 2 00 0 nativitysg yahoo.com.sg JU NE 16, 2017 TO JU NE 1, 2018 C A NTO NE SE R C I A @ C H STS P E TE R A ND P A U L very riday from 7 pm parish second oor, room . T 3372 arish ffice
JU L Y 1, 2017 TO F E BR U A R Y 3, 2019 L I F E D I R E C TI O N A ND P R A Y E R SE SSI O N F O R Y O U NG L A D I E S very first Saturday of the month. or women aged etween and 30. o not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, ut let od transform you inwardly y a complete change of your mind. Then you will e a le to now the will of od what is good and is pleasing to im and is perfect omans 2 2 . rganised y the aughters of St aul. or more information, T 0 003 pauline.fsp gmail.com. SE P T 27 TO NO V 1 C L A R I TY ’ S WO R K SH O P F O R Y O U TH S WI TH D E P R E SSI O N – A R I SE A ND SH I NE ! ates Sept 27 ct , , and 2 ov .. Time 3.30pm pm. rise and Shine is a group intervention wor shop for young adults etween the ages of 30 , who have ust een diagnosed with their first depressive episode. In this wor shop, participants will learn ehavioural and cognitive strategies to manage depressive symptoms. To register T 7 77 0. SE P T 27, 2017 TO MA Y 1, 2019 SH A R E TH E JO U R NE Y : A G L O BA L C A MP A I G N BY C A R I TA S I NTE R NA TI O NA L I S ope rancis will launch the glo al campaign on Sept 27 from St eter s S uare. rganised y Caritas Internationalis, the campaign aims to increase spaces and opportunities with Caritas organisations and parishes to ena le local communities and migrants to have more positive encounters. o oin in the campaign activities organised y Caritas Singapore and C IS. ollow CaritasSingapore and C ISSingapore on ace oo for more updates.
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30pm at or en uiries, T 7 20 2.
JU NE 8,1 2017 TO JU NE ,3 2018 MA ND A R I N R C I A @ C H U R C H
JU NE 30, 2017 TO A P R I L 1, 2018 R C I Y @ C H U R C H O F TH E R I SE N C H R I ST Time pm 0pm. ouths aged 2 who are interested in learning more a out the
O C T 2, 5, 9 A ND 12 SI L V E R I T F E ST @ A G A P E V I L L A G E enue gape illage, igital Innovation oom 7 Lorong Toa ayoh S3 2 . re registration is re uired. o you now of seniors who are struggling with their smartphones Caritas Singapore offers afforda le infocomm training and a customised curriculum for seniors. Introduction to ndroid and i S smartphones classes will e offered in this upcoming IT festival. or more information, events caritas singapore.org T 0 7 00.
O C T7 H E A L I NG MA SS ll are welcome and no registration is needed. Time 2pm pm. ou are invited to oin us for praise and worship and Mass, followed y prayers for healing. fter Mass, prayer teams will e availa le to pray with you for healing. lease spread the word to your family and friends. Cele rant r Tom Curran. rganised y S CC raise or . enue Church of Sts eter and aul. or more information, praiseatwor sg yahoo.com T 7 72 7.
O C T4 L I TE R A R Y I MA G I NA TI O N A ND TH E SP I R I TU A L E X E R C I SE S O F ST I G NA TI U S – P A R T 1 art Self nowledge. Time 7.30pm .30pm. ollow the progression of the spiritual e ercises through selected literary wor s to gain deeper self nowledge. In this lecture, we will e plore e istential attitudes, self awareness, sense of sin and forgiveness, and life choices. acilitator r aniel ister, S . rganised y ingsmead Centre, ictoria ar d. Cost 0. To register http tinyurl.com an ister T 7 072.
O C T 7 A ND O C T 14 “F I A T V O L U NTA S TU A ” MU SI C A L P R A Y E R Time pm 0pm. o Cordis Chorus CC from the Church of ur Lady of erpetual Succour will present a musical prayer entitled iat oluntas Tua which means Thy ill e one . The event will commemorate the 00th anniversary of the apparitions of ur Lady of atima. enue Cathedral of the ood Shepherd. or tic et sales and en uiries, T 0 7 3 Moni a 7 Lestari 2727 oel .
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O C T 27 TO O C T 29 MO NTF O R TI A N E X P E R I E NC E 2 ( MX 2 ) – TR U E D E V O TI O N TO MA R Y Time 30pm ri pm Sun . Cost 30 twin sharing room . enue Montfort etreat Centre. ased on the spirituality of St Louis Marie de Montfort, Mary is the surest, easiest, shortest, and most perfect means y which to go to esus Christ. iscover for yourself the means given y od imself to ring us salvation, the way of Mary. To register T 7 7 en uries montfortcentre.org. Conducted y r ominic eo oh and r ohn l ert. O C T 30 TO NO V 1 MO NTF O R TI A N E X P E R I E NC E 2 ( MX 6) – C H R I STI A N D I SC I P L E SH I P Time am Mon pm ed . Cost 30 twin sharing room . enue Montfort etreat Centre. re you guided y the same spirit, and live with the same life as esus To register T 7 7 en uries montfortcentre.org. Conducted y r ominic eo oh and r ohn l ert. NO V 10 P I E TA ’ S F I R ST ME MO R I A L MA SS F O R C H I L D R E N WH O H A V E D IE D Time 7pm. or ereaved parents, if you wish to include mention of your child including un orn and adult children , please register with your name, telephone and email efore ct to pieta.singapore gmail.com. or more information, www.face oo . com ietaSingapore
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O C T 12 A F A TH E R ’ S MI SSI O N Time 7.30pm .30pm. In our uest to ecome that father that od has called us to e, come and let us reclaim our mission as fathers to e the lin etween heaven and earth, etween od and is children. In addition, come and en oy eing in the fellowship of fathers, fathers to e, and caregivers playing a fathering role. rganised y ingsmead Centre, ictoria ar d. ee 30. To register http tinyurl.com dadmission T 7 072.
O C T 10 TO NO V 21 P E R SO NA L MO R A L C O MP A SS – MO D U L E 6: SO C I A L JU STI C E very Tuesday from 7.30pm .30pm at gape illage 7 Lorong Toa ayoh S3 2 . re registration is re uired. ersonal moral compass is a year long course in moral theology consisting of si modules. In this series of modules, we gain a etter understanding of our moral compass the asis of how we come to ma e our decisions. or more information, formation caritas singapore.org T 33 3 .
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JU L Y 1 1, 2017 TO A P R I L 1, 2018 R C I A @ C H U R C H O F ST I G NA TI U S very Tuesday from pm 0pm. Sponsors and facilitators start on uly . In uirers start on ug . egistration forms are availa le at http stignatius. org.sg home ministries faith formation rcia ministry . or more information, T 0 2 ngela 2 72 Sandra
O C T 7 A ND O C T 14 R E V I E W O F L I F E WO R K SH O P Time .30am 2.30pm. enue gape illage 7 Lorong Toa ayoh S3 2 . re registration is re uired. ow do we respond to the changing needs of our ministry mem ers ow can we etter analyse the situation and respond in a way that od is as ing us to This wor shop will provide an introduction to the eview of Life L method. or more information, formation caritas singapore.org T 33 3 .
O C T 6 TO O C T 8 “WH E R E Y O U R TR E A SU R E I S, TH E R E I S Y O U R H E A R T A L SO ” ct 7.30pm ct pm . In this retreat, consider your life and attitudes from the perspective of od, as well as recall esus life and attitudes. In e ploring esus relationships with is disciples, renew your relationship with im. acilitator r aniel ister, S . rganised y ingsmead Centre, ictoria ar d. Cost 270 non C , 330 C . To register http tinyurl.com an ister T 7 072.
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JU L Y 4, 2017 TO MA Y 20, 2018 R C I A @ C H U R C H O F STS P E TE R A ND P A U L very Tuesday at 7.30pm. egistration forms are availa le at the parish office or register your interest via http sppchurch. org.sg contact us
JU NE 2 7 / 2 9 , 2 0 1 7 TO MA R C H 3 1 , 2 0 1 8 R C I A @ C H U R C H O F TH E H O L Y C R O SS very Tuesday Chinese and every Thursday nglish from 7. pm 0pm. enue 0 Clementi ve S 2 . or more information T 7 77 Susan holycrosschurch.rcia gmail.com.
O C T5 L I TE R A R Y I MA G I NA TI O N A ND TH E SP I R I TU A L E X E R C I SE S O F ST I G NA TI U S – P A R T 2 art 2 nowledge of Christ. Time 7.30pm .30pm. ollow the progression of the spiritual e ercises through selected literary wor s to gain deeper nowledge of esus Christ. plore the incarnation, esus and is disciples, para les, death and resurrection. rganised y ingsmead Centre, ictoria ar d. Cost 0. To register http tinyurl.com an ister T 7 072.
SE P T 30 L O V E I N TH E C I TY Love is the Language Scriptural art from 3pm pm at The Catholic Centre. Love is the Story faith sharing and regorian chants from 3. pm .30pm at Church of Sts eter aul. Love is the Inspiration orum from . pm .30pm at the Cathedral of the ood Shepherd. Love is the Song Concert from pm 0pm at the cathedral. These events are open to all, especially non Catholics who wish to find out more a out the Catholic faith. rganised y the ffice for the ew vagelisation . or more information www.one.org.sg events.
Catholic faith are invited to come and oin us on this ourney of discovery. enue St ohn room, Church of the isen Christ. To register rciy risenchrist.org.sg.
O F O U R L A D Y O F P E R P E TU A L SU C C O U R very Sunday from am 0.30am. rganised y Church f ur Lady f erpetual Succour, 3 Siglap ill S 0 . or more information T 73 Magdalene we site www.olps.sg.
A j ourney for those seek ing to k now more about the C atholic faith. Baptised C atholics are also inv ited to j ourney as sponsors.
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Than you for the years we shared Than you for the way you cared e loved you then and we love you still orget you, we never will. emem ered with love children, sons in law, daughters in law, grandchildren and loved ones. Thirtieth A nniv ersary In loving memory of
Seve nth A nnive rsary In loving memory of
R O Y STO N NI C H O L A S R O D R IG U E S orn May 2 , 0 eparted ct , 7 ou left a eautiful memory nd a sorrow too great to e told To those who loved and lost you. early missed y ic y, erry, Melanie, relatives, friends and all loved ones.
L E IW S MA R C E L TH E X E I R A orn ov , 2 eparted Sept 2 , 20 0 od gave us the strength to ear it nd courage to fight the low hat it has meant to lose you od alone will ever now. ita The eira and loved ones.
Sixt h A nnive rsary In loving memory of
F ourth A nnive rsary In loving memory of
MA Y A H ME R V Y N D O U G L A S eparted Sep 27, 20 our life was a lessing, our memory a treasure ou are loved eyond words nd missed eyond measure. lways remem ered y wife, daughters, son in law and grand daughters and all loved ones.
A ND R E W H O NG K I MP O H eparted ct , 20 3 ven when we close our eyes There s an image of your face nd once again we come to reali e ou re a loss we can t replace. early missed and always remem ered y wife, sons, daughter in law, and grandchildren
CLASSIFIED THANKSGIVING oly St ude, apos tle and martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near ins man of esus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who invo e your special patronage in times of need. To you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and hum ly eg you,
to whom od has giv en such great power, to come to my assis tance. elp me in my present urgent peti tion. In return, I prom ise to ma e your name nown and cause you to e invo ed. St ude pray for me and all who invo e your aid. um ly in need of your intercession. men. Than you for answering my prayers.
Solution to Crossword Puzzle No. 1193 K E V I N
I S I T I
C P A S
H A L E
S A N T A M A R I A
H E A D
O L L A
U S E R
S U E
A L T F A G A R I C F E T E A M H A G A G R S E S E P F K
S A N T A M O N I C A
A M I P E L O T E S U P A G A R C H B O E S A C T C E J K S O S I S T I M E T O O P R U N E A R S I
S M O T E
C O A T F B I
W A D I
A R I L
B E N E
A P P A R I T I O N
D I O S
M U S H
N O V A K
E M E R Y
www.wordgamesforcatholics.com
26 IN MEMORIAM
Sunday October 1, 2017 n CatholicNews
E ighth A nnive rsary In loving memory of I have k ept the faith. 2T
im 4: 7
Second A nnive rsary In loving memory of
MR JE R O ME R A JU Age : 79 D ate departed : O ct 4, 2009 Y our presence is ever near us Y our love remains with us yet Y ou were the kind father Y our loved ones will never forget. D eeply missed and fondly remembered by family and loved ones.
A R TI E A U G U STI NE TA N D eparted on September 28, 2015 In our hearts you will always live Y our love, your voice and your smile Are forever imprinted in our minds. Always remembered by your wife, children, grand-children and great-grand children. Sixt h A nnive rsary In loving memory of
In loving memory of SI X TH A NNI V E R SA R Y
P A U L C H A NG TO NG H I A NG D eparted: O ct ,3 201 1
C H R I STI NE R E D D Y F R A NC I S NE E R O D R I G U E S R E D D Y D eparted: O ctober 1, 2011 O ctober 12, 2011
If we could have one wish today, It would not be for gold, but just to have you both back again. Y our love, your voice and your smile are forever imprinted in your minds. Fondly remembered and cherished. Bernie, Harold, C onrad, in-laws, nephews and nieces.
Second A nnive rsary In loving memory of
C H NG C H E NG Y E O MA R Y D eparted: O ct 7 , 2015 Gone from our lives O ne so dear But in our hearts Forever near. D early missed by loved ones.
Six years has gone by, but there has not been a single moment where you have not been greatly missed. Six years ago you physically left us, but you have constantly been in our thoughts and prayers, and will forever be in our hearts. Y our presence, your laughter, your incessant support in whatever we choose to do, and your unconditional love are just a few things of the many that are now absent in our lives. Looking forward to the day when we are all united in heaven. Until then, may you rest in peace and keep a watchful eye over us from above. D eeply missed and forever cherished by your loving W ife: Helen, C hildren: D eana & Steven, Benedict & Magdalene, Grandchildren: Ivan & Justin, D ominic & Emmanuel & Maximus.
“ T I shall not be in w ant... and I w ill dw ell in the house of the L ord forever.” P salm 23
F I R ST A NNI V E R SA R Y In loving memory of
In loving memory of Tw enty- sixt h A nnive rsary
Tw enty- second A nnive rsary
F R E D D I E F R A NC I S TA N Age: 82 W as called home to the Lord on Sep 22, 2016
K O H H O U SE N MA R Y TA N L I M K E E D eparted: O ct 13 , 19 9 1 D eparted: Nov 14 , 19 9 5
I nm em oriam r ates: M inimum $80 f or an insertion not ex ceeding an eight- centimetre column. A dditional space: $8 pe r one- centimetre column. Pl e a s e t u r n t o p a g e s 2 5 a n d 2 7 f o r m o r e i n m e m o r i a m a d v e r t i s e m e n t s .
D earest parents, Y ou are in God’ s K ingdom The glory of His universe Eternally the peace and joy Flow like a watering-can. Always remembered by loving children, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law and grandchildren.
Q uickly and quietly came the call, Y our sudden departure shocked us all. W e who have lost can tell, the loss of our loved one. W ith a farewell, we still do grieve, though days have gone by, that you parted from us without a goodbye. D early missed and fondly remembered by loved ones. W ife: Molly Sim Soon Im C hildren &
Spouse:
Audrey Tan & R icardo O rtega Benedict Tan G randsons:
Mark O rtega, Luke O rtega &
John O rtega
IN MEMORIAM 27
Sunday October 1, 2017 n CatholicNews
In loving memory of D A D
MU M
MR A P O NNU D O R A I
MR S S. R . P O NNU D O R A I
an 2 ,
7
ent ome
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SO N
F I R ST A NNI V E R SA R Y In loving memory of
JE R O ME TH I O D eparted: Sep 12, 2016
MAY THEY REST IN PEACE
earest Master fish addy and the est Momma ever,
Tw elfth A nnive rsary In loving memory of
uic ly and uietly came the call, our sudden departure shoc ed us all e who have lost can tell, the loss of our loved ones with a farewell, ut still do we grieve, though days have gone y, that you parted from us without a good ye.
JO H N G I BSO N eparted ct 3, 200
Sadly missed y your loving wife, children, in laws and grandchildren.
Tenth A nnive rsary In loving memory of
The greatest eatitude of my life is now, elishing art 2, my eternal life in im, or the ody is refreshed here, nd the greatest oy is to live, move and have my eing , In im The water is wide, and I ve crossed over, waiting in is time, my reunion with all...
F A TH E R A NTO NI P O NNU D U R A I , SJ ent ome on Sept 23, 20
lways our love, role models and guides in our lives e miss you, and treasure the memories our loved ones.
on or, Mer y shirts, us o, D oekie, Merz y pants, Mi Jie and my dearest odson, atey oo. R omey
JO SE P H
STA NI SL A U S F E R NA ND E Z eparted Sep 30, 2007 D ear D ad It s een ten years since you went home to e with esus. The family s doing fine. ow can we not when we have a saint praying for us The family s grown and you have great grand ids now e miss you dad and still tal loads a out you Mom says she still feels you around the house and in her dreams... nd that is the father we new responsi le, generous ut most of all loving. Than s dad for everything. Cherished y wife atricia and children. Mass will e offered up for dad at the Church of St Michael on Saturday Sept 30 at .30pm. In loving memory of F irst A nnive rsary
Thirteenth A nnive rsary In loving memory of
SH A W N R A JK U MA R D eparted: Sep 25 , 2004 our loving memories will remain forever fresh. ondly remem ered y our loving family, godchildren, relatives and friends. F ifth A nnive rsary In loving memory of
MA R I A D A SS S/ O P O NNI A H orn 0 0 22 eparted 0 0 20 2 e thin of you in silence o eyes can see us weep ut still within our aching hearts our memory we eep. eeply mourned y all loved ones.
Third A nnive rsary
Tw entieth A nnive rsary ith fond memories of
C E C I L G O ME Z D eparted: Sep 29 , 19 9 7 emem ering you is easy W e do it every day Missing you is the hardest part s it never goes away To hear your voice. To see your smile To sit with you and tal for awhile would e our greatest wish Today, tomorrow, our whole life through e shall always love and remem er you. lways cherished y wife, son and all loved ones.
Pl e a s e t u r n t o p a g e s 2 5 a n d 2 6 fo r m o re in m e m o r ia m and classified a d v e r tis e m e n ts .
MU R E NA TH E R E SA BE R TI E NE L SO N BE I NS – WI L SO N BE I NS D eparted: Sept 2 , 20 ct 0, 20
Thoughts of you ring tears or one we love so dear ut the will of od it must e In silent sorrow, you will remain In our hearts eternally. reatly missed y irlie, children, grandchildren, great granddaughter, rothers, sisters, in laws, ryon ilson and family.
28
Sunday October 1, 2017 n CatholicNews
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