An important part of our preparation for Christmas is the use of special antiphons from 17 to 23 December. They are called “O Antiphons” because each Latin text begins with a long beautiful chant expressing the longing of the Church for the coming of the Lord. Many are familiar with the texts because they provide the verses to the familiar Advent song: O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
Let us reflect on a few of these O Antiphons.
O Wisdom of our God most high, guiding creation with power and love: COME and teach us to walk in the paths of knowledge!
The early Church saw Christ as the Wisdom of God and recognised Christ’s presence in the creating activity of God. The Church prays that we may learn to live by the very same Wisdom of God. We have gone our own way long enough, and our “wisdom” has produced nothing but disaster. Call us back, prays the Church, to the path which leads to glory.
O radiant Dawn, splendour of eternal light, sun of justice: COME and shine on those lost in the darkness of death!
People looked to the East where the sun came up and saw the hope of a new Dawn as a vision of the power of God. Everyone has known what it is to live in the hopelessness of darkness and shadows. Now a new light dispels the darkness. The Church prays that this light, which the darkness cannot overcome, will enlighten all people and cast away the darkness which creeps in even now.
O King of all nations, source of your Church’s unity and faith: COME and save humanity, your own creation!
Isaiah the prophet offered a vision of all people streaming to God’s holy mountain, and all people united in common bond in the true God. Now, prays the Church, let the unity which was once accomplished be not just a goal, but a way of life.
O Emmanuel, God’s presence among us, our King, our Judge: COME and save us, Lord our God!
A young maiden would be with child and bear a son and he would be called Emmanuel (God-with- us). Our ancestors saw the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah. They were certain that Christ is among us! The Church prays that we can be assured of what Christ has accomplished and recognise that he is still saving and creating us to this very day.
What do we hope and dream for? Do we hope and dream in the Lord? What difference will Christmas make this year?
The Custody sent a sizeable contingent to this year’s Malaysia-Singapore Young Priests Gathering. Our nine young priests joined 33 other young priests from the two countries for the gathering hosted by the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur from 10 to 13 October 2022.
The annual Young Priests Gathering is organised by the Episcopal Commission for Diocesan Priests and Seminaries headed by Bishop Richard Ng of Miri. It is a time of ongoing formation, and allows the young priests to catch up with each other and strengthen fraternal bonds as they share their experiences and challenges in priestly ministry.
The gathering is for young priests who have been ordained for less than five years. Our participants this year were Friars Aiden Peter Jr, Claurence Motoyou, Cosmas Francis, Crispus Mosinoh, David Au, Don Don Ramerez, Esmond Chua, Gerald Terence and Sixtus Pitah.
Nine OFM Franciscan Friars together with an OFM Capuchin friar.
It was a fruitful time for our young priests. Not only were they able to exchange ideas and share their challenges and personal struggles, they also had a day of recollection with Fr Michael Raymond OFM Cap and Msgr Mitchel Joseph.
Both speakers shared important and useful tips, touching on the psychosocial aspect of priestly ministry, compassion fatigue, stress management, the importance of accompaniment, and defence mechanism.
Msgr Mitchel invited them to deepen their understanding of the priesthood. He said,
“It’s vital for us, as priests, to continue to pay attention to the pulse of our own spiritual growth. We tend to be functional in ministry rather than looking into holiness seriously. There is no real ministry without holiness”.
The participants also had the opportunity to visit churches around Kuala Lumpur such as Church of Holy Family in Kajang and Church of Divine Mercy.
The next Young Priests Gathering will be held in Sandakan, Sabah from 1 to 5 May 2023.
Let us continue to pray for these young shepherds who have given their lives to care for the Lord’s sheep, and to minister to their needs. We praise and thank God for the gift of their vocation.
The Province of the Holy Spirit, of which the Custody of St Anthony (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei) is a part, elected its new leadership at its Provincial Chapter in September. The 29 Franciscan Friars, who gathered in Sydney for the Chapter held from 25 to 30 September, comprised 22 friars in Australia, two from New Zealand, four from our Custody – Friars Derrick Yap, John Paul Tan, Aiden Peter and Esmond Chua – and the delegate of the Order’s General Minister in Rome.
The newly elected leadership team has some familiar faces, chief of which is Friar Phillip Miscamble, who was elected Provincial Minister for another three-year term. Friar Phillip served in Singapore for 19 years and was our Custody’s first Custos. Also elected for the new term are Friar Stephen Bliss, who is Provincial Vicar, and four Provincial Definitors – Friars Matthew Beckmann ( who taught our Friars-in-Formation), Robert Stewart, Harry Chan (who studied in Singapore) and Philip Jeffares.
The Provincial Minister, Vicar and Definitors are responsible for leading the Order of Friars Minor in Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei. They carry out the priorities and recommendations set out at the Provincial Chapter, which include the promotion and pastoral care of vocations, and possibilities for new projects related to Franciscan spirituality and pastoral outreach.
In his first official message as Provincial Minister for this new term, Friar Phillip said, “We are blessed with so many gifted and talented men in our brotherhood. I see my role as to make sure that the Light of Christ in each of us shines for all the world to see. Please keep me in your prayers as I will you.”
The Province leadership team appoints the leadership team of the Custody of St Anthony (Malaysia- Singapore-Brunei). Friar Derrick Yap was re-appointed as Custos, and his Council members are Friars Michael D’Cruz, Vernon Chua, David Au and Esmond Chua. The newly- appointed Custody leadership team began its three-year term on 11 October.
Newly-appointed Custody Leadership team for 2023-2025
Please join us in praying for God’s blessings on our new Province and Custody leadership teams. May the Lord strengthen, sustain and shower them with His grace.
The Feature Article is a message from Friar Phillip Miscamble, who served in Singapore for 19 years and was our Custody’s first Custos. He was in Singapore in October for our Custody Chapter.
It was a privilege to be a part of the Chapter of the Custody of St Anthony of Padua (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei), and gather together with 36 of my brothers. We discussed the future direction of the Custody and the outreach of our ministry in the different dioceses in Singapore and Malaysia where the Franciscans have established foundations. It was wonderful to see how this part of the Franciscan Order has developed since I first became involved back in 1986!
At that time, the Australian Franciscan Friars had been in Singapore at St Anthony Friary for 16 years. We were a community of the Province of the Holy Spirit, with houses in Australia, New Zealand and the one house in Singapore. We provided pastoral care for the ever-growing parish of St Mary of the Angels, as the new Bukit Batok town was taking shape, and our formation programme for local vocations was in its fledging stage.
In the following years, we began to see an increase in the number of vocations and in 1992, the General Administration of the Order declared Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei as a Custody dependant on the Province of the Holy Spirit.
The reason for this development is clearly set out in the statutes of the newly established dependant custody. “The Custody is established by the Order of Friars Minor in recognition of the political and cultural differences between the Province and the Custody and to inculturate the friars more firmly in the Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei regions. Thereby an opportunity for greater self-determination and responsibility is given to those friars who are committed to the implantation and development of the Order in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.”
Becoming a Custody gave the friars in this region a clear mandate to work hard to establish the Order of Friars Minor beyond our Singapore foundation, established in 1958, to neighbouring Malaysia. Foundations followed in Kuching, Sarawak (1999); Masai, Johor (2008); Tanjung Bungah, Penang (2018) and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (2022). In Singapore, our presence increased from the Bukit Batok property to Greccio Friary at Chestnut Drive. These communities were possible because of the young men from Singapore and Malaysia who embraced the Franciscan way of life by joining the Order during the intervening years.
It has been such a joy to see the Order become firmly established in this part of the world. When I arrived in Singapore in 1986, I could never have imagined this providential growth would become a reality. The privilege to journey with this young entity of the Order over the past 36 years has been such a blessing.
Being appointed to our Singapore communities from 1986 to 2005 allowed me to be intimately involved in the life and development of the Custody. I was engaged in different roles with our formation programme, took on leadership as Guardian and Custos, and had the extraordinary opportunity to lead the team for the redevelopment of the Bukit Batok property, while also serving as parish priest of the Church of St Mary of the Angels. Now, as Provincial Minister of the Province of the Holy Spirit, my involvement continues. I count my blessings every day for having such incredible opportunities to serve the brotherhood and the people of God over all these years.
There is now a desire for the Custody to become an autonomous entity within the Order of Friars Minor. At the Provincial Chapter held in Sydney, Australia from 25 to 30 September, the assembled brothers gave their blessing for this new independent entity to be established. This desire was confirmed at the Custody Chapter held in Singapore from 17 to 21 October.
We will now petition our General Administration who will make the final decision about the change of status. While this is an internal governance matter, I ask you our benefactors and supporters to keep us in your prayers during this time of discernment and change.
Regardless of how we identify ourselves within the structure of the Order, I pray we Franciscans will always see our life of prayer and fraternity reflected in the ministry we carry out for the good of God’s holy people, and the Church and society where we serve.
Much of what has been achieved over the years could never have happened without your prayerful support. We will always show our appreciation and gratefulness by remembering you in our daily masses and prayers. I leave you with a blessing so dear to our Holy Father St Francis:
The Lord bless you and keep you,
The Lord let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you,
The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace,
The Lord bless you.
Amen.
Friar Phillip Miscamble OFM Provincial Minister Province of the Holy Spirit
Unanimous. This one word brought about a wave of emotion for me. At our Chapter, all the friars voted in favour of a Fraternal Life Project for every community in our Custody. It was a dream come true! What this means is that every single Franciscan friar in Singapore and Malaysia desires and commits to a more authentic fraternal life, returning to basics with a heart faithful to God and to the Franciscan brotherhood, taking personal responsibility for their own ongoing formation and committing to have an eye of care for every single brother.
This is certainly one of the highlights of my year, and I am truly grateful to God and to every friar for voting “yes”.
As we journey towards Christmas, it is a worthwhile exercise to look back at the moments that have been a gift to us during the year. These precious moments can feel like a new birth, a restoration.
The theme of our Chapter, held from 17 to 21 October, was “Restoring the Gospel within us”. We are called to restore the goodness of the Good News within us, and then go forth to renew others. Of course, for this restoration to even begin, we have to be intentional in deepening our connection with our God. That said, God can provide the grace of restoration without us being ready for it. That is why he is Emmanuel, God-with-us, born in the messiness of a manger.
In the messiness of our lives, I felt God’s powerful guiding presence during the Chapter. We shared deeply and vulnerably about our joys and struggles, about how in unwavering hope, we continue to believe in the goodness of every person, and about the “magic” that happens when we come together as brothers. This is the glimmering hopeful joy that lay deep in the heart of St Francis.
Speaking of hope, we have dreamed for several years of establishing a presence in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah since many of our friars hail from Sabah. On 21 September, Archbishop John Wong signed an agreement permitting us to establish a presence in his Archdiocese. A Spirituality and Retreat Centre is in the works and we pray that it will truly be a sanctuary, a place of pilgrimage, a sacred space where people can feel at peace and at home with our Franciscan spirit, and experience God holding them and healing them.
We have also voted to become an autonomous entity, independent of the Province of the Holy Spirit. This means that we will make our own decisions, be self-sufficient in our finances, and in the management of our ministries. Whilst it can seem daunting, being autonomous will spur the Custody towards greater responsibility and ownership.
We thank you, dear friends and benefactors, for your continued support these many years, and ask that you continue to pray with us as we embark on this exciting adventure that God has called us to. Please pray that we may keep our eyes focussed on the Lord as he brings us into deeper renewal as authentic friars minor, after the heart of St Francis of Assisi.
