OCTOBER 20, 2013, Vol 63, No 21

Page 1

www.catholicnews.sg SUNDAY OCTOBER 20, 2013

SINGAPORE 50 CENTS / WEST MALAYSIA RM$1.20

MCI (P) 081/08/2013

PPS 201/04/2013 (022940)

Missionary activity is service to hurting world

NO. 21

INSIDE HOME ‘Be part of local Church’ Archbishop Goh urges migrants at celebration „ Page 2

VATICAN CITY – In a world that often seems

dark and full of suffering and violence, Christians can offer hope by sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Pope Francis wrote in a message for World Mission Sunday 2013. “It is necessary to proclaim courageously and in every situation the Gospel of Christ, a message of hope, reconciliation [and] communion, a proclamation of God’s closeness, His mercy, salvation and a proclamation that the power of God’s love is able to overcome the darkness of evil and guide us on the path of goodness,� the pope wrote. World Mission Sunday will be celebrated on Oct 20 at the Vatican and in most dioceses around the world. ideas that have been featured prominently in the speeches and homilies Pope Francis has given including at World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro. Pope Francis’ message emphasises the obligation of all Christians to share the faith with others and do so with respect. He also point made by many Christians around the world currently facing oppression or even persecution because of their faith. “Everyone should be able to experience the joy of being loved by God, the joy of salvation,� he said. “It is a gift that one cannot keep to oneself, but it is to be shared.� “If we want to keep it only to ourselves, we will become isolated, sterile and sick Christians,� the pope wrote. The strength of one’s faith “can be measured by the ability to communicate it to others, to spread and live it in charity, to witness to it before those we meet and those who share the path of life with us�. Pope Francis said he knows some people today hesitate sharing the faith because they somehow think it will limit other people’s freedom, when in reality faith empowers people and frees them from despair and from chasing pleasure or material possessions that cannot last and, therefore, cannot make them happy forever. A true Christian does not try to impose the Christian faith on anyone, but proclaims the

VOL 63

PM Lee commends work of Catholic Church Highlights its services at SVDP parish’s anniversary dinner „ Page 3

Archbishop Chia settles down in new home Looks forward to active retirement „ Page 4

An American Maryknoll priest prays for a young woman with epilepsy in a slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Mission Sunday is celebrated in most dioceses on Oct 20 this year.

good news through word and deed with respect, the pope wrote. “The Church’s missionary spirit is not about proselytising, but the testimony of a life that illuminates the path, which brings hope and love.� The pope also offered thanks to and prayers for the many Christians in different parts of the ! professing their faith and in enjoying the legal right to practise it in a worthy manner�. They are “courageous witnesses� of the Gospel, he said. " # $ praise and thanksgiving for priests, Religious

( ) ) ‘ *

+ ) ) . /

0

’

– Pope Francis

and laypeople who have left their homelands to spread the Gospel. He asked those, especially from traditionally Catholic countries, to make sure that in their letters and visits home, they tell of their experience so that they can help those at home “rediscover the enthusiasm and joy of sharing the faith�. He thanked the Churches in traditionally mission territory, such as Africa, for their willingness to send priests and Religious to other countries, including in Europe and North America. “Sending missionaries is never a loss, but a gain,� he said. Pope Francis urged all Catholics to take responsibility for the Church’s missionary ac " % „ CNS

! "#$%#&$' ! "#$%

„ Pages 18-19: The Mission

Spotlighting poverty in Singapore Caritas launches S’poreans against Poverty initiative „ Page 9

WORLD US government shutdown Christian leaders sign statement in protest „ Page 11

POPE FRANCIS Overhauling the Roman Curia Cardinals meet up with pope „ Page 13


2 HOME

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

Be part of local Church, archbishop urges migrants Some 500 migrant workers attend Migrant Sunday celebration By Don Gurugay Integrate yourself into the local Church and share your faith with us, Archbishop William Goh urged Catholic migrants at the Migrant Sunday Mass held at the Church of St Stephen. “We cannot afford to have different communities,� he stressed in his homily. “We are building one community with different cultures,� he said during the Sept 29 event. He noted that “if there are a few communities in the Church, we divide the body of Christ. There should only be one community but expressed in many ways. This is the richness of the Catholic Church.� About 500 migrant workers, including Filipinos, Indonesians, Myanmar nationals and Vietnamese, attended the annual event organised by the Archdiocesan Commission for the Pastoral Care for Migrants and Itinerants (ACMI). Archbishop Goh said that Catholic migrants should invite their fellow Catholic countrymen to the functions the former attend and the parish they belong to. “You are the messengers of

Performance by a Myanmar national.

Filipino migrants putting on a dance performance at the Church of St Stephen.

Christ; this is the time that they [new migrants] are lost and need refuge, a family and hospitality,� he said. Archbishop Goh noted that migrants are also a source of evangelisation in their host countries. “As we share our faith with you, share your faith with us,� he urged. “Integrate yourselves so that you will be part of this Christian community.�

At the start of the Mass, representatives of the various migrant communities carried forward a candle on which is pasted a rep $ items such as rice and fruits, symbolising their own cultures. Parish priest Fr John Khoo, Fr Dominic Savio, and migrant chaplains Fr Sambodo Sru Ujianto, Fr Peter Paul and Friar Julian Mariaratnam concelebrated the Mass. Before Mass, participants enjoyed a buffet lunch, followed by song-and-dance performances from the Sri Lankan, Tamil, Malayalee, Filipino and Myanmar communities. Many migrants said they enjoyed the day’s celebration. Ms Mary Thao Ngyuen, from Vietnam, who was dressed in her national costume, the åo dà i, said she missed home as this was the åo dà i outside of Vietnam. Nevertheless, such events allowed her to make more friends, she said. Mr Nay Min Tun from Myanmar, who also wore his national costume, echoed similar sentiments. He said he was very happy to come as he could meet people

Archbishop Goh poses for a photo with Indian migrants.

As we share our faith with you, share your ‘ faith with us. Integrate yourselves so that you will be part of this Christian community.’

– Archbishop William Goh

of other nationalities. Ms Elisabeth Sukiyatun Mitro from Indonesia said Migrant Sunday celebrations always brought her blessings. ACMI has been organising Migrant Sunday celebrations at various churches since 2000. The event aims to celebrate the dignity of people who are mi-

grants and their contributions to their host country. ACMI now has a new executive director, Mr Timothy Karl, who started work on Sept 2. He replaces Mr Jeremy Khoo, who is still involved with ACMI as an executive committee member. For more information on ACMI, visit www.acmi.sg. „


HOME 3

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

Cutting the cake at the Church of St Vincent de Paul’s 50th anniversary dinner are (from left): parish council chairman Leonard Neo, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, parish priest Fr Michael Sitaram and Archbishop William Goh.

PM Lee commends work of SVDP parish and Catholic Church By Darren Boon Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong praised the Catholic Church and the Church of St Vincent de Paul for their good works at a dinner to mark the parish’s 50th anniversary. In his speech at Orchid Country Club on Sept 28, Mr Lee noted that in the late 1950s, French missionary priest Fr Henri Saussard worked with residents in Jalan Kayu to help the needy in the area, such as delivering food to poor households and spending time with the elderly. “The church has kept up its good work and has served the community well� in aiding poor families through the Society of St Vincent de Paul, a thrift shop, and the running of the Serangoon North kindergarten which provides free education to needy children, he said. The parish comes under Ang Mo Kio GRC led by Mr Lee. He praised the parish for its youth initiatives, such as allowing young people to organise the recently staged musical, Monsieur Vincent: The Saint for all Seasons. Mr Lee said he was “very happy� that religious groups like the church have been doing good community work in Singapore “because religious institutions play a very important role in our society�. “It is not just spiritual and & also helping the less fortunate, society and complementing what the government is doing to build the society, to strengthen our com-

munity, to make a better Singapore,� he said. Mr Lee said the Catholic Church, in focusing on its “spiritual and social missions�, has made a “valuable contribution� cation, social services and interracial and interreligious harmony. The prime minister shared that he was a former student of Catho-

We can all ... learn ‘ much from the Catholic Church’s spirit of serving ‘the last, the lost and the least.’

’

– Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

lic High School “and proud of it�. Catholic schools “emphasise value and character development and not just academics and is something which all our national schools are also trying to do more ' % *

and I think that is what we want to do with the young people.� Mr Lee also thanked Arch-

bishop William Goh and Archbishop Emeritus Nicholas Chia for their leadership, friendship and support. He noted that “we can all, Catholic or non-Catholic, religious or non-religious, learn much from the Catholic Church’s spirit of serving ‘the last, the lost and the least’�. While the government has to remain “neutral and secular� in its stance and policies in a multiracial and multi-religious society, “that does not mean we cannot work with religious groups to serve Singaporeans, especially to meet community needs and to solve social problems�, said Mr Lee. Parish priest Fr Michael Sitaram later presented Mr Lee with a calligraphic scroll containing a Chinese poem as a memento from the parish. Also present at the night’s dinner were chairman of Temasek Holdings and former Cabinet minister Lim Boon Heng, Minister of State for Trade and Industry Teo Ser Luck and Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon. Mr Lim and Mr Teo are both St Vincent de Paul parishioners. „ darren.boon@catholic.org.sg

Fr Sitaram presents Mr Lee with a calligraphic scroll.

PARISH HISTORY The origins of the Church of St Vincent de Paul can be traced back to 1959 when French missionary priest Fr Henri Saussard, who was then parish priest of Church of St Francis Xavier, was asked to serve the Catholic community in Jalan Kayu. Fr Saussard organised aid for the needy in the area. A resident also offered his home for this service and Mass celebrations. Later, Archbishop Michael Olcomendy approved plans to

raise funds for a church building due to the growing Catholic population. Due to pressing needs, a shop house along Jalan Kayu was purchased and functioned as a chapel for Mass, priest quarters and for church activities. In October 1963, the parish was formally established. A church building was later constructed and completed in 1970. A major upgrading exercise was initiated in 1995. „


4 HOME

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

Archbishop Chia looks forward to active retirement Darren Boon catches up with the retired archbishop at his new residence

By Darren Boon Five months after retiring, Archbishop Emeritus Nicholas Chia’s daily schedule now revolves around celebrating Mass at the Catholic Spirituality Centre (CSC), where he now lives, reading, praying and spending time before the Blessed Sacrament. He also corresponds with people, meets with them and attends meetings, he told CatholicNews at his one-storey residence at the CSC, located opposite the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In addition, the retired archbishop also makes monthly visits to residents of Catholic homes for the elderly to give them support and encouragement. “I’m retired but that does not

mean I do nothing but enjoy myself only. I still continue to see what I can contribute towards the Church,� he told CatholicNews in the study of his residence, which also includes a living room and kitchenette. Archbishop Chia said he wishes to reach out to the poor and is concerned about the sick and disabled. He also hopes to visit housebound people and is thinking about missionary activities. “Helping the poor doesn’t only mean giving money or material things, but giving your love and concern. That’s important,� he emphasised. Archbishop Chia said he is open to gracing Church functions but would advise people to approach Archbishop William Goh

Archbishop Chia stands outside his home at the Catholic Spirituality Centre at Upper Serangoon Road.

% * + op Goh is unable to attend such events, Archbishop Chia says he would then try to accommodate. Although he is back in the

I still continue to see ‘what I can contribute towards the Church.’

– Archbishop Emeritus Nicholas Chia

Hougang area where he grew up, Archbishop Chia said the “whole place is completely transformed�. Nonetheless, he is happy with his “nice� surroundings at the CSC. He is also full of praise for the people at CSC. “The people here have been very nice and hospitable. I’m very impressed by their dedication and services,� he said. Archbishop Chia also advised retirees to “thank God� for the gifts God has given them and spend their time “meaningfully

reaching out to people and trying to radiate Christ� by their love and services. “It is in giving that we receive,� he said. Archbishop Chia is now residing at the Catholic Spirituality Centre at 1261 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534796. He can be contacted by phone (62872665), fax (6287-6273) or email (nc@catholic.org.sg). „ darren.boon@catholic.org.sg


HOME 5

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

By Darren Boon Jesuit Msgr Philip Heng’s daily / 4 / <4/= > ? and Android phones. = $ / % @QQZ through email. Most of the sub \^

% 4/= “getting out of date�, said Msgr Heng. are “the in-thing these days. We as ' % Although Msgr Heng said he for some 12 years, he believes he has not repeated them. Nonetheless, he admits that

Icon of Daily Gospel eMessages Jesuit Msgr Philip Heng

passages than others�. * _ $ sages,� he said. “These messages are meant to be God’s Word� that

lenge one’s faith, he added. Msgr Heng said he entrusts ` ` % “I am merely an instrument of / % *

&

' % * / / ` %' `

& been helpful to people in their % + zQ QQQ ? and Android versions. „ darren.boon@catholic.org.sg

By Darren Boon { 4 a “prayer journal� for students, & / % Prayer for Living: The Word / 4 " daily Gospel readings for the next | } # + 4 Z% =

pointers for readers to pray and meditate on. There are also questions to ~ / readers to pen their thoughts and insights. { 4 & Prayer for Living had been in ex Z % publish the book as they felt the € their faith journey. ` there are already many similar &

&

% * € -

Sr Sandra Seow authored Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer.

& “possible struggles that people as they try to live their Christian identity in the daily busynessâ€?. & ionâ€? and “user-friendlyâ€? for all  & / added. Prayer for Living “strives to bring the message of the Gospel

' ‚ % ? { 4 ƒ

/ His Word.� "

& $ " € ` " <` " = >% „†%^

% To purchase the book, email verbumdeispore@yahoo.com.sg or call 6274-0251. Book price: $20. „ darren.boon@catholic.org.sg


6 HOME

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

Cathedral to close for restoration for 2 years Last Masses to be held on Oct 27. New building to be fully airconditioned. By Darren Boon The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd will hold its last Masses on Oct 27 before closing for restoration works. These are expected to begin on Nov 1 and will last for two years, said Fr Adrian Anthony, who is in charge of the restoration project. During the closure, the cathedral’s weekday 1.15pm lunch time Masses will be held at St Joseph’s Church, Victoria St, except during public holidays. The cathedral’s Sunday 10am Mass will be held at St Joseph’s Church at 10.30am. The cost of the restoration is estimated to be about $35 million. The cathedral is still short of about $15 million, said Fr Anthony. According to Architects 61, the architecture company overseeing the restoration, the cathedral’s structure would be strength ƒ ping. It will also be fully air-conditioned. A basement which will function as a multi-purpose space, and which will incorporate a crypt for deceased bishops, will also be built. The rectory will also be restored. An annexe block at the rear of rectory will be built to hold a multi-function hall, prayer rooms and a Catholic Heritage Centre. The building is expected to be three storeys high and will be constructed in place of an existing block, which will be demolished. The cathedral grounds will also become more pedestrian friendly with an enhanced garden setting. A covered link between the cathedral and the annexe block will also be built.

Above: Artist’s impression of the restored cathedral buildings with the annexe block on the right (in white). Right: Fr Adrian Anthony, priest in charge of the restoration project.

Fr Anthony told CatholicNews he hopes the cathedral will become a place where people can “encounter the presence of God� / '% To donate to the restoration project, please make cheques payable to “Cathedral of the Good Shepherd�, with Restoration Fund written on the reverse side, and mail them to Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, A Queen Street, Singapore 188533. „ darren.boon@catholic.org.sg

An annexe block will house a multi-function hall, prayer rooms and a Catholic Heritage Centre. The restored Cathedral will also have a crypt for deceased bishops.


HOME 7

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

Learning about faith proclamation, interfaith dialogue By Clara Lai Interreligious dialogue and faith % They are “two aspects of the comprehensive understanding of evangelisation�, a Maryknoll priest told local Catholics recently. Interfaith dialogue is building positive relations with people who remain active in their own respective faiths, whereas faith proclamation is communicating the Jesus story and giving witness to our faith, said Fr James Kroeger at the Catholic Archdiocesan Education Centre on Oct 5. Fr Kroeger, president of the Philippine Association of Catholic Missiologists, was speaking on the topic, Evangelisation in a Multi-Religious Context: Are Dialogue and Proclamation in ‹ More than 100 participants, mostly catechists, attended the three-hour-long session, which also included a video screening. # Œ “principal elements� of mission and evangelisation to participants. They are Christian presence and witness of life; commitment to social development and human liberation; interreligious dialogue; explicit Gospel proclamation and catechesis; and liturgical life, prayer and contemplation. According to Fr Kroeger, dialogue and proclamation are both part of the mission to evangelise. Fr Kroeger also noted that all religions have great ideals. However, their followers fall short of these ideals. “We do not compare our religion to another, and we do not put down other religions,� he stressed. Referring to the Church’s recent celebration of Migrant Sun-

Maryknoll priest Fr James Kroeger speaking on the topic, Are Dialogue

day, Fr Kroeger asked: “What is the Church’s outreach to the over one million migrants in Singapore – Muslims from Indonesia, Christians from Philippines, Buddhists from Thailand and My ‹' To further illustrate interfaith dialogue in action, a documentary on a Catholic missionary’s work in Bangladesh was screened. The video featured the work of American Maryknoll missionary, Fr Bob “Bhai� (Bengali for “brother�), who lives with Muslim villagers in a rural part of the country. Fr Bob helps those who require medical attention, but are too poor to pay, by bringing them to the city to see a doctor. Participants said they found the interreligious session useful. Ms Catherine Tan, 39, a Secondary Two catechist from the Church of St Teresa, said she would share what she learnt with her students. “Hopefully they will not be scared when they are asked

by others about their faith,� she said. Ms Sabrina Tan, 23, a member of a youth group at the Church of St Francis Xavier, said she learnt that interfaith dialogue could begin by just “starting a friendship� with others. The Oct 5 session was part of a series of talks by Fr Kroeger, organised by the Archdiocesan Catholic Council for Interreligious Dialogue (archCCID) and Archdiocesan Catholic Council for Ecumenical Dialogue (archCCED). On Oct 2 and 3, he spoke at the Church of St Ignatius on Interreligious Harmony and My Faith, and Building Christian Unity and My Faith, respectively. Fr Kroeger has a licentiate and doctorate in missiology from the Gregorian University in Rome. He lectures at various Catholic institutions in Manila. „ clara.lai@catholic.org.sg

St Teresa’s funfair raises funds for cathedral The Church of St Teresa held its annual funfair in honour of its patron saint on Sept 29. Although there were showers in the early hours of the day, these later subsided and ŠŠ & ry, tau suan, roasted duck and much more. This year, the organising committee, consisting of the Lector’s Ministry and

a good 45 stalls, giving parishioners and visitors a good variety of food to choose from as they mingled as a community. Live bands also added to the festive atmosphere. Proceeds from the funfair will be donated to the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd’s Restoration Fund. „

Coming up: SACCRE forum on the new evangelisation A forum titled Spirit Filled Church for New Evangelisation will be held on Nov 23, a day before the closing of the Year of Faith. The Singapore Archdiocese Catholic Charismatic Renewal (SACCRE) is organising the event to be held at the Catholic Archdiocesan Education Centre on Highland Road. The forum aims to promote more collaboration and new evangelical zeal in the archdiocese. The main highlight of the event is a panel discussion. The speakers are: Fr Eugene Vaz (director of the Biblical Apostolate), Canossian Sr Theresa Seow, Fr JJ Fenelon (representing the RCIA), Mr Edwyn deSouza from the Catholic Youth Office, Ms Ann Yeong from the Office of the New Evangelization at the Church of St Mary of the Angels), and Ms Jane Lau, executive director

for the Office for the New Evangelization and associate director of the Catechetical Office. Fr Erbin Fernandez, the Episcopal Vicar for the New Evangelisation, will give the opening address for the forum, while Carmelite Fr Thomas Curran, spiritual director of SACCRE, will give a keynote talk on Holy Spirit, the Principal Agent for New Evangelisation. The event, to be held at St Peter’s Auditorium from 9.30am-4.30pm, will conclude with Mass celebrated by Archbishop William Goh. Priority tickets have been sent to parishes for registration and the public may also attend by registering at http://tiny.cc/sfc4ne or email sfc4ne@gmail.com. Registration is free. A confirmation will be sent for every successful registration. „


8 HOME

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

CHANCERY NOTICE APPOINTMENTS Z% Fr Mark Aloysius, SJ, has been appointed as an assistant priest to the Church of * % @% Fr Alex Chua is assigned to Church of St Francis Xavier, Serangoon Gardens as priest in residence from @^ ? @QZ†% †% Fr Edward Seah has been appointed to the Board of Governors of St Joseph’s Institution (Malcolm Road)

†Q @QZ†% \% Br Jude David, upon his ordination to the priesthood, will assume the role of Chairperson on the Catholic Council for Ecumenical 4 < =4>% ^% Sr Elizabeth Lim, RGS, is appointed Vice-Chairperson on the Catholic Council for Ecumenical Dialogue < =4>% z% appointed as members to the Catholic Council for Ecumenical Dialogue (CCED): % Fr Michael Arro, MEP % Fr Derrick Yap, OFM % Sr Veronica de Rosa, FMM % Ms Jestina Low % Ms Theresa Huang ’% Sr Maria Lau, IJS, is appointed Chairperson on the Catholic Council for Inter 4 < *4>%

ZQ% Msgr Philip Heng, SJ, is appointed as Director of the Archdiocesan Land & " % ZZ% Deacon Clement Chen is appointed as Director of the Archdiocesan Land & " % Z@% Br Terence Kesavan is appointed to Church of Divine

Z 4 @QZ†% Z†% Br Jude David is appointed as Chaplain to James Cook • % Z\% Fr Ignatius Yeo is appointed as Administrator of St Joseph’s Church, Victoria

Z 4 @QZ†% Z^% Fr John Bosco Pereira will take up residence at the Major Seminary as Formator

Z 4 @QZ†% Zz% Fr Eugene Vaz has taken up residence at Church of Œ – —

Z ? @QZ†% Z’% Fr Vincent Chee has been given permission to stay at home for medical reasons while continuing to serve as assistant priest at Church ` & — % OTHER MATTERS Z% ` / Emeritus Archbishop Nicholas Chia DD

October 4, 2013

has nicely settled into his new accommodations at the Catholic Spirituality Cen % dence and contact information are: Catholic Spirituality Centre (CSC), Z@zZ • — ^†\’ z ˜<z^> z@“’ @zz^ # !˜<z^> z@“’ z@’† = ˜ ‘ % %

@% +

ate, the Archbishop’s of ™ future appointments of Spiritual Directors of Archdiocesan bodies be referred to him for formal appoint % ‚ sented to the Archbishop for his consideration pending an appointment or a renewal taking into consideration the particular statutes % †% # cal and calendar year, the publication of the Ordo and the Archdiocesan Directory % + 4 tory will be undertaken by the Chancery and the Ordo will be overseen by the Archdiocesan Liturgy % \% + sion for Missionary Activities is dissolved and previous activities of ACMA will be incorporated into ? ‚ = Š %

“% Sr Theresa Seow, FDCC, is appointed Vice-Chairperson on the Catholic Council for Interreligious Dialogue < *4>% % appointed as members of the Catholic Council for Interreligious Dialogue (CCID): % Fr Kamelus Kamus,

CICM % Sr Francisca Tan, RC % Mr Lawrence Chong % Mr Francois Bretault

Fr John-Paul Tan OFM, JCL, Chancellor, Chancery of the Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore Archbishop’s House, 31 Victoria St, Singapore 187997 Tel: 6337 8818 Fax: 6333 4735 Email: chancellor@catholic.org.sg

CHANCERY NOTICE CORRECTION: In the previous Chancery Notice published in the Oct 6 issue of CatholicNews, the email address of Fr Francis Leong, MM, should be Z †z‘ % %


HOME 9

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

Spotlighting poverty in S’pore Caritas Singapore has launched its Singaporeans against Poverty initiative By Darren Boon Caritas Singapore has launched a nationwide initiative to create awareness of the poor in the country. Titled Singaporeans against Poverty, it is expected to last for ! will include a series of campaigns. is being rolled out – a series of print, cinema, online and radio advertisements under the theme Partnering The Poor. A microsite, www.SGagainstpoverty.org, will also provide more information on the state of poverty in Singapore. In addition, four MediaCorp deejays from Gold 90.5FM and 98.7FM are expected to participate in a Personal Poverty Challenge in November where they will attempt to live on $5 a day. Listeners will be invited to join in this project. “We want to encourage people to think about how we can journey with the poor and partner them so that no one is left behind, as our country continues to grow,� said Mr Laurence Lien, chairman of Caritas Singapore’s Advocacy Committee. Mr Lien, a Nominated Member of Parliament, encouraged & in partnering the poor “by actively seeking to empathise and understand the day-to-day realities of the less fortunate in our midst�.

! " #

$ %

the poor.

The next step is to respond by “advocating for the poor, befriending them or simply reexamining the daily choices we make that may impact on the situation of the poor�. Caritas Singapore’s chairman George Lim said, “Pope Francis has called on us to be a works with the poor.� He hopes that Caritas’ campaigns will inspire conversations on poverty and fresh perspectives on the issue. “Our hope is that people will eventually move from asking, ‘Who are the poor?’ or ‘Why are there poor?’ to ‘What can we do to ensure that every individual

and family has a decent life?’� Mr Lim said. Meanwhile, Caritas Singapore’s staff and members of its @† ered for a lunchtime Mass at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd on Oct 4 to pray for the poor and for heightened awareness of them in Singapore. According to a Caritas Singapore analysis of the Singapore Department of Statistics Key Household Income Trends 2012, 105,000 Singapore households are trying to survive on an average income of $1,500 per month. „ darren.boon@catholic.org.sg


10 ASIA

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

" ! " By Benedict Tang SINGAPORE – A well-known

American lay Catholic and a Singapore Member of Parliament are among several people speaking at an upcoming seminar for working adults. The Christ@Work Conference 2013 aims to examine the role each Catholic needs to play in being true witnesses to their faith in the marketplace. The event, jointly organised by the Catholic Business Network and Praise@Work, has the theme, The Summons: Rise of the Apostles, and will be held

comes Catholics who have been away from the Church. Ms Celina Lin and Ms Roselie Chia will lead partici session to help them function better in the marketplace. Both are professionally-trained spiritual directors. MP Christopher De Souza will share his perspective of how the Catholic faith helps people make decisions aligned with good corporate values and practices, and how these help to resolve differences. Ms Reena Rajasvari, who became blind in her late 20s,

# ! " #

Artist’s impression of the Good Shepherd Place in Toa Payoh that the Good Shepherd Sisters hope to move into in March 2014.

By Darren Boon SINGAPORE – The Good Shep-

Promotional graphic for the Christ@Work Conference to be held on Nov 30.

at the Catholic Junior College Performing Arts Centre on Nov 30. The keynote speaker, Mr Hector Molina, is an American lay Catholic speaker and apologist with over 20 years of experience in professional pastoral ministry and leadership in the Church. Another speaker, Mr Tony See, will be speak on Beating the Monday Blues with Sunday Tools. Mr See has spent 30 years working in the foreign exchange market and is also the founder and coordinator of Landings Singapore, a community that wel-

will share how Catholics can be true witnesses of Christ. She is now working as a fulltime trainer and motivational speaker. There will also be a panel discussion in which speakers examine the ways that Catholics can be witnesses to truth in the marketplace. + = ‚ las Chia will give the opening address while Archbishop William Goh will celebrate Mass at the end of the day. For more details and to register, visit http://christatworkconference.com.

herd Sisters will holding a Mass on Nov 21 to mark the closure of their convent in Marymount and to give thanks to God for His blessings and the people the nuns have encountered. The Mass will be held at the Good Shepherd Convent Chapel, at 790 Thomson Road, at 6.30pm. The land the convent sits on, leased for 99 years, is to be used ‚ ƒ =! way. The Sisters have been at Marymount for 63 years. “News of the acquisition of Marymount was distressing to the Good Shepherd Sisters and their mission partners, especially since it meant having to let go of a place that they had lived and worked in and had grown to love,� the Good Shepherd Sisters said in a statement to CatholicNews. Although the Sisters felt pained by the news, they “searched for

God’s will for them and opened themselves to where God wanted to lead them to�, the statement said. “In prayer and hope and through the support of many, they found courage and began to plan for their move to their fourth location and convent.� The Sisters hope to relocate to their new premises, Good Shepherd Place in Lorong 8 Toa Payoh, in March 2014. / Sisters arrived in Singapore in December 1939. They had previously occupied three convents before settling down at Marymount in 1950. Over the years, the convent here has grown to offer many services. These include the Rose Villa residential care for unwed mothers, the Good Shepherd Centre crisis shelter for women and children suffering from domestic abuse, the Good Shepherd Oasis retreat centre, and the Ahuva Good Shepherd Centre for girls from single-parent families and other challenging backgrounds.

A skills development training programme called DAWN (Devel + ~ ‚ = > for domestic workers was also set = lish, baking, cooking, care-giving skills, handicrafts, computer skills, dressmaking and cosmetology. Other activities at the convent include those of the Marymount Charismatic Healing Ministry, and the Roman Catholic Prison Ministry (RCPM) Intercessory Prayer Group which meets weekly in the Good Shepherd Sisters’ Oratory for prayer. The Good Shepherd Sisters are inviting all well-wishers to be part of the thanksgiving Mass, which will be celebrated by Archbishop William Goh. If you wish to attend, please contact Sr Gerard (9109-8990) or Sr Julia (8233-3728) in advance for catering purposes, as refreshments will be served after the Mass. „ darren.boon@catholic.org.sg

! MANILA – Philippine bishops,

priests, nuns and lay leaders of various Christian denominations have stepped up their opposition to a “pork barrel� scheme, which they say is riddled with corruption. On Oct 5, they formed an alliance vowing to pressure the government into abolishing the fund. The Church People’s Alliance Against Pork Barrel called on the faithful “to unite against greed, expose corruption, demand justice and restitution, and inspire one another for moral reconstruction and social transformation towards liberation for all�. In recent weeks, various groups

have been calling for an end to the allocation of some 200 million pesos (S$5.7 million) to each of the country’s 24 senators and 70 million pesos to 294 Lower House lawmakers, for development projects in their constituencies. The results of a state audit released in August sparked a national outcry when it revealed that six billion pesos in “pork barrel� money was allegedly misused between 2007 and 2009. 12 senators and 180 congressmen and congresswomen whose fund allocations were channelled to dubious NGOs.

Unabated stealing ‘by the rulers from the people’s coffers... has exposed the rottenness of the current governmental system.

’

– Fr Ben Alforque

“Unabated stealing by the rulers from the people’s coffers... has exposed the rottenness of the current governmental system,� Fr

Ben Alforque, of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart congregation, said at the launch of the alliance. Good Shepherd Sr Mauren Catabian, one of the conveners of the new group, said government their own interests� and have forgotten the interests of the poor. The new group urged the government to re-channel the funds directly into services such as health and education, and make those found guilty of graft accountable. On Oct 4, Bishop Broderick Pabillo, head of the social action secretariat of the bishops’ conference, addressed crowds protesting

against the pork barrel fund. He accused the government of using the fund to bribe lawmakers. Thousands of Filipinos had $ district in Makati City that day for a “million people� march to call for the immediate abolition of the pork barrel fund. Meanwhile, a bishops’ confer " dent Benigno Aquino to quit, say % Mr Aquino on Sunday told + ƒ" = eration Summit in Indonesia that he is not seeking re-election. „ UCANEWS.COM


WORLD 11

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

Christian leaders sign statement to protest US govt shutdown WASHINGTON – On Oct 2, a long

list of Catholic and other Christian leaders signed a statement decrying the US government shutdown. “As Christians and citizens, cials are pursuing an extreme ideological agenda at the expense of the working poor and vulnerable families,� said a statement by the organisation Faith in Public Life. “We especially challenge those members of Congress who call themselves pro-life to cease their political posturing on Capitol Hill. Shutting down the government in a futile effort to defund or delay the Affordable Care Act will hurt low-income pregnant women and infants who receive vital nutrition support,� it said. “There is nothing ‘pro-life’ or Christian about taking food away from pregnant women and babies. It is hypocritical and shameful for those who tout their commitment to family values to show such callous indifference,� they said. The statement noted that the shutdown will hurt federal employees who will “be locked out of their workplaces without pay as bills pile up. This failure of political leadership and responsible governance exposes our nation’s misplaced values. “Struggling families, seniors and pregnant women don’t deserve to be victims of a manufactured crisis in Washington,� the statement concluded. Meanwhile, various other Catholic organisations are affected by the shutdown. The Archdiocese for the Military Services said that its use of “contract priests� to celebrate Mass at a number of military installations where no active-duty chaplain is on-site would have to be cancelled in most circumstances. “With the government shutdown, GS (general services) and contract priests who minister to Catholics on military bases worldwide are not permitted to work – not even to volunteer,� said an op-ed essay written by Mr John Schlageter on Oct 3, general counsel for the military archdiocese. “During the shutdown, it is illegal for them to minister on base and they risk being arrested if they attempt to do so.� Scores of Masses had to be cancelled as a result. However, in an Oct 7 phone

interview, Mr Schlageter said, “We’re now being told priests can return to work.� With national parks closed due to the shutdown, tourism is off. In Utah, Fr Bill Wheaton, pastor of St Pius X Parish in Moab, said a number of his parishioners work for the National Park Service or the Bureau of Land Management, and “they’re all at this point out of work�. In Washington, many restaurants and bars were offering free or reduced-price items to furloughed government workers. Catholic schools already were beginning to think about what consequences the government closures could have on students and their families. At St William of York School in Stafford, Virginia, in the Diocese of Arlington, principal Mr Frank Nicely estimated a third of the school’s families would be af-

Struggling families, seniors and pregnant women should not be victims of the shutdown, says a statement signed by Christian leaders. fected. This was clear when more parents than usual showed up to drop their children off at school % Mr Nicely knows the shutdown could put some families % On Oct 3, the school used its Facebook page to ask parents how they were affected by the shutdown. Jesuit-run Georgetown University got in on the act, offering six free classes to workers affected by the shutdown. Mr Johnny Young, director of Migration and Refugee Services for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, told Catholic News Service that federal contracts to help resettle refugees and provide other assistance to immigrants were held up by the government freeze. Although there’s no money coming in, MRS will use funds from the USCCB to continue to provide services, he said. „ CNS

A furloughed federal employee at the US Capitol in Washington on Oct 1 after the US government shutdown. CNS Photo

Muslims show interfaith solidarity in Peshawar church bombing KARACHI, PAKISTAN – Hundreds

of Christians and Muslims joined hands in Karachi on Sept 29 to form a human chain in a rare show of unity in the wake of the Sept 22 terror attack on a church in Peshawar. At least 85 people were killed and more than 140 wounded when two suicide bombers blew themselves up at All Saints Church in Peshawar immediately after Sunday Mass in what has been described as one of the most deadly attacks on the beleaguered religious minority in Pakistan. Muslim Shia and Sunni clerics as well as Christian clergy were among those who gathered at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Karachi for a “day of prayer and resistance against terrorism�. Politicians, actors, human rights activists, schoolchildren and people from other walks of life joined the symbolic gathering.

The event was organised by a group of friends under the banner “Pakistan for All� and was supported by the National Commission for Peace and Justice. “A Pakistan I have dreamt of: a Shia cleric, a Christian pastor and a Sunni mufti were sit-

Participants formed a ring around the cathedral and held hands to form a human chain. St Patrick’s Cathedral, Karachi,� Mr Mohammad Jibran Nasir, one of the main organisers, told ucanews.com on Sept 29. “The objective of this initiative was to demonstrate interfaith harmony among Pakistanis and express solidarity with the relatives

of Peshawar victims,� he said. Hindus also took part in the demonstration, he said. “The attack on the Peshawar church was not only against Christians, it was against the entire country,� said Fr Sal Deigo, a priest at the cathedral. Participants formed a ring around the cathedral and held hands to form a human chain. “We are here to show that we respect all religions. We all are Pakistanis and we all are one,� said Ms Sharmila Farooqui, a Sindh lawmaker. “We are all together. We are one. We are not divided on the basis of our faiths,� said prominent Pakistani model and actress Sanam Saeed. Shia cleric Agha Iftikhar Abid Naqvi and Sunni Mufti Faisal Japan Wala also spoke at the gathering and highlighted the need to promote interfaith harmony in the country. „ UCANEWS.COM

Young Nepalese embrace Catholicism KATHMANDU – In Nepal, many

young Hindus and Buddhists are choosing to become Catholic because of deep-seated inequality and discrimination. “I saw with my own eyes whole groups prohibited from entering Hindu temples just because they were from the lower castes,� Diko Tamang, 12, told AsiaNews. “These people could not offer prayers; it is an unforgivable discrimination.� From a Hindu family, Diko attends catechism at Kathmandu’s Assumption Cathedral, along with a group of some 20 boys and girls. “In my opinion,� he said, “there should be no discrimination of any kind in a religion. In Christianity, there are none. In all castes and ethnic groups, each person is treated the same way.

This is what I like and what inspired me to become Catholic. When I grow up I want to be able to spread the message of God’s equality in our society.� Rita Maharjan, 18, also goes for catechism with Diko. “I came here,� she told AsiaNews, “at the invitation of my sister, who is Catholic. For a long time, she had serious health problems, paralysed in the legs, unable to walk.

A 12-year-old Nepalese boy said that ‘...there should be no discrimination of any kind in a religion. In Christianity, there are none.’

We spent a lot of money to treat her. One day, one of her friends encouraged her to go to church and be blessed by the priest. She did, and a few weeks later she was healed. When I tell this, a lot of people do not believe me, but it is true and I can testify to God’s power and grace on my sister. I want to become Catholic, tell people about my experience and feel the grace of the Lord.� Nepal is home to about 150,000 Christians, including 8,000 Catholics. Before the fall of the monarchy in 2006, Hinduism was the state religion. Following the proclamation of a secular state, religious freedom was guaranteed; yet minorities, especially Christians, are still subjected to harassment and threats from the majority community. „ ASIANEWS


12 WORLD

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

$ % " VATICAN CITY – The signs of God’s presence in the

Church are peace and joy, and not necessarily a per " # % Church to go forward without any problems and this can become a temptation for the Church – the Church of functionalism,� he said on Sept 30 during the morning Mass in his residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae. A Church that focuses only on functioning smoothly, being “well organised� and having “everything is in its place, but [is] without memory and without promise�, he said, “will not work out�. “It will be the Church of the battle for power, it will be the Church of jealousies among the baptised and many other things that arise when there is no memory and no promise,� he said. “The Church’s vitality� doesn’t come from documents and meetings “to make plans and do things well�,

the pope said, according to a report by Vatican Radio. While those things are necessary, they are not “the sign of God’s presence�, he said. With reference to the day’s reading from the Book of the Prophet Zechariah, the pope talked about the prophet’s vision of a day when all is set right and old men and women will be sitting peacefully out boys and girls playing. The images of the elderly being content and children playing recall the peace and joy of the Lord, the pope said. “Peace and joy, this is the atmosphere of the Church,� he said. He also emphasised the importance of respecting, caring for and honouring the young and old who really are the memory and promise of a community. “A people who do not care for their elderly and for their children has no future,� he said. Young and old “are the future of a people�. „ CNS

Duty to protect is not licence for war: archbishop VATICAN CITY – An interna-

lacking for too long is the courage tional obligation to intervene in of member states� to make resolvsituations of war or widespread ing the crisis peacefully an interviolations of human rights does national priority, he said. not mean a country or group of He acknowledged that after the countries can decide to take mili- Syrian government allegedly used tary action in another nation, said chemical weapons on its own peothe Vatican’s foreign minister. + “The responsibility to protect,� nally recognised they had to act in a concept espoused by accordance with their the United Nations, “responsibility to prois not a call to arms tect� the defenceless. “but to a profound U n f o r t u n a t e l y, and mandatory spirit this is sometimes of solidarity�, Archunderstood to mean bishop Dominique € Mamberti told the UN recourse to arms�, the General Assembly. archbishop said. The archbishop A shared obligaaddressed the General tion to protect others Assembly on Oct 1, Archbishop Dominique “asks each person, urging the internation- Mamberti starting with the leadal community to work ers of nations, to feel harder to resolve the war in Syria affected by the great humanitarian and to recognise the relationship crises as if they were their own, between peace and development no matter where they occur, and and between war and poverty. to work immediately to put into While UN and humanitarian action all available means - diploagencies and the countries wel- matic, economic, public opinion, coming Syrian refugees have tak- as well as the measures envisioned en heroic steps to help the victims by the UN Charter – in view of an of Syria’s war, “what has been effective solution�. „ CNS

Catholic U partners activist WASHINGTON

– Mr Chen certed efforts to defend the freedom Guangcheng, a Chinese dissident of the Chinese people and move forand human rights activist, will be a ward courageously to defend human visiting fellow at The Catholic Uni- dignity, and other universal values�. versity of America next year workLast April, Chen, a blind, selfing on a book about human rights

abuses in rural China. China, where he had For the next three spent several years imyears, while at Catholic prisoned for his legal University’s Institute work dealing with pofor Policy Research litically sensitive issues and Catholic Studies such as forced aborin Washington, he also tions and land seizures. will be supported in At the Oct. 2 news his studies and human conference, Mr John rights advocacy by the Garvey, president of Witherspoon Institute, Mr Chen Guangcheng Catholic University, a think tank, and the said the university Lantos Foundation, a human rights greatly admired Mr Chen’s “bravorganisation, both in the US. ery in defending basic human At the National Press Club in rights in China� and that his work Washington on Oct 2, Mr Chen told went along with the “academic reporters he is “at a new starting mission of a Catholic university�. point� and planned to “make con- „ CNS

Pope’s message to catechists VATICAN CITY – Being a catechist is about teaching the faith in its entirety and putting Christ – not oneself – on centre stage, Pope Francis told catechists from around the world. Catechists “are people who keep the memory of God alive; they keep it alive in themselves and they are able to revive it in others�, he said in his homily. The pope spoke during a special Mass in St Peter’s Square on Sept 29 for hundreds of catechists who were in Rome for a three-day international congress hosted by " " -

ing New Evangelisation. In an earlier audience with catechists, the pope said the Church needs good catechists who love Christ, live out the Gospel in their lives and courageously go to the margins of society to share the gift of faith with others. “Let us follow Him, imitate Him in His dynamic of love, of going to others, and let’s go out, open the doors, have the audacity to strike out new paths to proclaim the Gospel,� he said on Sept 27, in a talk that was both improvised and drawn from a text. „ CNS


POPE FRANCIS 13

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

Pope, cardinal advisers have $ CNS photo

VATICAN CITY – " #

his international Council of Cardinals are laying out plans to com — ' { & % The Vatican made the announcement on Sept 30, that Pope # ance a permanent council of cardinals, thereby emphasising the importance and open-endedness of & $

% As the pope and the eight car nal session of their Oct 1-3 meet ? † & ž # # | and responsibilities of the Vatican of the world Synod of Bishops, and the Vatican’s attention to the role and responsibility of laity also € % # | and the cardinals emphasised the role of the Secretariat of State as ' said the discussions included “the

One of the topics mentioned most often, Fr Lombardi said, was concern for the role of the laity in the Church and the world.

Pope Francis poses with his cardinal advisers. From left: Chilean Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa; Italian Bishop Marcello Semeraro, secretary to the Council of Cardinals; Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias; German Cardinal Reinhard Marx; Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga; Italian Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello; US Cardinal Sean P O’Malley; Australian Cardinal George Pell and Congolese Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya.

 _ $' greater communication and coop % # | said, are going clearly in the direction of an apostolic constitution to

" – ' Z ““ Vatican constitution on the reform

of the Curia, and not simply “cosmetic retouches or marginal mod ' % The eight cardinals – six of

bishops – brought to the meeting with the pope suggestions they re

% ? -

" VATICAN CITY – Peace is so dif-

women struggle to stop focusing on their own interests long enough to listen to and learn from others, " # % “In the world, in societies, there is little peace because dialogue & �

Š one’s own interests in order to open ' " # †Q% Just four days before he was # + " # cis met with religious, political and cultural leaders from around the world who were continuing the dialogue Blessed John Paul II began with his interreligious peace + Z “z% + @Â’ ago “should not and could not be ' " # told the leaders – Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and  @ ƒ? Z for the annual interreligious peace meeting sponsored by the Rome $= % ~ in the face of the pain of entire peoples who are hostages of war, ! ' "

Pope Francis greets a member of an international meeting for peace on Sept 30 at the Vatican. CNS photo

# % ~ indifferent and impotent, before the drama of children, families and & % ~ cannot allow terrorism to imprison ' % " # to contribute to peace through their prayers and their actions, but for religious leaders that obligation is absolute because “the commandment

of peace is deeply inscribed in the

'% “Each one of us is called to be a peacemaker, uniting and not di ! not maintaining it, opening paths to dialogue and not building new ' % Peace requires a process of dialogue that is “tenacious, patient, ' % 4 ferent generations – who often know nothing about each other – ' % 4 Š

%' " # to dialogue with others must grow work of peace that protects the & '% Ending his remarks with a prayer that God would sustain all peacemakers, the pope also prayed “for peace in the world, for peace in Syria, the Middle East and in ' and for renewed hope among those suffering from the effects of war and among young people who are

% „ CNS

# | said, was concern for the role of the % The pope and his cardinal & ensure that this dimension of the Church’s reality is more adequate

' # | % " # & { $ # | not treated in depth at the October " # & { $ process and the Vatican bank and &% At the end of their meeting, council members announced they would hold their second meeting 4 †ƒ^ they planned to meet again at the { # work of the council, especially in this initial phase, can proceed ™ & ' # | % „ CNS

Blessed John XXIII, John Paul II to be canonised April 27 VATICAN CITY – Recognising that Blessed John XXIII and John Paul ** holiness and that years of studying ! " # clare his two predecessors saints + @’% The pope made the announcement on Sept 30 at the end of an

' gathering of cardinals and promoters of the sainthood causes % sistory took place in the context | included the reading of brief biographies of the two sainthood % + @’ @QZ\ 4 % „ CNS

Vatican bank publishes annual report for transparency VATICAN CITY – As part of its

continuing efforts to promote transparency and to demonstrate its stability and adherence to industry standards, the Vatican bank published its annual report for the % The Institute for the Works of Religion, as the bank is formally known, released its independently audited report on Oct 1, publishing the 100-page document on its ˜ % % % In his introduction to the re = # ident of the institute said, “2012 was a successful year for the IOR % *?— “z%z (S$146 million), which allowed ^\%’ ros toward the budget of the Holy

†Z% -

lion euros to our general operating

& %' The bank’s earnings for 2012 were more than four times great @Q%† earned in 2011, mainly due to an % In a statement published with the report, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, president of the cardinals’ & said, “The IOR has embarked on a course of reform, of which trans & %' “It is important to remember that the IOR’s reason for existing in particular its works of charity ' % „ CNS


14 POPE FRANCIS

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

Pope Francis outlines more people-oriented Pontiff speaks about the direction he wants the Church to head in an VATICAN CITY – In yet another

wide-ranging interview, Pope Francis said he aims to make the Catholic Church less “Vatican-centric� and closer to the “people of God�, as well as more socially conscious and open to modern culture. ` considered turning down the papacy in the moments following his election last March, and iden ' the Church should address today as youth unemployment and the abandonment of elderly people. The pope’s remarks appeared in a 4,500-word interview, published on Oct 1 in the Rome daily, La Repubblica, with Eugenio Scalfari, a co-founder and former editor-inchief of the newspaper. Scalfari, an avowed atheist, publicly addressed the pope in a pair of articles on religious and philosophical topics over the summer, and Pope Francis replied in a letter that La Repubblica published on Sept 11. The journalist reported that the two met in person at the Vatican on Sept 24. Their conversation touched on a range of topics, including economic justice, dialogue between Christians and non-believers, and reform of the Vatican bureaucracy. “Heads of the Church have of thrilled by their courtiers,� the pope said. “The court is the leprosy of the papacy.� Pope Francis said that the Roman Curia, the Church’s central administration at the Vatican, is not itself a court, though courtiers can be found there. The Curia “has one defect�, he said. “It is Vatican-centric. It sees and looks after the interests of the Vatican, which are still, for the most part,

Pope Francis blesses a boy at St Peter’s Square. The pontiff recently gave an interview to the Rome daily, La Repubblica, and spoke on economic justice, dialogue between Christians and non-believers, and reform of the Vatican bureaucracy, among other topics. CNS Photo

temporal interests. This Vatican-centric view neglects the world around us. I do not share this view and I’ll do everything I can to change it.� “The Church is or should go back to being a community of God’s people,� he said. “Priests, pastors and bishops who have the care of souls are at the service of the people of God.� In response to Scalfari’s opinion that “love for temporal power is still very strong within the Vatican walls and in the institutional structure of the whole Church�, and that the “institution dominates the poor, missionary Church that you would like�, Pope Francis agreed, saying: “In fact, that is the way it is, and in this area you cannot perform miracles.� Yet the pope offered reason for

hope in the eight-member Council of Cardinals advising him on Church governance and reform of the Vatican bureaucracy, which he convened for three days of initial meetings that began on Oct 1. * to appoint a group of eight cardinals to be my advisers. Not courtiers but wise people who share my own feelings,� he said. “This is the beginning of a Church with an organisation that is not just top-down but also horizontal.� Pope Francis called for greater commitment by the Church to the alleviation of social problems, particularly those of the young and the elderly. “The most serious of days are youth unemployment and

the loneliness of the old,� he said. “This, to me, is the most urgent problem that the Church is facing.� While he acknowledged that addressing economic and political problems is largely the responsibility of governments and other secular institutions, he said that such problems “also concern the Church, in fact, the Church above all because this situation wounds not only bodies but also souls. The Church must feel responsibility for both souls and bodies.� The pope echoed his numerous earlier calls for greater restraint on market forces. “Personally I think so-called savage liberalism only makes the strong stronger and the weak weaker and excludes the most excluded,� he said. “We need great freedom,

no discrimination, no demagoguery and lots of love. We need rules of conduct and also, if necessary, direct intervention from the state to correct the more intolerable inequalities.� on his thinking of one of his early teachers, a “fervent communist� and “courageous and honest person�, whose “materialism had no hold over me� but who raised his awareness of an “aspect of the social, which I then found in the social doctrine of the Church�. Asked whether he agreed with the Church’s disciplining of libera cate of Blessed John Paul II, Pope Francis said that liberation theology “certainly gave a political aspect to their theology, but many of them were believers and with a high concept of humanity�. The pope said that the “Church will not deal with politics� and suggested that Church leaders holders to take particular positions in matters of public policy. “I believe that Catholics involved in politics carry the values of their religion within them, but have the mature awareness and expertise to implement them,� he said. “The Church will never go beyond its task of expressing and disseminating its values, at least as long as I’m here,� the pope said, agreeing that Church leaders have “almost never� observed such limits. “Everyone has his own idea of good and evil and must choose to

he conceives them,� the pope said elsewhere in the interview. “That would be enough to make the world a better place.� „ Continued on Page 15

QUOTES FROM THE POPE’S INTERVIEW

[The Roman Curia] is Vatican-centric. It sees and looks after the interests of the Vatican, which are still, for the most part, temporal interests. This Vatican-centric view neglects the world around us. I do not share this view and I’ll do everything I can to change it.

/ to appoint a group of eight cardinals to be my advisers. Not courtiers but wise people who share my own feelings. This is the beginning of a Church with an organisation that is not just top-down but also horizontal.

Vatican II ... decided to look to the future with a modern spirit and to be open to modern culture. The council fathers knew that being open to modern culture meant religious ecumenism and dialogue with non-believers. But afterwards very little was done in that direction. I have the humility and ambition to want to do something.

The most serious of the evils

X

these days are youth unemployment and the loneliness of the old ... This, to me, is the most urgent problem that the Church is facing.


POPE FRANCIS 15

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

quest for a Church interview with a secular paper in Rome „ From Page 14

Pope Francis joked that he had been warned that his atheist interviewer might try to convert him, but the pope told Scalfari that he would not try to do likewise. “Proselytism is solemn nonsense, it makes no sense,� he said. “We need to get to know each other, listen to each other and improve our knowledge of the world around us.� The Second Vatican Council “decided to look to the future with a modern spirit and to be open to modern culture�, the pope said. “The council fathers knew that being open to modern culture meant religious ecumenism and dialogue with non-believers. But afterwards very little was done in that direction. I have the humility and ambition to want to do something.� Pope Francis suggested that he and his interviewer shared a deep common ground of belief. When Scalfari said that he be-

lieved in “being, that is, in the tissue from which forms, bodies arise�, the pope responded: “I believe in God, not in a Catholic God. There is no Catholic God, there is God, and I believe in Jesus Christ, His incarnation. Jesus is my teacher and my pastor, but God, the father, Abba, the light and the creator. This is my being. Do you think we are very far apart?� The two also voiced similar views of clericalism. Pope Francis praised Scalfari for avoiding anti-clericalism although he is not a believer, but the journalist told the pope, “I become so when I meet a clericalist.� Scalfari said the pope smiled and replied, “It also happens to me that when I meet a clericalist, I suddenly become anti-clerical. Clericalism should not have anything to do with Christianity.� Pope Francis also recounted what he said was one of his rare mystical experiences, just after his election as pope, when he was “seized by a great anxiety� and even

% + * with a great light,� he said. “It lasted a moment, but it seemed to me very long. Then the light faded, I got up suddenly and walked into the room where the cardinals were waiting and the table on which was the act of acceptance.� The interview with Scalfari was the third long interview Pope Francis, who during his time as archbishop of Buenos Aires was known for refusing press interviews, has granted since becoming pope. ž @“ & back from Rio de Janeiro. On Sept 19, Jesuit publications in several countries published an interview the pope had granted the previous month to Jesuit Fr Antonio Spadaro. „ The full English translation of the interview is at http://www.repubblica.it/cultura/2013/10/01/news/pope_s_conversation_with_scalfari_english-67643118/

MORE QUOTES . . .

The Church is or should go back to being a community of God’s people.

Proselytism is solemn nonsense, it makes no sense. We need to get to know each other, listen to each other and improve our knowledge of the world around us.

I believe in God, not in a Catholic God. There is no Catholic God, there is God, and I believe in Jesus Christ, His incarnation. Jesus is my teacher and my pastor, but God, the father, Abba, the light and the creator.


16 OPINION

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

Fortnightly newspaper of the Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore

2 Highland Road, #01-03 Singapore 549102. Telephone: 6858 3055. Fax: 6858 2055. Website: www.catholicnews.sg Facebook: www.facebook.com/catholicnews MANAGING EDITOR: Father Richards Ambrose: ra@catholic.org.sg

IN MEMORIAM: Susan Lim: memoriam@catholic.org.sg

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Christopher Khoo: christopher.khoo@catholic.org.sg

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Richard Paul: subscriptions@catholic.org.sg

STAFF CORRESPONDENTS: Darren Boon: darren.boon@catholic.org.sg Clara Lai: clara.lai@catholic.org.sg

ADVERTISEMENTS: Elaine Ong: advertisements@catholic.org.sg

EDITORIAL MATTERS AND QUERIES: cnedit@catholic.org.sg

Please include your full name, address and phone no. for all letters to the editor. All decisions on submissions rest with the CatholicNews. Published submissions will be edited.

WEBMASTER: Medona Walter: medona.walter@catholic.org.sg DESIGN / LAYOUT: Christopher Wong: design@catholic.org.sg Elaine Ong: elaine.ong@catholic.org.sg

COMMENTARY

Pope Francis and his interviews By Francis X Rocca When Pope Benedict XVI answered a journalist’s question in 2010 about condom use by offer ethical complexities of a hypothetical case, his words led to a worldwide media sensation and a { % Three years later, papal interviews are still making news. This time, however, the Vatican is letting the pope’s words speak for themselves. “This is a genre to which we were not accustomed,� Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, told reporters on Oct 2, the day after Italian journalist Eugenio Scalfari published his account of a conversation with the pope. “Let’s take it for what it is, seeking to interpret it correctly.� Catholics have traditionally heard or read a pope’s words in certain authoritative forms: magisterial documents, such as encyclicals or apostolic exhortations, which carry the full weight of the papacy’s teaching authority; canonical decrees with the force of Church law; and homilies delivered at major papal liturgies. * { ordinarily review the texts prior translations in major languages to reduce the possibility of ambiguity or confusion. Pope Francis’ addition to the magisterial, canonical and pastoral forms of papal communication, Fr Lombardi said, is a genre that might be termed “conversational�, comprising not only the pope’s interviews with journalists but also his off-the-cuff homilies at daily morning Masses, of which the Vatican publishes only summaries with verbatim excerpts. When the pope speaks spontaneously, his words should carry correspondingly less weight than in more traditional forms and contexts, Fr Lombardi said. Yet lately

For many Catholics, it will take time to get used to a pope speaking as a fellow member of the ‘people of God’. the impact of the pope’s statements has been inversely propor % Encyclicals are considered the highest form of papal teaching, but " # $ | men Fidei, drew only a fraction of the attention his interviews have commanded; and no words from any of his homilies have been quoted nearly as often as his July 28 remark to reporters on the subject of gay people: “Who am I to judge?� This points to one of the new genre’s clear advantages. When the pope speaks in an untraditional way, the world takes heed, and the novel charm of an informal papal voice opens up possibilities for engaging audiences ordinarily unreceptive to Vatican pronouncements. Conversation with journalists is thus a prime vehicle for what Pope Francis has called the “culture of dialogue�. The pope appears to recognise that distinctions between the magisterial and conversational are lost on most people, who are not versed in theology and encounter his words in the fragmentary form of news reports. Hence he has remind-

ed journalists that he is not making “ex cathedra� pronouncements but expressing personal opinions. ` ™ newsworthy statements to Scalfari in that way. On the Roman Curia’s “Vatican-centric� mentality, the pope said, “I do not share this view and I’ll do everything I can to change it.� On youth unemployment and abandonment of the elderly, he commented, “This, to me, is the most urgent problem that the Church is facing.� On Catholics and politics, he said, “I believe that Catholics involved in politics carry the values of their religion within them, but have a mature conscience and the competence to implement them.� He added that the “Church will never go beyond its task of expressing and disseminating its values, at least as long as I’m %' ™ and a frank admission that future popes might take another line. For many Catholics, it will take time to get used to a pope speaking not only as priest, prophet and king, but also as a fellow member of the “people of God�, voicing personal priorities and views that do not have the status of Church teaching. As novel as this aspect of Pope # $ also one of several threads of continuity with his stylistically different predecessor. “This book is absolutely not a magisterial act,� Pope Benedict volume of his Jesus of Nazareth trilogy, which he pointedly published under the name Joseph Ratzinger. “So everyone is free to disagree with me. I ask only that my readers begin with that attitude of good will without which there is no understanding.� „ CNS Rocca heads the Rome bureau of the US-based Catholic News Services.

The slow march of goodness GOD writes straight with crooked lines. That axiom sounds clever, but is there real truth or depth to it? Can good ever really arise out of evil? Do love, truth, and justice ever work out through hatred, lies and injustice? Do crooked lines really straighten? The answer to those questions will invariably be negative when we look at the surface of things, but faith is never predicated on how things look on the surface. Faith, as American writer and political activist Jim Wallis is fond of saying, doesn’t base itself upon the evidence. Rather faith looks at the word of God and then waits for the evidence to change. It also sees that deeper, under the surface, error is often at the service of truth. We see a poignant expression of this in a poem, Meditation, written by Russian-Ukrainian poet and philosopher Raissa Maritain. The poem, powerful in itself, becomes more powerful as an expression of faith when we know its background. This wasn’t a simple expression of faith in some abstract dark time. The dark times were particularly real to the poet. Maritain, a convert to Roman Catholicism from Judaism, had always retained a deep love for and connection to her Jewish roots. She described herself as a Christian with a Jewish heart. Now, in 1936 when she wrote this poem, she was witnessing the + ` ‚ Š = % ƒ of the accounts of Jews, some of whom were personal friends, being killed in Europe, especially in Poland. She felt threatened as a Jew, and ™ # • % Her world was crumbling, her friends were dying, and she was scurrying for her personal safety. Evil was on the ascent and all the trusted political and social powers seemed to be either crushed by it or acquiescing to it. Within that context, she wrote this poem: Darkness from below, darkness from the heights; Beneath the Archangel’s black wing The divine plan unfolds. / *

creation: Eternity is being built with time, And good-imperishable- with evil’s assistance.

Mankind trudges along toward justice Through the lazy curves of iniquity, Today’s error is at the service Of truth to come; The bit of good, Seemingly powerless to vanquish The misfortune of days, Keeps on being the seed Of Love’s everlasting tree.

With 70 years of hindsight, we can see that her faith was well-founded. In spite of evil, God does continue to work, God’s plan does continue to unfold, and our very misfortunes become part of the growth of love, truth, and justice. But this is mostly not evident on the surface of things because there, we are forever too focused on the big movements of power – politically, socially, economically, and religiously. We are forever looking at the big players and trying to read God’s movements there. However, as Maritain’s poem makes evident, God’s providence often, perhaps mostly, occurs outside of what’s happening visibly inside the seemingly important political, social, and ecclesial structures. That’s why often God’s providence is not very evident. It’s hidden because God often bypasses the places where we’re looking. ~ she’s echoing how the Evangelist, Luke, introduces John the Baptist in his / % ` ž

< " " ` " | ias, Annas, and Caiaphas) and then telling us that the word of God bypassed them all and went instead to John, an obscure eccentric, in the desert. How shocking that is would become apparent to us if a religious writer today were to name all the important world leaders and all the out that God’s word is bypassing them and going out instead to an unknown monk inside some obscure monastery. – and that incredulity mostly blocks us from seeing where God’s providence is working at a deeper place. Our world, says French philosopher and Jesuit priest, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, is an immense groping, an immense search that can only progress at the cost of many failures and much human suffering. But, in

$ % *

help pay the price of universal progress and triumph. Our sufferings, whatever their nature, are noble. They help bring about progress in the % The divine plan often unfolds under a dark wing. Today’s error is at the service of tomorrow’s truth, and God’s providence often bypasses the structures of power. And so our faith needs to look deeper than what’s happening on the surface, our hope needs to ground itself on something beyond what’s on the daily news, and our charity needs to be less fearful and less paranoid. God is always alive and working underneath. Nothing will be lost of our efforts and sufferings, even of our failure and errors. „


FOCUS 17

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

Have courage to start family, pope tells young people !

CNS photos

& ' * '

+ ' " # < =% VATICAN CITY – In societies that

trumpet individual rights, deciding to get married today takes courage, Pope Francis told young people in Assisi. 4 $

& itive steps, like that of marriage,� the pope told thousands of young adults & him on Oct 4, the feast of St Francis, in the square outside Assisi’s Basilica of St Mary of the Angels. & pilgrimage as pope to the birthplace of his papal namesake. During the evening meeting with the young people, some asked him questions about marriage, about discerning a vocation, about evangelisation and about making the world more just. He told them that Christian marriage is a “real vocation, just like priesthood and religious life are. Two Christians who marry each other have recognised in their love story the Lord’s call,

the vocation to form one flesh�. “It takes courage to start a family,� he said, and the modern world seems to put obstacles in the way, “privileging individual rights rather than the family� and trying to convince everyone that relationships should last only as % Pope Francis said the only way a person can hear God’s voice and discern a vocation is by praying regularly. As for the Christian obligations to share the good news of salvation with others and to work for more just and peaceful societies, Pope Francis told the young people that the two go together.

Don’t be afraid of ‘

0 ` like that of marriage.’ – Pope Francis to young people

" * & ' > + ' %

During his 10-hour visit to Assisi, the pope also urged the whole Church to imitate St Francis, embracing poverty and stripping itself of the “spirit of world�. Speaking in the “stripping room� of the Assisi archbishop’s residence, where the saint shed himself of his rich clothes and embraced a life of poverty, the pope said, “A Christian cannot coexist with the spirit of the world.� “This is a good occasion for inviting the Church to strip itself,� the pope said, adding that he directed his invitation not merely to the hierarchy but all the Church’s members, and that he sought renunciation of spiritual complacency as well as material riches. Speaking to a group of poor people receiving assistance from Catholic charities, he said, “Many of you have been stripped by this savage world, which doesn’t provide work, which doesn’t help, to which it makes no difference

Synod to discuss divorce, remarriage issues VATICAN CITY – The predica-

ment of divorced and remarried Catholics will be a major topic of discussion when bishops from around the world meet at the Vatican in October 2014. The Vatican announced on Oct 8 that an extraordinary session of the Synod of Bishops will meet on Oct 5-19 in 2014 to discuss the “pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelisation�. The pope had told reporters accompanying him on his plane back from Rio de Janeiro in July that the next synod would explore a “somewhat deeper pastoral care of marriage�, including the question of the

eligibility of divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Communion. Pope Francis added at the time that Church law governing marriage annulments also “has to be reviewed, because ecclesiastical % It is complex, the problem of the pastoral care of marriage�. Such problems, he said, exem ness in the Church today. “The Church is a mother, and she must travel this path of mercy, ' the pope said. The announcement of the synod came amid news that the Arch-

diocese of Freiburg, Germany, had issued new guidelines making it easier for divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Communion. The Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, said that such matters were more properly dealt with at a Church-wide level, “under the guidance of the pope and the bishops�. # propose particular pastoral solutions runs the risk of generating confusion,� he said. “The Holy Father is placing the pastoral care of the family at the heart of a synod process that tion of the universal Church.� „ CNS

" & & ' * # & & %

that children die of hunger.â€? The pope mourned the African immigrants killed in the previous day’s sinking of a boat near the southern Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, which he visited in July. “It doesn’t matter [to the Â&#x; ery and hunger in search of liberty. With how much pain, so often, we ' % Earlier that morning, he addressed a group of disabled children and young people and their caregivers at a Church-run rehabilitation centre. “We are among the wounds of Jesus,â€? the pope said. “Jesus is hidden in these kids, in these children, in these people.â€? The pope’s morning culminated in a Mass celebrated in the square outside the Basilica of St Francis. He paid tribute to his namesake as a “man of harmony and peaceâ€? and drew attention to those who are suffering and dying “because of violence, terrorism or war, in the Holy Land, so dear to St Francis, in Syria, throughout the Middle

East and everywhere in the world�. The pope also visited sites associated with St Francis. In an impromptu talk to cloistered nuns at the Basilica of St Clare, he voiced sympathy over the challenges of community life and urged them to strive for harmony. Later in the afternoon, addressing diocesan clergy, Religious and laity in the cathedral, Pope Francis charmed the crowd like a folksy parish priest. “Enough with these interminable, boring homilies of which nothing can be understood,� said the pope, who favours short sermons typically based on three key words. Encouraging pastors to be close & who had told him that he knew the names of all the families – and the dogs – in his parish. “What could be more beautiful?� the pope asked. “I always advise newlyweds: ‘Argue as much as you want’,� he % _* % But never let the day end without making peace, never.’� „ CNS


18 WORLD MISSION SUNDAY

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

Serving in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya By Sr Calista Ponnudorai This year marks the 25th year of my missionary life in East Africa. Time * ‚ Œ ? ZZ Z ““% *

* & Š = +

% * @QZQ * & ‚ * % ~ * ‹ ~ & school among all the youths in & & ‚

% * ’Z & ient! & ‚ <Œ > “QQ QQQ million people. $ { ! \QQ % +

% € ƒ

Sr Calista working with a Library staff.

far as Singapore! ? @QQ’ — Mukuru slum. Many of the youths in the

ture prospects of continuing their % !

% hope!

Many of the youths in the slum, after completing their free primary education, have no future prospects of continuing their education.

% * % & other activities. ! /

ƒ % „ Anyone who is interested in knowing more about this project for the poor youth in the Mukuru slum, is welcome to contact Sister Calista at calistapd@ gmail.com or admin@acma.sg

Children pose for a photo in the Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum in Nairobi, Kenya, on Feb 13, 2011. CNS photo

‘Big sister’ helps international students in Australia By Sr Elizabeth Tham + * & # ` + —

‚ * % ` through the rocky journey that the % | * ! \Q * + + % * = ƒ

universities.

{ " + +

% –

ƒ & % &

I believe that there is mission wherever the Lord places us. – Sr Elizabeth Tham

Canossian Sr Elizabeth Tham with a group of foreign students in Adelaide, Australia.

% + + * & '

€ ' ' & % *

& % * ƒ

{ ` Œ %

&

+ % ™ = & % * % + ` ƒ

™ % * + % * | % + $ | $ % „ Sr Elizabeth Tham can be contacted at liztham7@gmail.com


WORLD MISSION SUNDAY 19

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

Educating young people, adults, educators By Sr Su Fern Khoo In 2011, I was sent to our Verbum Dei community working in the Religious Education programme at St Anthony parish of Long Beach, California, which belongs to the Los Angeles archdiocese. My ministry here mainly involves catechism for the youth, — *+ formation of the volunteer catechists. There are about 650 First Communion children aged 7 to 12 and ap ! †QQ dents aged 14 to 17. Our students are mostly second-generation Latinos who come from lower-income immigrant families of Latino descent. By the time these children come to us for First Communion catechism, many of them have been marked by the hardships of their family’s struggle to survive. When gramme, quite a number are jaded by the experiences of racism, classism, gang violence at school or even in their families, and some others the sad fate of abuse within their families as parents cope unhealthily % Nevertheless, time and time again, I have witnessed how our efforts and the volunteer catechists somehow become waterways of God’s embracing love and compassion to reach these children where they are.

+ + ' Z * * [ \ + " %

? # %

I love taking the ‘mood-swinging, handphone-addicted teenagers on their in the mountains, where they discover that their phones have no signal.

’

I particularly love taking the mood-swinging, handphone-addicted, texting, ‘Facebooking’ and ‘Instagramming’ teenagers on their & the mountains of San Bernadino

? %

about two-and-a-half hours from Long Beach, where they promptly discover that their phones have no signal. Every year without fail, the their best experience was “that

weekend retreat when we learned about God out there in the nature�. Whether it is the teenagers, or adults in our RCIA or Adult Con the essential: experiencing the

abundance of God’s love up close and very personal, and the joy of being part of a community of faith that expresses this love by seeking to live the values of God’s Kingdom. „

Inviting the disabled to attend Mass ># ] # ^ _

_ # * {| }~{}% _ # }| }} & |~ # € %

Teaching English to FMM aspirants in Vietnam ># + [ ' ` I have been here for over 3 years now and continue to discover the beauty of this country – its people, history and landscape. I arrived in July 2010. My main ministry is teaching English to our aspirants – young women of an average age of 21 to 28 years of age. This is because in my institute, the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, English is one of the three spoken languages. So, “Can I help me?� and “The kitchen is in the chicken!� are some of the faux pas that happen in spoken language. When highlighted and understood, there is a lot of laughter and it helps to repair the mistakes. Fruit trees are common in many

homes of the Sisters. Being a city person, it was a thrill to actually pluck and eat fruit from the trees! Here we plucked rambutans, chempadak, guavas and custard apples in this garden. Many homes have a variety of fruits as the soil is rich and fertile and weather conditions are favourable. At this time of our history, the Province of Vietnam has many missionaries in many different countries. tion now being done by the East! I am humbled as I know I receive from them much more than what I give. It has been a challenging journey as their language has very little similarity to English. God lets me know that He led me to this ministry which sisters who will be sent on mission. „

Our conversion and transformation journey started in 1995 from the Saturday healing masses presided by Fr Erbin Fernandez and Fr Vincent Lee at Church of St Michael. We listened attentively as the priests often times bombarded the parishioners to focus on the “Mission and Will of God�. In January 1999, we had a close encounter with a sign language mass at Paco Parish. Fascinated with the sign language, we decided to learn the language to serve the hearing impaired including persons with disabilities (PWDs). Eventually, we were invited to different ministries and orphanages to observe and to reach out to PWDs in Metro Manila. The priest gave us a list of PWDs’ contacts from nearby districts to visit and invite them to attend Mass. We were greatly blessed, as the number of PWD members attending the Sunday holy Mass kept increasing every Sunday. As the PWD members continuously grew in numbers, we then named the community the “Precious Community�. The regular Precious Community members attending the Sunday holy Masses

] # _ * && & %

now exceed a hundred members. The majority are hearing impaired members with their hearing children, a few visually impaired people with their guides, including Paco neighbourhood youth from the poor area and few volunteers. During every Christmas, we have to prepare food and gifts for approximately 200 persons.

After Mass each Sunday, we have spiritual and faith formation, educational and livelihood skills and social programmes. Over the years, the hearing and visuallyimpaired members are empowered with leadership skills and are delegated to take charge of various sub-ministries within the Precious Community. „


20

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

By Joe Sarnicola

10 silver talents, 6,000 pieces of gold and 10 festal garments. Naaman was a brave soldier, the comNaaman appeared before the mander of the army of the king of king of Israel and gave him the letter Aram. But Naaman’s skill as a mili- from the king of Aram. It read, “With tary leader could not earn him the vic- this letter I am sending my servant tory over a very serious medical issue Naaman to you, that you may cure he had. He was a leper. him of his leprosy.� A young Israelite girl was the But the king of Israel thought servant of Naaman’s wife. This girl this was a trick. The king tore his was as concerned about Naaman’s clothing and said, “Am I a god with health as he was. This girl said to her power over life and death, that this mistress, “If only my master would man should send someone for me to present himself to the prophet in Sa- cure him of leprosy? Take note! You maria! He would cure him of his lep- can see he is only looking for a quarrosy.� rel with me!� After hearing about this prophet, When Elisha, a prophet and a Naaman went before the king and man of God, had heard what the king & had said, he sent a message to him. prophet. The king said, “Go. I will “Why have you torn your garments? send along a letter to the king of Is- | rael.� Naaman prepared for his jour- there is a prophet in Israel.� ney, bringing along with him as gifts So Naaman went to the house of

Margaret-Mary (16471690) was the daughter of a notary of the town of Burgundy in France. When she was eight, her father died, leaving behind seven hungry children, and Margaret was sent to a school run by the Poor Clares. Young Margaret was immediately impressed with the Religious life of the nuns there. She, in turn, impressed the nuns with her own religious devotion, so they let her receive her % Margaret later became ill and was bedridden for 6 years, but when she was 22, she joined a convent and helped out in % devotion to the Sacred Heart. We honour her on Oct 16. „

Read more about it: 2 Kings 5

Q&A 1. What was wrong with Naaman? 2. What did Naaman have to do to be healed?

Wordsearch: „ journey

„ medical

„ leprosy

„ healed

„ prophet

„ quarrel

„ earth

„ servants

KIDS’ CLUB: Share your thoughts on this week’s Bible story with family and friends by writing an essay in response to this question: Why is it important of us to study the Bible?

Bible Accent: The books of 1 and 2 Kings are considered by many scholars to be the conclusion of a series of biblical books that tell the story of Israel from the time the Israelites entered the Promised Land through the collapse of the two major kingdoms of Israel and Judah. & – & ž % Scholars also realise that throughout these books historical accuracy has sometimes been ignored in order to make a more interesting story. Literary techniques that are still used by writers today can be found in the two Kings books, such as how the stories are planned, leaving hints about future events in the story and giving us vivid images of the characters of the story by describing how they look and what they do in the story. „

PUZZLE: Answer the following questions

{% ‚ * ? (1 Samuel 10) }% ‚ * (1 Chronicles 11) 3. Which king wrote the Book of Proverbs? (Proverbs 1) 4. Which king threw Daniel into a furnace? (Daniel 3) 5. Who was king of Judea when Jesus was born? (Matthew 2) 6. Whom did Pilate ask if he was the king of the Jews? (Mark 15)

Answer to Wordsearch

St Margaret-Mary

it?� So Naaman agreed and did as the prophet had instructed him. And he was healed. Naaman declared to Elisha, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.� „

Answers to Puzzle: 1. Saul, 2. David, 3. Solomon, 4. Nebuchadnezzar, 5. Herod, 6. Jesus

SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS:

Elisha. Instead of appearing in front of Naaman, Elisha sent him a message that he should go and wash in the Jordan River seven times and he would be healed. But this angered Naaman. He thought Elisha would come out, touch him and heal him immediately. He prepared to return home. Naaman’s servants pleaded with him to change his mind. “My father, if the prophet told you to do something extraordinary, would you not do


WHAT’S ON 21

Sunday October 20, 2013 „ CatholicNews

EVENT SUBMISSIONS We welcome information of events happening in our local Church. Please send your submission at least one month before the event. Online submissions can be made at www. catholic.sg/webevent_form.php

RCIA/RCIY A journey for those seeking to know more about the Catholic faith. Baptised Catholics are also invited to journey as sponsors. THURSDAYS DECEMBER 19 RCIA @ CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL 7.45pm: At Church of St Michael (17 St Michael’s Road). Register T: 9090 5308; E: midorimiguel@hotmail.com OCTOBER 13 18TH FAMILY ROSARY RALLY 2-5pm: Theme: Celebrating our Faith in the Love of Mother Mary. With rosary, Mass by Fr Angel Luciano and fellowship. At Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1259 Upper Serangoon Rd). T: 9099 5035 (Daisy), 9366 9584 (Nicy), 9766 9971 (Malou), 9654 8467 (Allan); E: allanbsato@yahoo.com.sg OCTOBER 19 JOYFUL PARENTING – BIRTH RIGHT WORKSHOP 1-6pm: Calling All new moms (and dads). Joyful Parenting presents the Birth Right Workshop. Conducted by experienced and % + City (22 Sin Ming Lane), #08-81. Cost: $15 per person. Register W: https://tickets.eventclique.com/ OCTOBER 20 WORLD MISSION SUNDAY EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION 12pm: Main celebrant: Archbishop Emeritus Nicholas Chia. By ACMA. At Church of St Ignatius. E: acmasg@singnet.com.sg OCTOBER 25 CHILDREN’S EUCHARISTIC ADORATION 7.45-9pm: Come with your children to spend time praying, singing and adoring Jesus. All are welcome. At Church of the Holy Spirit (Main Church, Level 1). OCTOBER 27 CELEBRATING INNER FREEDON 9am-4pm: Explore inner landscape, identifying frustrations and goals in life. | & % programme is suitable for anyone who values personal growth and relationships. Cost: $60 with lunch. By LifeSprings Canossian Spirituality Centre. At 100 Jalan Merbok. Register T: 64662178; E: lifesprings@singnet.com.sg OCTOBER 29 RELAX WITH ART FOR ADULTS †ƒ^ ˜ | feel relaxed and refreshed from creating something special for yourself. No prior art experience is necessary. Cost: $10. T: 97103733 / 67577990 (Rudy); E: registration@clarity-singapore.org

WEDNESDAYS OCTOBER 30 TO DECEMBER 14 CONFIRMATION CLASS FOR ADULTS 7.30-9pm: Classes will be conducted & ’ & % be held on December 14. At Blessed Sacrament Church (1 Commonwealth Drive). Register T: 9657 1847 (Susan); z\’\Q^“† < >� =˜ ‘ % % NOVEMBER 1 TO 3 OR NOVEMBER 8 TO 10 CHURCH OF OUR LADY QUEEN OF PEACE ANNUAL RETREAT 2013 Fri (7.45-10pm), Sat (8.30am-9.30pm), Sun (8am-5pm): Conducted by Rev Fr Michael Payyapilly, a dynamic and gifted preacher from the Divine Retreat Centre, Australia. Choose to register on either weekend as they are the same. At Queen of Peace Church, House of David (Rm 4.1). Cost: $30. Registration forms are available outside the canteen at all weekend Masses and from the church secretariat. E: philip_ llcc@queenofpeace.sg Closing date: Oct 20 NOVEMBER 2 STRESS MANAGEMENT 12.30-2pm: Learn about the symptoms and common sources of stress and pick up tips on how to manage the stress in one’s life more effectively. Speaker Huang Zhang Jin, Clinical Psychologist, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. Cost: $20. By Clarity Singapore. At At Khoo Teck Puat Hospital Auditorium, Tower B. Register T: 6757 7990, 97103733; E: registration@clarity-singapore.org NOVEMBER 2, 9 AND 16 COMMON SENSE PARENTING WORKSHOP 9am-1pm: A three-session workshop for parents who aspire to be effective parents of children aged 5 to 16. Parents will learn how to identify positive and negative behaviours and consequences meaningful to children and how to use these consequences ! % ˜ „zQ ! / $80 per couple. At Blk 261B Sengkang East Way, #01-400. Register T: 62851377; E: programs@morningstar.org.sg TUESDAY NOVEMBER 5 TO SATURDAY NOVEMBER 9 GROUP LEADERSHIP ORGANISATION AND SPIRITUALITY 9.30am-5.30pm: This workshop aims to help participants become more aware of the structures and processes at work in the collaborative ministry teams in which they minister. The guiding matrix will be The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola. Participants should be currently working in a collaborative ministry team or similar group. Facilitated by Fr Michael Smith, SJ, and Mrs Bernadette Miles from Campion Centre, Melbourne. Cost: $500. By Kingsmead Centre (CISC). At 8 Victoria Park Rd. Register by Oct 25. T: 6467 6072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com FRIDAYS NOVEMBER 8 TO NOVEMBER 22 THE SACRAMENTS – STILL RELEVANT TO YOUR LIFE TODAY? 7.45-9.30pm: Frank interviews with priests in Rome and the UK that show how the sacraments can transform one in this lively DVD course. By Archdiocesan CaFE Promotion Team. At Church of St Bernadette AVA Room (12 Zion Rd). Register by Oct 28 with name and contact information SMS: 8467 6161, 8467 6363; E: acptcafe@gmail.com

NOVEMBER 9 MEDITATIVE PRAYER USING THE SONGS OF TAIZE 8-9.30pm: At the Armenian Church of St Gregory the Illuminator (60 Hill Street). T: 9837 7256 (Benny); E: bennycah@ gmail.com; W: http://www.taize.fr/en SUNDAYS NOVEMBER 10 AND NOVEMBER 17 THEOLOGY OF THE BODY CRASH COURSE 9am-5pm: Based on Christopher West’s DVD series. At International Plaza (10 Anson Road, 29-03). Cost: $17 (for workbook). T: 9649 3893 (Andrew). Register W: http://www. catholic.sg/act/ACT/Welcome_to_ACT/ Entries/2013/11/10_Entry_1.html NOVEMBER 10 CULTURAL MASS IN ENGLISH AND TAMIL 5.30pm: At Blessed Sacrament Church. T: 64745249 / 96783855 (Margaret Samuel). NOVEMBER 16 WOW, WOW MARYMOUNT! 9am-3pm: Calling all well-wishers and former pupils. Come with your friends and families and join in for a day of fun and exquisite food. Meet the Sisters, your teachers and friends at our 2013 Marymount Convent School Carnival. T: 63520181 (Sr Delphine) NOVEMBER 16 FINDING GOD IN ART 9.30am-5pm: Explore how God is working and gifting you to grow creatively. Express your inmost thoughts and feelings through art to help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and your relationship with others and with God. No prior experience necessary. At Kingsmead CISC (8 Victoria Park Rd). Cost: $100 including art materials. Register by Nov 6. T: 6467 6072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com MONDAY NOVEMBER 18 TO SUNDAY NOVEMBER 24 HOUSE BUILDING MISSION TRIP TO BANDUNG INDONESIA This house-building project, undertaken in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity, is to help build houses for the poor and disadvantaged families living in impoverished, overcrowded and substandard housing in Bandung, Indonesia. E: info@charis-singapore.org; W: http:// www.charis-singapore.org Register W: http://www.charis-singapore.org/index.php/ register-online-for-mission-trips?view+form MONDAYS NOVEMBER 18 AND NOVEMBER 25 TALKS BY MR PHILIP KOK ON “FAITH� 10am-12pm: End the Year of Faith with these two inspiring talks by Mr Philip Kok. At Novena Church, Level 2 Peter Donders room. No pre-registration required. Contribution: $5 for both sessions. E: bible.novena@gmail.com. FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22 TO SUNDAY NOVEMBER 24 BEGINNING EXPERIENCE WEEKEND Fri (6pm)-Sun (5pm): Beginning Experience Weekend Programme is run by people who have shared a similar experience of losing a loved one through divorce, separation or death of spouse.

THIS OCTOBER: Two women hang a sign urging the praying of the rosary amidst the US government shutdown. October is the month of the rosary.

Work through one’s grief and put one’s in life and love oneself, God and others. Register T: 9661 8089 (Joseph), 9828 5162 (Jean), 9647 9122 (Sue); E: josephchew@ippfa.com NOVEMBER 23 I AM SPECIAL I AM ME 9am-5pm: A day camp where children learn to identify and celebrate their strengths and to combat negative situations and support themselves. Parents will learn how to grow their child’s selfesteem bank and help them overcome challenges. Cost: $100 for 1 child and 1 parent, $50 for additional child and/or parent. At 4 Lorong Low Koon. Register E: programs@morningstar.org.sg MONDAYS NOVEMBER 25 TO DECEMBER 30 WHERE DO YOU COME FROM? 8-10pm: An invitation to anyone desiring a deeper relationship with Jesus and who is willing to invest time and effort in reading, praying and sharing experiences and insights on Pope Emeritus Benedict’s book, “Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives�. Facilitator: Fr Christopher Soh, SJ. At Kingsmead Centre (8 Victoria Park Rd). Contribution: $120 for 6 sessions. Register by Nov 15. T: 6467 6072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com NOVEMBER 29 TO DECEMBER 1 THE JOURNEY AHEAD: A RETREAT FOR WOMEN Fri (9.30am)-Sun (5pm): As women journey through life, they are often challenged by new priorities, changing values, and renewed goals. This time of transition can be an invitation to enter more deeply into your inner being with inputs, personal prayer and spiritual direction. At Kingsmead CISC (8 Victoria Park Rd). Cost: $210 (non-aircon); $270 (aircon). Register by Nov 19. T: 6467 6072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com. NOVEMBER 30 AND DECEMBER 7 PARENTS AS LEARNING COACHES 9am-1pm: Parents will take home strategies on how to render emotional support, identify child’s strengths and create a conducive home environment

for learning. Cost: $30 per pax / $40 per couple. At 4 Lorong Low Koon. Register E: programs@morningstar.org.sg NOVEMBER 30 CHRIST@WORK 2013 CONFERENCE 8am-6.30pm: Targets working adults who are looking to hear from other Catholic Christ in their workplaces. Keynote speaker Hector Molina has appeared in numerous forums around the world. Early bird rate, till 29 Oct: $60 (Adult), $40 (Student) Normal: $70 (Adult), $40 (Student). At Catholic Junior College Performing Arts Centre. Register E: admin@cbn.sg; W: www.christatworkconference.com DECEMBER 13 TO DECEMBER 21 ACTS29 MISSION TRIP 2013 Experience living with the community and join in the works of the acts29 mission group in both social and spiritual work in Manila, Philippines. Registered missioners may join anytime within the dates of the mission. Register E: charmainekxh@gmail.com; W: http://www.acts29mission.com DECEMBER 22 CATHOLICSINGLES MASS AND POTLUCK 10am-2pm: Join us for a Mass & Potluck. Please bring some food to share with others. 2014 Events to be discussed after lunch. At Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. Register E: CatholicSingle@gmail.com (Gerard); W: https://www.facebook.com/ CatholicSinglesSingapore MARRIAGE PREPARATION COURSE Q1 starts 23 Feb - 30 Mar 2014 Q2 starts 27 Apr - 01 Jun 2014 Q3 starts 20 Jul - 24 Aug 2014 Q4 starts 12 Oct - 16 Nov 2014 For couples intending to get married, please register early as the course runs for 6 weeks at one session per week. + ƒ ƒ ƒ % — ˜ "

" ? Â? W: catholic.org.sg/mpc. T: 93673411 (Peter/Rita); E: mpcsingapore@gmail.com


24

ADVERTISEMENT

Sunday October 20, 2013 CatholicNews

PUBLISHED BY THE CATHOLIC NEWS, 2 HIGHLAND ROAD #01-03, SINGAPORE 549102. PRINTED BY TIMES PRINTERS PRIVATE LIMITED, 16 TUAS AVENUE 5, SINGAPORE 639340.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.