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.
We’re happy to announce that the 2023 Franciscan calendar is on sale now!
Collaborating with The Way We Mend (TWWM), this unique calendar features the original artwork of Anna Dinh, a talented local artist from Sarawak, Malaysia.
Besides being able to keep track of liturgical events throughout the year, your days will also be brightened by his whimsical depictions of your favourite Franciscan saints.
To pre-order, please fill in the Google Form below.
‘Sequela Christi’ translates into: following Christ.
St. Francis was a great lover and imitator of Christ (Imitatio Christi), conforming to Him not only inwardly but also outwardly (by receiving the Stigmata). This is an annual pilgrimage where members of the Fraternitas – Franciscan Young Adults (FYA) embark on a spiritual journey to receive the Child Jesus in a special way over Christmas in Franciscan Italy.
There, they follow in the footsteps of St Francis and the other Franciscan saints who have gone before us, and find the same humility and joy of the Gospel that he was deeply conformed to.
This video is brought to you by Fraternitas – Franciscan Young Adults(FYA).
FYA is a fraternity of Catholic young adults based in Singapore and led by the Franciscan Friars. FYA meets every Monday 8pm for Lectio Divina, every first Monday of the month for Franciscan Book Club, and every few months they host speakers from around the world in conversation on topics related to Franciscan Spirituality – from social justice to social media, from aesthetics to contemplation.
Its the time of the year again to give thanks to God for our furry, feathered (and slimy) creature-friends that bring us so much joy and companionship!
Bring your dog, cat, bird, frog, lizard, rabbit, or other beloved and treasured animal-friends for a prayer and blessing session by our Franciscan Friars in Singapore, Kuching, Johor and Penang!
Please refer below for more details.
All are welcome!
Franciscan Animal Blessing at Church of St Mary’s of the Angels, Singapore
Date : Sunday, 2nd October 2022
Time : 3 PM
Venue : Piazza outside main church, Level 3.
Please register HERE to help us with our logistics planning and to keep you updated, if necessary.
For Singapore : 
