Following the Custody Chapter of 2025 and the election of the new leadership team for the new term (2025-2028), the following composition of Communities and Ministries are herewith published. These appointments to communities and ministries will take effect from 1 January 2026.
As a teenager, university psychology lecturer Nicholas Gabriel Lim dreamt of becoming a Franciscan friar. He even lived with them to discern a possible vocation.
Although he did not join them and later married, Mr Lim remained in contact with the friars and worked at the Franciscan-run Church of Saint Mary of the Angels in Bukit Batok, serving the youth ministries and the parish community.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, he attended online meetings of the Secular Franciscan Order, a community of Catholics founded by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1221 to allow lay people to follow his vision of the Gospel life without making religious vows.
Its members follow a Rule of Life—inspired by the Italian saint and approved in its current form by Pope St Paul VI in 1978—which emphasises prayer, community life, and peace-making, among other Christian values.
Inspired by the community’s Franciscan spirituality, Mr Lim, now 47, invited his wife, Geraldine, to join its meetings. Although reluctant at first, she began to appreciate how the Secular Franciscans lived out their life with love and service.
“Though difficult and even painful to live out at times, the Rule is like an SOP (standard operating procedure) for life,” said Mrs Lim, 49. “It leads us to the joy of the Gospel.”
After four years of preparation, the couple made their solemn profession alongside three others as members of the order on Oct 4 at a Mass at St Mary’s.
Unlike their religious counterparts—the Friars Minor and Poor Clare nuns—Secular Franciscans do not take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and its lay members may marry.
The Order was established in Singapore in 1952 and has 40 members in four active fraternities today. They meet monthly at the Catholic Centre and churches for prayer and formation, where they reflect on their founder’s life and spirituality, the Rule, and Church teaching.
They also participate in works of mercy which include carolling at homes for the aged, reaching out to the homeless in collaboration with Catholic Welfare Services, and joining overseas missions.
Earlier this year, three members were received into the order, and six more are preparing to make their profession later this year.
The Secular Franciscans are a “third order”— a branch of a religious order whose members live “in the world” in accordance with their group’s charism. They do not vow poverty or celibacy, and many get married and have families.
For the Franciscans, the “first order” consists of three fraternities of Franciscan friars, including the Order of Friars Minor, who are present in Singapore. The “second order” refers to the Poor Clare nuns.
Women religious who are not cloistered nuns are also tertiaries – members of a third order. These include the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, and the Franciscan Missionaries of Divine Motherhood who founded Mount Alvernia Hospital.
Membership in “secular” third orders is not limited to lay people. Pope St Pius X, who reigned from 1903 to 1914, became a Franciscan tertiary when he was a diocesan parish priest.
Other examples of third orders in Singapore include, the Lay Dominicans and the Secular Order of the Discalced Carmelites. Two Lay Dominicans made their perpetual profession on Oct 7, the memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, at the Dominican friary in Serangoon Gardens.
Famous tertiaries include:
Source: Catholic News
The Tau Cross is one of the most recognisable symbols of the Franciscan family. It looks like the letter “T” and has deep biblical and spiritual meaning. Its history goes back to the Old Testament, where in the Book of Ezekiel, God commanded a mark to be placed on the foreheads of those who remained faithful to Him. This mark, written as the Hebrew letter tau (ת), became a sign of protection and faithfulness. Later, early Christians saw the Tau as a symbol of the cross of Christ, a reminder of salvation through His love.
For St. Francis of Assisi, the Tau was not just a letter or a shape. It was a living sign of his conversion and mission. In the early 13th century, Pope Innocent III used the Tau in his preaching, calling people to repentance and renewal of heart. Francis, who was deeply moved by this message, adopted the Tau as his personal symbol. He would often sign his letters with it and mark it on the walls of places where he stayed. To him, the Tau represented a commitment to live the Gospel fully, to embrace the cross, and to follow Christ with humility and joy.
The Tau also connects closely with the sacred experience of St. Francis at Mount La Verna. It was there, while in deep prayer and contemplation, that Francis received the stigmata, the wounds of Christ on his own body. In his prayer before the experience, he cried out, “Who are You, O God, and who am I?” This simple but powerful question reveals his deep humility and desire to know God more intimately. It is a prayer of someone who recognises his smallness before the greatness of divine love. On La Verna, Francis was united more closely to Christ’s suffering and love through the cross.
For the Franciscans today, the Tau remains a powerful reminder of this heritage. It is a sign of belonging to the spirit of St. Francis, a call to conversion, and a visible expression of one’s desire to live the Gospel life. Many friars, sisters, and lay Franciscans wear the Tau around their necks as a sign of their commitment to peace, simplicity, and love for all creation. It is not a decoration but a declaration—a quiet witness that says, “The Tau is yours.”
When we wear the Tau today, we are reminded that it belongs not to us, but to God. It invites us to carry the cross in our daily lives with faith and joy. It challenges us to live with compassion, to forgive, to serve the poor, and to care for our common home. Like St. Francis, we too can ask, “Who are You, O God, and who am I?”—a question that keeps our hearts humble and open to God’s grace. The Tau, then, is more than a symbol. It is a way of life, a sign that we walk in the footsteps of Christ, just as St. Francis did.
Parishioners at Saint Anne’s Church were treated to cultural performances and delicacies from eight migrant communities in their parish canteen on Sunday, Sept 21, as part of a carnival to commemorate the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees.
Some 500 migrants and the local community participated in the festival co-organised by the Sengkang parish and the Archdiocesan Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants & Itinerant People (ACMI).
There, visitors savoured specialities such as the Filipino halo-halo dessert; tortilla de patatas – Spanish omelettes; and bánh mì, a Vietnamese baguette sandwich.
The actual World Day of Migrants and Refugees was celebrated in the wider Church on Oct 4-5 to coincide with the Jubilee of the Missionary World and of Migrants in Rome.
Celebrations at St Anne’s Church closed with a Mass concelebrated by Cardinal William Goh, Parish Priest Father Jovita Ho, and the chaplains of the migrant communities.
Recalling Pope Leo XIV’s message for the World Day—that migrants are missionaries of hope—the Cardinal said the testimonies of migrants who persevered in faith despite difficult circumstances can inspire faith in local Singaporeans.
“Singaporeans tend to take life for granted and we do not appreciate what migrants have to go through,” said Cardinal Goh.
“It is not easy to settle in a new country with different customs and languages. It takes a lot of courage to leave your homeland to find a better life for your family and yourself,” he said to the 500 migrants at the Mass, many of whom were dressed in their traditional wear.
Cardinal Goh concluded his homily by encouraging locals and migrants to work together to evangelise.
“Many of your own countrymen are not Catholic,” he said to the migrants. “Bring them to church, take them out for dinner, establish friendships, and share your faith.”
In a speech at the end of the Mass, ACMI Chairperson Raymundo Yu said the organisation launched a Migrant Awareness Module earlier this year for teenagers undergoing catechism at four parishes—including St Anne’s Church—as part of their efforts to help local Catholics become “family” to migrants.
As part of the three-weekend programme, the youths learned about migrant communities in Singapore and how the Church teaches its faithful to treat migrants with dignity.
The youth also held charity car washes and music performances in their churches to raise funds to buy pillows, snacks, and gifts for migrant workers.
“Jesus showed us that life is meaningful when we care for our neighbours,” said Mr Yu. “Let us be witnesses to God’s compassion and to hope.”
Source: Catholic News
Speaking to a group of bereaved parents at an audience in Rome last March, the late Pope Francis said, “The loss of a child is an experience that defies theoretical descriptions and rejects the triviality of religious or sentimental words, of sterile encouragements or phrases of circumstance.”
He added, “Pain, especially when it is so deep and devoid of explanations, needs to cling to the thread of a prayer that cries out to God, day and night, not attempting to resolve the drama but to dwell on questions that always return.”
A question many parents who lose a child ask is, “God, where are you?”
There are no answers. Platitudes such as, “God walks beside you”, or, “it is God’s will”, are of little help to a family broken by the death of a child.
Feelings of abandonment, despair, and betrayal seem a natural response to a cut so deep.
So, how do we support parents who are grieving?
Pieta Singapore was formed in 2016 to support parents who suffer the loss of their child. My daughter, Ning, died 25 years ago from acute viral encephalitis. I have since met other parents who walk a similar path, suffering the loss of their children – from those unborn to grown adults
Circumstances of death differ, and sometimes, the loss happened long ago. But always, the hurt remains, and parents seek ways to cope while keeping the faith.
Coping strategies read like a playlist of practical “solutions”, but one should not underestimate the need for a systematic approach to coping with loss. There is no right way to grieve, but there are healthy ways.
Having a support team whom you trust—a spouse, friend, or counsellor—can help with seeing to your daily rest and nourishment and to keep you safe.
New routines keep you balanced as you manage the torrent of confusing emotions each day.
Walks in the park and exercise are beneficial, but if being sociable is uncomfortable, you can indulge in private activities like journaling and reading which can also soothe the wounds of loss.
In our Pieta support sessions, the approach runs deeper. At its core, we try to make visible God’s quiet presence and to encourage parents to lean into, and not away, from God’s embrace.
This seems counter-intuitive, but using Scripture, prayer, and reflection, we can discern where we are in our grief and meet God there.
Every year, Pieta Singapore also holds a Memorial Mass to pray for the souls of children who have died and to unite bereaved parents in faith and hope.
Psalm 34:18 reminds us that “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit”.
To the newly-bereaved, this may seem far from the truth, but the message is clear – God offers no answers but instead gives us comfort, consolation, and hope to live fully again one day.
Mary, who herself lost her child, is an example of complete surrender and trust in God. Without seeking answers, she shows us how to hold on and restore the disconnect we may have with God.
The grief-to-healing journey is a winding road and requires patience. The longing for our departed children will never disappear, but it is possible to grow past the sorrow to find peace.
If someone were to ask me where God was when Ning died, I would say He was in the people around me, especially those who had themselves lost a child and helped me navigate the dark, uneven path before me.
I could not feel His presence then, but I know now He was always there.
Valerie Lim is a co-founder of Pieta Singapore, an affiliate of Catholic Family Life. To find out more about Pieta’s 2025 Memorial Mass, visit pieta.familylife.sg
Source: Catholic News