SUNDAY DECEMBER 11, 2016
SINGAPORE $1.80 CENTS / WEST MALAYSIA RM$5.30
MCI (P) 013/08/2016
PPS 201/04/2013 (022940)
Excitement aplenty as cathedral holds opening Mass Celebration also saw blessing of commemorative stone and laying of new time capsule
VOL 66
NO. 25
INSIDE HOME
Caritas marks milestones Celebrates 10th year and Agape Village’s first n Page 6
Parent-child bonding IJ centres hold family sports day n Page 8
WORLD
Death of Fidel Castro Pope, bishops send condolences n Page 17
POPE FRANCIS
17 new cardinals created Be agents of unity, pope tells them n Page 18 People pack the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd for its opening Mass on Nov 20. The celebration was the first in about three years since the cathedral underwent renovation.
By Jared Ng After three years of renovation and restoration, the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd re-opened its doors for an opening Mass on Nov 20. Such was the anticipation among the public for the special occasion that the pews in the cathedral were filled up an hour and a half before Mass started. Many took the opportunity to admire the new architecture and the features of the old building which have been lovingly restored. About 2,000 people attended the celebration which also marked the Solemnity of Christ the King, the closing of the Jubilee Year of
Mercy and the 30th anniversary of St John Paul II’s visit to Singapore. Before the start of Mass, Archbishop William Goh blessed the commemorative stone and laid a new time capsule which was placed in the same column where an earlier one was found. A 173-year-old time capsule was found under one of the cathedral’s columns on Jan 29 this year during its restoration project. It contained 18th and 19th-century artefacts such as British and French coins, a copy of the Singapore Free Press and the service booklet used during the laying of the cornerstone on June 18, 1843. Items placed in the new time
capsule included reports fromCatholicNews, The Straits Times and Hai Sing Pao on the cathedral, magazines on the cathedral’s history and restoration works, and current Singapore coins. A replica of the Pieta – Michaelangelo’s famous sculpture depicting the body of Jesus lying on the lap of Mary after He was taken down from the cross – was also blessed. The new statue is an exact replica of the original found in St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. In his homily, Archbishop Goh said: “Now that the cathedral has been restored, the more important work begins.”
“The cathedral is only a building, only a means. What is important really is to build the interior life of the people of God,” he said. He emphasised the importance of restoring “the people of God, to bring them to a level of faith that is vibrant, evangelistic and missionary.” He said that “the cathedral, as the Mother Church in Singapore, must provide pastoral leadership to all parishes.” Elaborating on the theme of leadership, Archbishop Goh shared what it takes to be a good shepherd. n Continued on Page 2
Year of Mercy provisions extended All priests can now give absolution for abortions n Page 20