Missiocom by mhmcorrespondent

MISSIOCOM The Missionary Community of Corpus Christi

For private circulation only

October 2019 Volume 9 No 1

NEWS Blessed, Broken & Shared for mission page 1 Walking the Talk on Mission. page 2 China Diary 3: 2017 page 4 China Diary 4: 2018 page 7 China Diary 5: 2019 page 8 Mission without Borders page 8 Members in the Philippines come together in Iloilo page 10 The three remaining missionaries in Cambodia carry on page 11 The Pongro Centre has developed over the years page 12 Returning missionaries find new mission at home page 13 MCCC receives others for the missionary priesthood page 14 Mission Animation at SJMAC page 14 Eleven youth underwent a 10 week transforming experience page 15 The Kuching unit makes headway page 16 The Sibu unit reaches out to the poor and homeless page 17 Christmas Carolling page 17 Two trainees will complete their missionary training in December page 18 Creating a greater awareness of mission is an aim of the Mission Fair page 18 Members come together in Kundasang for their annual gathering page 19 Youth Mission Camp page 21 Meeting of unit facilitators took place after the AGA page 22

EVENTS Youth Mission Camp page 22 MCCC Missionary Training page 22 Search ‘20 page 24

Blessed, Broken & Shared for Mission The Extraordinary Month of Mission is upon us and very soon it will be over in a flash. Some of us may be fired up because of the focus on mission through the various activities organised to bring a greater awareness of our role in the mission of God. But just like everything else, it may be just a flash in the pan but the challenge now is to try to maintain the momentum that has been built up. The danger of course is that the faithful will tend to associate “mission” with the “church-related activities” that have been organised around this special month of mission. At MCCC, just like anyone who has made mission their concern, the question of making mission a priority in the life of the Church has never been a forgone issue. The theme of the Extraordinary Month of Mission “Baptised and Sent” highlights the point of mission clearly. We are baptised to be sent out on God’s misson. Making mission relevant to the lives of our baptised Catholic brethren has never been easy and will never be easy unless there is a concerted effort on the part of the Church’s heirarchy to really make “mission” the mission of the Church rather than spending all the time and resources on maintaining tradition and identity. The theme adopted by

MCCC this year “Blessed, Broken, Shared” seeks to highlight the fact that being a missionary requires all the baptised faithful to make a commitment to be broken like our Lord was and to offer our brokenness for the sake of others. In that way we are blessed by the Father. We are not blessed because of our association with the Church through our baptism. We are blessed because we make a definite decision to leave the comfort of our everyday life to embrace the brokenness of Jesus and share ourselves with those who are really in need. Our “baptism” becomes a blessing when we realise that we are endowed with the Lord’s Spirit for his mission. Our “sending” becomes real sharing and relevant when we commit ourselves to God’s mission. continued on page 4

WALKING THE TALK ON MISSION A Malaysian Perspective

by Fr Ivan Fang MHM

In the late 19th Century, missionaries from Europe began a new era of evangelisation on the shores of Borneo. They built churches, schools and clinics and many of the local indigenous people became Catholics. It was a time when the work of evangelisation was seen to be synonymous with the advance of Western civilisation. The Church steadily grew and struggled to assume her place in the myriads of religious beliefs prevalent in the country. The sacrifices and toil of these foreign missionaries to make Christianity relevant eventually bore fruit in the church becoming “local”. The handing on of the church to local bishops and clergy was clearly a momentous occasion. The church has come of age. The eventual decline in the number of foreign missionaries was augmented by the involvement of the laity in the various ministries and pastoral activities of the church but the church remained essentially clergy centric. The progress of any parish community was highly dependent on the resourcefulness of the clergy. Church activities were confined to those of a devotional or sacramental character. The success of any parish was measured by the number of church attendees and the number of Masses that could be celebrated for the Catholic masses. The church was clearly exerting her Catholic identity in a country where she is seen as a minority religion. The churches’ influence on society at large was gradually eroded, restricted by an ever more assertive and aggressive drive of the majority religion. Catholic schools, though curtailed to

a certain degree, still remain a visible sign of the influence of the Catholic Church in the country as a whole. But the church was increasingly looking in on herself, not by choice, but because of the prevailing circumstances. The focus on pastoral concerns and the search for relevance continue to serve to reinforce and strengthen the image of the Church as a visible presence of Christianity in this part of the world, albeit, within her need for self-preservation. Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium on the proclamation of the Gospel in today’s world could not have come at a better time in 2013. Its scope and thrust have far reaching consequences for the local church. Pope Francis urged the entire Church "to embark on a new chapter of evangelism” (#1). According to Evangelii Gaudium, the Church must understand itself as a "community of missionary disciples" (#24) who are "permanently in a state of mission”(#25). Pope Francis’ “dream of a 'missionary option', that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelisation of today’s world rather than for her selfpreservation” (#27) is a call to our Church to thrive by choosing the missionary option in everything that we do. Every Baptised member of the

Catholic faith is called to evangelise and is called to be a missionary disciple. “In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples (cf. Mt 28:19). All the baptised, whatever their position in the Church or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of evangelisation" (#120). Therefore “In all its activities the parish encourages and trains its members to be evangelisers. It is a community of communities, a sanctuary where the thirsty come to drink in the midst of their journey, and a centre of constant missionary outreach. We must admit, though, that the call to review and renew our parishes has not yet sufficed to bring them nearer to people, to make them environments of living communion and participation, and to make them completely mission-oriented” (#28). Pope Francis has mandated the parish to be the training ground for missionaries. Every baptised person is a missionary disciple. It is not an option. We are baptised for mission work. Missionary work is not confined to a select few but is the vocation of every Catholic Christian and the parish is the place where everyone is welcomed and reached out to. The Church exists for mission. How is this to be realised? In spite of the call of Pope Francis to the Church to undertake a new impetus on mission, the momentum that began with the publication of Evangelii Gaudium seemed to have whit-

A lay missionary taking communion to the bed-ridden

tle down to little more than a reminder to the Church that there is still a lot to be done when it comes down to evangelisation. It is one thing to be aware of the missionary task ahead but to continue to talk and to dialogue about mission can be seen as an avoidance of the real task of carrying out mission. There is no doubt that most parishes in the country are concerned with the missionary activities of the church during the month of October, especially on Mission Sunday. But the sad thing is that for most people, Mission Sunday boils down to just the collection for the Missions on that particular Sunday. Mission work is still considered to be the work of a select few, those who have been called to that particular vocation, especially for priests and religious. Attempts to address the inertia on mission of the Malaysian Church already began more than a decade ago. The formation of a missionary community for lay Catholics (Missionary Community of Corpus Christi) to embark on full-time mission work abroad or carry out mission work locally was an effort to create awareness of the missionary role of every baptised Christian, whether lay or clergy. Those who become full-time lay missionaries of this community are sent abroad to countries like China, Cambodia and the Philippines. There are individual Catholics who have been looking for Catholic organisations to facilitate their desire to go on mission work. Failing to find support within the Catholic Church, very often these individuals turn to the Protestant churches. MCCC was created to support them and to facilitate them into mission. Those who choose not to work overseas remain as missionaries working in their own local community. The training and formation of these missionaries take place at St Joseph’s Mission Animation Centre in Sibu, Sarawak. This Centre began in 2014 as a training centre for MCCC mis-

sionaries and over the years has produced a few lay missionaries. Not confining herself to the training of MCCC missionaries only, other programmes were introduced at the Centre especially for the youth so that they too, can take up their missionary vocation from an early age. One key element of the various formation programmes is the facilitation of participants into actual missionary activities. Very often, people are encouraged to take up missionary activities but very few actually know how to go about doing it. The programmes at the Centre include mission exposures so that the participants actually take part in missionary activities. More recently, the Centre has undertaken to conduct training for sponsors for the RCIA programme and for BEC leaders. The sponsors are the evangelisers for those seeking membership in the church. The BEC leaders are the ones who can bring about a change in direction within their groups. At the parish level, unless efforts and concrete measures are taken to make provisions for the laity to embark on missionary activities, the call to mission will remain at the level of an intellectual activity. It will augur well for the parish to create a missionary concerns group to address and coordinate missionary activities within the parish. All church organisations and groups should be encouraged to take up some form of missionary outreach as part of their work. It may be more conducive to carry out outreach work within the confines of the parish community but the real challenge of evangelisation is to be able to leave our comfort zone to reach out to those who are not “one of us”. Existing groups in the parish like the Legion of Mary, Couples for Christ, cell groups and especially the BEC provide the best avenue for evangelisation to be carried out. These groups must go beyond the temptation to become merely an opportunity for members to gather to so-

cialise or simply to pray. Members must be encouraged to go out of their comfort zone to embrace evangelisation and be guided and transformed into

for the mobilisation of church members into the evangelising work of the church community. Those who have attended the training session

A lay missionary giving religiou instructions

agents of evangelisation. The BEC remains the most effective means for evangelisation within the parish if it remains true to its objectives. BEC members are in the forefront of evangelising others in their own neighbourhood. They are the ones closest to the needs, aspirations and problems of those in their own local community and they are the ones who can really make a difference in the lives of the people there. The recent launch of the Institute for New Evangelisation in Peninsular Malaysia to train Catholic Leaders through the Evangelisation Seminar is a move in the right direction

Missionary action is the paradigm of every work of the Church. (EG 15)

are encouraged to return to their own parish to spearhead a revival in mission. But unless there are some concrete measures in place, individuals will find it very daunting and difficult to reach out to evangelise even if they are wellintentioned. This is where the parish priests come in. They are the ones who must be willing to prioritise mission in their parishes. Their support and encouragement for those tasked with mission animation in their parishes are crucial for the success of transforming an

inward-looking church into an evangelising and outreaching one. October 2019 has been designated as an Extraordinary Missionary Month by Pope Francis to mark the 100th anniversary of the Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud issued in 1919 by Pope Benedict XV and will have the theme, Baptised and Sent: the Church of Christ on mission in the world to increase greater awareness of “missio ad gentes” and to animate the missionary transformation of Church life and pastoral activity. Here in Malaysia, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, launched the Extraordinary Mission year on 6 January 2019, the Solemnity of the Epiphany. It will culminate in October. This renewed call to mission shows the importance that Pope Francis attaches to evangelisation in the life the church. During the months leading up to October, parishes are encouraged to take the opportunity to animate their baptised members to become active evangelisers so that the Church can truly exists to evangelise. This article first appeared in the February 2019 issue of CANews

The Logo of the Extraordinary Missionary Month October 2019 The logo of the Extraordinary Missionary Month October 2019 is a missionary cross where the primary colors refer to the five continents. The Cross is the instrument and direct sign of communion between God and man for the universality of our mission, and through its vibrant colors, a sign of victory and resurrection. The world is transparent because the action of evangelization has no barriers or boundaries, it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Christian charity and the world transfigured in the Spirit overcome distances and open the horizon of our minds and hearts. The words Baptized and Sent next to the image indicate the two characteristics of every Christian: baptism and proclamation.

The Colors of the Logo of the Extraordinary Missionary Month October 2019 The primary colors of the Cross are referred to the five continents: red for America, green for Africa, white for Europe, yellow for Asia and blue for Oceania. The red recalls the blood of the American martyrs, seeds for a new life in the Christian faith. Green is the color of life and symbolizes growth, fruitfulness, youth and vitality. It is also the color of hope, one of the three theological virtues. White is the symbol of joy, the beginning of a new life in Christ: this is the challenge that the old Europe is facing, so that it may be able to regain the evangelizing strength from which it was generated thanks to so many churches and saints. Yellow is the color of light, which nourishes itself with light by invoking the true Light. Blue is the color symbolizing the water of life that quenches our thirst and restores us along the path to God. It is the color of heaven, a sign of God’s dwelling with us.

After all, we are sent out to be “Jesus for others.” In this issue of missiocom, you will read about our continuing efforts in making mission practical rather than mere talk. Anna, in spite of her frail health, continues to touch the lives of the rural Chinese. Our Filipino missionaries devote themselves to giving hope to those on the margins. In Cambodia, our missionaries witness to God’s love and mercy through their undying efforts for the local people. In Malaysia, we struggle on to entice those Christians who live in comfort to embrace the “sending” part of mission. It is our hope that all the baptised will learn the meaning of “being sent” and that our efforts to bring greater awareness of God’s mission will be supported by the Church. I invite you therefore to be part of our quest and I take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support and prayers. Together in God’s mission, Fr Ivan Fang MHM

MCCC depends on generous donors to carry out God’s mission and to continue to proclaim Christ at home and abroad. We are grateful to all who have supported us in one way or another. WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT. PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY. 4

China Diary Part 3: 2017 Anna Ling, a Malaysian originally from Sibu but now residing in Miri, Sarawak worked many years in Brunei before volunteering as a missionary to China in 2006. She was based then in Ziyun, in Guizhou Province under ABDA at the station maintained by MCCC. In 2014, she moved to Hanzhong. Anna’s health has not been good and she underwent major surgery last year. Her follow-up treatment requires her to make a monthly visit to the hospital in Miri and therefore she can no longer stay at length in China. At best, she can only manage two trips to China, lasting a month each. Her work in China involves giving alms to the poor students (Primary, Secondary, High School and University students) in remote villages. She organises sponsorship for specially made wheelchairs for disabled orphans and also the tuition fees for those poor disabled students with special education. She also visit poor families without any clear bread winners and will give them financial assistance if they meet certain requirements. Anna contacts the relevant personnel who assist her with the arrangements through internet and does her reports from home in Miri. Below are some accounts of the trips Anna made in 2017, 2018 and the early part of this year.

and do much work. The other can help and make good handicrafts. The sisters guide and teach her how to do the handicrafts.

Anna at St. Joseph’s orphanage

St Joseph’s orphanage In early March 2017 we visited St. Joseph’s Home and Xinyue Special Education Centre again. We left at 9.40am and arrived at St. Joseph Home at 5.00pm. This was our fourth visit. The orphans were very happy to see us and came closer to us. We gave them some donations. Presently they have 13 orphans: the youngest is 7 years old, and the eldest is 26 years (she has serious cerebral palsy and cannot walk properly, talk, or care for herself ). Six of them study in the village school: three of them are secondary students, two are primary students and one is in kindergarten. Another four have rehabilitation training at Xinyue Special Education Centre. They are brought home from the Centre once a month. The three left in the orphanage are the eldest one and two girls who have Down’s syndrome. One of these girls with Down’s syndrome cannot talk properly

The orphanage has been running for 23 years. The sisters are committed to the adoption and love of abandoned babies. The aim of the orphanage is to uphold the value of life and care for abandoned ba-

The children at Xinyue Special Education Centre

bies. From the late 1990 to the beginning of 2000, these abandoned babies were disabled and sick children. In the beginning they only adopted and took care of the children. Today the service mode is the development of the children from adoption through a combination of therapy, education, rehabilitation training and self-care. They have raised almost two hundred children. Those who are healthy are adopted by various families. The orphanage provides the opportunity for those without children to adopt. Those who have not been adopted are usually the disabled and mentally challenged. Resources for the children to survive including medical treatment and rehabilitation training have to be found to create a suitable environment for growth and opportunity to allow the children to live a happy life with dignity.

The children having morning exercises at Xinyue Special Education Centre

Xinyue Special Education Centre The Xinyue Special Education Centre is a large residential rehabilitation and education Institute. Their main focus is on those families who have financial difficulties or parents who cannot

China Diary Part 3: 2017 take care of their mentally challenged or disabled children for long periods. The Centre has plenty of indoor and outdoor space, with basic facilities for training, learning and living. We have met some of the students for the fourth time and they greeted us. The aim of the Centre is to respect life and help the parents to care for their disabled children. The Centre serves mainly the special children from rural areas who are among the vulnerable groups and are easily ignored by society. The Centre provides professional service for those with autism, mild cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, hyperactivity, learning disabilities, language barrier, and multiple disabilities. The staff believe that love can change everything. They offer service to the disabled children whose ages range from 3-18 years old. Some of these children go home once every two weeks, some once a month. There are six orphans among them. The staff provide practical living skills. They take the children out once a week so that they can learn how to take the bus, shop and acquire other life skills. Last year we noticed one of the boys was sitting alone in one corner but this time, he was sitting together with his classmates. We could see that he was getting better. Every day the students have morning exercises except on rainy days. Because it rains often, kind donors chipped in to provide facilities so that the students can have morning exercises during rainy days. Many thanks to the kind donors for helping these particular students. “When you do a good deed, make sure you know who is benefiting from it; then what you do do will not be wasted.” (Sirach 12:1) After eleven years the Centre has helped plenty of children. They have acquired

The children at Nianzi Primary

MISSION STATEMENT

A group photo of the Primary School sudents in Beiba

skills to help integrate them into society. They are able to be self-reliant and independent. Thank Lord that again I had a chance to get together with the students. Beiba, Baiyu, Mayuan and Fucheng At the end of March 2017 we visited Beiba. This was my fifth visit. Although it was spring, the weather was still very cold. We left early in the morning and arrived at Beiba and visited the Primary School and then the Secondary School. On behalf of the generous donors, we gave away the schooling expenses to the poor students. Then we proceeded to Fucheng township and stayed overnight here. Early next morning we visited Baiyu Primary School. We saw the students lining up for their breakfast. They were well-behaved and did not jump the queue. The students here are very polite whenever they see us. Then we proceeded to Mayuan Primary School. The students here were very polite too. After Mayuan, we went to Fucheng where we visited a nine-year compulsory education School. Dato Sri Thomas from Miri sponsored 30 poor students in this school. Within these two days, the generous donors have sponsored 47 primary students, 34 secondary students and 4 high school students. During our visit to Beiba, we also visited two disabled people. They were recommended by Wang Cai Yan. One of them was a young man who has epilepsy who fell into a fire pit when he was young. The villagers make a fire on the floor for cooking. His right hand and right leg were badly burned. His right leg cannot be straightened and the fingers on his right hand were burnt and cannot hold anything. His father is 80 years old and sick. The other has cerebral palsy and is a very pitiful girl. At the age of five, she played with other children and fell into a fire pit. Although her life was saved, her face was seriously burnt. She cannot go to school and walk properly. She cannot hold a spoon to eat due to her cerebral palsy. Her parents are divorced and have remarried. They abandoned her. At the moment she is staying with her grandparents. Nianzi Primary School We visited Nianzi Primary School again at the end of March 2017. As there are many junctions to the School, we took a wrong turning. Only after arriving at another County that we realised that we were lost. We asked the local people for directions and turned back the same way we came. It took an extra hour drive to reach the school. When we were 3kms away from the school, the road became impassable. The

To witness to Christ’s presence by acting as a catalyst whereby Christians are enabled to carry out their baptismal calling and to serve as a platform from where they can carry out missionary activities

VISION STATEMENT A network of small Christian communities spread across different countries whereby members live out their discipleship by proclaiming Jesus Christ and making the Kingdom of God present through their lives

China Diary Part 3: 2017

The girl with celebral palsy receiving her gifts in Beiba

The gifts given at Hejiaqiao village as part of the free clinic

road was being repaired as it had collapsed. There were stones blocking it. We waited for an hour to get through. Again we had to travel the rugged and curved mountain path from Xixiang to the Primary School. Although the journey was dangerous, we thanked the Lord we were able to travel safely. We sponsored 20 primary students and one secondary student. Many thanks to Dato Sri Thomas for helping these students. The students were very excited to see me. They surrounded me.

St Bosco’s Education Centre We visited St. Bosco’s Education Centre on 8 September 2017. The children are disabled and have been abandoned by their parents. Some of them have severe cerebral palsy and are in wheelchairs. Donors from Brunei donated two special wheelchairs and one motorised wheelchair, teaching equipment and materials for these special children. All these were specially ordered for them.

The next day we visited 3 poor high school students in Xixiang County. They are from very poor families from a remote village. Free medical clinic We had four days of free medical clinic after Easter 2017. It was held in Zhangjiayan village and Hejiaqiao village. Thank God the four day medical clinic was successful. We provided free consultation, medicine and tests on ultrasound, electrocardiogram (ECG), blood pressure and blood sugar. We also gave away free brochures (Disease prevention and health care) to inform the villagers of disease prevention and how to live a healthy life. We worked together with the Catholic Social Service Centre of Xian Diocese. The doctors were the religious Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Xian Diocese. They are professional doctors filled with kindness and patience. Guizhou Rose Society sponsored the entire project.

The motorised wheelchair was for a boy. He goes to school 3 miles away from the Centre. He stays at the school’s hostel and returns during weekends. He goes to school using the motorised wheel chair.

The villagers were touched by the service of the Catholic Church. They wanted us to stay a few more days but we had to go. They hoped we could hold another clinic in near future. As it was cold in the morning, the villagers wore three or four pieces of clothing. Before their blood pressure was taken, they had to remove one or two pieces of clothing. Sometimes I had to help them to take off their clothes and it smelled bad.

A medical doctor treating one of the patients at the free clinic

We noticed that some of the villagers who came in the morning for consultation and had received some medicine already, came back again in the afternoon. They came to ask for medicines because they were not prescribed any in the morning. During the free medical clinic, we gave away gifts to 20 poor families. After giving away the gifts in Hejiaqiao village, a member from the poor families was very touched by our action. He told us that he has already got a wheelchair for his wife and later, the government gave her another wheelchair. It was a brand new wheelchair. Now he would like to donate the brand new wheelchair to those who need it. His wife was paralysed for 25 years due to an accident. Among the 20 poor families, we visited 5 families. Some of them were lonely elderly people. They are very poor. The walls of one of their homes were made of mud.

The boy with the motorised wheelchair at St Bosco’s Education Centre

China Diary Part 4: 2018

Students being taught at the Xinyue Particular Education Centre

The orphans with their special wheelchairs at St Bosco’s

During 2018, we sponsored 118 Primary, Secondary and High School students and 4 poor University students.

cannot take care of themselves and are nursed by the sisters. We bought specially made wheel chairs for these disabled orphans. Many thanks to the generous benefactors who donated seven wheel chairs and one sports wheel chair. The boy who uses the sports wheel chair goes to school 3 miles away from the orphanage. He returns to the orphanage during weekends. The sisters are very grateful to the generous benefactors.

We visited Xinyue Special Education Centre at the end of April 2018. The students there suffer from autism, mild cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, hyperactivity, learning disabilities, language barrier, and other multiple disabilities. Some of them are orphans. After thirteen years the Centre has educated plenty of children. They have skills to work in the society. I stayed two nights in Xinyue. During meals time, I noticed one big tall boy and other students wearing aprons. According to the teachers this was to prevent the chidlren’s clothes from getting dirty. One little boy ate very slowly as he looked around. He took an hour to finish his food so the teacher has to feed him. Among the students, there was a very polite boy. Even though he has a language barrier, he could ask me how the food was or whether I had enough to eat or not. He even helped me to wash my bowl and chopsticks. Thank God I had a chance to get together with the students again. We gave financial assistance to 15 poor disabled students at the Xinyue Special Education Centre. The students come from very poor families. They have to pay school fees plus living expenses. When the children were diagnosed as autistic, most of their parents spent huge sum of money to seek a cure for them, making htem even poorer. The principal understood these families’ situation and asked us to help them. Some generous benefactors sponsored the 15 students. As Xinyue Special Education Centre needed a vehicle for emergency use to transport children with serious afflictions, a vehicle was purchased for the Centre. St. Joseph’s orphanage also received financial assistance. The sisters take care of mostly disabled orphans. I visited St. Bosco’s orphanage on 12 May 2018. Among the 51 orphans, seventeen suffer from severe cerebral palsy and

During the past years, the sisters have faced many hardships and difficult times. They really dedicate their lives to these children who were abandoned by their parents. They love the children and the children love them in return. Guizhou Rose Society sponsored 80 eye cataract patients in Handan. These poor patients could not afford to buy lenses. The Centre is run by sisters. I assisted in appealing for funding and followed up on the project. Free medical clinics were carried out in remote villages in Hanzhong, Xi’an, Datong, Shuozhou, Handan and Guizhou. Free consultation and medicine were given. During the medical free clinic, we also gave away gifts of rice, cooking oil, flour, cotton quilt, and quilt cover for 20 poor families. We also gave school bags, stationery and daily necessities to 60 village students in a primary School. We have also given medical aids to some poor people to help them recover from their illness so that they can continue to earn a living. Guo Mei comes from a very poor family . Her husband went to work in another province eight years ago and till now, there is no news of him. We discovered that her house is in a bad condition. The roof leaks when it rains. The rafters and tiles were damaged by a storm. We could see pails and basins every where to collect the rain water. It felt very damp inside the house. They could not afford to change the roof. We bought the rafters and tiles and paid the workers’ wages to repair the roof. Now Guo Mei and her family have a shelter and no longer worry about the rain. The disabled children at St Bosco’s

Morning Exercises at Xinyue Centre

China Diary Part 5: 2019

Anna continues to visit a few places in Hanzhong In May 2019, we rented a car to go to Beiba. Some sections of the road were muddy thus making it quite dangerous. First we visited a student suffering from scleroderma whose right leg has been amputated. It has been two years since she stopped studying. According to the teachers, she is very sensible and studies hard. Then we proceeded to Beiba Secondary School. We sponsor 21 secondary students and 3 primary students there. Some of the students are orphans, single parent or come from poor families. We not only gave them money but we also gave our love and concern. After presenting the schooling expenses to the poor students in Beiba, we visited a poor disabled man. He is an epileptic and when he was young, he fell into a fire pit. His right leg was so badly burnt that he could no longer straighten it. The fingers of right hand were also badly burnt and he cannot hold anything. He cannot earn a living and therefore stays with his old father (more than 80 years old) who has to work in a farm to earn a living for them. We gave the poor disabled man some financial assistance. The sisters and the disabled children at St. Bosco’s Education Centre are very grateful to the Brunei group for helping them to buy the specially made wheel chairs. We bought 5 wheel chairs for them. In fact, they needed the new wheelchairs badly. The Education Centre was established in 1994 and implements Christian spirit of mercy and brotherhood. They adopt abandoned children found at the entrance of the local Catholic churches, along the streets, railway station and other public places. To date, the Centre has given the warmth of a family to more than 300 children. Most of these are disabled children. Through special education, rehabilitation and vocational training the Centre provides a comprehensive approach to develop fully the disabled persons’ inner capabilities, to improve their quality of life and to enhance their participation in social activities. At the moment the Centre has 46 children. 13 children have serious cerebral palsy and so cannot take care of themselves. One girl is 21 years old and she is mentally challenged. She cannot do anything and has an IQ of a child. Therefore the sisters have to nurse her like a baby. There are a few of them like her. Every day the sisters have to clean them a few times. Most of them are disabled orphans. Those who are in good physical condition are adopted by different families. Some of them are paralysed, blind or have mental issues. The sisters teach the children some skills such as arts and handicrafts and living skills. The sisters take the children out to sell their handicrafts. The children are very happy when the handicrafts are sold out. There are also families with handicapped children living near the Centre. They send their children to the Centre to have rehabilitation training or special education. The Centre has individual evaluation, physiological, occupational and speech therapy and provide special education classes. Their living expenses are not secured. They have experienced a scarcity of food before but our Lord provided for them and until today they have food every day.

Anna giving out the gifts at Beiba Secondary School

The disabled man receiving his “angpow”

The students at St Bosco’s in their speical wheelchairs

We again visited Xinyue Special Education Centre in May 2019. By coincidence, the students’ birthday celebration was taking place. They played games and had other programmes. One of the games was to search for the right shoe to fit on the corresponding foot. This game helped them to learn self-care ability. It was indeed a good practical learning experience. They helped the teachers to put on the shoes, and they also helped each other to do the same. Some of the students read loudly in front of us and it helped them to gain self confidence so that they will not feel shy when they speak to strangers. Indeed it was all very touching. We were full of joy for them. This year we sponsored 10 university students, 26 High School students, 27 secondary students and 11 primary students. Thank you to all our kind donors.

The students at Xinyue Education Centre playing a game

MISSION without BORDERS by Fr Ivan Fang MHM

We often hear about Médecins Sans Frontières, sometimes rendered in English as Doctors Without Borders from the news. MSF is an international humanitarian medical non-governmental organisation of French origin best known for its projects in conflict zones and in countries affected by endemic diseases. It was founded by a small group of French doctors and journalists who sought to expand accessibility to medical care across national boundaries and irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation. In other words, they try their best to reach out to help those in need regardless of “borders.” What comes to our mind when we talk about “borders”? We think of “limits”, “boundaries,” “as far as we can go”, “no entry”, “authority without one’s boundaries” etc. In life, many things are defined by borders and boundaries. We talk about personal space. We set up personal boundaries. Countries are defined by their geographical borders, giving rise to disputes and wars over territorial integrity. There is at present a growing dispute over the South China Sea. The EU was an experiment in pushing the boundaries of what “borders” mean to countries that make up Europe. Borders denote one’s sphere of power and authority: “I have authority and power over everything within my borders.” “This is my property, this is my house, my land.” Within the borders of every country, laws governing the behaviour and conducts of every individual residing in the country are in force. Citizens of that country are also subjected to the laws and rights of their country when they go across their home borders as well as the laws of the country they are entering

into. As for example, in USA, all the states have different laws; some impose the death penalty as a capital punishment, others do not. Likewise in Sarawak and Sabah, there are different laws in spite of the fact that they are part of Malaysia. This goes for the parish as well. A parish is defined by its geographical area and the parish priest has authority over his parish. So all Catholics in that parish comes under his jurisdiction. In that sense, he wields a lot of power because he has control over the lives of every Catholic in his parish. A bishop also wields enormous powers. He interprets how Catholics should live their lives according to his likes and dislikes and his understanding of the needs of his diocese. One of most negative aspects in the understanding of border is that it tends to divide us. Borders define us and at the same time divide us. Disputes, disagreements, racial profiling, status differentiation, inequality of income base on gender, wealth distribution, religious affiliation, discrimination based on age, colour, race, appearance, attire, religion, nationality, status, income, education and lots more.

we are not to carry out mission on our own but with others • go to all the places where Jesus was to visit, and that is where the poor, the destitute, the oppressed, the sick, the lonely are to be found, and that is where Jesus is to be found Going where Jesus is to be found implies that we may have to cross many borders. What kind of borders are we crossing? But are we allowed to cross these “borders”? Crossing the borders of countries can be very difficult. Bridging the social and cultural divide of some societies can be equally daunting. In many instances, mission is about breaking and tearing down borders. It is about breaking whatever that divides us, removing the things that hinder unity. We do this by bringing reconciliation wherever there are disputes between family members, communities, races and nationalities. But one consequence of breaking borders is that it exposes the vulnerabilities of those concerned. Are we then to break borders, thus exposing their vulnerabilities? After all, it is in our vulnerability that we discover that we need God.

A Filipino lay missionary teaching Cambodian students

Mission as breaking or tearing down borders. In Luke 10:1-12, Jesus gave instructions to his disciples and sent them in pairs to all the places he was to visit. If we were to apply these verses to ourselves, then there are serious implications for us, who claim to be Jesus’ disciples. • the Instructions come from Jesus himself and therefore we are to obey our Master • we are to go in pairs, that is,

Of course, we have to recognise that all borders are not the same. Some people set up boundaries to protect themselves and to prevent themselves from being exploited. Others set up borders to define what is theirs, and therefore to exert control over them. So, borders exist and are erected to exert one’s authority or to protect oneself. But at the end of the day, they are both the same and forms a divide or a barrier either to disown what

is outside and to claim what is within. Borders are erected out of fear, fear of what will happen to us if there are no walls. What will happen if there are no borders? There will be anarchy, lawlessness, chaos, wars, fightings, mayhem. In the absence of love, all these will happen. But we believe that God is love. There are no boundaries in God’s love. Who needs borders when it comes to God’s love? We, who are called, baptised and sent must not confine ourselves within the boundaries of the church, carrying out tasks only within the church and defining our boundaries to within the church compound. Our love must be limitless, without borders as is God’s love. It must not be confined to our family members and friends only. With God’s love, we can tear down borders. Implications for Mission without Borders We have all been empowered to carry on God’s mission through the bestowing of the Holy Spirit upon us by Jesus through our baptism. Thus: • We are all missionaries by the fact that our baptism confers on us the discipleship of Jesus. • Mission is everywhere, and wherever we are and wherever we go. We cannot say I cannot carry out mission when I get out of my parish, or diocese or the country I am in. We have to carry out mission everywhere we go. • Mission is not a “job” assigned to us for a certain period of time or in a particular place. As long as we are a missionary disciple of Jesus, we are bound to carry out mission our whole life. • We do not have to wait for an assignment or an appointment to go on mission. • However, as full-time missionaries under an organisation, you have to work within the mandate of the local churches. • No priest or bishop or anyone for that matter, can tell you that you cannot do mission work. It is your right as a disciple of Jesus.

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Our mission work must reflect that of Jesus which crosses all boundaries and borders. It must be based on God’s love which crosses all boundaries. In practical terms, it means reaching out to the needs of the most vulnerable people, regardless of who they are and where they are from.

What does it mean for MCCC? • We must not demand that our missionaries are qualified to be missionaries, so there should be no restrictions on age, educational background but health may and should ultimately be a determining factor. • We must also not look for specific or special skills among those who want to be part of MCCC. • We must not choose where we want to go or how we want to work. • We must not restrict ourselves only to what is comfortable and within our means, and choose to do only what we want to do and disregard the more difficult and important tasks and responsibilities. • We must treat priests, religious and lay as equal in missionary responsibilities. How can we carry out “Mission without borders”? • Have not fear, take courage. • Be confident, since you have been empowered by the Holy Spirit. • Be aware of what is “Catholic” and what it is to be a “missionary disciple.” • Do not be put off by negative remarks or criticisms. • Always leave room for God to do his part. • Lastly, if you feel that the Church is a hindrance or an obstacle to you fulfilling your mission, then try to find a way around it. If not, go with your passion.

A talk presented to the assembly of the members of the Sibu Unit on 11 August 2019 at SJMAC

Gathering of MCCC Filipino members Members in the Philippines come together in Iloilo

A gathering of the Filipino unit members took place in Iloilo on 7 June, 2019. It was held at the residence of Melendres, one of MCCC’s candidate for the priesthood. It was attended by fifteen members hailing from the Digos, Davao and Iloilo MCCC units. Carmen Bersuela represented the Executive Council.

The members in deep discussion

Fr Julius celebrating Mass with the members

The office bearers pledging to serve honourably

The meeting started with a prayer and Gospel Sharing facilitated by Niño L. Cuestas. After a brief introduction to the history of the presence of MCCC in the Philippines, the facilitator, Arturo Ang posed the question “Is MCCC in the Philippines still relevant? If yes, in what way can the members make it grow?” A majority of the members answered in the affirmative and gave good reasons for saying so. There is still the presence of active members in the units. With the ordination of a member as the first MCCC priest, there is a strong indication of MCCC’s future. Moreover there are consistently Filipino missionaries being trained and sent out. Those present at the gathering agreed therefore to focus on both lay and clerical membership to MCCC through promotion work and to offer financial support where possible. As a first step in the direction of financial support, the members present pledged to shoulder the monthly house rental for MCCC seminarians amounting to PHP5000 for a year starting in July 2019. Other members donated material support like electric fans, gas stove, kitchenware etc. The units are encouraged to carry out mission animation activities. The Davao and Digos units will conduct mission animation for young professionals sometime in October in Digos City for the purpose of promoting mission awareness and vocation to missionary life. Those present elected a new set of officers: Jed Laurito (Chairperson), Cora Prudente (Vice-Chair), Niño L. Cuestas (Secretary), Marina Mesina (Treasurer). The meeting ended with the celebration of the Eucharist by Fr Julius Alimeos.

A group photo of those who were present

MCCC Missionaries in Cambodia The three remaining missionaries in Cambodia carry on

Priscilla with Fr Mark Lopez SJ at Kampong Thom

Amor with some of the residents of Pongro village

Since the departure of many of our full-time missionaries from Cambodia, MCCC has not been able to replace them with new missionaries for two reasons. Firstly, the church authorities in Battambang Prefecture are insisting that the vacancies created by their departure be filled by other missionaries with similar talents and skills so that there will be a continuity in the work. Secondly, not many lay people have offered their services as full-time MCCC missionaries over the last two years. Nevertheless, MCCC missionaries are still required and our three remaining missionaries in Cambodia attest to that fact.

ago, is kept busy with the libraries that she helped set up in the parish. Kampong Thom Parish has five communities: Kampong Rothe,the parish centre, Kampong Kor with the largest Catholic population, Pres Sbaw, Maniw, Phumphang and Tangkok, the Martyr’s site. Initially Priscilla did all sorts of work: cleaning, gardening, household chores, laying bricks, painting, attending to guests, helping the sacristy, and teaching English to children and students at the centre and neighbourhood. However, everything changed when she was asked to handle a children’s library project by a Jesuit Scholastic assigned in Kampong Thom.

Agatha Jong, who hails from Kuching and is a grandmother, has been serving at St John’s Church, Siem Reap since she arrived in 2016. It is the church where Catholic tourists often stop by for Masses during their tour of Angkor Wat and the Tonle Sap. Agatha runs a successful religious article shop which brings in huge revenue for the parish church. She has also other responsibilities such as teaching English to the other staff members and as the sacristan, she takes care of the liturgical needs of the church. Amor Ibanez returned to Cambodia in June 2018 where she had previously worked for more than three and a half years. Between her return to Cambodia, she had worked in Cubao and Kapatagan in the Philippines. She is based in Svay Sisophon at St Francis Xavier’s parish which provides boarding to students from the rural areas in order for them to access the secondary schools in town. Part of Amor’s work is to give English tuition to these boarding students in the evenings. But her main mission outreach is at Pongro Village which she has been monitoring and overseeing its development since San Sebastian’s Community Centre was set up in 2014. One of Amor’s struggles is having to ride a motorbike to Pongro everyday. She is still not a confident driver and often falls, hurting herself. Despite the heat and rain, she struggles on, knowing that the children are eager to see her and this gives her great joy and happiness to serve them. Amor confessed that she still struggles with the Khmer language but she is grateful to the Lord for the grace to persevere and for the good relationship with the parish priest.

Amor on her motorbike

In Kampong Thom, Priscilla Carrido, who arrived there three years

It has gone a long way since September 2017 when the first library was opened in Kampong Rothe. The second library was opened a year later in Kampong Kor followed by a small one in Phumphang. These small scale children’s libraries aim to support the education of the children and young people in the parish by making educational materials available to them. They also open windows for them to explore a new world of reading and wonders. It is very limited but expanding. A mobile library was also included into the project. It has already served some places but is not in regular operation yet. Jesuit Services Cambodia (JSC) continues to support the project. The MacNeal Organisation gave books, ACTS Singapore gave funds for the purchase of a Tuktuk for the mobile library and other individuals generously helped support the above said projects. For Priscilla, working as a missionary in a Buddhist country and having to adapt to a different culture is very challenging. Apart from the library and teaching assignments, Priscilla also teaches catechism. Priscilla admits that the language is very difficult but by God’s grace she is able to share God’s Word and love to the children especially in Maniw. She finds that the most she can do is to invest love, care and time for the people and sharing in their joys, pain and struggles is most fulfilling.

A view of the library in Kampong Thom

St Sebastianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Community Centre, Pongro The Pongro Community Centre has developed over the years

It began as a project to relocate 18 families who were affected by the building of a road that was to cut right through the land where their houses stood. A new plot of land was purchased to relocate these families by the parish through the facilitation of MCCC who was able to find a generous donor. The land was divided into smaller plots for these families and one plot was retained by the Church. A community centre was eventually built on this plot of land and was named San Sebastian Community Centre in honour of and gratitude to the donor. The Centre was opened in 2014 to provide a place for the informal education for the under privileged children of Pongro village and to serve as a venue for communal activities. The building was financed by the Support Cambodia Team and by MCCC using the money earmarked for a water project in Pursat that was abandoned. An extension to the building to be used as a sewing room and for activities for skills development and for teaching English was financed by the Charis Team from Singapore. They also sponsored 2 sets of artesian hand pumps and some toilets. A teacher was employed to teach the children of Pongro at the Centre. The salary of this teacher is sponsored by the sister of the donor who paid for the land. The children are fed rice soup every Sunday and given snacks after class during weekdays. This feeding programme is sponsored by Support Cambodia Team UK. Over the years, other sponsors have contributed to the development of the Centre. MCCC was able to provide for the tiling of the flooring of the Centre with labour provided by the youth on the Mission Experience programme. Support Cambodia Team UK provided the roofing for the extension, the classroom extension as well as a cabinet and contributed towards a water project. The Missionary Community of the Holy Spirit Sisters gave some new sewing machines and sponsored the construction of a septic tank. The fence around the compound was financed by Dr Leonard Chan from Australia and the classroom dividing wall and ceiling were sponsored by John from the UK.

The new fencing provided by Dr Leonard

Sr Amor with the Support Cambodia Team during one of their visits to Pongro

MCCC Missionaries in the Philippines Returning missionaries find new mission fields in home country

Jed Laurito

Members of the Davao and Digos Units gathered for a meeting wtih Fr Ivan during his visit to the Philippines in May

Most of the full-time MCCC missionaries are from the Philippines and all those who had worked for a few years in a foreign country like Cambodia opted to continue being a full-time missionary with MCCC after they had returned home to the Philippines. Jed Laurito, who is the current Group leader of the full-time missionaries in the Philippines, worked a number of years in Cambodia before returning to the Philippines in 2017. He accepted an assignment at Iconhome in Bogo City, Cebu to work among the street children with the Sacred Heart Brothers. He is currently in his third year at Iconhome. Lorna Obeja, spent some time in Cambodia before returning to the Philippines. She went to Turda, Coron in 2013 and eventually went to Cubao in 2017 after a short stint in Kapatagan and Digos. In July 2018, she returned to work in Turda but since April 2019, she had to take a leave of absence of six months to tend to her sister who was not well. She has now returned to a new mission in Guimaras, Iloilo for a short period before returning to Cubao in January 2020. After returning from Cambodia in 2018, Reynald Pascua went to Turda in January 2019. He had previously worked in Turda prior to going to Cambodia, so it was not new to him. Reynald has now immersed himself fully into the life and work of the community there in Turda parish.

He assists in teaching catechism and is the spiritual leader for the youth ministry as well as the acolytes. He conducts seminars for adult and infant baptism. He is the coordinator of the ministry to the indigenous people and play a huge part in the liturgical ministries as well, training the altar servers, giving communion to the sick and celebrating the liturgy of the Word. Francis Vuelga left Cambodia in 2018 and since June that year, he has been assigned to Bugo, a barangay in the parish of St Vincent Ferrer, San Remigio, in Antique. Fr Julius Alimeos MCCC, who has been working as a curate at St Vincent since his ordination last June, was responsible for arranging Francisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mission in Bugo. It has been a challenging yet fulfilling mission for Francis. He had the opportunity to be involved extensively in the development and organising of the BEC in the barangay. Sadly, Francis will end his mission in Bugo to move on to Turda for a six month working experience with Reynald. In June 2020, he hopes to begin his philosophical studies at San Augustin University in Iloilo. Elsewhere in the Philippines, the unit members are organising themselves and will embark on some clear and definite mission work and fund raising in 2020. The Davao and Digos units will begin some mission animation work and carry out mission promotion. The Antique group are trying to organise while the Guimaras unit is ploughing on with only a few members.

Reynald taking communion to the sick in Turda parisho

Francis with some of the barangay folks of Bugo, San Remigio

Lorna Obeja with Lulu Santos in Cubao, Quezon City

Fr Ivan meeting Archbishop Jose Romeo Lazo together with Melendres and Fr Julius Alimeos

MCCC Seminarians MCCC receives others for the missionary priesthood

Melendres with Fr Julius and Francis outside his small house.

Ever since the ordination of the first MCCC missionary priest in June 2018, a persistent question that lurks behind many minds is the one that is undoubtedly legitimate: Who will be the next person to be ordained as a MCCC missionary priest? Fortunately, there is already an answer to that question. It comes in the form of Melendres de Guzman Maayo from Culasi. Mel, as he is known, had been a fulltime member of MCCC for four productive years in Cambodia before deciding to pursue his calling to the missionary priesthood. Two years ago, Mel began his theological studies at the Regional Seminary in Jaro, Iloilo. He had previously undergone formation with the Mill Hill Missionaries and therefore his study period has been relatively shortened. He is due for ordination by the end of next year. After his ordination, he will most likely make his way back to mission in Cambodia. Coming at the heels of Mel is another new entry into the seminary for MCCC. Jorem Yap, who was previously working as a full-time missionary in Cubao has recently started his philosophical studies at the University of San Augustin in Iloilo City. Francis Vuelga, another full-time missionary with MCCC is planning to take up his philosophical studies by next June, also at the University of San Augustin in Iloilo. There are also a number of applications that are being processed at the moment. Apart from the requisites to be a priest, MCCC has only one requirement for all those wishing to join MCCC as a missionary priest; that they undergo the training programme to be a full-time missionary and go for mission exposure and mission work for up to a year, if possible, unless, of course, they have already been a missionary for a number of years as in the case of Mel. Because of the steady rise in the number of applicants for the missionary priesthood, MCCC is poised to set up a programme for the formation of these candidates to be located in Iloilo, the most logical place to establish a formation house whereby our seminarians can access the places of studies conveniently and reside in a community setting for prayers, meals, fellowship, recreation and formation. Consequently, MCCC is looking for a suitable house that will not only serve as the formation centre but also as a place of hospitality for visitors and members alike. We are inviting our readers to help us locate a suitable property in Iloilo which can be rented for these purposes. We are also seeking help financially to help in the training and formation of our seminarians. Anyone who is willing to sponsor a seminarian can contact us for further details.

MISSION ANIMATION at ST JOSEPH’S MISSION ANIMATION CENTRE (SJMAC) It was never part of the plan for MCCC to run a Centre for mission animation but as it turned out, mission animation is the main focus of MCCC and a place like St Joseph’s Mission Animation Centre serves to highlight this and draws attention to the whole area of mission animation. What exactly is mission animation? St Joseph’s started as a venue for the training of MCCC missionaries. The Bishop of Sibu, Joseph Hii, generously offered the use of the vacant property at Sentosa, Sibu to MCCC for this purpose. A community house constructed out of used containers was built alongside the existing building which houses some classrooms alongside a main hall. If the property was reserved only for use as a training centre for lay missionaries, then it would be under utilised. The training programme lasts six months but only three months of teaching take place at the centre. The rest of the time is the period of mission exposure which takes place at an outside location. To fully utilise the Centre and in an attempt to justify the naming of the Centre as a Mission Animation Centre, other programmes were eventually introduced to reflect the nature of the objectives of the Centre. The Centre has come up with some youth programmes aimed at animating young people to be more mission conscious. Programmes for the youth include the annual Youth Mission Camp in December and the 10 weeks Youth Mission Experience Programme and the youth animators’ training programme. It is hoped that those trained to be youth animators will be able to organise future Mission Youth Camps and conduct them as and when required. There are also other programmes in the pipeline. The Search programmes which are organised as and when needed have been proven useful for all those wanting to experience life at SJMAC and as a missionary. This “Come & See” programme lasting a week has introduced a number of people to what MCCC is doing and how they themselves can contribute towards mission. The programme for BEC leaders and members, BEC M2M had been postponed twice because of the lack of interest. The programme Journeyers, a mentoring programme for those accompanying others as spiritual guides, mentors and RCIA sponsors and lasting over four weekends has still to be materialised. The training of missionary disciples is the main focus of Missionary Discipleship, offered over ten weekends. Alhough these programmes may look ambitious, but overall, they are strategically designed to animate participants into greater involvement in missionary activities. MCCC has recently upheld mission animation as one of her main priorities. A mission animation team will be formed in all the countries where MCCC has a strong presence to animate more people into mission work.

Youth Mission Experience Programme 2019 Eleven youth underwent a transforming experience for 10 weeks

Making friends

Gardening Trip to Cambodia

Class

Sharing

The third Youth Mission Experience Programme took place at SJMAC from 14 February to 26 April 2019. Eleven youth from Sabah and Sarawak took part: one from Kuching, six from Sabah, one from Mukah, one from Kapit and two from Sibu. Four youth who attended the youth animatorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; training the previous year were the facilitators for the participants. Two were from Sabah and the other two from Sibu. It is hoped that the YME Programme will continue to produce the youth facilitators for the following yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programme. This 10 week programme prepares the participants for a week of mission experience in Cambodia as well as a weekend pastoral outreach in one of the villages in Sibu Diocese. By taking part in the life at SJMAC, the participants were able to experience community living and pray together daily and carry out chores. They were also given input on self-knowledge, spirituality and mission. The youth had to take part in fund-raising activities like making and selling rosaries, organising food sales and the Easter Fair to encourage them to contribute towards the funding of their mission exposure trip to Cambodia. After their commissioning, the participants took part in a week of training as youth animators. Some of them will be organising the next Youth Mission Camp in December 2019.

Teaching children at long house

Tiling Project in Cambodia

Way of the Cross Food Sales

Youth Mission Experience Programme 2020

Picnic at Bukit Aup

1 February - 18 April 2020

Commissioning

The Kuching MCCC Unit The Kuching unit makes headway

The Kuching unit meets every last Thursday of the month in one of the homes of the members

The poor villagers of Tringus, Bau awaiting the distribution of food rations

MCCCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence has grown steadily in Kuching with the addition of more members to the unit. There are now seventeen members and counting. The Kuching MCCC Unit meets monthly on the last Thursday of each month. The meeting begin with a song. After the opening prayer, a scripture reading follows. Then the members are invited to share any faith experiences that they may have gone through. Discussion on various issues connected with ongoing activities take place and the meeting closes with a prayer. One of the outreach projects carried out by the unit was the distribution of food supplies and used items to the poor villagers of Tringus, Bau. These items were donated by the members as well as their friends. Every December, the unit members distribute gifts to the poor in the rural parishes of Serian and Lundu. During October, some members make it a point to participate at the Mission Fair held in Sibu. Last year they made and sold nasi lemak and chicken curry. Every year, some unit members attend the Annual General Assembly to represent the Kuching unit. Others take part in pilgrimages and tours organised by some of the members. Recently they went to Danang in Vietnam, and also toured Sandakan and other places of interest in Sabah after the AGA. Anyone

interested to become a member of the Kuching unit can contact Rose Bong.

Kuching unit members packing gifts for distribution to the poor of Serian and Lundu parishes

Some members of the Kuching unit selling their home made Members of the Kuching unit handing out kuehs at the Mission Fair last year gifts to the poor

MISSION PRAYER God our Father, we praise and thank you for your love and care for us. Even when we feel lost and abandoned, you never leave us alone. You gave us your Son Jesus to be your presence among us. Through his life and death you revealed your generous love and mercy and through his resurrection you gave us a share in your divine life. In the sharing of Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; body and blood, you nourish us so that we are made one with him and become his presence in this world. Through the outpouring of his Spirit, you enable us to carry on his mission to proclaim your kingdom among us and to tell people that they are not alone anymore. Therefore, give us the courage and strength to bring people together around your table so that they may know Jesus and each other in the breaking of the bread. May your Spirit empower us to bring the joy of the Gospel to all those who are most in need. Send others also to make known your presence so that the world may come to realise that we are not alone. Through Christ our Lord.

Reaching Out to the Poor and Homeless in Sibu The Sibu MCCC Unit reaches out to the poor and homeless In an attempt to be different from other groups in the Church, the MCCC unit in Sibu embarked on a monthly programme of handing out food rations to some poor families in Kampong Sentosa in Sibu as well as some families in Sekuau on the outskirts of Sibu. This programme has been going on for a while now and it is due to the generosity of certain individuals that has made it possible for the programme to continue. At least twelve families in Sentosa and three families in Sekuau receive a monthly ration of rice, noodles, sugar, cooking oil, eggs and biscuits. These food items are donated by some individuals from Sibu and the unit members distribute them on the third Sunday of every month. Sibu unit members handing out food rations Some of the homeless poor being given lunch

Christmas Carolling The Sibu Unit organised a Christmas carolling group to bring the joy of Christmas to homes over three days just before Christmas. The group was made up of some youth from the Youth Mission Experience Programme. They were trained by Jacky, who, within a short period of time, was able to organise the group into a choir. The carollers visited a total of 14 homes over three evenings, from Friday 21 December to Sunday 23 December. It was a great opportunity for the carollers to bring the joy and spirit of Christmas into the homes they visited. Snacks and refreshments were provided as a gesture of gratitude to the carollers. Donations were also received for MCCC amounted to a total of RM 3,700.00. MCCC would like to convey her gratitude to all those who were so generous in sharing the spirit and joy of Christmas.

One of our full-time missionaries in Sibu, Anthony Yong, has been instrumental is organising the feeding of some homeless families. They are already receiving one meal everyday at the food distribution station organised by the Methodist Church. They do receive some help from government agencies but this is usually not sufficient to pay rent for a room or house and to buy food at the same time. They do not earn a living as they are either disabled or have family members who are not fit or able to look after themselves. As they are homeless, they sleep wherever they can find shelter. So, Anthony prepares the meals at St Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mission Animation Centre at least six times a week and Peter Lau, a friend, volunteers to deliver the food to these homeless people at lunchtime so that at least they can have two decent meals a day. MCCC is in the process of trying to find permanent shelters for these people. Anyone wishing to help and to assist in the feeding of these homeless people can do so by contacting Anthony at SJMAC.

New Trainees for 2019 Two trainees will complete their missionary training in December A training programme for full time lay missionaries began at the end of June 2019. Two trainees from the Philippines, Generosa Lavador and Norberto Cabrera, from an initial batch of four applicants arrived in Sibu on 26 June after the Annual General Assembly in Sabah. They were joined by a third candidate, Jay Bernido, also from the Philippines. Jay could only stay for a short time as he had not begun the process of obtaining a visa. They had the opportunity to attend the AGA as they were en route to Sibu via Kota Kinabalu. After an initial few days of orientation, the training sessions began on 1 July 2019. The trainees were introduced to various topics on self knowledge, spirituality, mission, community and BEC over a period of three months. They were immersed in community life, adapting to a life of schedules, chores, common prayers and gardening. They were also exposed culturally to the life of the local people, visiting a few long houses and taking part in local events. Jay left after a month in Sibu to await his visa. After twelve weeks of studies, the other two trainees began their mission exposure at Rosie Lavador the village of Sekuau on 21 September 2019. They will spend ten weeks in total immersion in the village to familiarise themselves with the Iban culture and to learn how to adapt and live with people who are different from them culturally. We are grateful to the people of Sekuau, especially the families of Rumah Panjang Augustine for taking Rosie and Norbert under their wings. After Norberto Cabrera Christmas, both Norbert and Rosie will be sent on their first mission.

Mission Fair 2018 Creating a greater awareness of mission is an aim of the Mission Fair

Last year’s Mission Fair was held on Sunday, 21 October at St Joseph’s Mission Animation Centre. This is an annual event organised by MCCC to raise funds to help cover her expenses, especially that of running SJMAC. A total income of RM 80,156.00 was raised by the various groups of Sacred Heart Cathedral parish of Sibu including the MCCC units from Kuching and Brunei and some individuals who make donations towards MCCC. The Mission Fair consisted mainly of the sale of food items. The various groups that took part were able to carry out most of their sales prior to the actual Fair. Without the support and help of these groups, MCCC would not

have been able to carry out the Mission Fair. MCCC is eternally grateful to the members of those groups that have consistently been assisting in our fund-raising event. Some of the members of the Kuching unit were able to set up a stall to sell their home produced nasi-lemak and other cakes at the Fair. There were also other items apart from food that were on sale. Religious articles, including locally hand-made rosaries, T-shirts and used clothes were also available.

tickets were promoted as far away as Kuching and Brunei through the unit members there. We are grateful to the winners of the motorbike and refrigerator who returned their prizes to MCCC. This year’s Lucky Draw prizes will be different. The top three prizes will be cash prizes instead.

This year, the Mission Fair will be held on Sunday, 20 October 2019. It will be carried out as one of the many activities of the Extraordinary Month of Mission. The target for this year fund-raising event is RM100,000,00. MCCC would like to thank all those who are taking part and all those who continue to support our efforts by giving their time and resources in helping to raise funds for MCCC The Lucky Draw brought in RM 36,270.00. to carry out her mission work. The prizes included a motorbike, a refrigerator and a smart phone as the top three prizes. There were also many other consolation prizes. The Lucky Draw

The Annual General Assembly 2019 MCCC members came together in Kundasang for their annual gathering.

It is a means to realise our need for God. God breaks us to remould us into new creations. After being broken, we reach a new “blessedness” which is to be shared with others. We must allow ourselves to be shared.

Participants at the AGA listening to the Opening Remarks

The Annual General Assembly for the year 2019 was held at the Hallelujah Retreat Centre in Kundasang, Sabah from 21 June to 24 June 2019 with the theme “Blessed, Broken, Shared.” It was attended by twenty-six members: 6 from Brunei, 1 representing China, 1 representing Cambodia, 7 from Kuching, 7 from the Philippines and 4 from Sibu. Friday 21 June The AGA began with a Mass presided by Fr Ivan. This was followed by his Opening Address. He welcomed the participants and acknowledged the presence of the participants from the various places and explained the choice of the venue, it being the place of the foundation of MCCC thirteen years previously. Because MCCC has not taken root in Sabah, it serves to remind us of the need to work towards a more permanent presence of MCCC in Sabah. Fr Ivan also congratulated Fr Julius on his first anniversary as a missionary priest and paid tribute to Sr Emma Ferolino who passed away a year ago. He reminded those present that as a mixed community of lay and clergy we must maintain the delicate balance between clerics and lay members in the area of leadership roles and decision making. Speaking on the theme, Fr Ivan invited the participants to reflect deeply on what essentially holds us together as a community in our pursuance of the mission of Jesus. He challenged all the members of MCCC not to be afraid to be broken just as Jesus allowed himself to be broken in order to give life to others. He also expressed his hope that this assembly will give the members the opportunity to look at the present state of MCCC through the reports and suggest the best way forward for MCCC. Saturday 22 June After breakfast, Fr Ivan gave a talk on the theme of the Assembly. He expounded on the meaning of blessing, contrasting both the positive and negative aspects of it but also making the point that negative experiences can also be sources of blessings. He challenged the participants to reflect on what they count as blessings for themselves and on why they follow Jesus. Is it for the blessings of life that Jesus promises? He pointed out that for Jesus, blessing came after “losing one’s life.” As Christians, we are blessed. He referenced Ephesians 1:1-14. Next, he proceeded to expound on the meaning of brokenness which is often looked upon as negative. How to make it positive? He explained that in order to be with God at a higher level, we need to be broken first, allowing ourselves to be gracefully broken in order to become better.

After the talk, the assembly was divided into 5 groups to discuss the following questions: • What are some of the blessings in my life? • What blessings am I looking for in my life? • Am I following Jesus expecting gifts & comforts & prosperity to follow or am I seeking Christ because he is the ultimate blessing and worth every sacrifice? • In your life what does “brokenness” means for you? • In your life, what needs to be broken for you to reach a higher level of “blessedness”? • As a missionary community what needs to be broken within MCCC? • How can we actualise “sharing” in living out of our lives either as individuals or as a community? Only the summary of the last two questions were presented at the AGA. What needs to be broken in MCCC - Passivity, lack of motivation, leave our personal status behind, break negative perceptions and barriers, selfish motivations, lack of communication (communications not limited only during assemblies), less exposure to others’ situations, laziness, not committed to share. Actualising “Sharing” in our lives - Open communication as part of lay empowerment between Fr. Ivan and members, get involved actively in mission outreach; praying for mission; support MCCC materially and spiritually through prayer, volunteering; linking with other groups; understand the culture and communication skills; living by example so others can see Jesus in us. After lunch, the business part of the Assembly began with the Minutes of last year’s AGA. After some corrections, the minutes were proposed by Lorna and seconded by Bridget. A few matters arose from the minutes concerning associate membership, membership cards, group leader for the Philippines, MoU with the Bishop of Sibu, the various handbooks and the Code of Conduct. From the resolutions, some updates were mentioned. Bong turned down the appointment as mission promoter. Cambodia has no group leader because 5 members must be present to have a group leader. There must be a continuity in mission work in Cambodia. There is not to be a MoU with the Bishop of Sibu yet because of MCCC’s legal status. MCCC will pursue registration with ROS as a safety net. After tea, Fr Ivan presented the Director’s Report. He made the following recommendations: Mission & Identity • The delicate tension between identity and mission have to be recognised and owned by every member and practical ways to ensure a realistic balance between them be found. • The creation of a Mission Animation team be seriously implemented and worked out. Mission Areas • A promotion and recruitment drive be undertaken to recruit new fulltime members. • That further explorations for new mission ventures be carried out. Membership • That the formation of more units be encouraged in order to promote the role of lay missionaries. • That unit members familiarise themselves with everything about MCCC by studying the member’s Handbook, MCCC Code of Conduct and MCCC policy on safeguarding and protection for children and adults at risk.

The Annual General Assembly 2019 endar of events at SJMAC be made available at least one year in advance so that they can be promoted over a longer period. Finance • Find other means to finance the programmes and running cost of SJMAC • Apply to funding agencies to fund the youth programmes

The participants at the Annual General Assembly on a visit to the Desa Diary Farm located at the foothills of Mount Kinabalu in Kindasang, Sabah

•

That the Unit and Area Coordinators find ways to rekindle and reignite enthusiasm for mission within the present units.

Formation • That the training programme for full time missionaries be promoted to a wider audience. • That the setting up of a formation house for missionary priesthood in Iloilo will be done with careful discernment • That the formation of unit members be implemented as soon as possible in all present units. Governance • That Council members take up their respective responsibilities dutifully. • That members will assist the Council members in their respective tasks. Finance • That unit members be able to invite more people to make pledges and donations. • That fund-raising programmes be organised by the units to supplement MCCC’s income. Promotion • That a full time member be appointed for promotion work • That each unit help in distributing MCCC brochures. Fr. Ivan ended his report by challenging the members to be innovative in their mission work and bold enough in initiating works of mercy and move out of their comfort zone in carrying out mission. As MCCC hopes to grow as a community of lay, religious and clergy, the members must “imitate the Lord Jesus in being broken as food to feed those who hunger for justice, peace

and mercy.” After taking some questions on the report, Fr Ivan proceeded to deliver his Report on St Joseph’s Mission Animation Centre. The following are the various recommendations he made: Aims & Objectives • Each unit make a special effort to promote the programmes of the Centre. • Reexamine the aims and objectives of SJMAC Staff • Set up a proper Committee that will be responsible for the upkeep, maintenance and running of the Centre. Use of the Centre • Encourage more groups, especially those not more than 30 participants, to utilise the Centre. Infrastructural Improvements • The proposal for an extension block be seriously looked into. • A major inspection of the premises be undertaken to determine the extent of repairs to the container house. Equipment, Furnishing/ Fixtures • A proper stock check and inventory of items be undertaken to determine the cost of replacement items. Training of Full-time Missionaries • The recruitment of lay missionaries be undertaken by all units as a priority through invitation and the dissemination of promotional materials to ensure that the training programme takes place annually. Programmes • The programmes, schedules and cal-

Future Prospects • An evaluation on SJMAC be carried out by the relevant authorities before the end of the year • A plan to ensure the sustainability of the Centre be developed to include the maintenance of the property After dinner, the Assembly tackled the issue of Membership. The numbers remained the same with no increase in the number of full-time missionaries: Cambodia 3, China 1, Philippines 5, Sibu 2. The number of unit members is difficult to determine but with the issuance of membership cards, it can be verified. To encourage Malaysians to go on mission full-time, there is a need to promote aggressively, encouraging units to organise groups and conducting mission awareness programmes including carrying out mission work locally. On Formation, it was noted that there was no training for full-time missionaries last year. To encourage unit members to be more committed, the formation of unit members need to be started as soon as the materials are ready from Fr Ivan. Sunday 23 June 2019 The Solemnity of Corpus Christi The day starts with the celebration of the Eucharist of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi presided by Fr Ivan with Fr Julius. After breakfast, the Assembly proceeded with the Reports from the various Mission areas. Priscilla, representing Cambodia, spoke about her mission work, especially her experience in setting up the libraries in Kampong Thom, Amor’s work in Svay Sisophon among the villagers of Pongro and Agatha’s presence in Siem Reap. Reynald reported for the Philippines, spoke about his and Lorna’s mission work in Turda, Francis’ work on BEC in Bugo under Fr Julius’ parish work in San Remigio, Jorem’s outreach in Kalinga and Jed’s work with the street children with the Sacred Heat Brothers at Iconhome in Bogo, Cebu. Anna spoke lengthily about her mission work in China over the past eighteen years spanning a variety of development work across a few provinces. The topic of Mission Animation was discussed at length before the lunch break. Instead of a single animation team as decided by the last Assembly, it was proposed that a Mission team be formed in each country to carry out mission animation and

promotion work for MCCC. In the Philippines, the Davao and Digos units will hold a mission animation programme for young professionals in October 2019 in Ugnayan, Digos. The Mission animation team for Sarawak has also been formed. Modules will be produced for use by all the teams. The various teams should plan out their activities for the year. After lunch, the Reports from the various units were delivered. Rose reported for the Kuching Unit. Noime reported for Iloilo, Ming reported for Davao and Digos Units, while Julia reported for Brunei. From the reports it was noted that the Kuching unit solely increased its membership. In Sibu, language was seen as one of the barriers for some members of the unit not to attend the monthly meeting. A suggestion for an Iban unit to be formed has been made. Bridget is committed to re-start the unit

in Bandar, Brunei. Fr. Julius was encouraged to see to the possibility of restarting in Iloilo as Archbishop Lazo is the Bishop Protector of MCCC and our seminarians are studying there. For Promotion work, it is crucial that good quality action photos be recorded and sent to Michael. The DVD on MCCC for promotion work is still being produced. Membership cards have finally been produced and distributed. MCCC brochures will be updated. Members were encouraged to take the brochures for distribution. Fr Ivan presented the Finance Report. The Financial statement of 2018 including the accounts summary of SJMAC and Income statement were distributed. For 2018, there was a total income of RM283,418.50 against the total expenses of RM280,272.52. After some questions and clarifications, Theresa Ping proposed

for the reports approval seconded by Rose. The discussion continued on sending on time the allowances and expenses of our seminarians and missionaries. Because of the irregular nature of the collection of pledge money, it was proposed a certain amount be made available in the event of insufficient funds being collected to be sent over for the missionaries at the end of the month. The Mission Fair being the sole fund-raising activity, the Assembly agreed to continue to hold it this year, raising the target to RM90,000. The next Executive Council Meeting will take place after the Mission Fair on 21 October 2019. It was proposed and agreed that next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AGA will take place in Kuching from 12 June to 15 June 2020. The Assembly ended that evening at around 5.00 pm with a prayer by Fr Julius.

The next Annual General Assembly will take place in Kuching, Sarawak from Friday 12 June to Monday 15 June 2020

YOUTH MISSION CAMP

MCCC Units If you wish to join one of the MCCC units, please contact the facilitator in your area.

Facilitator Bandar Seri Begawan Bridget Newn beezert@hotmail.com

Kuala Belait Julia Lee pepperlee2012@gmail.com

Kota Kinabalu vacant

Manila Lulu Santos

loudes2003@yahoo.com

Digos Arturo Ang ang.arturo@yahoo.com

Davao

Cora Prudente

cora_prudente@yahoo.com. ph

Iloilo

Naomi Napano

naominapano@yahoo.com The participants of the Youth Mission Camp with Fr Ivan at Rancangan Belia, Sook

A Youth Mission Camp was held at Rancangan Belia, Sook, Keningau from 5 December to 7 December 2018. It was organised and solely conducted by the MCCC youth animators with more than 80 youth from the village in attendance. The villagers took care of the food and accommodation while the programme was handled by the twelve animators, some of whom are from the village itself. Fr Ivan was present as the spiritual director of the programme. The third Youth Mission Camp organised by St Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mission Animation Centre took place from 10 December 2018 to 15 December 2018 at the Centre. It was open to all youth aged 16 years and above. Nineteen participants from various parts of the Diocese of Sibu attended. These participants received various inputs on Christian mission and vocation, took part in activities on mission themes, prayer, Mass, and participate in other activities within a community setting. The next Youth Mission Camp at SJMAC is scheduled to take place from 9 to 13 December 2019.

Sibu David Lau israellau@gmail.com

Kuching Rose Bong

darlingbong@gmail.com

Unit Facilitators Meeting A meeting of unit facilitators took place after the AGA A meeting of the facilitators of the various MCCC units from the Philippines, Sarawak and Brunei was held at the Hallelujah Retreat Centre in Kundasang, Sabah on 23 June 2019 right after the conclusion of the Annual General Assembly. At the meeting, three questions were put forward for discussion. 1. What do you feel most challenging as unit facilitator? 2. Does your unit feel part of a bigger group? 3. What support do you expect from Fr. Ivan and the Council? Generally, there is a good relationship among members of units but there are cases where disagreement between members has affected the smooth running of the unit. At other times it can be very difficult to get every member to attend the monthly meeting. However, it must be noted that member do actively participate and cooperate with each other. Some units need to be revived as there is a dwindling number of members. It was stressed that more contact with the Units Coordinator should be encouraged. The material for the formation of unit members will be despatched in the near future.

YOUTH MISSION CAMP 2019

9 -13 December 2019

The fourth Youth Mission Camp organised by St Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mission Animation Centre will take place from 9 December 2019 to 13 December 2019 at the Centre. It is open to all youth aged 16 years and above. Participants will receive various inputs on Christian mission and vocation, take part in activities on mission themes, prayer, Mass, and participate in other activities within a community setting. Participants showing potential with good aptitude will be encouraged and offered a place at the 10 Week Mission experience Programme which includes a one week mission exposure trip to Cambodia. Registration forms should be completed and handed in with a fee of RM20.00 not later than the end of November.

Pledge Cards Establishing a sustainable programme of income. One of the points discussed at previous Annual General Assemblies was the thorny issue of funds deficit. In response, it was proposed that a pledge campaign be launched to invite supporters to make a pledge of monetary assistance towards the work of MCCC. In contrast to other methods of fund raising, getting pledges is hassle free and avoid unnecessary effort and expenses. The aim is to convince supporters to pledge a reasonable amount per month for a year. Those who make the monetary pledges are to be given a choice: either they personally contribute the fix amount they agree to pledge themselves or they pledge to collect the amount from friends and family members, making up the amount they wish to pledge. The Pledge cards have been launched in Brunei and in Sibu. If you wish to make a pledge to help MCCC in her mission work, please contact any member of the MCCC units who will be more than willing to assist you and explain the procedure in making a pledge.

MCCC MISSIONARY TRAINING The next fulltime lay missionary training programme at SJMAC will begin at the beginning of next year. The training will commence with a week of orientation followed by twelve weeks of intensive personal and community oriented sessions. There will also be sessions on Missiology and various skills that are useful for those going on mission abroad. When this is over, there will be three months of mission exposure, either in Malaysia or in the Philippines. Participants will be evaluated and be given an opportunity to discern their calling to missionary life. Those interested to take part in this programme are requested to write to the Programme Director, Fr Ivan Fang MHM, stating their reasons for wanting to become a missionary, with a copy of their Curriculum Vitae and other relevant documents supporting their application. No special requirements are expected from the applicants apart from displaying maturity in various aspects of life, a genuine desire to serve and are strongly motivated, with reasonably good health.

Becoming a Friend of MCCC MCCC is inviting supporters to be part of a network of people who are willing to give of their time and resources in promoting the work of MCCC without actually being committed as full members of MCCC. They can do this in a variety of ways. If you are interested in becoming a friend of MCCC, put your name, address and contact details in an envelope marked “Friends of MCCC’ and hand it to a MCCC unit member near you.

As a friend of MCCC, you can do any or all of the following: 1. pray for the success of the missionary efforts of MCCC 2. make a monthly pledge to donate towards the cost of putting a missionary in China, Cambodia or the Philippines 3. sponsor a child’s education in China, Cambodia or any country where MCCC missionaries are working 4. contribute towards a project 5. attend or participate in any events or projects organised by MCCC 6. promote MCCC’s efforts to a wider audience 7. solicit funds on behalf of MCCC 8. help in fund raising events 9. participate in a familiarisation trip to one of our mission areas 10. offer masses for the intentions of MCCC missionaries As a friend of MCCC, you will be invited to an annual gathering locally (MCCC family day) as well as receive an invitation to participate at the Annual General Assembly of MCCC.

Making a Pledge MCCC is inviting supporters to make a pledge to help cover the cost of carrying out mission work which is the church’s main purpose, rather than putting all their resources in church maintenance. By pledging, supporters commit themselves and promise to carry out their intentions without fail. Although pledging usually takes the form of monetary aid, it may also be in the form of active service and dedication towards a particular cause. If you wish to make a pledge in support of MCCC in any of the ways listed, please put it on paper with your details and seal it in an envelope marked “Pledge” and hand it in to a MCCC member.

You can make a pledge for any of the following: 1. A monthly/yearly contribution towards the overall work and mission of MCCC 2. A monthly/yearly contribution towards the education of a child in one of the countries where MCCC is present 3. A monthly/yearly contribution towards the cost of maintaining a missionary abroad 4, Contribute to part or all of the cost of any MCCC project 5. Support any programme or event organised by MCCC 6. Promote the work of MCCC 7. Pray for the welfare of MCCC missionaries at home and abroad Monetary pledges can be for any amount in any currency.

Search ‘20 - Come & See

MCCC ACCOUNTS SUMMARY for 2018

An invitation to a week of Mission Experience

EXPENSES

INCOME

MCCC is inviting Catholic men and women who want to experience life as a lay missionary to take part in the community life at St Joseph’s Mission Animation Centre for a week (5 to 11 January 2020)

Allowances

26,344.00

Donations

63,850.00

Cambodia

56,626.88

Pledge

73,220.00

Those wishing to participate in SEARCH ’20 which begins on Sunday 5 January and ends on Saturday 11 January 2020 can contact the following person nearest them: Kuching: Rose Bong +60 172287040 Sibu: David Lau +60 168780410 Brunei: Michael Liew +673 8613222

Promotion

Philippines SJMAC

Transport Airfares Misc.

TOTAL

47,354.61 108,304.33 2,650.80 3,170.78 20,884.25 6,095.47

280,272.52

Others (Stipends etc.) Carolling

Mission Fair Others Sales

TOTAL

No payment is required for the programme but donations are welcomed. Participants are expected to find their own way to SJMAC in Sibu by evening on Sunday 5 January.

Accommodation in KK We are offering accommodation to visitors to Sabah who wish to stay for a few days. Two three-room apartments are available for rent in the city centre at Marina Court at RM320 per night. Please WhatsApp or contact Patricia at +60128373906. If you require the service of a taxi, please call Patrick at +60168913906

If all our readers (more than seven hundred) were to donate just $10.00 or RM100 per month, we will have enough to run one of our overseas centres comfortably. Think about this seriously. Contact Lydia for more details on how to give.

3,700.00

80,156.00 6,972.00

16,230.00 263,918.50

Some children of Turda parish learning to make rosaries

Sponsor a Missionary The number of MCCC missionaries working abroad will steadily increase and therefore we are sending an appeal out to all our readers to help us sponsor their mission overseas by making a small contribution each month towards their upkeep. It cost around BND 500 a month to maintain a missionary working abroad: Accommodation $150, Food $200 and transport $150. Any amount pledged per month for our missionaries will be greatly appreciated. If you are willing, please contact us for more details on how to give.

19,790.50

Contact Details for MCCC St Joseph’s Mission Animation Centre, Lot 1389, Lorong Sentosa Utara 4A, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak. Malaysia. Office phone: +6084220236 Mobile phone: +60143529585 All general enquiries: please contact any of the following Lydia Chin email: teoipeng@yahoo.com Carmen Bersuela email: mingmber@yahoo.com For more updates: find us on facebook.

email address: Fr Ivan’s email:

sjmac.sibu@gmail.com navifang@hotmail.com

BANK ACCOUNTS

Donations can be banked into the following account: Brunei Account number: SCB 0150141739100 Malaysian Accounts: AmBank 012-201-200676-9 SCB 324-194919-437 under the name of Ivan Fang Yau Hong Malaysian cheques to Bishop of Sibu - Missionary Community of Corpus Christi or Ivan Fang Yau Hong