Persaudaraan Kebangsaan yang Sedang Membangun (Emerging National Fraternity) bagi Secular Franciscan Order (OFS) Malaysia baharu sahaja melangsungkan Chapter Elektif Kebangsaan kali ketiga pada Mac 28, 2026 di Pusat Retret Pace Bene, Purak.
PAPAR: Persaudaraan Kebangsaan yang Sedang Membangun (Emerging National Fraternity) bagi Secular Franciscan Order (OFS) Malaysia baharu sahaja melangsungkan Chapter Elektif Kebangsaan kali ketiga pada Mac 28, 2026 di Pusat Retret Pace Bene, Purak.
Proses pemilihan telah dipengerusikan oleh Francis Park OFS, Kaunselor Presidium CIOFS, dan disaksikan oleh Friar Stefan Acatrinei OFM Conv, Pembimbing Rohani Umum (General Spiritual Assistant).
Keputusan Pemilihan Majlis Kebangsaan (2026-2029) ialah jawatan Minister disandang oleh Harry Lawrence Bagguan, Mario Richard Peter selaku Vice Minister, Dympna Richard (Formator), Agatha Karen Diwol (Setiausaha), Julian Kuliling (Bendahari), Juru terjemahan bahasa disandang Jennifer Ann Michael Savrimuthu, Harry Lawrence Bagguan terpilih sebagai Kaunselor Antarabangsa, Councillor Mario Richard Peter (Sub Vice-Councillor).
Kesemua ahli majlis yang terpilih telah menyatakan persetujuan mereka untuk menerima mandat tersebut. Dokumen rasmi ini telah disahkan oleh Setiausaha Chapter, Lindey Easter Apolonius dan Claude Olivia E Jakim, serta diperhatikan oleh jurukira undi (scrutineers), Rachel Anthony dan Jennifer Ann Michael.
The Risen Christ Catholic Church hosted an exposition of the relic of St Francis of Assisi recently, drawing parishioners and visitors into a day of prayer, reflection and renewed commitment to Franciscan spirituality.
The congregation including the friars spending time in prayer and reflection at the relic of St Francis of Assisi.
The Risen Christ Catholic Church hosted an exposition of the relic of St Francis of Assisi recently, drawing parishioners and visitors into a day of prayer, reflection and renewed commitment to Franciscan spirituality.
The parish, under the pastoral care of parish priest Friar Crispus Mosinoh OFM, assistant parish priest Friar Cosmas Francis OFM and pastoral assistant Friar John Soh OFM from the Order of Friars Minor (Custody of St Anthony, Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei), organised the programme in conjunction with the Franciscan Jubilee Year.
Earlier this year, Pope Leo XIV proclaimed the Jubilee Year from January 10, 2026 to January 10, 2027 to mark the 800th anniversary of the Transitus — the passing of St Francis of Assisi. The Jubilee calls the faithful to spiritual renewal, reconciliation and peace in a divided world, encouraging imitation of the saint’s life of poverty, humility and devotion to Christ. The Apostolic Penitentiary has also granted a Plenary Indulgence to those who make a pilgrimage to a Franciscan church or shrine dedicated to the saint.
The remains of St Francis are currently being displayed for public veneration in Assisi, Italy — the first time in 800 years — from Feb 22 to March 22, 2026.
At Risen Christ, the exposition was held on Feb 22 after the Mandarin Mass and continued throughout the day. The faithful prayed the Divine Office — Sext, None, Vespers and Compline — and spent time in silent adoration and contemplation. Many reflected on The Canticle of the Creatures and the life of St Francis, while others watched the documentary film, A Sign of Contradiction. Parishioners from neighbouring churches also attended.
Written in 1225 near the end of his life, The Canticle of the Creatures expresses St Francis’ deep awareness of creation as one family praising God. Referring to “Brother Sun”, “Sister Moon”, “Brother Wind”, “Sister Water”, “Brother Fire”, “Sister Mother Earth” and even “Sister Death”, the saint revealed his vision of radical interconnectedness and harmony within creation.
Participants were invited to reflect on how they might live out Franciscan spirituality today, moving beyond physical sight to cultivate what was described as a “contemplative eye”, an inner vision that recognises the divine presence in all things.
Although not mentioned directly in the Canticle, three defining moments of the saint’s life were also highlighted: the Nativity at Greccio, the Wolf of Gubbio and the reception of the stigmata. In 1223, St Francis created the first live Nativity scene to help people encounter the humility of Christ’s birth. The story of the Wolf of Gubbio illustrated his conviction that all creation belongs to one family. In 1224, two years before his death, he received the stigmata on Mount La Verna — becoming the first recorded person to bear the wounds of Christ.
The film A Sign of Contradiction offered a deeper look at the “real” Francis — not merely the gentle lover of animals often portrayed in popular devotion, but a man who underwent profound struggle and conversion. Born to a wealthy merchant family, Francis once dreamed of knighthood and glory. Captured in battle and imprisoned for a year, he returned home disillusioned, entering a period of darkness that eventually led to his radical conversion.
A pivotal moment came when he embraced a leper — an act that transformed what was once bitter into sweetness. From then on, Francis understood penance not as punishment, but as a continual turning towards God. His life became marked by humility, joy, poverty and total surrender to Christ.
In his final years, despite illness and suffering, he composed the Canticle and welcomed death as “Sister”, trusting fully in God’s mercy.
Organisers expressed hope that the exposition would inspire deeper conversion among those present. Nearly 800 years after his passing, St Francis continues to challenge believers to live the Gospel with simplicity, courage and integrity. The day concluded in the spirit of the Franciscan greeting: Pace e bene — peace and all good.
In a one-day observance, some 1,350 faithful passed through the Chapel of San Damiano Franciscan Centre at the Bukit Batok parishon Feb 22 to venerate the relics of three Franciscans.
To mark 800 years since the death of St Francis of Assisi, Pope Leo XIV declared a Franciscan Jubilee Year which began on Jan 10 and will conclude on the same date next year.
The jubilee recalls St Francis’ Transitus on Oct 3, 1226 – a term used to describe his “passing over” from earthly to eternal life.
Catholics in Singapore joined the commemoration with the public veneration of relics at the Church of St Mary of the Angels on Feb 22, when the Friars of the Custody of St Anthony (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei) opened their chapel to the public.
The centre is generally open to the public for retreats and days of recollection. For the Jubilee observance, it was made accessible to the wider faithful.
Displayed were first-class bone relics of three Franciscans: St Francis of Assisi, St Anthony of Padua, and Blessed Gabriel Allegra.
Friar Derrick Yap OFM, Custos of the Custody of St Anthony, said the three relics were selected in line with the identity of the Custody.
“It is the Jubilee of St Francis and he is our founder. St Anthony is our patron. Blessed Allegra is our co-patron,” he said.
Bl. Allegra (1907 – 1976), a Franciscan Scripture scholar, translated the Catholic Bible into Chinese from the original Hebrew and Greek texts.
According to Fra Yap, Bl. Allegra was instrumental in the development of the sociological centre in Singapore and played a foundational role in establishing the Franciscan presence here.
“Without him, there would not be the current group of friars,” he said.
Friar Michael Goh OFM, Director of San Damiano Franciscan Centre, gives a public blessing with the relic of St Francis. Photos: Catholic News.
Oriented to God
Fra Yap said the Jubilee is not merely about recalling events from eight centuries ago. “The relics remind us that they were ordinary human beings just like us,” he said. “They had struggles, desires, and ambitions, but everything in their lives was reoriented towards loving God.”
He added that the reorientation gives meaning to the Franciscan understanding of the Transitus, not as an ending of life, but as a transit from earthly to heavenly life.
“It is from life to life,” said Friar Yap. “It’s not just about doing; it’s about being – allowing Christ within you to be present for others.”
Plenary indulgence
As part of the Jubilee provisions, the Apostolic Penitentiary has granted a plenary indulgence to the faithful who make a pilgrimage to a Franciscan church or place of worship dedicated to St Francis. They must also receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.
A series of events
The 2026 Franciscan Jubilee, which focuses on the saint’s Transitus, is the culmination of a series of octocentenary events marking key moments in the final years of St Francis’ life.
These included the 800th anniversary of the Nativity at Greccio and the approval of the Franciscan Rule – the guiding way of life of the Order – in 2023; the anniversary of the Stigmata – the wounds of Christ which appeared on St Francis – in 2024; and the anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures – his hymn of praise on the beauty of creation – in 2025.
The Feb 22 public veneration marks the start of the local Jubilee programme at St Mary’s which spans 2026 through to January 2027.
Upcoming events include Franciscan pilgrimages, a Mother’s Day reflection inspired by St Francis’ early life, an art showcase, a “Care for Creation” initiative, and the traditional blessing of animals on Oct 4.
The Jubilee will reach its local summit on Oct 3 with the Transitus celebration at 8pm at the Church of St Mary of the Angels. The event will involve the entire Franciscan family in Singapore, and will be hosted by the Secular Franciscans.
For Fra Yap, the Franciscan Jubilee is a personal invitation drawn from the saint’s final words: “The Lord has shown me what is mine to do. May He show you yours.”
Musim Pra- Paskah merupakan satu panggilan untuk kembali kepada Tuhan melalui doa, pertobatan dan pembaharuan hidup, kata Friar Cosmas Francis, OFM semasa memimpin Rekoleksi Persiapan Pra-Paskah di Gereja Katolik Risen Christ pada Januari 25.
PULAU PINANG: Musim Pra- Paskah merupakan satu panggilan untuk kembali kepada Tuhan melalui doa, pertobatan dan pembaharuan hidup, kata Friar Cosmas Francis, OFM semasa memimpin Rekoleksi Persiapan Pra-Paskah di Gereja Katolik Risen Christ pada Januari 25.
Rekoleksi yang berlangsung pada pukul 9.45 pagi hingga 3.00 petang, dianjurkan oleh Apostolat Bahasa dan disertai oleh 75 orang peserta.
Program ini bertujuan membantu umat membuat persiapan rohani yang lebih mendalam menjelang musim Pra-Paskah.
Rekoleksi ini memberi ruang kepada para peserta untuk berhenti seketika daripada kesibukan harian, seterusnya memberi tumpuan kepada kehidupan rohani melalui doa, refleksi dan panggilan kepada pertobatan.
Suasana rekoleksi yang tenang dan penuh penghayatan membantu peserta membuka hati untuk memperbaharui hubungan peribadi dengan Tuhan.
Sesi utama rekoleksi disampaikan oleh Friar Cosmas Francis, OFM. Beliau menekankan kepentingan doa, keinsafan diri dan penghayatan amal kasih sebagai asas utama dalam perjalanan iman sepanjang musim Pra-Paskah.
Beliau mengajak para peserta untuk menghayati Pra-Paskah bukan sekadar sebagai amalan luaran, tetapi sebagai satu perjalanan pertobatan dalaman yang sejati.
Selain itu, Friar Cosmas turut memberikan penjelasan mengenai amalan puasa dan pantang sepanjang musim Pra-Paskah, khususnya pemahaman tentang amalan berpantang daging pada hari Jumaat, serta makna rohaninya dalam membentuk disiplin dan pengorbanan sebagai umat beriman.
Beberapa peserta berkongsi bahawa rekoleksi ini telah membuka kesedaran baharu untuk menjalani kehidupan iman dengan lebih jujur, rendah hati dan berbelas kasih terhadap sesama, selaras dengan semangat Injil.
Secara keseluruhannya, rekoleksi ini bukan sahaja memperkukuh iman peribadi peserta, malah turut mengeratkan persekutuan dalam komuniti bahasa di paroki.
Apostolat Bahasa merakamkan setinggi-tinggi penghargaan dan terima kasih kepada Friar Cosmas Francis, OFM atas kesediaan beliau membimbing umat dalam rekoleksi ini.
Penghargaan juga ditujukan kepada Friar Crispus Mosinoh, OFM, Paderi Paroki Gereja Katolik Risen Christ, atas sokongan dan bimbingan beliau yang berterusan terhadap pelayanan Bahasa Apostolate.
Rekoleksi ini diakhiri dengan sesi soal jawap dan seterusnya jamuan makan tengah hari.
Friar Sixtus Peter OFM was one of 14 friars from seven countries in the 2025 run of the Asian Franciscan Formators Training (AFFT) programme. He shares a reflection on his experience.
“Six, see if you’re interested in joining next year’s AFFT. If you’re open, Crispus and you can enrol.” That was the simple invitation from our Custos, Derrick, to me in November 2024.
I immediately thought: “Am I going to be a formator?” I had never heard any suggestion that I might be heading in that direction. Still, trying to remain open to God’s prompting – and knowing that Crispus would be journeying alongside me – I agreed.
When I shared my intention with my Bishop and parish priest, they expressed some concern, given my responsibilities in the Diocese of Malacca-Johore. I explained to them that this was something I genuinely desired to undertake as part of my personal growth, particularly in my effort to journey more deeply with the people entrusted to my care. With that, they gave me the green light to proceed.
The training required a great deal of effort and commitment. It was not always easy to understand the lectures and participate meaningfully in the Friday Zoom sessions, and I stayed up past midnight on many nights to watch the video lessons. Often, after watching them once, I would read the transcripts to gain a clearer and deeper understanding. The presenters – friars and lay experts from across the globe – were truly the best of the best, and I did not want to take their sharing lightly.
Over the course of ten months, the lectures helped me become more aware of the different generations and how each views life and faith. I learned about formation realities in various Franciscan entities across different countries, as well as the Franciscan approach to formation and its strong biblical and ecclesial roots. Each lesson was so rich, I often found myself drawing from what I had learnt and weaving it into my Sunday homilies.
Beyond the learning and meaningful exchanges with fellow participants, I received something I did not expect: a renewed sense of fraternity. It is not that I had lost my love for community life. However, since moving out of our formation house at Chestnut Drive, I have been living in a smaller community of three – a life that brings its own joys and challenges.
For the first half of the programme, we met only through Zoom, before finally coming together for an in-person residency in Manila, and another at the end of the programme, this time in Singapore. Though we came from seven countries, we connected almost immediately. It felt as if we had grown together for years. For me, this was God’s quiet but powerful way of rekindling and strengthening my fraternal spirit.
The question still lingers: “Am I going to be a formator?” This time, however, I ask it with greater peace and confidence. If I am called to this path, I know I will not walk it alone. I have a community of brothers who will journey with me, as I journey with them, in forming persons to become who God calls them to be – following in the footsteps of our holy founder, Francis of Assisi.
Greccio Friary was filled with expectation on 10 January 2026 as the friars gathered for a double moment of grace: the reception of two new postulants, Timothy Colond and Matthew S Lim, and the sending forth of three young brothers, Samuel Tan, Daniel Xavier, and Jason Ng, who departed for Manila that afternoon for their immersion postulancy programme leading towards the Novitiate.
Presiding at the Eucharist in the friary chapel, Custos Friar Derrick Yap drew hearts back to what lies at the centre of the Franciscan journey. In his homily, he reminded all gathered that salvation is not only about redemption and the forgiveness of sins. At its heart, salvation is about communion with God.
Friar Derrick noted that the great intellectual gifts and powerful preaching of St Anthony of Padua were rooted in a deep desire to be with God. For St Anthony, holiness was not about achievement, but about presence – remaining close to the Lord in love and fidelity. This same longing animated the entire life of St Francis, whose radical following of Christ reached its mystical summit in the stigmata, the visible sign that Francis had so conformed himself to Christ that he bore in his own body the marks of the Crucified Christ.
In this light, the stages of Franciscan formation – postulancy, immersion, and novitiate – reveal their deeper meaning as pathways by which God draws a person into fuller communion with Himself and into the fraternity and mission of the Order.
For Timothy and Matthew, their reception into postulancy marks the beginning of this journey. Postulancy is the stage of preparing the ground, a period of cultivating the soil before the seeds are planted. It is a time of conversion from secular life to the Franciscan way of life, without yet taking on its full obligations. It is also meant to clarify a candidate’s motivation and enable him to make a genuine and mature decision.
Over the next 12 months, Timothy and Matthew will be formed in the human, Christian, and Franciscan dimensions of their vocation.
Through prayer, study, fraternal living, and guided reflection, they will be invited to grow in effective maturity: learning to choose freely, to let go of what no longer serves their vocation, and to tune their lives to the dynamism of following Christ after the example of St Francis.
Meanwhile, Samuel, Daniel, and Jason have embarked on the next stage of formation – a four-month immersion postulancy programme. Together with four postulants from the Philippines and four from Myanmar, they form an international fraternity that mirrors the global face of the Order.
Their formation will include sectoral exposure, where they will live among fishermen, villagers, farmers, and indigenous communities, learning to recognise Christ present in the lives of the people, especially the poor and those on the margins. They will be attached to Franciscan communities to experience the daily rhythm of prayer, fraternity, and apostolic service that shapes the life of a friar.
These months are meant not only to instruct but also to transform – allowing the Gospel and the fraternal, spiritual, and missionary dimensions of the Franciscan charism to take deeper root before they enter the Novitiate in May.
Vocation is a journey of continual conversion and trust, and the five are united by the same call: to seek God with their whole hearts and to follow Christ in the way of St Francis. Let us keep them in our prayers as they grow in communion with God and in joy within the Franciscan brotherhood.
