PLENTONG, Johor: Nearly 500 parishioners gathered at the Church of St Joseph for a farewell luncheon honouring Fr Moses Yap, OFM and Fr Sixtus Pitah, OFM, December 15. The occasion also welcomed the new parish priest, Fr Matthew Bun, who began his service on January 1, 2025.
Fr Moses, who has served at the Church of St Joseph for nine years since his posting in 2015, and Fr Sixtus, who completed two terms at the parish, were bid farewell with deep gratitude and affection.
The event began with a parishioner’s angelic rendition of the Magnificat, a hymn of praise to God and Our Lady, followed by an opening prayer led by Fr Moses.
The church compound buzzed with activity as four buffet stations ensured smooth food distribution for the large crowd. A series of performances then added to the celebratory yet bittersweet atmosphere.
The Evangelical concert team, under Fr Moses’ guidance, performed The Children of God and Love, Peace, Joy, encouraging everyone to join in joyful praise.
The Mandarin choir and youth groups sang both praise-and-worship songs and soul-stirring hymns, expressing their love for God and appreciation for the priests.
English catechism students performed an Advent hymn, Await the Lord with Hope, and the Christmas carol, What Child Is This.
The Bahasa catechism children closed the performances with vibrant modern dances.
Speeches followed the musical tributes. PPC chairman Joseph Pong thanked Fr Moses for his tireless dedication to the parish, nurturing the spiritual growth of parishioners and gently correcting their errors. Mandarin Apostolate chairman Paul Ho, representing the Mandarin community, spoke emotionally about the priests’ contributions. He highlighted Fr Moses’ instrumental role in expanding the Mandarin-speaking Legion of Mary from one troop to six and establishing a new Bahasa-speaking troop — all by the grace of God and Our Lady’s intercession.
Both departing priests shared their reflections. Fr Moses likened missionary priests to clouds, moved by the wind according to God’s will, reminding everyone that priests serve different communities as needed. He emphasised the priest’s role in spiritually nourishing God’s flock. Fr Sixtus expressed his heartfelt gratitude to parishioners for their shared journey over the years.
Fr Moses warmly welcomed Fr Matthew Bun, expressing confidence in his leadership for the parish’s future.
The event concluded on an emotional note, as parishioners queued to take photos with the priests and offer their well wishes. Fr Moses, Fr Sixtus, and Fr Matthew gave their blessings to the congregation before departing.
The parish community will deeply miss both Franciscan friars, especially their teachings, spiritual guidance, and joyous celebration of the Feast of St Francis. Their legacy of encouraging parishioners to praise God for all His creations and embrace the peace and joy of a simple life will remain cherished.
On the 27th January 2025, the Holy Father Francis received in audience Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, and authorized the Dicastery to promulgate the Decree concerning the recognition of the martyrdom of the Servants of God Pedro da Corpa and IV Compagni, religious of the Order of Friars Minor,murdered in hatred of the faith in the territory of the current Diocese of Savannha -USA in 1597.
The five Venerable Servants of God, all originally from Spain, responded generously to the Lord’s call to evangelize the peoples of America, even to the point of giving their lives.
Friar Pedro de Corpa was born in the small village of Corpa, in the diocese of Madrid-Alcalá, around 1560. He was a priest of the Province of the Friars Minor of Castile. In 1587 he embarked for Florida. He served the population in the village of Tolomato (near present-day Darien). Polygamy was in force among the native populations of these lands: in pastoral practice, the Franciscans had chosen to administer baptism to an equal adult only when he or she had committed himself to monogamous marriage. The crisis came when a young warrior, named Juanillo, a baptized and married Christian, decided to take a second wife. The situation was delicate as Juanillo, grandson of the tribal chief, was on his way to taking command of the village. Juanillo, rejecting Friar Pedro da Corpa’s warnings about the commitments made in baptism, left the mission and conspired with other natives of the interior region to eliminate the friar. In the first days of September 1597, the warriors attacked and murdered Fr Pedro de Corpa in his hut, they struck him with an axe and mutilated his body. The odium fidei was soon turned against the other four Friars Minor operating in the same territory, in different villages.
Friar Blas Rodríguez de Cuacos was born in the village of Cuacos (Cáceres – Spain), between 1550 and 1560. He was a priest of the Alcantarina Province of the Friars Minor of San Gabriel. In 1590 he had left for the Florida mission and at the time of the events he was working in the village of Tupiquí, near present-day Eulonia. In missionary work he shared the position against polygamy. When he found himself in front of the hostile band of rebels, aware of his imminent death, he asked to be able to celebrate his last Mass. After Mass, around the middle of September, he was barbarously murdered with an axe blow. His body was left abandoned in the woods and was devoured by beasts.
Friar Miguel de Añón, a priest of the Province of the Friars Minor of Castile, carried out his mission on the island of Santa Catalina, together with the lay religious Friar Antonio de Badajoz. The date of his birth in Zaragoza is uncertain. He faced the death, preceded by various tortures, together with his confrere Fr Antonio. His body was buried next to that of his confrere inside the village chapel.
Friar Antonio de Badajoz, a lay religious of the Alcantarina Province of the Friars Minor of San Gabriel, was born in L’Albuera, near Badajoz. After the outbreak of the revolt, the tribal chief of the island of Santa Catalina tried to warn him of the impending danger, but he did not accept, preferring to remain at the mission with Friar Miguel de Añón.
Friar Francisco de Veráscola was born on February 13, 1564 in Gordejuela, into a Basque family; he entered the Franciscan Province of Cantabria and left for the Florida mission in 1595. Here he was entrusted with the new mission of the island of Asao, today San Simón, opposite the current village of Brunswick, Georgia. His imposing stature and physical strength earned him the nickname “Cantabrian giant”. This characteristic made him popular amongst the gualeyouth, with whom he competed in wrestling, ball play and “throwing” spears. At the time of the death of his companions, he was not at the mission, but had gone by canoe to San Agustín, to take the necessary material for the chapel. Disembarking in Asao, he was immediately attacked by the rebels who murdered him with an axe blow.
The Cause of Beatification of this group of Franciscan martyrs, supported by the U.S. Episcopate, began in the Diocese of Savannah in 1981, as Postulator General of the Order of Friars Minor Br. Antonio Cairoli, OFM.
As the new year begins, I’ve noticed that many people plan their holidays early. These breaks help them to rest, reconnect, and spend intentional time alone or with loved ones. Similarly, we need time apart for our spiritual lives. Retreats offer us the opportunity to step back, rest in the Lord, and deepen our relationship with Him. Whether it is discerning an important decision, seeking renewal, or reconnecting with God, retreats help us ground our lives in Him.
At the San Damiano Franciscan Centre, I’ve been blessed to journey with retreatants as a Spiritual Director. It never ceases to amaze me how God always shows up when someone intentionally sets aside time to seek Him. Silent retreats provide the sacred space to pray, reflect, and listen to God’s voice. In today’s fast-paced and noisy world, silence is a precious gift that helps us recognise where God is working in our lives and hearts.
Retreats allow us to quieten our minds and souls. They create a space to discern God’s will and align our beings more closely with His direction. With the guidance of a spiritual director, retreatants explore the interior state of their lives, affirming goodness, confronting challenges, and embracing God’s healing work.
Regular spiritual direction complements retreats by offering ongoing support and accountability. Regular sessions with a trained spiritual director help one discern the movements of the Holy Spirit and encourage personal growth. One shares about life’s joys and struggles, and questions about faith, integrating the graces from a retreat into daily life for ongoing transformation.
These practices are deeply rooted in Catholic tradition. Jesus himself sought solitude in prayer, retreating to quiet places to commune with the Father. Saints throughout history also modelled the importance of retreats and ongoing spiritual guidance, showing us the way to deepen our relationship with God.
In our busy, fragmented world, retreats and spiritual direction offer peace, clarity, and spiritual growth. They help us live with trust and purpose in God’s love and direction for our lives, strengthening us to share Christ’s love with the world.
So, this year as you plan your holidays or staycations, why not also consider setting aside time to rest in the Lord?
The Franciscan world is sectioned into 12 conferences for better management and collaboration. Two are in Asia Pacific – EAC: East Asia Conference with eight entities, and SAAOC: South Asia, Australia, Oceania Conference with 12 entities, of which I serve as President.
Friar John Wong, the Custos before me, is the Definitor General for the whole of Asia, and we work together on various projects for the betterment of the Asian entities.
Every year, the Conference Presidents gather for updates, evaluations, and discussions about the future. This year, we convened in Rome at our OFM Curia (headquarters) from 19 to 24 November 2024. It was my first meeting, and I found it a beautiful time of sharing among brothers. It was wonderful to witness the diversity of the brothers within the Order and the shared Franciscan spirit that permeates us all.
We gave much attention to the Chapter of Mats, which will take place in June 2025 in Assisi. A Chapter is a meeting of Religious where issues are deliberated upon, and decisions are made for the coming term of office. The various entities conduct their own Chapter of Mats among the Franciscan friars, Franciscan sisters, and Secular Franciscans. The results are compiled at Conference level and presented at the global Chapter of Mats in June.
From this Chapter of Mats, we surface issues to deliberate upon at the Plenary Council of the Order (PCO), which takes place immediately after the Chapter of Mats. The primary role of the PCO is to evaluate how well the General Definitory has been functioning and the direction it should pursue for its remaining three years of service.
We also discussed New Forms of Evangelisation, Lay Brothers Gathering, Fraternal Economy, and initial and ongoing Formation. The Minister General also gave his report after having served three years as General. It was an authentic report of the state of the Order and a vision of where we are heading.
We also considered where to hold the General Chapter in 2027. There is keen interest to venture beyond Assisi, the traditional venue, to places where the Church is growing, such as Asia.
In the spirit of St Francis’ desire to bring the good news to all peoples, especially to the poor, the Missions Office has put out fresh processes to better prepare missionaries in-situ. Preparatory training will be conducted in missionary lands, typically in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
As a new Conference President, my key takeaway from this meeting is that the Franciscan brotherhood is very much alive and dynamic, even though vocations and our overall numbers are diminishing. There is a deep desire to focus on initial and ongoing formation, to find opportunities to collaborate on impactful projects, and to dare to dream anew, such as in the New Forms of Evangelisation. It is a great platform, on the global stage so to speak, to clarify issues and voice out concerns from our Asian context. My prayer is that this continued fraternal contact, communication, and discernment will bear lasting fruit in the building of the Kingdom of God wherever we friars might be.
