Catholic News issue 6, 2018

SUNDAY MARCH 18, 2018

SINGAPORE $0.70 CENTS / WEST MALAYSIA RM$2.10

MCI (P) 010/08/2017

PPS 201/04/2013 (022940)

VOL 68

NO. 06

INSIDE HOME

Visually-impaired student scores in A-levels

Archbishop Goh poses this question to those who will become new Catholics this Easter B y Christopher K hoo “The time has come for you to make your own conclusion about Jesus. W ho is Jesus? W ho is He for you? ” Archbishop W illiam Goh was speaking to 411 catechumens and candidates at the Rite of Election on Feb 24 at the Church of the ransfiguration.

It is “a question you must answer from the depth of your heart,” he told the 376 catechumens ( nonChristians seeking baptism) and 35 candidates ( baptised Christians seeking full communion with the Catholic Church) .

“No one is ready for baptism,” said Archbishop Goh, unless he makes the same declaration that St Peter did – “You are the Christ, the on of the living God” – and from his heart.

“Anything short of this profession won’t make you a Christian,” he said, adding that “we pray for all of you that the Lord will strengthen your hearts and your faith during this season of Lent, that you will continue to deepen your encounter with Jesus”.

Another Rite of Election was held the next day at the Church of St Ignatius for 416 catechumens and 64 c andidates, a total of 480. uring the service at the Church of the ransfiguration, Archbishop Goh noted that the number of new Catholics this Easter, based on these two Rite of Election services alone, would be 1.

There are about 38,000 Catholics in Singapore right now, he said, and urged Catholics to do more to help people know Christ. vangelise one person. ring him to church,” he said.

W ith help from school, family n Page 2

Archbishop’s interview in Rome Talks about the S’pore Church, Europe, meeting with pope n Page 10

ASIA

Nearly 50,000 baptisms registered in China 201 figures re ect vitality of community: report n Page 12

POPE FRANCIS te h en w itin thei n e in the godparents place a hand on their shoulder.

f the e t t the h

h f the T n fi

ti n n e

thei

Confessional is not place of condemnation Pope reminds priests n Page 17

LENTEN FEATURE A journey of repentance

esponding to God s love

n Page 19

LENTEN RECONCILIATION SERVICES

His message was echoed by assistant catechetical director Fr erence esavan.

Addressing those who will become Catholics this Easter, he said n Continued on Page 3

h ih

h h

in

the

f the e t

n Page 3

2 HOME

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

Visually-impaired CJC student scores impressive A-level results Ian Chan overcame the odds with support from his school and family B y Jared Ng Having a supportive group of friends and teachers in school was so important for Ian Chan, 20.

In 2013, he lost sight in his left eye due to glaucoma, a disease which causes damage to the optic nerve.

The former Catholic Junior College ( CJC) student had already lost sight in his right eye when he was eight years old due to a separate medical condition.

Because of this, he was dependent on his friends for simple tasks such as walking around his college and buying food.

“They helped to lead me around school and also asked me along whenever they had plans to hang out,” said Ian. “It wasn’t always easy for them and so I was, and am, really grateful,” he added.

Ian went on to score As for H1 Mathematics, H2 Literature and H2 Economics, and Bs for

H1 General Paper and H2 English Language and Linguistics in the A-level examinations last year.

A-level subjects are divided into three tiers – H1, H2 and H3 – with the scope of content increasing from H1 to H3.

Ian said that teachers from CJC spent time tutoring him oneto-one. This included during regular class hours, where a teacher would assist him while the class was taught by another teacher.

A large portion of Ian’s education in CJC was also aided by the Job Access W ith Speech ( JAW S) software programme.

The JAW S programme provided Ian with an audio translation of information and text that appeared on a laptop screen.

His answers, typed out on the laptop, would also be audio translated for him. This laptop was used by Ian in school and at home for his revision. an is believed to be the first visually-impaired student in Sin-

gapore to take English Language and Linguistics for the A-level exams.

Through Ian’s parents, Shaun and Evelyn, and CJC’s collaboration with the Singapore Examination and Assessment Board, arrangements were made to cater to Ian’s needs.

These included allowing Ian to use a laptop with the JAW S software programme for all his exam papers except Mathematics, where he was assigned a scribe and reader.

Ian also received double the time duration for all his exams.

Nevertheless, life in CJC was tough.

The former St Joseph’s Institution student said his first year in CJC, which he repeated, was “difficult and depressing because it was in a new environment, a new school culture and a whole new level of education.”

There were also days when he felt lonely because he could not participate in many of the physical and outdoor activities which his friends could.

Family support was another important motivation factor during such times, recalled Ian, a parishioner of the Church of the Holy Spirit.

His parents and two younger siblings often looked out for him at home and ensured the environment was comfortable for him.

“I had them with me when I was depressed and numb about school life,” he said.

Looking forward, Ian, who is exempted from National Service, said he hopes to pursue Psychology in university. n j ar e d.n

g@

c at h ol i c .or

g.s

g

Ian Chan, seen here with his parents, scored three As and two B s in the Alevel ex aminations.

‘They

helped to lead me around s chool and also asked me along whenev er they had plans to hang out .’

– I an on his CJC classmates

HOME 3

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

Young catechumens writing their names in the B ook of the Elect at the Church of St Ignatius on Feb 25. V

CITY DISTRICT Cathedral of the Good Shepherd

NIL

St Joseph’s Church (Victoria Street)

Under renovation/restoration Church of Our Lady of Lourdes

Monday, March 12 @ 8pm Church of St Teresa

Tuesday, March 13 @ 8pm Church of St Michael

Wednesday, March 14 @ 8pm Church of St Alphonsus (Novena Church)

Thursday, March 15 @ 8pm Church of the Sacred Heart

Monday, March 19 @ 8pm Church of Sts Peter & Paul

NORTH DISTRICT

Monday, March 19 @ 10.30am & 8pm

n From Page 1

Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea

that just as someone had reached out to them and invited them to church, so they too “have a mission … t o share the Good News”.

He urged them to invite people to attend the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults ( RCIA) .

The Rite of Election on both days saw catechumens writing their names in the Book of the Elect, which was in the form of a long scroll. Godparents placed a hand on the catechumens’ shoulder as they wrote their names.

The Book of the Elect was then presented to Archbishop Goh. The candidates also participated in a rite called the Call to Continuing Conversion in which they were urged to hear the Lord’s call to conversion and be faithful to their baptismal covenant.

Catholic News spoke to some of the Elect, as the catechumens are now called, after the Feb 24 service.

Mr Andrew Tan, 3 9 , from the Church of the Holy Family, shared that “today I feel at peace … I think I’m prepared for baptism”.

He said he realises that his spiritual journey won’t be easy “because I have to change the way I deal with people, how I live my life. In the past one year, I think I’ve changed quite a lot.”

Mr D ominic Halim, an Indonesian from the same parish, said he found the Rite of Election “moving”, adding that “it deepened my faith”.

He shared that he feels excited about getting baptised at the Easter Vigil, noting that “it’s been a long journey” for him.

Mr Robin Fong, 44, a candidate from the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, said the

Tuesday, March 20 @ 8pm Church of St Anthony

Wednesday, March 21 @ 8pm Church of Christ the King

Thursday, March 22 @ 10.30am & 8pm St Joseph Church (Bukit Timah)

Monday, March 26 @ 8pm Church of the Holy Spirit

Tuesday, March 27 @ 8pm SERANGOON DISTRICT Church of the Nativity of the BVM

Thursday, March 15 @ 8pm

Church of St Bernadette

Church of St Francis Xavier

EAST DISTRICT Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour

Wednesday, March 14 @ 10.30am & 8pm Church of Divine Mercy

Thursday, March 15 @ 8pm Church of the Holy Trinity

Monday, March 19 @ 10.30am & 8pm Church of St Stephen

Tuesday, March 20 @ 8pm Church of the Holy Family

Wednesday, March 21 @ 10.30am & 8pm Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace

Thursday, March 22 @ 8pm

Looking forward to becoming Catholics

Church of the Risen Christ

Tuesday, March 20 @ 8pm Wednesday, March 21 @ 8pm

ITA Images

Monday, March 19 @ 8pm St Anne’s Church

Tuesday, March 20 @ 8pm Church of St Vincent de Paul

Wednesday, March 21 @ 8pm Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Thursday, March 22 @ 8pm

Church of the Transfiguration

Monday, March 26 @ 8pm WEST DISTRICT Church of St Ignatius

Monday, March 19 @ 8pm Church of St Mary of the Angels

Tuesday, March 20 @ 8pm Church of the Holy Cross

Wednesday, March 21 @ 8pm Church of St Francis of Assisi

Thursday, March 22 @ 8pm Blessed Sacrament Church

Friday, March 23 @ 8pm

Note: Please check with parishes for updates.

Mr Andrew Tan, an Elect from Holy Family Church: ‘ In the past one year, I think I’ ve changed quite a lot.’

Lord sparked his interest in the Catholic faith about two years ago and he decided to learn more about it.

He added that he looked forward to being able to receive the Eucharist as a Catholic.

The Rite of Election refers to an understanding that God continues to choose people through the covenant of baptism, just as He established a covenant with Israel.

The rite provides an opportunity for the catechumens to be formally enrolled among God’s chosen people.

The Elect will undergo the rite of Scrutinies during the Lenten season to help them examine their lives. The community will also pray that the Elect be freed from temptations and be protected as they continue their journey towards baptism.

A Chinese Rite of Election was held at St Joseph Church ( Bukit Timah) on March 4 for 127 catechumens and five candidates.

This would bring the total number of people entering the Catholic Church this Easter to 1,023. n c h r i s t oph

e r .kh

o@

c at h ol i c .or

g.s

g

3 BUILDING THE CHURCH OF TOMORROW 4

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

fundraising for god’s work

In this third instalment of a series on the subject of governance and financial accountability, Msgr Philip Heng explains how fundraising appeals are undertaken in the archdiocese.

Our archdiocese envisions a more vibrant, missionary and evangelistic Church. As the fundraising arm of the Archdiocese of Singapore, the Catholic Foundation has launched the Giving in Faith & Thankfulness (GIFT) campaign to urge every Catholic to participate in making the vision of the archdiocese a reality.

Gift Now

When we raise funds for the creation of a community of love, we are helping to build the Kingdom of God. In our archdiocese, Kingdom building takes place in many different areas, which leads to a number of fundraising exercises in the archdiocese.

This raises a common question; how does the Church and its organisations coordinate, govern and account for funds raised?

In this regard, it would be useful to first understand the different types of fundraising and fundraisers in the archdiocese.

different pools, different purposes Within the archdiocese, fundraising is conducted only by certain bodies, who each raise funds for different purposes.

They can be more easily understood by looking at them as groups who fundraise for the Church’s social mission, and groups that take care of the Church’s

other needs.

Funds raised for the Church’s social mission go to the enefit of Catholic charities and their eneficiaries, while funds raised for the Church’s use will resource the work of the Church within parishes, religious congregations, and on an archdiocesan level.

resourcing our social mission Caritas Singapore and Caritas Humanitarian Aid & Relief Initiative, Singapore (CHARIS) are the two organisations that represent the social arm of the Catholic Church in Singapore. Caritas Singapore is the umbrella body for charitable needs in Singapore, while CHARIS is the umbrella body for overseas humanitarian aid.

Between the two organisations, there are more than 40 Catholic charit affiliates that loo after the poor, the disabled, the elderly, the sick, those adversely affected by

disasters, and many more.

They include organisations such as Catholic Welfare Services (CWS), Society of St Vincent de Paul (SSVP), and A Call to Share (ACTS).

Caritas Singapore carries out an annual fundraising appeal called “Charities Week” across parishes in the archdiocese as well as some Catholic schools, during the season of Lent. CHARIS conducts an annual fundraising appeal for the Church’s overseas humanitarian efforts through every parish, usually in September.

Apart from the support provided by Caritas and CHARIS, some Catholic charities also conduct fundraising activities of their own. The Society of St Vincent de Paul, for instance, conducts a second collection on the first Sunday of each month in all parishes to provide for their work for the poor. Other Catholic charities occasionally organises fundraising projects, including appeals, golf,

dinners, walkathons and other events.

For greater accountability and transparency, all funds raised by Catholic charities, Caritas or CHARIS goes to the enefit of their social mission and eneficiaries. hese funds are not available to the Church for any other use.

religious congregations This is why, apart from fundraising for the Church’s social work, fundraising is also needed to support other aspects of the Church such as the 22 Catholic religious congregations in Singapore.

This includes the Jesuits, Gabriellite brothers, Franciscan sisters, and more. Each of them are governed by their own superior-generals and structures. Funds collected by religious congregations are used for their particular missions, and are not available to the archdiocese.

Religious congregations derive their funding mostly from their work and direct

pool of funds and fundraising bodies for

gift.catholicfoundation.sg

for

church use

social mission

religious

archdiocese

parish

pool of funds

singapore

overseas

religious congregations

catholic foundation

parishes

fundraising bodies

caritas singapore & affiliates

charis & affiliates

gift campaign

mass collections

example of fundraising activity

charities week

humanitarian aid fund

sale of books by daughters of st paul

BUILDING 4 BUILDINGTHE THE CHURCH CHURCH OF OFTOMORROW TOMORROW 5

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

donations.

Though some projects of the religious congregations are supported

by Caritas Singapore and CHARIS due to their social nature, most of them would occasionally conduct their own fundraising for their needs and missions.

The Daughters of St Paul, for instance, are a familiar sight in parishes selling books and other media materials.

Their particular mission is to evangelise through mass media, and thus naturally conduct fundraising in this manner to continue resourcing their efforts.

parish communities For all other needs of the Church in Singapore, especially for the running of the 32 churches, weekly Offertories and other collections are made during Masses. This is the main source of income for parishes for their operations, programmes, maintenance, upgrades, and other needs.

Some parishes may also conduct additional fundraising activities such as fun fairs and other events for specific parish building projects. In addition, some parishes have income from their columbarium and parlours.

Traditionally, 15% of each parish’s first collections at every weekend Mass was given to the archdiocese for its needs, while 85% was retained for each parish’s own use. In 2016, this was changed to a tiered system of 4% to 28%

depending on each parish’s income to be contributed to the archdiocese.

operational and building needs of the archdiocese Over the years, relying on the contribution from each parish has become inadequate for the operational and building needs of the Church at the archdiocesan level.

The archdiocese has to provide for the welfare and upkeep of its priests, the needs of many archdiocesan organisations such as the Archdiocesan Commission for the Family (ACF) and Office for Young People

Catholic Foundation launched the Giving in Faith and Thankfulness (GIFT) campaign in Advent 2016 to raise the necessary resources.

In order to raise what is needed for the pastoral vision, GIFT encourages regular giving amongst Catholics. A second collection was introduced on the third Sunday of each month in all parishes to receive appeal envelopes and contributions to GIFT. In addition, Catholic Foundation has created funds for the main building projects and is organising fundraising events.

all material goods we may have in our possession today are not truly ours, but gifts we have been blessed with so that we can bless others.

(OYP), as well as the upkeep and development of archdiocesan properties such as the seminary.

Thus, the Catholic Foundation was set up as a second vehicle to raise funds for the many needs of the archdiocese. Money collected by the Foundation goes only to the archdiocese for its needs.

With the archdiocesan embarking on its pastoral vision and increasing its efforts at growth, the

accountability of fundraising The establishment of umbrella bodies such as Caritas Singapore, CHARIS and the Catholic Foundation, were key in the Church’s efforts to ensure proper governance in its fundraising activities.

With these three bodies being the main fundraisers for the three distinct areas of needs, fundraising activities in the archdiocese are better consolidated and

made more efficient.

All three organisations, including most other Catholic charities and religious organisations are registered charities in Singapore.

Thus, all activities of these organisations comply with the guidelines and regulations of the Commissioner of Charities and the Charities Act, which governs all charities in Singapore.

The three major fundraising bodies are also governed by a board of directors appointed by the archbishop, consisting of leadership priests and professionals with relevant backgrounds such as accounting, legal, and corporate governance.

The board has legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities under the Companies Act and the Charities Act for the activities of these organisations.

These three fundraising bodies are also professionally audited each year, with their accounts published on websites and distributed to their donors.

There are many things the Church does to safeguard and steward the gifts which God provides through His people.

But looking past the surface, let us always recognise that all material goods we may have in our possession today are not truly ours, but gifts we have been blessed with, so that we can bless others in return and help provide for the growth of our Church in our archdiocese.

ow N t f i G IC ATHOL .SG C .

T F I G ATION FO U N D

a series contributed by

6 FEATURE

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

Jared Ng speaks to Catholic NSFs and NSmen about why s

THOSE WHO LEFT THE CHURCH

T

HERE appears to be a phenomenon of some young Catholics leaving the Church while serving National Service ( NS) . D oes going through NS result in young Catholic men losing touch with their faith?

Six Catholic NSmen Catholic News spoke to shared that they indeed lost touch with their faith during national service, while six others shared that they were and are still able to remain active in Church despite army commitments ( see other story) .

According to those who left the Church, they did so for a number of reasons: the demanding schedule and exhausting physical regime of the army, and also a lack of Church community support.

O thers said they had little faith formation and simply no reason to go to church.

O ne NSman, X avier ( all names in this story have been changed) , said the army was “really just tiring, physically and mentally”, adding that “the culture [ in army] contradicts what the Church is trying to say and promote.”

Before enlisting, X avier said he “idled a bit in terms of my faith by only attending Mass,” adding that “there wasn’t a visible youth scene in my church at that time.”

In army, his peers convinced him to join them at clubs and he soon picked up smoking and drinking. All these habits played a significant role in causing him to further stray from the Church, he said.

Another NSman, Justin, said he lost track of his faith in army despite being involved in his parish youth ministry for five years before enlistment.

The physical regime “left me exhausted during the weekends” and I would stay home instead of attending community sessions, he said.

D uring Basic Military Training ( BMT) , Justin said he started using vulgarities and going to clubs with his bunk mates.

He stopped praying and said that he felt himself becoming a different person.

Chris, another NSman, said he “never felt the need” to go for Mass even though he could have.

O ne reason was because the music ministry he was previously part of focused too much on its task and lacked faith formation programmes.

The group rarely had sessions that focused on prayer or the Bible, and because of that he never really

had opportunities to re ect upon his faith, he said.

Although he did make an effort to keep in touch with other ministry members after enlistment, Chris said there was nothing much to talk about after a while.

Another NSman, Mark, said he initially wanted to remain involved with his youth group while in army, but was “hurt and lost” when he felt

Another NSman said his faith took a “big hit” in army because he was bullied.

D uring BMT, Jonathan tried to help his peers by taking the lead during exercises and drills and constantly reminding everyone to obey the rules.

he was given a “blanket party”.

D uring a “blanket party”, a person is covered by a blanket and held down while being physically beaten and verbally abused.

In almost all their sharings with CN, these men said they eventually lost touch with their faith, lost contact with their youth group members, and stopped praying and attending Mass.

who are about to enlist and those who have enlisted could be something useful,” said Mark.

“I think it can really give NSFs an avenue to remain in the faith,” he added.

Jonathan concurred. Having a community “for army personnel could be beneficial as Fs will know they have somewhere they belong, he said.

X avier added that an army peer support group would “help a lot” because “the army journey can really take a big toll on our faith.”

Better faith formation programmes before and during NS was another suggestion.

Chris, who felt that the lack of faith formation in his ministry played a significant part in him leaving the Church, said, “I would say faith formation is the most important thing for me. Having a community to journey with you before and especially during army also helps.”

A rmy was ‘ really j us t tiring, phy sically and mentally .

The cul tur e [ in army ] contradicts what the Chur ch is try ing to say and promote,’ said one NSman.

Another NSman, Jeremy, said that if he was more involved in Church before army, “things may have been different. However the youth communities ... didn’t really cater to my needs.”

What they could have done

they were not supportive. He decided to move on from his “Church phase” and got involved in bad company with his army peers.

“I started using vulgarities and did a lot of things that were contradictory to my faith,” he said.

Mark said he also stopped attending Mass as he “didn’t want to see any members” from his youth group.

Community support, faith formation As a result, he got labelled “way ang soldier” by his bunk mates and was alienated for his approach.

He tried to take his concerns to prayer and his church youth group but the bullying got worse.

The lowest point came when

W hen asked what could have helped them remain active in Church, the most common answer given was a ministry or support group that caters to full-time national servicemen ( NSFs) .

“Having something like an army formation group for those

Some of these former NSFs however did admit that they themselves played a part in leaving the Church.

Jonathan said he could have been more “pro-active” in reaching out to his youth group when he was being bullied and alienated in camp.

Justin said he was “perhaps too quick to distance himself from the Church and instead used army as an excuse”.

Jeremy felt that he could have made a bigger effort to attend Mass and look for other youth groups to remain active.

O ther suggestions included making a more concerted effort to pray in camp and making time to attend their church community sessions on weekends. n

M ar

Fo A th ha te al th

fo w w

ca in

ar so su an H hi pa

in hi is

bl on

ar he su th ca it

FEATURE 7

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

hy some remain active in the Church while others leave it

RELYING ON EACH OTHER AND COMMUNITY

se e-

Fs h,”

a el ill ey

er t” e-

oas

ck ry vay orund ”

id in ay he ly

wes h. ve ng as p. oo he an

ve ss to

kay nd on

Members of Come As You Are ( CAYA) shared how the community helped them remain in Church while serving in the army. From left: Julian Stewart, Jos hua Chan, Tasha Ng and Darren Lim.

“O ur community has played a big part in keeping us involved in Church,” said Ramsay Ho, 22.

Together with his friend Timothy Tan, 21, they are active in their youth community, Seeds of Faith ( SO F) , at the Church of Christ the King despite being in NS. Both Ramsay and Timothy said that the most challenging aspects of army are its physical demands.

“Sometimes I would forget to pray before going to sleep because of how tired I am,” recalled Timothy. O ther challenges they shared included the culture shock of being away from their family and friends.

Nevertheless, the pair said that their fellow community members have always been there to remind them of God. Sometimes while he is in camp, “some of our community members will randomly send me Scripture quotes,” said Ramsay.

Timothy said that he would ask his community members for

from the Church for some, the two friends said that the most important thing is to have a community to lean on.

“They are the main reason why I haven’t strayed from the faith,” said Ramsay.

O n top of attending community

‘t

e alwa tal ab ut ie and e e ien e ab ut a m and it ea t ha e be au e we an elate t ne an the

’

– R amsay Ho

sessions once a week, Timothy and Ramsay also make it a point to attend events such as Nox Gaudii, an event for young people organised by the ffice for oung eople .

Their advice to those enlisting:

THOSE WHO STAYED IN THE CHURCH For four members of Come As You Are ( CAYA) , a community under the ffice for oung eople , having a community to lean on after a tough week in the army has allowed them to live and practise their faith.

“Community is a vital need for me, or even a group of friends whom I can share ... concerns with,” said D arren Lim, 20.

“It is important because they can offer solace, advice or just being there for me,” he added.

D arren shared that there are aspects of life in camp that sometimes challenge his faith, such as the use of vulgarities and the “general army culture”.

However he constantly reminds himself to be “reasonable and patient”.

Joshua Chan, 20, said that during CAYA sessions, he can share his army troubles knowing that he is in a safe environment.

Being part of CAYA “has really blessed me with people I can rely on,” he said.

D uring his time in a special army training school, Joshua said he was constantly berated and insulted by his fellow cadets because they did not agree with the way he carried out his duties.

“I felt lousy and alienated and it sort of made me dread army life.

They physical regime didn’t really help too,” he shared.

However through the weekly sessions with CAYA, he said he slowly came to terms with these struggles and also began to pray for his fellow cadets.

Another member, Julian Stewart, said, hatever difficulties face in army during the week, I bring back to my community. It is a place where I feel loved and accepted.”

e diffi ultie ‘ fahate e in a m du ing

the wee b ing ba t m mmunit t i a la e whe e feel l ed and a e ted

’

– Ju lian Stewart

O ne of his biggest struggle in the army was striving to be Christlike to his commanders who had “unrealistic expectations and goals” of him. t s difficult to communicate my concerns because they [ commanders] don’t listen and it leaves me stressed and under a lot of pressure,” said Julian.

Attending CAYA sessions gave Julian an avenue to share his troubles. He said that his community

members remind him that “God is journeying with me”.

“I learnt to let go and let God take over,” he said.

For Tasha Ng, a female army regular, “CAYA has been a good avenue for me to share my experiences and challenges.”

Keeping up with the physical demands of army left Tasha exhausted and because of that, she sometimes forgot to pray.

However, through CAYA sessions, she said she is able to “start each new week strengthened in faith.”

Tasha shared that she decided to join the army after completing junior college because she always wanted to experience what it was like to serve in the military.

The CAYA members also shared other ways in which they practise their faith.

These include reading Archbishop illiam Goh s daily re ections online, re ecting on the day s Gospel, praying before bed and during lull periods in camp, and constantly reminding themselves of God’s presence.

CAYA, founded in March 2016, is a community for young people aged between 17 and 25. They meet every Saturday morning. find ut m e i it htt g g famil a a n

Full-time national servicemen Ramsay Ho ( left) and Timothy Tan shared that they support each other during challenging times in the army.

prayers when his army training got tough.

“They have always been there to listen and support,” he said.

Besides their community, Ramsay and Timothy also found support and encouragement in each another.

“W e always talk about stories and experiences [ about the army] and it’s easy to share because we can relate to one another,” said Ramsay.

Timothy added that sometimes Ramsay “would ask me to pray for him for something that he is struggling with in army and I ask him for prayers too.”

Although they understand why the army can be seen as an exit

“Stay positive when you enter army and get the best out of what you can there. Trust in God’s plan for you and have a community that you can rely on for spiritual and social support,” said Timothy.

Ramsay said, “Having a buddy from Church who is enlisting around the same time as you would be good too because then you two can share and support one another.

“If you don’t belong to any youth ministry or community, I know has a few communities that you can join to have a faith support group.” n j ar e d.n

g@

c at h ol i c .or

g.s

g

n Page 8: priests’ comments

8 FEATURE

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

Excerpts of their comments on the issue n From Page 7

What are your thoughts about NSFs leaving the Church because of the army?

O YP chaplain Fr B rian D’ Souz a: This is a sad reality and something needs to be done not only on the diocese level ( O YP) but also in the parishes. The situation that we are facing now is the result of our poor faith formation for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

W hat is lacking is a support system that allows these young men ( and women) to come, gather, share their struggles and grow in their faith.

The structure of community is missing before and after receiving the sacrament.

That being said I must admit that most of the time these boys and girls have other priorities over God, their studies and having their own direction in life. Their parents too do not show support and encouragement in wanting to build their child’s faith.

Fr Cornelius Ching: Many are not active after receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation ... here is no strong community and ministry support that they have gotten involved in. Even if there are efforts to reach out to them, they are still relatively shy as there is little or no peer network to bring them back and make them stay.

stopped attending Church because of national service?

Fr Jude: I think that having strong faith communities that cradle these young people through their various stages of growth would have been ideal but it is not a model that is very widely used in our parish communities.

I think another aspect that would help is if our young people who have encountered God are active in evangelising. Young people are the best

is lacking is a ‘suWhat ppor t sy stem that allows these y oung m en ( and women) to come, gather, share their struggl es and grow in their faith.

’

– O YP chaplain Fr B rian D’ Souz a

Is this something you have noticed in parishes?

Fr Jovita Ho: Yes, this challenge of youths disappearing from parishes is something that I have noticed and it is even more so if the youth comes from a family whose familial bonds are lacking, or who do not have a culture of going to church together.

I think there is also evidently a sense of lack of time to “do their own things” that contributed to them dropping off from the radar or they feel that whatever they used to do, they don’t seem qualified anymore or too old to do.

Are there any O YP communities or activities that can reach out to these people?

Fr Jude David: I would say the the School of W itness ( SO W ) and CA A are two specific aspects of O YP’s pastoral ministry that have a higher concentration of young men who are either preparing for NS or have just O RD ed.

Fr B rian: W e do have Nox Goudi – a once in two months gathering for young people at O YP. This could be an opportunity for NSFs to join in the larger community to worship, praise and be formed through the teaching of the night.

How can youth groups better reach out to those who have

Reinstate SA F D ay M asses – w e us ed to hav e them till qui te a few y ears ago.

Y out h communi ties and parishes mu st also be aware and accommodating towards the limitation of members [ who are] serv ing the nation, when it comes to time and alertness.

– F r Jovita Ho

evengelists of other young people and the witness of their lives would be the best inspiration and draw for our NSFs who have left the Church.

Fr Cornelius: I feel the most important thing is to have an active youth programme/ community and constantly reach out to them via peer support networks. W ord-ofmouth and peer support are the best means.

Fr Jovita:. It is not wholly the ar-

my’s fault that our youths are leaving the Church during NS, but rather it is because we have not prepared these young men either for national service or even regular service.

Even for youths who are actively involved in parishes, youth communities and such, how intentionally have we been in preparing them ( and perhaps their families) for national service? W hat can we do? Start young with communities rooted in the person of Jesus and the Gospel. Mentor those who are preparing for the army.

Have a send off Mass of sorts for the young people to let them know the community is praying for them, and to let the community know that sons among them are serving the nation so that NS can be seen as a Christian duty as well, and it is!

Reinstate SAF D ay Masses – we used to have them till quite a few years ago. Youth communities and parishes must also be aware and accommodating towards the limitation of members [ who are] serving the nation, when it comes to time and alertness.

It is also important either for the communities to “hear” about army experiences or for the communities or parishes to have a sub-group to cater to the reality of these men serving NS. What can family and friends of the individual in the army do to help him during his time in the army?

Fr Jude: Continue to pray, lovingly accompany and discerningly encourage these young men to continue to pursue the Lord. I think we should also try to break away from the stereotype that NS is always a time of spiritual decadence.

I know of people and from the experience of my own life where this stereotype was not true and NS was actually a time of grace for me to search more deeply about my faith because I am not bogged down by studies and all. The time of being away from home and sometimes challenging training in NS can also be an impetus to truly seek the Lord and depend on Him even more.

Fr Cornelius: he first thing family and friends can do is to stop pressuring them to come for Church activities. t is first to bring them for the Eucharistic celebration and let them experience feeling loved by God. Next would be to invite them gently to the activities or communities. Using language like “maybe you would like to visit the youth gathering on …” rather than “you should go for this youth gathering. It is good for you … ” will definitely help.

Fr Jovita: Be present and be understanding about the irregular hours and timetable of the son and the friend serving NS. Always assure them of your availability and presence, and listen to them. n

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

ADVERTISEMENT

9

10 INTERVIEW

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

Archbishop talks about Church-state ties, meeting with pope in interview Archbishop Goh gave an interview to AsiaNews, a Church news agency, while he was in Rome for his ad limina visit. The following is a condensed version.

U

NLIKE other countries, Singapore prefers to define itself more as a multicultural and multireligious state , Archbishop illiam Goh told Asia ews. he government is in fact secular in order to preserve the unity of the nation, but most ministers and officials profess a faith. he state is not against religion, but is in favour of it, seeing it as a fundamental component for the country s development.

Archbishop Goh noted that the government provides important support to all religions. For e ample, it is customary to invite religious leaders to take part in numerous meetings and ask them for advice on issues affecting the country, especially from a moral and social point of view. ome government ministries, like the inistry of ocial and Family evelopment and the inistry of ducation, collaborate closely with religious leaders, he said. Along with youth policies, these are the areas in which the government invites us to e press opinions because we all work for the good of the country. he collaboration between the state and religions for the country s development is also re ected in the archbishop s involvement. was appointed presidential advisor for minority rights and religious harmony, he shared. e noted that among various initiatives, religious groups have set up a non governmental organisation, the nter eligious rganisation , which provides a significant place for sharing different experiences of faith, this thanks to the important help from the government .

All this makes ingapore a

A rchbishop Goh noted that some Singapore gov ernment ministries collaborate closely with religious leaders. ‘ A long with y out h policies, these are the areas in which the gov ernment inv ites us to express opinions becaus e we all work for the good of the count ry .’ relations between religion and estern societies. nstead of rejecting it, the uropean countries should be inspired by religion in the government of people, in making their lives better, in giving them meaning and fulfilment, he said. he uropean weakness is represented by the fact that many governments are adverse to faith. ow can a secular government help people to realise themselves if it does not contemplate God and neglects religious sentiment n the est, a very important dimension of people s lives is being lost. n an attempt to be more and more secularised, faith is relegated to something private, marginal. truly uni ue reality, where every religious problem is dealt with directly among religious leaders, even with a phone call, he said.

The local Church Archbishop Goh said he believes social outreach is the main missionary front for the local Church . e have many organisations that assist people in need, such as Caritas ingapore ... For humanitarian initiatives outside the national borders, the archdiocese has established the Caritas umanitarian Aid elief nitiatives, ingapore C A , Another focus area for the ingapore Church is interreligious dialogue and the promotion of interfaith harmony. e organise many initiatives, said Archbishop Goh.

he archdiocese also pays particular attention to the education of young people in its Catholic schools. e form the heart of the students, even before their intellect, said Archbishop Goh. e do not want leaders who live for themselves, but people who care about their neighbour. he decline in priestly vocations is of great concern to the archbishop, who said that increased lay participation in pastoral works was a way to counteract this. t is more important than ever to involve the laity in the life of the Church, because in the end it is to them that it belongs, he said.

About Europe Archbishop Goh also spoke about the misunderstandings that mark

Meaning of life e noted that although ingapore is a very prosperous country, where competitiveness and economic development are primary objectives, ingapore society still has a strong religious feeling . hen you have everything you need, the uestion that arises is hat is the meaning of life said Archbishop Goh. ven the younger generations of ingapore, who have been raised in a state of well being, ask themselves these uestions hat do you live for o you want to make a difference in people s lives ou cannot find meaning in your life if you do not live for others, said Archbishop Goh. am used to meeting numerous entrepreneurs, successful people, who in the course of their lives all become philanthropists. hey are people who possess more than necessary, money that they would not be able to spend in their whole lifetime. And so they begin to try to benefit others, offering their service for the good of the country and giving part of

their wealth to non governmental organisations, the Church and charitable institutions.

Conse uently, in his pastoral work, Archbishop Goh seeks to renew the faith of Catholics through spiritual retreats and e periences of conversion. As a bishop, it is my duty to guide this kind of initiative every year, to help people meet esus directly, he said.

Meeting the pope he day before the interview, Archbishop Goh met ope Francis along with the bishops of alaysia and runei.

Ask me all the uestions you want, any ven if you do not like the pope, you can tell me, ope Francis told us with the humility that is his trademark. e was present like a father and as such he listened to us, Archbishop Goh recalled.

For my part, asked him two uestions that are close to my heart. First, e plained my curiosity about the efficiency of a structure organised around small dicasteries in the context of a universal institution to which billions of people belong.

After, asked for clarifications on the theme of communion for the divorced included in Amoris aetitia, ope Francis s second apostolic e hortation. any in the Church have doubts and are uncertain. uch confusion and division also frighten me, but the oly Father told me Chapter cannot be deconte tualised. t is only the end of the e hortation. Chapter is more important, where its principles are e plained.

For ope Francis, the uestion cannot be reduced to whether divorced people can receive communion or not ather, the uestion is ow can we reach them, and assist them from a spiritual point of view nfortunately, sometimes there are different approaches between academics and those involved in grassroots pastoral outreach. ope Francis belongs to the latter group. n A SIA NE WS The ful l interv iews with A rchbishop Goh can be accessed at: http://www.asianews.it/news-en/ The-Chu rch’ s-real-challenges-arein-A sia,-say s-Singapore-archbishop( I) -43103.html http://www.asianews.it/news-en/ Singapore-A rchbishop-calls-on-E u rope-to-let-itself-be-inspired-by -religion-( II) -43111.html http://www.asianews.it/news-en/ A rchbishop-of-Singapore:-Bu ildinga-v ibrant,-ev angelical-and-missionary -Chur ch-( III) -43125.html

ASIA 11

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

Sri Lankan re i i s ea ers in anti r r test – Sri Lanka’s religious leaders are stepping up their campaign for a drug-free society.

Catholic priests, nuns and other religious leaders joined thousands of others in a protest march on Feb 25 against the increased use of illegal drugs, especially among schoolchildren.

The protest and rally were organised after parish priests reported cases of children being caught with drugs at school.

The country has been on the map for years as a transit point for major drug cartels.

Its strategic location makes it a very efficient locality for drug smuggling.

As protesters marched to- Cardinal Malcolm Ranj ith said he wards the centre of Negombo would form a committee to identify city, they shouted, “D rug deal- drug dealers. file h t ers survive, our children victimiz ed! Tablets are sold, children law enforcement authorities must are destroyed! Let us eradicate bring drug peddlers before court drugs! ” and the judiciary must impose Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, maximum punishment and work Archbishop of Colombo, said he to eradicate this menace,” he said would form a parish youth com- at a press conference on Feb 19. mittee that would identify drug Sri Lankan authorities dedealers and inform authorities. stroyed cocaine worth US$108 “D rug dealers use attractive million ( S$142 million ) in a sinways to grab the attention of gle shipment in January. schoolchildren so that they will “W e should not be afraid to become drug addicts,” Cardinal continue the people s fight at vilRanjith told the rally. lage level. W e should not let a few “I warn all drug dealers to stop politicians or drug dealers damage this. I take the leadership in eradi- a large number of villagers. As recating drugs from Negombo.” ligious leaders, we are in the front Cardinal Ranjith has demand- of this fight, said uslim leader ed strict punishment for drug ped- Abdul Rahuman. dlers.

Mr Jude Fernando, a Sunday “The drug menace is fast school teacher, said police are spreading in the country. The well aware of drug dealers but law-making institution must cre- hesitate to catch them due to poate strict and strong laws, while litical interference. n U CA NE WS.CO M

Crossword Puzzle 1205

N E G O M B O , S R I L A N K A

rean at ics fi t t ee a rti n i e a S E O U L – The Catholic Church in South Korea has gathered over a million names on a petition to keep the country’s anti-abortion law in place.

As South Korea continues to modernise and with the number of single mothers on the rise, calls to decriminalise abortion have increased from sectors of society, something opposed by the Church.

“The signature-gathering campaign ... served as an opportunity to spread the teachings of the Church,” said Fr Remigius Lee D ong-ik, secretary of the Committee for Bioethics of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea ( CBCK) .

The CBCK held a special Mass at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul on Feb 12 and presented the petition of 1,005,000 signatures. It launched the campaign on D ec. 3 .

“[ This] shows how desperate the Church is to fulfil its mission of protecting all forms of life,” said Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soojung, who presided at the Mass.

He called the speed with which so many signatures were added “an appeal to society”, and said, ven a foetus is a re ection of God, a citiz en of our society, and a human life that should be respected.”

The CBCK will implement the second phase of its campaign until March 18 to raise awareness of the danger of consenting to a “culture of death” across South Korean society, it said.

The campaign aims to “spread the idea that we must respect life”, said Archbishop Hyginus Kim Hee-joong of Kwangju, CBCK president. n U CA NE WS.CO M

ACRO SS 1 Catholic coach Lombardi 6 D iocese or bishop starter 10 Lenten requirement 14 Name associated with a W W II turning point 15 Refrain syllables 16 Comparison words 17 D ig through 18 According to Proverbs, the righteous are as bold as this animal 19 W all support 20 Captivated by

21 Responsibility 22 Posterior 23 Birth month of Mary ( abbr.)

25 Catholic convert and author of Poustinia 27 Police call letters 30 Easter _ 32 St. Patrick’s feast day is in this mon.

3 Cast aside 35 Prejudice 37 O T historical book 41 D iocese of Honolulu greeting 43 Rangers’ org

44 First word in the title of a 19t h century encyclical 45 Three-masted ship of the Mediterranean 46 _ _ a lone 48 You may be a computer one 49 _ _ pr o nobis 51 Prime rating 53 Air ( comb.)

54 Postpone 58 Bearded antelopes 60 Nat’l song 61 O mission and commission 63 Catholic actor of “Gone with the W ind” fame

67 Former monetary unit of Italy 68 W ife of Jacob 69 German submarine 70 Ancient Egyptian life-giving force ( var.)

1 af e 72 Assist at Mass 73 Moist 74 “For the Lord, the _ H igh, inspires awe” ( Ps 47: 3) 75 People looked like this to the blind man Jesus cured in the Gospel of Matthew

28 29 13 43

DO WN 1 Part of a threepiece suit 2 South American empire 3 Coz y place to read a book?

4 Hints 5 Merited 6 D istributing 7 There were 40 nights and 40 days of this 8 The Lord went before the Israelites in a pillar of this 9 Horse-drawn vehicle 10 Peter and Andrew, for example 11 Up and about 12 Slow down growth 13 W arming drink 24 Tavern 26 The woman bathed Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped his feet with her _ 27 Cleanser or Greek hero 36 38 39

40 42 47 50 52 54 55 56 57 59 26 46 56 6

Heap Small drop Lout Visible appearance of God W eapon D avid used to kill Goliath Neighborhood _ of Ars, title by which the patron saint of priests is known av. officer Land measure Commandment number Eleventh century theologian Month of the Feast of the Assumption Caesar, for one Bring together Sprinkle St. Juan _ Cavalry sword Bugs D rill a hole W ash Soissons seasons

Solution to Crossword Puzzle No. 1204 P E W S

A L A T E

U L C E R

F O O D

A G N I

B L T S

J O A N

E T N A

W I T S

L E O N A S E L E E A R S E E L Y S E A

B R E V E

R E C E D E

I N O N P

S H E I O C T E K W I P A P E N O T E D

D E E W L E I C E E I C L C O L E N X I D O D I N E A L L A D Y

W O R K I N O R S E M I S E S K E S I S L A T E L U B E Y L E M O U T E R

U S U R Y

S I G N O

A S S T

www.wordgamesforcatholics.com

12 ASIA

Religious features in China church demolished any reasons given,” the source K O N G – A church in northwest China’s X injiang region had said.

The church received a letter its crosses, statues, bell towers and other religious features de- from the authorities the day bemolished by order of communist fore informing them the demolition would occur. authorities.

The source said that last NoUsing a crane, state-instructed workers removed the ex- vember, a cross on a church steeterior religious features from ple in Manas city of X injiang was the Catholic church of Yining also demolished.

“So it appears that crosses city in Urumqi diocese on Feb should be demolished for sini27. cisation,” said the A source told source.

“Maybe news agency Three crosses one day, all the ucanews.com that churches will be no reason was givand two bell demolished since en for the action they are so modbut it is believed to towers were and beautiful have been carried demolished and ern and are against out because the the purpose of religious features all religious sinicisation? ” he were “incompatsy mbols asked. ible with sinicisaIn eastern Z hetion.” remov ed. jiang province, The source more than 1,500 said three crosses and two bell towers on churches, both Catholic and the top of Yining Catholic Protestant, have been targeted Church were demolished and for demolition or cross removthat all religious symbols, in- als in recent years, sources have cluding two big statues, were said.

The earlier source said he removed.

“It was originally said reli- thinks what occurred to Yining gious features inside the church Catholic Church may be related should been demolished as well to local political tensions in the but it was suspended without region. n U CA NE WS.CO M

H O N G

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

Report: nearly 50,000 baptisms registered in China in 2017 C I T Y – The Catholic Church in China registered about 4 ,55 baptisms in 201 , re ecting the vitality and missionary strength of the Catholic communities there, according to a report by Fides, the news agency of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. he figures likely are incom plete, however, given the difficul ty of procuring data from Catholic communities in the rural parts of China, the report said. ut the numbers still re ect the vitality and the missionary dynamism of a community that fully lives faith,” said the organisation conducting the annual survey: the Faith Institute for Cultural Studies, a Church-run organisation based in Shijiaz huang. Fides republished the organisation s findings on Feb 15.

The province of Hebei – which consistently has the highest number of baptisms each year of all the Chinese provinces – topped the list again with 11,8 9 9 baptisms, the report said. The Archdiocese of Beijing registered 1,09 9 baptisms, while the D iocese of Ningxia had 128 new Catholics baptised. China’s northwest autonomous region of X injiang, where the majority of the population is Muslim, registered 6 6 baptisms. The Qinghai province

V A T IC A N

A priests baptises a woman during a 20 13 Easter Vigil in China. The Catholic Church in China registered about 48,556 baptisms in 2017, according to a report. file h t

had 54 baptisms, and isolated communities such as Hainan Island in southern China and Tibet had 3 8 and 11 baptisms respectively.

“In spite of the encouraging figures and the great missionary commitment in local communities throughout China, we must always feel called to a renewed missionary commitment,” said the Faith Institute for Cultural Studies.

“Evangelisation in China is a long and difficult path to carry out,” it said. The organisa-

tion also pointed out that its data represented “an invitation and a call because we must strengthen our faith and always go forward on our journey towards Christ.”

The organisation encouraged all of the Catholic communities of China to maintain and continually improve upon their parish registers so that a more complete set data can be collected in the future. It concluded by saying that its data is a means “to see the growth of the Church and the work of evangelisation.” n CNS

WORLD 13

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

Catholics urge US leaders to take steps to curb gun violence W A S H I N G T O N – In a Feb 28 open letter to President D onald Trump and members of Congress, Jesuit Fr Michael Sheeran, president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, urged US leaders to listen to the teens who survived the Parkland, Florida, school shooting and help them fi this plague of gun violence in the country.

“W e adults have repeatedly failed to fi this singularly American phenomenon,” said the priest on behalf of the 28 J esuit colleges and universities in the US. He called the Feb 14 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman D ouglas High School a national tragedy but also said that since it occurred, there have been signs of hope through the voices of its “poised, articulate young survivors.”

“It is not lost on us that none of them was even born when the Columbine High School killings in Littleton, Colorado, claimed 13 lives.

Yet the shootings have gone on and on,” Fr Sheeran added, referring to the 19 9 9 school shooting.

‘

The time for words is ov er.

What is requi red now is action.

’

– C ardinal B lase J. Cupich of Chicago

Students protest against gun violence in front of the White House in Washington. Church representatives appealed to President Donald Trump and members of Congress to take steps to curb gun violence. CNS photo

The priest urged US political leaders to listen to the teens from Parkland and “not cruelly disparage them in this time of trauma, grief and anger.”

He quoted Pope Francis, who said: “D ear young people, do not bury your talents, the gifts that God has given you. D o not be afraid to dream of great things.”

Fr Sheeran said “ending the horrific mass killings in our schools and streets is a great thing we all are called to do” and he urged the president and members of Congress “to listen and to fi this indeed.

The Sisters of Bon Secours similarly urged political leaders to take action against gun violence. In a Feb 28 statement,

Bishop asks government Blessed to rescue Nigerian girls Paul VI to be date, 195 of the young women are D achelem of Bauchi has appealed still with the kidnappers, despite to the Nigerian government and repeated promises by the governsecurity agencies to work for the ment to ensure their release.

O n March 4, Ms Gloria rescue of the 110 schoolgirls kidnapped by suspected Boko Haram Shoda, president of the National Council for W omen Societies, insurgents in February.

The bishop said the govern- also urged the federal government ment should not play partisan to do everything within its powpolitics with the issue but bring ers to rescue the abducted D apchi schoolgirls. smiles to the faces In an appeal from of the parents of the Abuja, Ms Shoda abducted girls by said the kidnappings rescuing them and were a national emreuniting them with barrassment, and she their loved ones. advised President “My call is for Muhammadu Buthe government to hari to act quickly leave politics aside to avoid a repeat of and retrieve these 2014 Chibok saga. girls; leave politics “W e are pained and protect lives. A relative of one of the You do not politi- missing Nigerian school as mothers to see cise life,” Bishop girls reacts on Feb 23 in another group of our D achelem said on Dapchi, Yobe State, after children being abducted by the sect. It March 3. an attack on the village “I do not need by suspected B oko Har- is most unfortunate that it is happening to know who you am insurgents. CNS photo again after the Chiare, political affiliation or religious beliefs, but all bok experience,” Ms Shoda said.

“W e are yet to overcome the I know is that life is sacred and must be protected and respected Chibok abduction, and having another is a very sad happening in by everybody.”

The girls were abducted on our lives as mothers.

“How long are we going to Feb 19 in D apchi, in Yobe state, continue to live in fear of our chilwhich borders Bauchi.

This abduction happened four dren being abducted by the sect? ” years after Boko Haram invaded Ms Shoda asked. “W e will not fold a female school in Chibok, Borno our hands to watch the sect destroy state, and abducted 276 girls. To the lives of our daughters.” n CNS L A G O S , N I G E R I A – Bishop Hilary

canonised at close of synod

R O M E – Blessed Paul VI will be declared a saint in late O ctober at the end of the Synod of Bishops on youth and discernment, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.

After mentioning the late pope in a speech to the International Catholic Migration Commission on March 6, Cardinal Parolin confirmed to reporters that the canonisation will take place at the end of the synod, which is scheduled for O ct 3- 28.

The cardinals and bishops who are members of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes reportedly voted on Feb 6 to recognise as a miracle the healing of an unborn baby and helping her reach full term.

The baby’s mother had prayed for Blessed Paul’s intercession a few days after his beatification by Pope Francis in 2014.

Blessed Paul, who was born Giovanni Battista Montini, was pope from 19631978.

Although Pope Francis announced in late February that he expected to canonise Blessed Paul this year, he still has not formally signed the decree recognising the miracle needed for the celebration to take place nor has he held a consistory – a meeting of cardinals – to set the date for the ceremony. n CNS

they said that as a member of the group Faiths United Against Gun Violence – that includes several Catholic organisations and men and women’s Religious orders – they were asking elected officials to take up legislation that requires universal background checks and mandatory waiting periods for all gun purchases, bans civilian ownership of high-capacity weapons and magaz ines, and makes gun trafficking a federal crime.

These actions echoed similar pleas issued by the Leadership Conference of W omen Religious in a Feb 23 statement. The Sisters, emphasising the Parkland shooting, asked: “W here is the outrage? Have we become immune to the horror? hy are elected officials unwilling

to confront the epidemic of gun violence that is sweeping the nation?

W hen will the killing stop? ” O n the state level, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago urged Illinois legislators to enact restrictions to curtail gun violence, particularly after the Parkland shooting.

D uring a Feb 28 news conference in pringfield, he said he time for words is over. W hat is required now is action. O ur elected officials may not be able to do everything all at once, and they may not be able to save everyone. But in the name of those murdered children, they must act in a bipartisan way to begin the process of walking away from the moral compromises that doom our society to inaction.”

Hours later, the Illinois House passed gun control legislation that included setting 21 as the minimum age for someone to possess a semi-automatic assault weapon; banning so-called bump stocks, devices used to make a semiautomatic gun act like a fully automatic weapon; and instituting a 72-hour waiting period for the sale of any assault weapon. n CNS

14 WORLD

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

New Church document warns of wrong views of salvation V A T IC A N C IT Y – Salvation in Christ is a gift of God that cannot be earned by human efforts alone, and it is not simply some kind of interior transformation, but touches the way Christians live in the world and relate to others, said a new document from the Congregation for the D octrine of the Faith.

“Both the individualistic and the merely interior visions of salvation contradict the sacramental economy through which God wants to save the human person,” said the document, Placuit D eo ( It Pleased God) , written to bishops.

It was released on March 1.

The document, approved by Pope Francis, focuses on two errors he has said seem to underlie the attitudes of a growing number of Christians.

These are neo-Pelagianism, the idea that people can save themselves by being strong and very disciplined; and neo-Gnosticism, in which the focus is so strongly placed on knowledge that it ends up despising the body, the

physical needs of others and the creation of a community.

“Salvation cannot be reduced simply to a message, a practice, a gnosis [ knowledge] or an interior feeling,” said Archbishop Luis Ladaria, head of the doctrinal congregation, in his presentation of the document. t ows from a personal encounter with Jesus, which in turn leads to incorporation in the Church and an effort to live as Jesus did, especially in attention to the poor and the suffering, he said.

The document, he said, wants to draw people’s attention to “the tendency of self sufficiency and “the tendency of isolation, which does not take into account that

People pray during Mass.

A new Vatican document stresses the importance of the church community. file h t

salvation is something eminently communitarian”.

To respond to “both to the individualist reductionism of Pelagian tendency and to the neoGnostic promise of a merely interior salvation”, the document said, “we must remember the

The docum ent warns against neo-P elagianism, the idea that people can sav e themselv es by being disciplined; and neo-Gnosticism which focus es so strongly on knowledge that it ends up de spising the body , the phy sical needs of others and the creation of a communi ty .

way in which Jesus is saviour”.

“He did not limit himself to showing us the way to encounter God, a path we can walk on our own by being obedient to His words and by imitating His example,” it said, but He became the way, and a relationship with Him is essential.

“Furthermore, this path is not merely an interior journey at the margins of our relationships with others and with the created world,” it said, because Christ “assumed the entirety of our humanity and lived a fully human life in communion with His Father and with others”.

Understanding the role of the

Church, “the community of those who have been incorporated into this new kind of relationship begun

by Christ , is essential to fighing the tendencies of self sufficiency and isolation, the document said.

“The participation in the new kind of relationships begun by Jesus occurs in the Church by means of the sacraments, of which baptism is the door, and the Eucharist is the source and the summit.”

Since the Church is “the universal sacrament of salvation”, all Christians are called to share the good news of Christ and invite others to a relationship with him, the document said. n CNS

WORLD 15

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

Rome honours persecuted Christians R O M E – Rome’s Colosseum, long

a symbol of the persecution of early Christians, was bathed in red light late on Feb 24 as a reminder of and a prayer for the thousands of Christians being persecuted for their faith today.

The family of Ms Asia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death under Pakistan’s highly criticised anti-blasphemy laws, and Ms Rebecca Bitrus, a Nigerian Christian who was held in captivity for two years by Boko Haram terrorists, told their stories before the red lights were trained on the Colosseum.

Ms Bitrus and Ms Bibi’s husband and daughter had met earlier in the day with Pope Francis at the Vatican. They were accompanied by leaders of Aid to the Church in Need, a Catholic foundation that has a long history of assisting persecuted Christians.

Mr Alessandro Monteduro, director of the Italian section of Aid to the Church, said the 40-minute meeting with Pope Francis was “extraordinary,” particularly because the entire encounter took place in an atmosphere of prayer by the pope and by his guests.

The pope “wanted everyone to

The Colosseum in Rome was lit in red on Feb 24 to draw attention to the persecution of Christians around the world.

Pope Francis walks with family members of Ms Asia B ibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death in Pakistan, during a private audience at the Vatican on Feb 26. CNS photos

pray together in their own languages,” he said. So Ms Eisham, Ms Bibi’s youngest daughter, prayed in Urdu and Mr Bitrus prayed in Hausa.

“It was a moment of extraordinarily intense emotion,” Mr Monteduro said.

Ms Eisham had visited her mother in prison on Feb 17 and

Remain steadfast in Lent, Iraqi Christians urged A M M A N , J O R D A N – Iraqi Catholic

leaders are urging Christians to remain steadfast in this Lenten season as they encounter challenges of the so-called Islamic State’s legacy in their historic lands.

In a Lenten pastoral letter, Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Sako of Baghdad urged Iraqi Christians to pursue unity with other Christians at this sacred time with “open hearts.”

“Many Christians today live in a crisis of faith and intellect because of the circumstances of war, instability, migration and the dominance of social media on the details of their daily lives,” he wrote in the letter, released on Feb 21.

Many Chaldean Catholics lost their homes, properties and other possessions as they ed the so called Islamic State militants in the summer of 2014. Many are destitute, still living in camps for the internally displaced or sheltering abroad.

“However, these challenges should not discourage their determination and dissuade them from renewing their faith and deepening it, to witness of the Lord and His Church,” the patriarch said, calling on Christians to “increase

Worshippers pray during Mass in 20 17 in Tel Esqof, Iraq, which was damaged by Islamic State militants. CNS photo

within themselves strength, confidence and enthusiasm.”

Patriarch Sako also repeated his appeal to fellow Iraqis from different religious backgrounds to recognise Christians as “part of the national fabric of Iraq and to stop their decline, for Christians have had a historical pres-

ence in this country, where they have a role and a message.”

Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Yousif Mirkis of Kirkuk and Sulaimaniyah estimates that between “40-45 percent of the Christians have returned to the some of their ancestral villages, particularly Qaraqosh.” n CNS

Chaldean Catholic P atriarch L oui s Sako of Baghdad ur ged Iraqi Christians to pur sue uni ty with other Christians at this sacred time with ‘ open hearts.’

told her about the trip to Rome, he said. Ms Bibi told her, “If you meet the pope, give him a kiss from me.” And the young woman did.

Mr Monteduro said the pope

told those present that Ms Bitrus and Ms Bibi are “marvellous women martyrs, examples for a civilisation that is afraid of suffering.”

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, represented Pope Francis at the service at the Colosseum, expressing his hope that by lighting up such an iconic monument, people would overcome their indifference to the plight of anyone persecuted for his or her faith.

“This evening we remember all victims of hatred,” he said, and all who suffer because of a spreading “mentality that leaves no room for others,” that tries to “suppress” those who are different, rather than integrate them. n CNS

atican ficia arns sti ity t ar s re i i n S W IT Z E R L A N D – As cial rapporteur on freedom of rethe world has grown increasing- ligion or belief. ly interconnected, some nations The phrase, Archbishop Jurkhave seen religious pluralism as a ovic said, “reveals a patronising threat and reacted either by failing idea of religion” and one that to protect religious minorities or overlooks the importance and by trying to marginalise all believ- wisdom of religions and their iners, a Vatican representative said. tegral part in the cultures of peoAnd, unfortunately, Archbishop ple around the world.

Ivan Jurkovic told the UN Human The report said, “International Rights Council, some human rights treaties Some international agencies are reticent on the sort also see religion as a international of relationship a state threat to their agendas have with reagencies see should when they go against ligion or belief. They religion as a do, however, impose “religious wisdom.”

The archbishop, threat to their a duty upon states to who is the Vatican be impartial guaranagendas, said tors of the enjoyment observer to UN agencies in Geneva, spoke of freedom of religion A rchbishop on March 2 during the Iv an J u rkov ic. or belief, including council’s discussion on the right to freedom freedom of religion and belief. from religion.”

Archbishop Jurkovic quoted “Respecting the deepest conPope Francis’ denunciation of victions of members of a given international agencies that, para- society is, in fact, the prerequisite doxically in the name of human on which an authentic culture of rights, promote “modern forms of human rights can be built,” the ideological colonisation” by try- archbishop said. “The common ing to impose their programmes good is the aim to which all states on poorer nations as a condition ... aspire. It can be determined and for receiving aid. achieved only through an incluThe archbishop objected sive process of dialogue and in strongly to the use of the phrase seeking the true meaning of fun“freedom from religion” in the damental rights and freedoms of report to the council by the spe- every human person.” n CNS

G E N E V A ,

16 POPE FRANCIS

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church, added to Church calendar V A T I C A N C I T Y – Pope Francis has decreed that Latin-rite Catholics around the world will mark the feast of “the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church” on the onday after entecost each year.

The Gospel reading for the feast, which technically is called a “memorial, is ohn 1 25 1, which recounts how from the cross Jesus entrusted ary to is disciples as their mother and entrusted is disciples to ary as her children.

The decree announcing the addition to the Church calendar was released on March 3 by the Congregation for D ivine W orship and the acraments.

Pope Francis approved the decree after “having attentively considered how greatly the promotion of this devotion might encourage the growth of the maternal sense of the Church in the pastors, Religious and faithful, as well as a growth of genuine arian piety, the decree said.

Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the congregation, noted in a brief commentary published the same

day, that Blessed Paul VI in 19 6 4 had formally bestowed the title of “Mother of the Church” on Mary, but that recognition of her maternal care for the Church and for believers had already spanned centuries.

“The feeling of Christian people through two millennia of history has cultivated the filial bond which inseparably binds the disciples of Christ to his Blessed Mother in various ways, the cardinal said.

The Church calendars of Poland, Argentina, St Peter’s Basilica and some Religious orders already set aside the Monday after Pentecost as the feast of Mary, other of the Church. onouring ary as other of the Church on the day after Pentecost also highlights for Catholics that Mary was present with the disciples on Pentecost, praying with them as the oly pirit descended. Cardinal arah said that Mary, “from the awaiting of the Spirit at Pentecost, has never ceased to take motherly care of the pilgrim Church on earth.

CNS photo

Along with the decree and his comments, Cardinal Sarah also published in atin the specific liturgical texts for use on the memorial at Mass and in the Liturgy of the ours.

P ope Francis approv ed the decree after ‘ hav ing attentiv ely considered how greatly the promotion of this dev otion might encour age the growth of the maternal sense of the Chur ch ... as well as a growth of genui ne M arian piety .’

Bishops’ conferences “will approve the translation of the texts they need and, after receiving their confirmation, will publish them in the liturgical books for their jurisdiction,” the cardinal said. n CNS

Pope Francis has instituted a new Marian feast honouring Mary as Mother of the Church. It will be celebrated every year on the Monday after Pentecost.

Pope appeals for end to evil of war in Syria V A T I C A N C I T Y – Calling the war in

Syria “inhumane,” Pope Francis called for an end to the fighting, immediate access to humanitarian aid for those in need and the evacuation of the injured and infirm.

“My thoughts often turn to that beloved and martyred Syria where the war has intensified, especially in eastern Ghouta,” he said on Feb 25 after praying the Angelus with people gathered in t eter uare.

“This month of February has been one of the most violent in seven years of con ict hundreds, thousands of civilian victims – children, woman, the elderly. ospitals have been hit and people can t get anything to eat, he said.

“All of this is inhumane,” he said. vil cannot be fought with evil. And war is an evil.

The pope then launched a “heartfelt appeal that the violence immediately end, that access

to humanitarian aid – food and medicine – be given and that the injured and ill be evacuated” from an area under rebel control.

The pope’s appeal came after intensified fighting in eastern Ghouta, a suburb of amascus.

Although the UN Security Council voted unanimously on Feb 24 for a 0 day ceasefire in yria, government forces continued their weeklong offensive against the rebel held suburb of Ghouta. umanitarian groups reported more than a doz en civilians were hospitalised for symptoms suspected to be associated with a chlorine gas attack.

At least 500 people had been killed in the fighting in the week before the pope spoke, and the remaining residents – 400,000 people, down from 2 million before the civil war started in 2011 – continue to suffer from hunger and malnutrition. n CNS

POPE FRANCIS 17

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

Pope to young people: Take the World Youth Day challenge C I T Y – It’s time to break free from fear, fake online personas and looking at the world through a digital screen display, Pope Francis told young people.

“D o not allow the spark of youth to be extinguished in the darkness of a closed room in which the only window to the outside world is a computer and smartphone,” the pope told youths in his annual message for local celebrations of W orld Youth D ay.

“O pen wide the doors of your life! May your time and space be filled with meaningful relationships, real people with whom to share your authentic and concrete experiences of daily life,” he said in the message, published on Feb 22 at the Vatican.

In preparation for the next international celebration of W orld Youth D ay – which will be held in Panama from Jan 22-27, 2019 – many dioceses will have their own celebrations on Palm Sunday, March 25.

The Panama gathering will focus on Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel’s announcement that God had chosen her to bear the child Jesus: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” The 2018 theme chosen by

‘

V A T IC A N

O pen wide the doors of y our life!

M ay y ou r time and space be filled with meaningful relationships, real people with whom to share y ou r aut hentic and concrete experiences of daily life.

n e e w e n ni n fte e n i e e te the

th y in in t the ie f e y in w n ny i e e wi h e thei wn ee ti n n S ny thi ye CNS photo

Pope Francis is the angel’s reassurance, “D o not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God.” Many young people today are afraid – afraid of never being accepted, of finding a good job and even of their real selves,

Confessional is not a place of condemnation V A T I C A N C I T Y – Priests must be go well; he must enter with conmindful that the confessional is a fidence. he ord in this passage place where people can find for- calls us like this: ‘ Come now. giveness and mercy, not threats and Let’s grab a coffee. Let’s talk. condemnation, Pope Francis said.

D on’t be afraid, I don’t want to God “does not want to beat us beat you,” Pope Francis said. and condemn us,” but rather “He Through the Sacrament of Recalways looks for a way to enter onciliation, he added, Jesus “does the hearts” of those who are re- not threaten but rather calls us with pentant, the pope said kindness, having conin his homily on Feb When we fidence in us, which 27 at morning Mass in people seeking priests ... hear allows his residence. forgiveness to take “a “W hen we priests confessions, we step forward on the – in the Lord’s place – also mus t hav e path of conversion.” hear confessions, we Recalling the examalso must have this at- this attitude of ple of a cardinal who, titude of goodness like goodness like in the confessional, the Lord, who says, would not say much ‘ Come, let us talk, there the L ord, who when someone conis no problem, there is say s, ‘ Come, fessed a great sin, Pope forgiveness,’ and not Francis said God also let us talk.’ with a threat from the does not dwell on sins beginning,” he said.

– P ope Francis and instead gives “a e ecting on the receipt of forgiveness.” day s first reading from the prophhe pope said he finds it helpet Isaiah, the pope noted God’s ful to see the Lord’s attitude as merciful call to conversion and that of “a father with a son who His willingness to forgive even thinks he’s big, who believes he’s “though your sins be like scarlet.” grown up, but instead is really just The relationship between God halfway there. The Lord knows and His people, the pope said, is that we are all halfway there and like that of a relationship between many times we need this, to hear a father and his teenage child, this word: ‘ Come, don’t be frightwho has done something foolish ened, come. There is forgiveness.’ and must be reproached.

And this encourages us to go to The father “knows that if he the Lord with an open heart. It is goes with a stick, things won’t the Father who awaits us.” n CNS

‘

’

the pope said in his message.

“Today, there are many young people who feel the need to be dif-

e

n i t y

n e

’

e

ferent from who they really are, in an attempt to adapt to an often artificial and unattainable standard, he wrote.

No one is exempt from doubt or fear, which even can be seen in the Bible in the lives of Mary, Moses, Abraham, the apostles and many others, he said. In fact, he added, the biggest obstacle to faith in God is often fear, not skepticism.

The only way forward is to face one’s fears head on, identify them clearly and come to terms with them.

The pope told young people to look for God in prayerful silence and the sacraments so they could draw on the needed courage, wisdom and grace, and to turn to members of the Church for encouragement and support.

Pope Francis called on adults in the Catholic Church to have courage, too, and give young people “important responsibilities.”

“Young people need to know that someone truly believes in you,” he said. “Please know that the pope has confidence in you, that the Church has confidence in you The Catholic Church’s annual gathering of W orld Youth D ay “is for the courageous! Not for young people who are searching only for comfort and who withdraw whenever difficulties arise, the pope said. “D o you accept the challenge? ” n CNS The text of the pope’ s message can be fou nd at: http://w2.v atican.v a/content/ francesco/en/messages/y ou th/docu ments/papa-francesco_ 20180211_ messaggio-giov ani_ 2018.html

18 OPINION

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

Fortnightly newspaper of the Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore

2 Highland Road, #01-03 Singapore 549102.

Telephone: 6858 3055. Fax: 6858 2055.

W: www.catholicnews.sg FB: www.facebook.com/catholicnews IG: catholicnews.sg MANAGING EDITO R: Father Richards Ambrose: ra@ catholic.org.sg

EDITO RIAL MATTERS AND Q UERIES: cnedit@ catholic.org.sg

ASSISTANT EDITO R: Christopher K hoo: christopher.khoo@ catholic.org.sg

SUB SCRIPTIO NS: Richard Paul: subscriptions@ catholic.org.sg

IN MEMO RIAM: Racquel Castanares: memoriam@ catholic.org.sg

STAFF CO RRESPO NDENT: Jared Ng: jared.ng@ catholic.org.sg

ADVERTISEMENTS: Elaine O ng: advertisements@ 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.

DESIGN / LAYO UT: Christopher Wong: design@ catholic.org.sg Elaine O ng: elaine.ong@ catholic.org.sg

T h e v i e w s or

pos i t i on s pr e s e n t e id n ra t i c l e s i n C ta h lo i c N e w s don ot n e c e s s ar i l y r e pr e s e n t t h e v i e w s of t h e C h u r c h .

Adv e r t i s e m e n t s t h ta pea ra i n C ta h ol i c N e w s ra e n ot n e c e s s ar i l y e n dor s e dby t h e C h u rc h .

A look back at Pope Francis’ first 5 years CNS photos

B y Cindy Wooden V A T I C A N C I T Y – Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope just a few days after telling the College of Cardinals that the Catholic Church faced a clear choice between being a Church that “goes out” or a Church focused on its internal affairs.

After the cardinal from Buenos Aires, Argentina, was elected on March 13 , 2013 , and chose the name Francis, he made “go out,” “periphery” and “throwaway culture” standard phrases in the papal vocabulary.

Catholics have a wide variety of opinions about how Pope Francis is exercising the papal ministry, and many of his comments have stirred controversy. But, as he wrote in Evangelii Gaudium ( The Joy of the Gospel) , the apostolic exhortation laying out the vision for his pontificate prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.”

But there are two areas of Church affairs that he recognised needed immediate attention: the reform of the Roman Curia and the protection of children and vulnerable adults from clerical sexual abuse.

The organisational reform of the Curia has been taking place in stages, but Pope Francis has insisted that the real reform is a matter of changing hearts.

O n the issue of abuse, nine months into his pontificate, ope Francis established the ontifical Commission for Child Protection to advise him on better ways to prevent clerical sexual abuse.

W hile Pope Francis has emphatically proclaimed “z ero tolerance” for abusers and recently said covering up abuse “is itself an abuse,” as his fifth anniversary approached, serious questions arose about how he handled accusations that Chilean Bishop Juan Barros, who was a priest at the time, covered up allegations of abuse against his mentor.

The new scandal threatened to

Pope Francis greets a young Rohingya refugee during a Dec 1 meeting for peace in Dhaka, B angladesh.

Pope Francis opens the Holy Door of St Peter’ s B asilica to inaugurate the Jubilee Year of Mercy on Dec 8 , 20 15.

Pope Francis holds a baby at San Giovanni Hospital in Rome on Sept 16, 2016.

undermine his widespread popularity and his efforts to set the Catholic Church on a new course.

In 2013, Pope Francis told reporters he would not be travelling as much as his predecessors.

However he has gone on to make 22 trips outside of Italy and has visited 32 na tions.

O n Holy Thursday each year, he has celebrated Mass at a prison, care facility or refugee centre and washed the feet of patients, inmates or immigrants.

D uring the 2015-16 Year of Mercy, he made a visit one Friday a month to people in need, including those at a school for the blind, a neonatal intensive care unit, a community of recovering alcoholics, a children’s group home and a community for women rescued from traffickers.

In September 2015, Pope Francis asked every parish and Religious community in Europe to consider offering hospitality to one family of refugees. Then, seven months later, Pope Francis brought 12 refugees back to Rome from the island of Lesbos, Greece. n the first three years of his papacy, he published three major documents: Evangelii Gaudium; Laudato Si’, on Care for O ur Common Home; and Amoris Laetitia ( The Joy of Love) .

From the beginning of his papacy, Pope Francis has expressed love and admiration for retired Pope Benedict X VI. Returning from South Korea in 2014, he said Pope Benedict’s honest, “yet also humble and courageous” gesture of resigning cleared a path for later popes to do the same. n CNS

Our ache for specialness W E SHARE the world with more than seven-and-ahalf billion people and each of us has the irrepressible, innate sense that we are special and uniquely destined. This isn’t surprising since each one of us is indeed unique and special. But how does one feel special among seven-and-half-billion others?

W e try to stand out. Generally we don’t succeed, and so, as author Alan Jones puts it, “W e nurse within our hearts the hope that we are different, that we are special, that we are extraordinary. W e long for the assurance that our birth was no accident, that a god had a hand in our coming to be, that we e ist by divine fiat. e ache for a cure for the ultimate disease of mortality. O ur madness comes when the pressure is too great and we fabricate a vital lie to cover up the fact that we are mediocre, accidental, mortal. W e fail to see the glory of the Good News. The vital lie is unnecessary because all the things we truly long for have been freely given us.”

All of us know what those words mean: W e sense that we are e traordinary, precious, and significant, irrespective of our practical fortunes in life. D eep down we have the feeling that we are uniquely loved and specially called to a life of meaning and significance. e know too, though more in faith than in feeling, that we are precious not on the basis of what we accomplish but rather on the basis of having been created and loved by God. But this intuition, however deep in our souls, invariably wilts in the face of trying to live a life that’s unique and special in a world in which billions of others are also trying to do the same thing. And so we can be overwhelmed by a sense of our own mediocrity, anonymity and mortality and begin to fear that we’re not precious but are merely anotheramong-many, nobody special, one of billions, living among billions.

W hen we feel like this, we are tempted to believe that we are precious and unique only when we accomplish something which precisely sets us apart and ensures that we will be remembered. For most of us, the task of our lives then becomes that of guaranteeing our own preciousness, meaning, and immortality because, at the end of the day, we believe that this is contingent upon our own accomplishments, on creating our own specialness.

And so we struggle to be content with ordinary lives of anonymity, hidden in God. Rather we try to stand out, to leave a mark, to accomplish something extraordinary, and so ensure that we will be recognised and remembered. Few things impede our peace and happiness as does this effort. W e set for ourselves the impossible, frustrating task of assuring for ourselves something which only God can give us, significance and immortality. rdinary life then never seems enough for us, and we live restless, competitive, driven lives. W hy isn’t ordinary life enough for us? W hy do our lives always seem too small and not e citing enough hy do we habitually feel dissatisfied at not being special?

W hy our need to leave a mark? W hy does our own situation often feel so suffocating? W hy can’t we more easily embrace each other as sisters and brothers and rejoice in each other’s gifts and each other’s existence? W hy the perennial feeling that the other is a rival? W hy the need for masks, for pretence, to project a certain image about ourselves?

The answer: W e do all of these things to try to set ourselves apart because we are trying to give ourselves something that only God can give us, significance and immortality.

Scripture tells us that “faith alone saves”. That simple line reveals the secret: O nly God gives eternal life. Preciousness, meaning, significance and immortality are free gifts from God and we would be a whole lot more restful, peaceful, humble, grateful, happy and less competitive if we could believe that. A humble, ordinary life, shared with billions of others, would then contain enough to give us a sense of our preciousness, meaning, and significance.

Trappist monk Thomas Merton wrote: “It is enough to be, in an ordinary human mode, with one’s hunger and sleep, one’s cold and warmth, rising and going to bed. Putting on blankets and taking them off, making coffee and then drinking it. D efrosting the refrigerator, reading, meditating, working, praying. I live as my Fathers have lived on this earth, until eventually I die. Amen. There is no need to make an assertion of my life, especially so about it as mine, though doubtless it is not somebody else’s. I must learn to live so as to gradually forget programme and artifice.

O rdinary life is enough. There isn’t any need to make an assertion with our lives. O ur preciousness and meaning lie within the preciousness and meaning of life itself, not in having to accomplish something special. n

LENTEN FEATURE 19

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

This Lent, repent as a response to God’s love y

h en

A

e

S W E enter Lent we are welcomed by the phrases “repent and believe in the Gospel” or “you are dust and to dust you shall return.” These words are spoken as a cross of ashes is placed on our foreheads.

As Catholic Christians this is a time to understand our call to repentance. This call is one to an honest and authentic understanding of our self and of God. O ur repentance is what reminds us that we are “dust.”

W e are called to see our own smallness and weakness. In so doing we recognise God’s mercy, love and greatness.

In the Exsultet sung to the light of Christ at the Easter Vigil, we hear “O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the D eath of Christ! O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer! ” W e see at the close of Lent this beauty of the paradox of our journey of repentance: In the midst of our faults we come to know more profoundly the love of God. Repentance then is to live within the dialogue of salvation.

This dialogue is not just to sit

and wallow in guilt or shame waiting for and begging on God’s love.

Nor is it simply to acknowledge God’s love and see no compulsion for change and conversion.

Rather it is a constant movement of our hearts to God for He is always reaching for us. It is an encounter with an honest assessment of ourselves and a deep trust in what God can do in us. This repentance is a process, something

he a t f e entan e i eall a a ti e f u wh le u ne f n e i n e ent i t etu n t u eat f m wh m we ha e t a ed we return to over and over again.

O ur call to repentance is really our call to conversion. It is our call to change, but to become our most authentic selves and children of God. Repentance is inspired by God’s grace and love, for as John the vangelist tells us in his first letter, e love because e first loved us” ( 4: 19) .

God is always waiting for us

to turn towards Him. In the parable of the prodigal son, we see a loving father who always waits for the return of wayward children. He rejoices in our return.

To return, however, requires us to see the state of our lives honestly and to be able to give voice to what has burdened us and what we have done.

God does not simply wait for us. He initiates this dialogue. He searches for us.

This is in part the value of the pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Each of these elements reminds us of our constant dependency on God. Although we may see our brokenness, we also see more clearly God’s grace. W hen we know we have been pursued by His love and we have returned to it, we also see the importance of modelling this in our own relationships.

W e cannot force the other to return to us, but we can always offer open arms.

O ur Lenten journey helps us to see ourselves and God more clearly, that we may see one another and live a life of conversion that extends far beyond the joyous hope we know at Easter. n CNS lden a be tine ie t w ite f m lbu ue ue ew e i

ie t he nfe i n in St ete S t n e t n thei t e ent n e

A prayer of repentance y ffie

‘L

O RD JESUS, Lent presents me with the opportunity – and the obligation – to examine where my life is modelling your example and where I am failing to help bring about the kingdom of God. Help me to delve deeply into my life during this season of penance and give a thorough look at what my values are and how I live them out each day.

Many times, I consult my “grocery list” of sins, confess them and find them remarkably similar month after month. I say my act of contrition and move on.

This Lent, I ask you to help me to look more intensely into the trajectory of my life, and the trajectory of each precious day.

Help me not to skim the surface of minor infractions, but to probe the depth of motivation and desire.

If I truly believe that a relationship with you, Jesus, is the ultimate goal of my life, how and where do I fail to apply myself to this goal?

Forgive me for the days when I have neglected a time of uiet and re ection necessary to anchor myself in your love and direction. Forgive me for failing to seek out spiritual nourishment in reading and enter-

tainment. Forgive me when I’ve neglected to nourish a faith community, a community that supports me and my family as we strive to grow in grace.

Help me to examine my priorities for the use of my leisure time, my volunteer time, my family time.

D o I hear the cry of the poor? Forgive me for the times I have stayed insulated in my security and failed to reach out in a personal way to the hungry, the naked, the refugee, the suffering, the sick and the grieving.

Forgiv e me for the times I’ v e ‘been elfi h with m e u e ’

th i

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Forgive me for straying from the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Help me to examine them and make them a focus of my Lenten good works.

D o I live as if loving is my first priority Forgive me for the times I fail to look another, particularly a child, in the eyes and truly listen.

Forgive me for the times I have been so convinced of my rightness on an issue that I have failed to value the opinion and the person of another. Forgive me for the times I’ve been selfish with my resources. Forgive me for the times I’ve automatically thought me first.

D o I acknowledge that the deepest desire of every human heart is God, and yet continue to procrastinate in my pursuit of the holy? D o I seek God in all things? Forgive me for laz iness. Help me to make concrete plans this Lent.

The prophet Jeremiah said the Lord promises us a new covenant. “I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people” ( Jer 31: 3 ) .

Lord, help me to probe my heart during ent, to find your law there and to experience your healing love. n CNS alda la i a f eelan e w ite and a ath li ew e i e

e ent i ti e f

’

lumni t f

“I like to think [ God] has one weakness: a bad memory,” Pope Francis told a group of seminarians, new priests and priests taking a course sponsored by the Apostolic Penitentiary in Rome on March 4, 2016.

“O nce He has forgiven you, He forgets. And this is great! ” the pope said.

“The sins are no more; they have been wiped away by divine mercy.”

The Sacrament of Reconciliation, Pope Francis said, is a “privileged place to experience the mercy of God.” He urged the group to “put the focus back on the Sacrament of Reconciliation” as a space where both confessors and penitents can experience the uni ue, definitive and faithful love that God has for every one of His children, a love that never disappoints.”

Every time a priest gives absolution, the pope said, there is “in a certain way a jubilee” that brings joy to the entire Church, but first of all to God imself.

Quoting the Gospel of Luke, he said, “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 9 righteous persons who need no repentance” ( 15: 7) .

A confessor must ensure that the faithful leave the confessional without the burden of guilt, Pope Francis said, but as people who have been freed by God, ready to “meet their brothers and sisters with a good and willing heart.” n CNS

20

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

By Jennifer Ficcaglia Jesus and His friends were in Galilee, where Jesus performed a miracle in Cana. Afterward, they travelled to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews.

As Jesus and His friends neared the walls of Jerusalem, they noticed there were many ill, blind, lame and crippled people at the Pool of Bethesda near the city’s Sheep Gate. It was said that people who entered the pool when its waters were stirred up would be cured of their af ictions.

Jesus looked at all of the people near the pool and honed in on one particular man. Even though He had never met the man, Jesus knew that the man had been sick for a long time.

Jesus approached the man.

“D o you want to be well? ” Jesus asked.

“Sir, I have no one to put me into

the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me,” the man replied.

Jesus told the man to get onto his feet, pick up the mat he was laying on and walk.

As soon as esus finished speaking, the man suddenly regained his health. He rose to his feet, picked up his mat and began walking.

Since it was the Sabbath, a day of rest on which the Jews were not allowed to do any work, the people who saw the man walking and carrying his mat told him he was breaking the Sabbath rules.

“It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat,” they said.

“The man who made me well told me, ‘ Take up your mat and walk,’” said the man, who did not know Jesus’ name.

The people looked around for Je-

SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS:

St Margaret Clitherow St Margaret Clitherow was born in England in 1553 . She married a Protestant man whose brother became a Catholic priest. At the time, the Protestant faith was ngland s official religion, and it was illegal to practise Catholicism.

Even so, Margaret also became a Catholic. She set up Mass centres in her home and at a local inn.

She was arrested several times for not attending Protestant services. W hen it was learned that she was secretly practising Catholicism, she was sentenced to death for treason.

She was martyred for her faith in 1586 , and we remember her on March 25. n

sus, but He had slipped away when the crowd began to gather around the man.

Later, Jesus saw the man at the Temple area.

“Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you,” Jesus told him.

The man then told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

The Jews scolded Jesus for curing the man on the Sabbath.

“My Father is at work until now,

so I am at work,” Jesus told them.

The Jews hated Jesus even more for His reply and wanted to kill Him. n Read more about it: John 5

Q&A 1. Where did the ill people gather?

2. Who thought Jesus broke the Sabbath rules?

Wordsearch: n FAITH

n WELL

n HEALTH n MASS n CARRY

n REST

n SERVICE

n SHEEP

n CREATE

n FRIEND n CURE

n GATHER

ESSAY: How do y=ou keep the Sabbath day holy?

Bible Accent: Sentence: D o y ou w ant to be well?

A nswer to puz z le: eb ( be) twna ( want) ouy ( y ou) ot ( to) lelw ( well) od ( do)

PUZZLE: Unscramble the letters in the words below and arrange them in the correct order to reveal a quotation from the story. eb

twna

_ _

_ _ _ _

ouy _ _ _

ot

lelw

od

_ _

_ _ _ _

_ _

A nswer to Wordsearch

In Genesis 1-2, we read that God created the heavens and the earth in six days and rested on the seventh.

In Exodus 20, God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. The Fourth Commandment instructed the Israelites to remember the Sabbath day – the day on which God rested – a nd keep it holy.

“Six days you may labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God,” God told the Israelites in Exodus 20: 9 -10. “You shall not do any work, either you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your work animal, or the resident alien within your gates.”

As time went on, the Jewish leaders created stricter and stricter rules for what activities could not take place on the Sabbath. That is why Jesus got in trouble with the Pharisees for curing people on the Sabbath.

But in Mark 2: 27, Jesus pointed out to His accusers that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

In other words, Jesus was saying that the Sabbath was meant to be a blessing from God to His people instead of a day for following burdensome man-made rules. n

WHAT’S ON 21

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

EVENT SUB MISSIO NS WHAT’ S O N submissions now require the completion of a form from the Archdiocese before the event can be publicised. For events with foreign speakers, p lease submit the necessary documentation for approval to the Chancery. For more information and to download the form, vi sit http:/ / www.catholic.sg/ events/ announcementadvertisement-request/ .

O nce forms have been submitted online, k indly send us details of your event for publication at www. catholicnews.sg/ whatson/ at least one month ahead of the publication date.

FEB 1 TO MARCH 15 VO LUNTEER RECRUITMENT Seeking volunteers for CareNights in Bedok and Sengkang. MondayFriday from 6.30pm -9.30pm . Temasek Foundation Cares–C areNights@ Morning Star needs committed and energetic volunteers to assist children with homework and other necessary skills. The children come from households who must undergo skills upgrading, shiftwork or take on two jobs to make ends meet. For more information, T: 6 28 513 77 ( Mel or Jaanani) .

FEB 1 TO MARCH 21 SPECIAL NEEDS CATECHESIS 1– UNDERSTANDING & SUPPO RTING YO UNG PEO PLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS Every W ednesday from 7: 30pm -10pm.

Venue: 2 Highland Rd S549102. This course aims to provide participants with an insight into the wide spectrum of physical,

RCIA/RCIY A j ourney for those seeking to know more about the Catholic faith. B aptised Catholics are also invited to j ourney as sponsors.

APRIL 8, 2018 TO JUNE 9, 2019 RCIA @ THE CHURCH O F O UR LADY O F PERPETUAL SUCCO UR Time: 7: 3 0pm-9 : 3 0pm. New RCIA journey will begin with a welcome night on April 8 a nd thereafter every Sunday onwards in Verbist Hall, Level 4. Please register your name or names of those who are interested in the Catholic faith. Registration forms are available at the parish secretariat. For more information, W : www.olps.sg; T: 9671 137 ( Elayne) ; T: 96355635 ( Peter) . intellectual, emotional, behavioural and learning challenges more commonly faced by people with special needs through experiential exercises. For more information, E: formation@ catechesis.org. sg; W : www.catechesis.org.sg. To register: https: / / tinyurl.com/ ybwf 8yf 5.

FEB 21 TO MAY 30 B IB LE STUDY: ACTS O F THE APO STLES Conducted by Msgr Ambrose Vaz .

Venue: Church of St Francis X avier.

Every W ednesday night from 8 pm-10pm ( 14 lectures) . FO C. To register: E: maisielee21@ gmail.com; nsron2003@ yahoo.com.

FEB 22 TO MAY 31 B IB LE STUDY: ACTS O F THE APO STLES Conducted by Msgr Ambrose Vaz .

Every Thursday from 8pm -10pm at the

IN MEMORIAM Twenty-second Anniversary In loving memory of

MICHAEL WO NG TENG K IAN D eparted: Mar 15, 19 9 6

His helping hand was always first To tender any aid he could His voice was always raised in praise, His words were wise and good.

D ear Father, since you went away, The ones you loved so true, try hard to carry on the way we know you’d want us to.

Always remembered by loved ones.

Church of St Ignatius, annexe hall ( level 2) .

No pre-registration. FO C. All are welcome.

Come enjoy the living W ord of God. For more information, E: henrythwu@ gmail.com.

FEB 27 TO MAY 22 UNCO VERING ST MARK ’ S GO SPEL B Y MSGR AMB RO SE VAZ Every Tuesday from 7.45pm-10pm. W hat was the purpose of St Mark’s writing?

W ho is he writing for? W hat does his Gospel emphasise? Let Msgr Ambrose Vaz guide you in 10 insightful sessions on St Mark’s Gospel. FO C. O rganised

by F.R.E.E. Ministry at the Church of the Risen Christ, Toa Payoh.

To register: W : http: / / free.risenchrist.org. sg; E: free.risenchrist@ gmail.com.

MARCH 17 CRUCIS SINGAPURA 2018 Jesus Youth announces ‘ Crucis Singapura’ – a unique ‘ W ay of the Cross’ prayed while walking barefoot across the island.

Participants will walk across eight predefined routes, the longest being 20km and shortest 3km . Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation email with all details.

Log on to www.singapore.jesusyouth.org to register free before March 7. For more inforamation, T: 90922091 ( Nobin Jose) .

MARCH 24 CLARITY’ S LIGHTING THE WAY INTRO DUCTO RY WO RK SHO P Time: 10.30a m-12.30pm . Venue: Agape Village. This workshop is for individuals who have direct or indirect experiences with friends or loved ones who may be suffering from depression but have difficulty

getting them to seek help. Cost: $15.

To register, W : https: / / tinyurl.com/ LTW 24Mar; T: 67577990.

APRIL TO MAY 2 B ASIC CATECHIST CO URSE 2 – INTRO DUCTIO N TO MO RALITY Time: 7.30pm -10pm. Venue: CAEC, 2 Highland Rd. Speaker: Fr D avid Garcia.

This course seeks to provide catechists with an overview to the fundamental guiding principles of morality and provide participants with an understanding of moral acts as well as to enable them to assess an individual act to be morally good or morally evil. For more information,W : www.catechesis.org.sg.

APRIL 7 MASS FO LLO WED B Y PRAYERS FO R HEALING All are welcome and no registration is needed. Time: 2pm-4pm. You are invited to join us for praise and worship and Mass followed by prayers for healing. After Mass, prayer teams will be available to pray with you for healing. Please spread the word to your family and friends.

Celebrant: Fr Tom Curran. O rganised

by Praise@ W ork. Venue: Church of Sts. Peter and Paul. For more information, E: praiseatworksg@ yahoo.com; T: 9 747246 7.

APRIL 7 CLARITY’ S WO RK SHO P O N ‘ A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING DEPRESSIO N’ Time: 10.30a m-12.30pm . Venue: Agape Village. Individuals with depression often have difficulties seeking help for themselves and in most times, causing friends and family members to feel frustrated and burnout.

Come join us to find out what depression is about and share insights on the journey of providing care to your friends or loved ones who may need help. Cost: $15. To register: W : https: / / tinyurl.com/ LTW 7Apr. APRIL 8 TO APRIL 15 CHARIS MISSIO N FRIENDSHIP CEB U 2018 Join us as we work hand-in-hand with our brothers and sisters in need to help provide clean water to their homes. Come experience faith, joy and fellowship with the team members and beneficiaries.

Location: Caritas Village Hagnaya and Tacup in San Remegio, Cebu, Philippines.

Cost: $ 8 70 per person. Maximum number of participants: 15. For more information,: T: 6 3 3 74119 ( Gabriel) ; E: gabriel@ charissingapore.org.

APRIL 11 TO SEPTEMB ER 19 FAITH FO RMATIO N AT CHURCH O F ST TERESA Come journey on an exciting 24 weeks through the Bible to learn, understand and be inspired by God’s great plan in salvation history and your role in this great plan.

D iscover how the Bible relates to your life and get to know better the God who loves you and is forever faithful to His promises.

Register online at: www.goo.gl/ UMsUPS.

Ninth Anniversary In loving memory of

RENE GAB RIEL NATHAN D eparted: Mar 16 , 2009 There is a place in our hearts which is yours alone A place in our lives No one else can ever own W e hold back tears when we speak your name But the ache in our hearts Remain the same.

D eeply missed and always cherished by wife, Sharon, children, Aaron, Reuben & Hannah, parents, sister, in-laws, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.

Masses will be celebrated at the Church of St Mary of the Angels on Mar 16, 2018 a t 6.55 am and 7.00pm.

Please turn to pages 22 and 23 for more in memoriam advertisements.

APRIL 13 TO APRIL 15 A SPIRITUALITY FO R THE SECO ND HALF O F LIFE: THE MIDLIFE TRANSITIO N April 13 ( 8pm ) -April 15 ( 1pm) at Montfort Centre. This weekend retreat deals with the experience of transition that moves us into midlife – a stage of personal growth and development. Recommended for those 38 ye ars old and above. O rganised by the Cenacle Mission. For more information, T: 65652895; T: 97283148; E: cenaclemissionsingapore@ gmail.com.

APRIL 20 TO APRIL 22 HE LO VES ME, H E LO VES ME NO T A weekend retreat from April 20 ( 7pm) April 22 ( 5pm) . This retreat helps you to grow in the conviction of God’s love.

Examine images of self and God, and become aware of any obstacles to God’s love, so you can free yourself to fall in love with God. Presented by spiritual directors at Montfort Centre. Cost: $ 3 00. To register: E: anthony@ montfortcentre.org; T: 9 6 3 119 43 .

APRIL 21 TO MAY 19 CLARITY’ S SELF-WO RTH INTRO DUCTO RY AND SMALL GRO UP WO RK SHO PS Every Saturday from 10am-noon. Join us for a four-session workshop to understand self-worth, its importance and impact in your life. Through various activities and exercises, practise ways to recognise and replace self-defeating thoughts. Learn how to love and accept yourself, in spite of your imperfections and how to make your life more meaningful. Venue: Blk 854 Yishun Ring Rd. Cost: $15 pe r person.

For more information, T: 67577990.

APRIL 22 TO APRIL 28 WEEK O F GUIDED PRAYER @ CHURCH O F CHRIST THE K ING The Sojourners’ Companions invites you to learn how to pray with Scripture and develop a closer relationship with the Lord. April 22: 2pm-5pm: Taster. April 23- 27: D aily 30m ins @ home + 30m ins with personal prayer guide at a convenient time between 9a m–10pm .

April 28: 2pm–5pm : closure.

Venue: Church of Christ The King.

Cost: $30. To register: W : www. sojourners.sg; W : wogp@ sojourners.sg.

For more information, visit the parish office on the weekend of April 14 and 15.

APRIL 27 TO APRIL 29 CHO ICE APRIL WEEK END It takes that one weekend to inspire you for the rest of your life. Come away for a Choice W eekend – i t is by the choices we make that we define what our life is all about. Venue: Choice Retreat House, 47 Jurong W est Street 42, S649368.

For more information: 97900537 ( Hillary) ; T: 97109680( Francesca) ; W : http: / / www.choice.org.sg/ ? page_i d= 8.

MAY 26 TO MAY 29 CO ME AWAY ( B EACH RETREAT FO R YO UNG ADULTS) A Cenacle programme. Take a holiday in a meaningful way in this “play and pray” retreat designed to help us grow and deepen our faith despite our busy lifestyle. Following the pattern of the spiritual exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola, these days offer tips on self-care, daily discernment and a way of finding God in all things and time. For more information, E: cenaclemissionsingapore@ gmail.com; W : cenaclemission.com.

MAY 30 HO W TO MAK E STRESS YO UR FRIEND Time: 7.30pm -9.30pm . Based on the latest research by D r Kelly McGonigle, learn how the handling of stress can either shorten or extend our healthy life span. Facilitator: Fr Matthew Linn, SJ. O rganised by Kingsmead Centre, 8 Victoria Park Rd. Fee: $ 50 ( $ 8 0 if also attending “W hat is the Key to Happiness talk”) . To register: W : http: / / tinyurl.com/ MattLinn18; T: 64676072.

MAY 31 WHAT IS THE K EY TO HAPPINESS? Time: 7.30pm -9.30pm . W here are the happiest people in the world, and what are their secrets to yielding true happiness?

W e will answer this with the research from the award winning documentary “Happy.” Experience simple processes to daily find happiness wherever it eludes us. Facilitator: Fr Matthew Linn, SJ. O rganised by Kingsmead Centre, 8 Victoria Park Rd. Fee: $50 ( $80 i f also attending “How to Make Stress Your Friend” talk) . To register: http: / / tinyurl. com/ MattLinn18; T: 64676072.

JUNE 1 TO JUNE 3 PEACE B E WITH YO U: TRANSFO RMING FEAR INTO GIFT June 1 ( 7.30pm ) -June 3 ( 5pm) . This healing retreat will focus on how Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to transform the disciples “behind locked doors out of fear” into bold, risk-taking apostles rooted in a deep peace. D iscover how this transformation can happen to us. Facilitator: Fr Matthew Linn, SJ. O rganised by Kingsmead Centre, 8 Victoria Park Rd. Fee: $270 ( non-AC) , $30 ( AC) . To register: W : http: / / tinyurl. com/ MattLinn18; T: 64676072.

22 IN MEMORIAM Fourth Anniversary In loving memory of

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

In loving memory of

Third Anniversary In loving memory of

VICTO R K O LANDASAMY ALEX ANDER D eparted: Mar 20, 19 9 9 DANIEL JO HN He longed D eparted: Mar 20, 2014 to be with Him But still the empty chair Now God has him Reminds us in His keeping of the face, the smile, W e have him O f one who once in our hearts sat there.

W e will always cherish you with love.

D early missed by Patricia & family.

Always remembered by wife Agnes, Jackie, Jude, Bridget, Eighteenth Jerome and Jonas.

Anniversary In loving memory of Ninth Anniversary In loving memory of

CECILIA MYRA B EINS D eparted: Mar 19 , 2011 Forever remembered

by Ken, Kirk, Keith, and Betty.

HENRY NG SO O N CHIANG D eparted: March 23 , 2015

FIRST ANNIVERSARY In loving memory of

ANTO INE JO SEPH TAMB O U JACO B LEE Passed away peacefully HUA PHENG on Mar 21, 2000 D eparted: Mar 22, 2009 O ur Lord Jesus In our hearts knew what was best you will always live He took you home Your love, your voice for eternal rest and your smile W e wiped our tears And fond memories and tried not to be sad of you And remember the Are imprinted precious times we had. in our minds.

Always remembered Always remembered by wife, children, by wife, daughters, grandchildren sons-in-law and and loved ones. grandchildren.

Eleventh Anniversary In loving memory of

Fifth Anniversary In loving memory of

Fourteenth Anniversary In loving memory of

W e remember and cherish the happy times together.

Remembering you today and forever.

Tenth Anniversary In loving memory of

Forever in our hearts and fondly remembered by your loving wife Sally, son W ei Kian, daughter Jacqueline, son-in-law Arthur, daughter-in-law Gwen, beloved grandchildren and all loved ones.

Fifteenth Anniversary

Nineteenth Anniversary In loving memory of

O SWALD JO HN PINTO D eparted: Mar 17, 2004 In our hearts you will always live.

Loved and remembered...

Twenty-eighth Anniversary In loving memory of

TAN K ENG HO CK D eparted: March 2, 2017 Rest in peace, dear loving father, O ne year has passed away; You’re gone, but are still living In the hearts of those who stay.

JO SEPHINE AGNES HARDING ( NEE NO NIS) D eparted: Mar 18 , 2007 W e speak your name with love and pride W e smile with tears we cannot hide W e thank you for the years we shared The love you gave, the way you cared.

Fondly remembered by husband John and those who loved her.

Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord and may Your perpetual light shine upon her.

REV FR PETER LU D eparted Mar 21, 2007 Thank you for the years you’ve been there for us Thank you for the way you cared In our hearts you will always live Your memory we will always keep.

Mass will be celebrated at the Church of the Nativity of the B.V.M. on Saturday, Mar 17, 2018 a t 4.00pm.

In loving memory

Always cherished by: Spouse: Lily Ang Son: W illard Emmanuel Tan D aughter-in-law: Miranda Petra Z eng Grandson: Raphael Tan W en Yan.

Eleventh Anniversary In loving memory of

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.

May he rest in peace.

Fourth Anniversary

Eleventh Anniversary In loving memory of

JO SEPH B ENJAMIN FERNANDEZ D eparted: Mar 29 , 2007 Your presence is ever near us Your love remains with us yet You were the kind husband, father and grandfather Your loved ones will never forget.

Forever cherished by wife, children, grandchildren and loved ones.

Mass will be offered on Sunday March 25, 2018 a t the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary at 11.15am.

Seventh Anniversary In loving memory of

JO SEPHINE JO SEPH JO SEPH ARPUTHASAMY D eparted on: Mar 18, 2014 D ec 8, 2003

W e think of you in silence No eyes can see us weep But still within our aching hearts Your memory we keep.

From your loved ones.

GEO RGE D’ SO UZ A D eparted: Mar 18 , 19 9 9 LUCY DE RO Z ARIO Time changes D eparted: Mar 18 , 19 9 0 many things but not the memory Time changes this day brings many things Till now you are still in but not the memory our minds and hearts. this day brings Till now you are still in Fondly remembered our minds and hearts. by wife, children, grandchildren Always remembered and loved ones. by loved ones.

PHILIP O O I B AN LEE Born into eternal life Mar 25, 2008 Everyday in some small way W e miss you more than words can say.

In our hearts you will always stay Loved and remembered everyday.

Love and dearly missed, Agnes, Mark, Shermaine, Sr W endy, Martin and Marcus Mass will be celebrated at Church of the D ivine Mercy every first hursday of the month till D ecember 2018.

Second Anniversary In loving memory of

RO CK EY JO SEPHINE D eparted: March 22, 2016 Thank you for the years we shared Thank you for the way you cared W e loved you then and we love you still Forget you, we never will.

D early missed and fondly remembered by children, grandchildren and loved ones.

Mass will be offered at Church of the Holy Spirit on Thur Mar 22 at 6pm .

In loving memory of Third Anniversary

Twenty-eighth Anniversary

PETER GO H LYE HENG D eparted on: March 24, 2013 There’s a sad but sweet remembrance There’s a memory fond and true And a token of love and affection And a heartache still for you But a certainty of your happiness In God’s glory and Holy Presence Fills our hearts with joy and hope And a longing to meet in Heaven.

W e remember with love, Agnes, children, children-in-law and grandchildren.

Please turn to pages 21 and 23 for more in memoriam advertisements.

ANUGRAHAM SAMUEL PAUL

FLO RA ARO K IAMARY PAUL D eparted July 29, 2015 Mar 14, 1990

Peaceful be your rest, dear Parents, It is sweet to breathe your names; As in life we loved you both dearly, So in death we do the same.

D eeply missed by children and loved ones.

IN MEMORIAM 23

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

IN GO D’ S K INGDO M YO U LIVE FO REVER Twenty-fourth Anniversary

Fourteenth Anniversary

JAMES LO URDO E PETER MARY ANTHO NY D eparted: Mar 17, 19 9 4 D eparted: Jun 8 , 2004 Thirty-eighth Anniversary

Twenty-third Anniversary

Nineteenth Anniversary

MR &

MRS ANTHO NY RENGASAMY

Twenty-ninth Anniversary

Twenty-fifth Anniversary FELIX MAURICE D eparted: Mar 8, 1993 Sixty-fifth Anniversary JAMES DAVID D eparted: 1953

DO MINIC PAUL ANTUAN EMILE MO RRIS MAURICE MO RRIS D eparted: Feb 7, 19 8 0 D eparted: Jun 25, 19 9 5 D eparted: D ec 17, 19 8 9

W e think of them in silence No eyes can see us weep But still within our aching hearts Their memory we keep.

Fondly remembered by: children, in-laws, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, relatives and loved ones.

I n m e m or i am r at e s M inimum $80 f or an insertion not exceeding an eightcentimetre colum n.

A dditional space: $8 pe r onecentimetre colum n.

Classified advertisement rates: M inimu m S$ 40 f the fi t w d dditi nal w d aw d Please turn to pages 21 and 22 for more in memoriam advertisements.

In everloving memory of our beloved parents, grandparents and great-grandparents

S.M. FRANCIS X AVIER D eparted: Sep 8, 199

Seventh Anniversary

MUTHU ANTHO NY ARO K IAMARY D eparted: Mar 20, 2011

A home without parents and more so, without grandparents is void.

All things the world may send but when we lost the both of your physical presence, we lost Love and Peace because you both were just that.

W e are trying to move on, faltering at times but because of the strong foundation that you had set in the family and through the intercession of our dearest Mother Mary, we move on.

Gaema and Tata, no words can explain the bitter loss I feel but the almighty God has helped me so well to bear the heavy cross of missing you so much.

I know things would have been so much different with you around but God has his plans and we adhere.

I love you so much and am always praying for you.

You will always be our most beloved Appa, Amma, Tata, Gaema, Big Tata and Big Gaema.

D eeply missed and lovingly remembered by beloved sons, daughters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and all loved ones.

24

Sunday March 18, 2018 n CatholicNews

ADVERTISEMENT

Jesus, hold them close to you. They have left the comfort of their homes and families to travel great distances to a foriegn land so that they can support their loved ones back home.

The only comfort for them is the knowledge that you are always by their side.

Non-Singaporean Catholics are precious to the Archdiocese of Singapore. They include professionals and workers who have made significant contributions to our success as a first world nation.

LET US PRAY THAT OUR MIGRANT COMMUNITY CAN FEEL AT HOME AWAY FROM HOME.

The Archdiocesan Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants & Itinerant People (ACMI) oversees the pastoral needs of foreign Catholics in Singapore, especially among the poor and needy.

And there are in total 12 foreign Catholic communities in the archdiocese.

We pray that together all Catholics in Singapore can contribute more resources necessary to care for the needs of our migrant community. Afterall, they are part of the family of Christ.

“PRAYER AND ACTION MUST ALWAYS BE PROFOUNDLY UNITED.�

Pope Francis.

Help answer the call to build the Church of tomorrow. Details at gift.catholicfoundation.sg This community project is funded by Catholic Foundation

PU B L I S H E D

B Y

T H E

C A T H O L IC

N E W S , 2H IG H L A N D

R O A D

# 0 1- 0 3 , S I N G A PO R E

5 4 9 10 2. PR I N T E D

B Y

T IM E S

PR I N T E R S

PR I V A T E

L I M I T E D , 16 T U A S A V E N U E

5 , S I N G A PO R E

6 3 9 3 4 0 .