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.
Missionaries of hope
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.”
Being family
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.”
Thank You for Supporting the Franciscan Calendar 2026
With grateful hearts, we are pleased to present this special edition marking the 800th anniversary of the Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi. This year’s calendar features the artwork of Ashley Jane Leow, a young parishioner of the Church of St. Mary of the Angels, whose talent adds beauty and freshness to every page.
Monthly reflections to inspire your journey will be available from December 25, 2025. We warmly invite you to return and journey with us again by scanning the QR code.
With prayers and gratitude, we wish you and your loved ones a blessed 2026, filled with peace, joy, and hope in the spirit of St. Francis.
Growing up, I had a beautifully illustrated pocket-sized book about St Francis and his ability to talk to animals. The stories of St Francis have continued being familiar to me – from witnessing the Franciscan Friars in action in my church, to watching my mother paint her portrait series of St Francis.
The story of St Francis asking for the Stigmata has always haunted me. How could anyone ever wish something so brutal upon themselves? This manifested itself when I was approached to design an image for the Franciscan Young Adults jamboree event with the theme of “Wounds to New Life”. I awoke one night with the final image that sought to incorporate joy from such sorrow.
When Friar Derrick Yap asked me to design the artwork for the Franciscan Calendar, I reacquainted myself with St Francis’ stories. I realised that my mother’s images were the ones that had inspired me to want to know more about St Francis. I began to look at other artists’ interpretations, not solely of Francis’ stories, but echoes of it: other saints in prayer, a girl with a wolf, figures in embrace. It is not alone that I was able to come up with these images. I was not developing something from scratch but entering into a kind of meditative dialogue with those who had painted before me, seeking to imbue my own work with that same spirit of life we all share, just as St Francis lived his.
Reflecting on these other images, the ideas flowed very naturally. Each version of my illustrations took less than five minutes but developing them into the artwork for the calendar was a slow refinement of my personal style, guided by the very stories that have stayed with me through my formative years.
During the seminary semester break from 4 June to 18 July, my fellow postulants –
Samuel Bernadi Hartanoeh and Jason Ng – and I went to Indonesia for our Exposure trip. In our six weeks with the Franciscan Friars in Flores, we gained an insight into the lives of the local people and the missionary work of the friars including their application of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC).
In Pagal, we stayed with the friars of the Franciscan Friary for the Postulancy Programmes and immersed ourselves in their eco-pastoral work. The friar, who was our host and guide, oversees the vegetable and animal farms. They grow several kinds of lettuce and chye sim as well as rice. They also rear pigs and goats. What struck us most was how nothing went to waste. Vegetables that cannot be sold are fed to the pigs. Pig manure is collected and converted into biogas, which is used for cooking, reducing dependence on conventional gas. This was a simple yet powerful reminder of how creativity and care for creation can go hand in hand. We also saw how the friars collaborate with the local farmers to grow crops.
In Tentang, we stayed with the friars of St Anthony Friary, who run the Parish of St Francis of Assisi. There we learned about the friars’ efforts in the micro, small and medium economy sectors in their collaboration with the farmers and the youth.
One inspiring project was the production and sale of ground ginger. The farmers harvest different types of ginger, including turmeric and temulawak. The ginger is cut, dried and ground into powder, then packaged for sale in a building that was built by the friars. This simple idea promotes local produce and provides the village with a source of income. While we were there, the friars received halal certification for the sale and consumption of the ginger products. We can testify that the ginger drink is refreshing and delicious, especially after a hard day’s work.
While we learned practical things about farming, sustainability and creative economics, what struck us most was the spirit of the friars and the people. We witnessed the simplicity of their life, their creativity in overcoming challenges, and their strong sense of community and fraternity. This reminded us that being a friar is not only about doing, but also about being present with others and with God. This exposure experience also taught us gratitude – to be grateful for what we have, the food we eat, for clean water, for relationships, and even for challenges that stretch us beyond our comfort zones.
Wereturned to Singapore with full hearts, bringing with us memories of Flores and the amazing example of friars who live justly, and work and care for creation. We hope to carry forward these values in our own formation and future ministry.
In this issue, we conclude our series on the communities in our Custody of St Anthony (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei) with our two communities on the island of Borneo– St Francis of Assisi Friary in Kuching and Il Cantico Friary in Kota Kinabalu.
Kuching: St Francis of Assisi Friary
Our Kuching community comprises Friars Don Don Ramerez, Joseph Lee and Nelson Evarinus. Their main ministry is the pastoral care of the Parish of St Ann, Kota Padawan, which covers a large area from Kota Padawan (10th Mile Kuching-Serian Road) along Jalan Borneo Heights up to the border with Kalimantan, Indonesia. It has more than 26,000 parishioners spread out in 52 kampungs and 9 tamans (housing estates).
Sunday Masses are celebrated in five locations – the Church of St Ann; Sub-Parish of St Michael, Teng Bukap; Sub-Parish of St Mary Magdalene, Kampung Jambu; Sub-Parish of St Peter, Kampung Simpok; and Sub-Parish of St Maximillian Kolbe, Kampung Bayur.
On weekdays, Mass, along with Lauds/Morning Office, is celebrated at the Church of St Ann Chapel at 6.55am. In the kampungs, weekday Mass is celebrated at 7pm, depending on the monthly Priests Travel Roster. Sunday Masses in Mandarin are celebrated at 4pm at St Ann Chapel, and at 7pm at Tapah Catholic Community Centre, Tapah Village.
Friar Nelson also serves in the Archdiocesan Creation and Justice ministry while Friar Don Don is part of the Vocation Team. He also gives seminars and is in the ministry of Deliverance and Exorcism.
As a community, we celebrate Mass in the Friary Chapel on Mondays, followed by breakfast. On Tuesdays to Saturdays, one friar presides at the morning Mass at St Ann Chapel, while the other two friars meet for Lauds in the Friary Chapel. Vespers, when possible, is at 5pm after which each friar prepares for the evening Mass in the kampungs, as rostered.
Due to the numerous kampungs, we do not have a weekly Day of Recreation, but we take every opportunity to have a community meal together. For example, after the monthly Archdiocesan Day of Recollection and Meeting at Stutong Centre, we have dinner together before returning to the friary.
Overall, it is a meaningful ministry, ministering to the numerous parishioners of simple faith, full of enthusiasm and collaboration.
Friar Joseph Lee, Guardian
Kota Kinabalu: Il Cantico Friary
The Franciscan presence in the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, was formally established in September 2022, and like a small seed newly planted in soil, it is slowly taking root to grow and bear fruit for the people of God.
The three friars in the young community of Il Cantico Friary are Friars Gerald Terence, Moses Yap and Cruzender Alex.
Friar Cruzender has been in Kota Kinabalu the longest, arriving in 2021 to do his master’s degree at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). Alongside his studies, he had pastoral responsibilities at St Michael Parish, Penampang.
One of the early challenges he encountered was celebrating Mass in Kadazan, which he says is a pastoral necessity as it allows the friars to serve the local faithful more deeply in their own language and cultural context. He is also the National Spiritual Assistant for the Order of Franciscan Secular (OFS) for East Malaysia and, since 2024, Spiritual Advisor to several parish committees.
Friar Gerald arrived in 2024 and is Assistant Parish Priest in both St Michael Parish and St Augustine Parish, Kinarut. He also accompanies several ministries – Youth Ministry, Women’s League Apostolate, Creation and Justice Ministry, and Bible Apostolate – and gives talks, seminars, recollections and retreats.
Friar Moses is the newest member of the community. He arrived in Kota Kinabalu from Johor Bahru in February and began assisting with Masses at Sacred Heart Cathedral in March. He celebrates Masses in English and Mandarin since his Bahasa Malaysia is weak. On weekends, he also celebrates Mass at the Church of Mary Immaculate at Bukit Padang and at the Carmelite Chapel.
In the seven months he has been here, Friar Moses says he has discovered that there is a great pastoral need – faith formation to deepen knowledge of the faith and guidance to deepen prayer life and build a stronger relationship with God.
The three friars are learning to live together as a community. Friar Gerald said, “My prayer is that our Il Cantico Community will continue to grow in fraternity, rooted in simplicity and joy, so that together we can truly be a Franciscan presence in the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu.”
I write this fresh from our Custody Chapter, held from 1-5 September 2025. Over the five days, we turned the fruit of the fraternal conversation at our Custody Assembly in July into concrete resolutions and action plans to refresh our Franciscan way of life and renew our commitment to mission.
You have probably heard that I have been re-elected as Custos for the new term 2026-2028. However, there are still two exciting projects before my current term ends – our Franciscan Calendar 2026 and the Celebration of the 8th Centenary of the Canticle of Creatures.
In Franciscan Calendar 2026, we feature the artwork of a young parishioner of the Church of St Mary of the Angels, Ashley Jane Leow. She trained in Film Art in Paris, but I think her creative vision has permeated her digital artwork. I first caught sight of her creativity at Fraternitas Jamboree 2023. When I saw the cover she designed for the Jamboree Journal, I knew she embodied the ability to express spiritual wisdom through creative beauty. I immediately thought to ask her to create the artwork for our Franciscan Calendar, and I am so pleased that she readily agreed.
I have asked her to share her artistic and spiritual perspective in this issue. I hope the images draw you deeper into your own spiritual journey, with St Francis walking alongside you. Fun fact, our Franciscan Calendar 2013 featured the artwork of Ashley’s mother, Lee Kowling. So this mother-daughter pair has helped us friars a great deal in bringing Francis’ story to life with modern imagination!
My prayer is that our Franciscan Calendar can be an evangelising tool that inspires Catholics and those who do not yet know Christ or St Francis to engage in life-giving conversations. Which is one of the reasons the Franciscan Friars have a tradition of promoting the Franciscan Calendar in other parishes.
Our God is a God of surprises and beauty. St Francis wrote on a parchment “You are beauty”, relating the experience of his vision of the Seraphic Crucified Christ on Mt Alvernia in 1223. From St Francis, we have learnt to contemplate God as beauty and indeed in all of God’s Creation.
This year, the Franciscan Family celebrates 800 years of Francis’ Canticle of Creatures, or Canticle of Brother Sun. This canticle sings of Francis’ joy in seeing all of Creation as mystically interconnected because God as Creator is Our Father. Francis sees this brotherhood and sisterhood of all created beings even though he was nearly blind and in pain, both physically and psychologically. This song from the depths of his wounded heart was composed from the soil of rich hope in God and his Goodness. This is the cause of our celebration: From Wounds to New Life.
The Franciscan Family in Singapore – FMM, FMDM, OFS and OFM – will celebrate with a mini-concert on 3 October 2025, the day when Franciscans traditionally commemorate the Transitus of St Francis, his passing from earthly life to heavenly life. The final verse of the Canticle of Creatures sings of praising God through Sister Bodily Death, and Francis composed this verse just before his Transitus into heaven. We invite you to join us at 8pm at the Church of St Mary of the Angels in this celebration where we, as a Franciscan fraternity, will share Francis’ vision of the fraternity of creation.
I hope you enjoy this issue of St Anthony’s Bread. On behalf of the friars of our Custody, my sincere thanks to you all for taking time to read our newsletter and for contributing to our cause. Please pray for our Custody as we prepare to embark on a new term of more authentic living and more impactful missioning. May the Lord journey closely with us all!
