From 11 to 13 September 2023, the superiors of the seven communities of friars in Malaysia and Singapore gathered for the Custody of St Anthony’s first Guardians Training.
Over the three days, using resources from the Roman Curia, the Guardians (Community Superiors) enhanced the skills and knowledge they need to be effective in their role.
The recently appointed Guardians – Friars Aiden Peter, Michael Goh, Joseph Lee, Francisco Basnayake, Esmond Chua, Arul Sagayaraj and Moses Yap – were accompanied by Custos Friar Derrick Yap and Ongoing Formation Animator Friar Vernon Chua.
Friar Vernon told them, “The role of the Guardian is a privileged opportunity to serve, knowing that at some point of our religious life, others get to do likewise for us. Not only is the understanding of the requirements of a guardian important but also the relational and exemplary aspect.”
According to the OFM Handbook for Guardians, the role of Guardian is complex and involves a variety of issues, requiring competence in areas such as spiritual matters, juridical matters, fraternal matters, animation and formation matters, financial matters, administrative matters, and pastoral matters.
All were grateful for the opportunity to come together and experience fraternal living, reaffirming the profound sense of brotherhood and responsibility that binds the Guardians.
For Friar Aiden, “the sessions were a sacred space where we could openly share our thoughts and struggles, knowing that we have each other’s unwavering support. It’s evident that the Guardians play a pivotal role in shaping our fraternal life, aiding the Custody leadership in its mission to form and strengthen our fraternal bonds.”
And Friar Michael shared, “The Franciscan understanding and approach towards leadership at the local level adds a feminine dimension to the role of Guardian – a mother who protects and nourishes. Yet ‘mothers’ need support, and our gathering of Guardians provides this. As the Rule for Hermitages 8, says ‘Those brothers who are mothers should protect their sons from everyone’.”
Recognising the importance of togetherness within the Franciscan community, the group took the time to visit with the friars in the St Peter Alcantara Friary.
It is hoped that formation sessions for Guardians will be held once a year to continue fostering collective responsibility, self-care, and the art of leadership among them, echoing the timeless message of St Francis in their devotion to spiritual growth and fraternal unity.
With joy and thanksgiving to God, The Order of Friars Minor Custody of St. Anthony (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei) warmly invites you to celebrate the ordination to the Order of Diaconate of Friar Nelson Evarinus Sipalan, OFM on the 14th January 2024, 6pm at St. Ann Church Kota Padawan, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
The annual Young Priests Gathering (YPG 2023) brought together 53 priests from Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei from October 9 to 12. This gathering is organised to provide ongoing formation for priests ordained five years or less.
Bishop Cornelius Piong presided over the opening Mass. After the Eucharistic celebration, the prelate extended a warm welcome to the young priests and hoped their visit to Keningau would allow them to catch up, reminisce, and learn a thing or two from their pastoral challenges.
The YPG was also attended by Bishop Richard Ng of Miri, the prelate in charge of ongoing formation for priests under the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei.
On the second day, the priests visited the Keningau Diocese’s Holy Family Pilgrimage Centre, Nulu Sosopon.
They were briefed on the pilgrimage programmes currently conducted within the diocese. Patrick Marius, a team member responsible for these pilgrimages, presented information on the Marian pilgrimage. Following this, they participated in Mass presided over by Bishop Richard. During his homily, Bishop Richard reflected on the parable of the Good Samaritan and the story of Martha and Mary.
The prelate explained that the parable of the Good Samaritan serves as a guide for Catholics, emphasising the importance of showing mercy whenever the opportunity arises and actively seeking opportunities for charitable service
However, he cautioned against allowing genuine service to devolve into mere busyness, akin to Martha, who became preoccupied with many tasks. He encouraged the congregation not to let their service to others divert them from the core purpose of their service, which is ultimately centred on Jesus. This distinction was exemplified by Mary, who chose the better path, one that would remain with her and not be taken away.
Subsequently, the priests shared dinner with the local community at the Cathedral of St Francis Xavier in Keningau. In the evening, they were entertained by various cultural dances and musical performances.
The next day, the priests set off for Tambunan to engage in mission activities and were hosted by local adoptive families.
The YPG concluded with Mass on Oct 12 at the Church of the Holy Cross in Toboh, Tambunan.
There, it was announced that the Diocese of Sibu will host YPG 2024!
“Every year, this gathering is an event I eagerly anticipate. It offers a unique opportunity to openly share our struggles and faith among our peers, reminding me that I’m not alone on this challenging journey.
“Having served for 20 months as a deacon and priest in the Diocese of Penang, I, a Sabahan, found myself back in Sabah (hosted by Keningau Diocese) for the YPG this year. This experience reconnected me with the local people, its traditions and traditional local cuisine which I missed a lot! “
As a Franciscan friar, I was also fortunate to meet the Secular Franciscan family in Tambunan, where I encountered some familiar faces from my time in Sandakan, when I served in my parish as a youth, a long time ago.
“One of the highlights was living with my foster family in Toboh, Tambunan. Though our time together was brief, they welcomed me and another priest as if we had known each other for a lifetime.
“During my visit to Nuhu Sosopon, Toboh, and Tatal Retreat Centre, I was inspired by their longstanding practice of using reusable cutlery and plates. This sustainable effort has the potential to significantly reduce plastic pollution and single-use plastics, aligning with the Malaysian dioceses’ commitment to becoming an ecological dioceses in perpetuity.
“I hope that events like this will enable religious and diocesan priests, particularly those who received their priestly formation outside Malaysia, to deepen their connections and strengthen their bonds with those who studied locally.” — Friar Crispus Mosinoh, OFM, Diocese of Penang
“I am truly grateful for the opportunity to attend the YPG. This gathering is my second one and it has been an extraordinary experience that has immensely enriched me. Throughout the event, I was able to connect with fellow young priests from other dioceses of Malaysia and Singapore.
“One highlight was the session by Fr Michael Raymond OFM Cap who shared the reality and struggles of young priests. The messages behind it resonated deeply with me and inspired me to reflect on my own calling as a young priest. The session by Msgr Nicholas Stephen, who shared his stories of joy and perseverance in his priesthood helped me renew my sense of purpose and reminded me of the incredible privilege and responsibility that comes with serving in the ministry.
“Above all, the pilgrimage and fellowship among brother priests, the parishioners and my foster family reminded me that I am not alone on this journey and that I can lean on these newfound friends for support.
“As I reflect on this gathering, I express my gratitude to all those involved in organising and facilitating such a remarkable event. Thank you and God bless.” — Fr Terans Thadeus, Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu
I was in Indonesia in August, where my visit to Brother Marvin Voo, who is doing his Franciscan Year Exposure in Flores, turned out to be a simple yet deeply moving witness of the life that St Francis desired for the brothers. I was moved by the fact that the friars were willing to embrace the simple lifestyle of the people they were living with and, together with the people, bring about gospel values through the sacraments and spirituality, through labour and laughter.
I saw friars working in the fields planting, preparing fertilisers and then sharing a snack and coffee with the villagers at their break-time. I daresay St Francis would have enjoyed this scene of his friars sharing and building life with God’s people.
I think he would have liked too the efforts the Religious in Malaysia and Singapore are making to support and nourish the lives of our many Religious brothers and sisters. At our last meeting in early August, I initiated and organised an information session on positive mental and spiritual well-being for the Religious Superiors. As President of the Conference of Religious Major Superiors (CRMS), part of my role is to offer resources and opportunities for formation and conversation among the Religious Superiors. We are keenly concerned about Safeguarding and how the Religious can foster a culture of care for each other’s mental and spiritual well-being.
Care of each individual Religious requires the Congregational Superior or House Superior to be intentional and committed to enter into the story of the brothers/ sisters in his/her care, and have the compassion to help them heal and the discerned courage to allow the individual to blossom.
This form of personal accompaniment requires training and resources which I believe can be structured and programmed. This I can see myself doing, both for CRMS and for the Franciscan Friars here in Malaysia and Singapore. In fact, I am in the midst of developing a Formators’ Course for the Franciscan Study Centre of Asia with similar objectives in mind. When the course is launched, we will invite our Franciscan Family (brothers and sisters, contemplatives and actives) to send their potential formators for it.
Speaking of Franciscan Family, this year the Franciscan Family collectively marks the beginning of the 800th Anniversary of St Francis’ Easter (i.e. his death in 1226) and the culminating events of the last years of his life. It was in 1223 that St Francis wrote the Rule and commemorated Christmas in Greccio, and in Singapore, we will incorporate this year’s themes into our Transitus celebration on 3 October. Outside of Singapore, look out for similar Transitus celebrations at a Franciscan presence near you! That’s our Franciscan call – to be close to the people.
May we Franciscans continue to keep the fire of St Francis alive by quietly and humbly going about our ministries and bringing people together.
Some 500 parishioners of St Mary’s participating in an outdoor rosary procession on the evening of Aug 2. Our Lady’s statue was carried by members of the parish’s Tamil community.
“Do you like the name ‘Saint Mary’? Would you prefer if this was the church of Our Lady of the Angels?” asked Friar Michael D’Cruz at the feast day Mass of the Church of St Mary of the Angels on Aug 2.
The Mass, attended by some 700 parishioners and visitors, was held on the last day of the parish’s feast day celebrations, which began on July 27 with a Mass for 170 sick and elderly parishioners, including those from the Bukit Batok Home for the Aged, the Ren Ci @ Bukit Batok Nursing Home, and the homebound.
All eyes were on the sanctuary, and many leaned forward in their pews as the parish priest Friar Michael D’Cruz explained the origin of the parish’s name. He told the crowd that he “struggled” when he first heard that the church was named St Mary of the Angels.
Assistant parish priest Friar Julian Mariaratnam, OFM anointing an elderly parishioner during the Mass for the sick and elderly on July 27. Photos: Luminaire Ministry, Church of St Mary of the Angels, Singapore.
“It just didn’t sound right,” he said. “All the titles of Mary…were Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Perpetual Succour – and then we had ‘St Mary’”. He even wondered if this name referred to Our Lady or another saint named Mary.
“Actually, this is a problem of translation,” he explained. “The name of the church is a direct translation from the name of a place in Assisi, Italy — Santa Maria degli Angeli, and Santa means ‘holy’.”
“It is actually the name of a place, not a person,” said Friar D’Cruz. “St Mary of the Angels is about events that happened in a place…the porziuncola (Italian for ‘little portion’) of [what is now the Basilica of] Santa Maria degli Angeli.
“The porziuncola was a place dedicated to the Virgin Mother of God, and it was abandoned,” he said. “St Francis [of Assisi] had a great devotion to Our Lady, and when he saw that the place was in ruin and heard the call from God to ‘repair my church’, he stayed there permanently and built it up.”
“It was also where St Francis prayed and asked Our Lady to intercede for him to receive God’s mercy, and where she met him with her Son, Jesus, and gave him God’s indulgent mercy,” he added.
“We are celebrating a young man’s discovery of his vocation and the establishment of the Franciscan Order,” said Friar D’Cruz. “It is in this place, that we hope that, as a parish, we too will find our vocation.”
Friar D’Cruz then invited parishioners to recognise themselves in the experiences of St Francis at Santa Maria degli Angeli and connect these experiences with their lives.
(From left) Friar Michael D’Cruz, novice Friar Nicholas Lee, and Seminarian Marcus Chew, singing and dancing with parishioners at the feast day celebrations.
“Do we find that as we come to St Mary’s, we are discovering where the Lord is leading us in our vocation?” Friar D’Cruz asked the crowd. “Do we ask Our Lady to intercede for us, so that we can receive the mercy of God and share it with others?”
Following the spirit of St Francis, who rebuilt the chapel of St Mary of the Angels, the parish raised about $200,000 for their maintenance fund from a fundraising dinner on July 29 and a ‘Kaki Challenge and Fun Night’ on July 30. The amount will be used to build a wheelchair access ramp to the church from the nearby public housing blocks 286 and 287, and the Bukit Batok East dry market, said Friar D’Cruz.
“We hope to serve better those struggling with the steps as they enter the church, especially the elderly, the wheelchair-bound, and families with strollers,” he said.
Click here to watch highlights of St Mary’s feast day (July 27 to Aug 2).
Eight hundred parishioners from Holy Rosary, Limbahau, along with the faithful from other parishes within the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, came together to commemorate the anniversaries of four priests.
From left Fr Elvost Lunchi MHM, Fr Terans Thaddeus, Friar Gerald Saimel, Fr Lasius Gantis and Fr Arul S Mariadass.
LIMBAHAU, Papar: Eight hundred parishioners from Holy Rosary, Limbahau, along with the faithful from other parishes within the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, came together to commemorate the anniversaries of four priests. Friar Gerald Terence Saimel OFM, Fr Terans Thadeus and Fr Lasius Gantis marked the first anniversary of their ordination. Friar Arul S Mariadass OFM, from Penang, who is now serving in Papar and Limbahau parishes, celebrated the 26th anniversary of his ordination.
The occasion was also a thanksgiving celebration for Fr Elvost Lunchi MHM who was ordained on July 22 at the same church.
The five-in-one celebration was presided over by Friar Gerald. Also present were Holy Rosary’s parish priest, Msgr Nicholas Stephen, Fr Slyvester Wong, Fr Joshua Liew and Fr Aloysius Fidelis.
Fr Elvost, in his homily, focused on God’s love. He said God’s love is perfect, He loves us unconditionally and His love is self-sacrificing. He gave His Son, His one and only Son so no one needs be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. (John 3:16)
In his thanksgiving address, Fr Terans conveyed his appreciation to all who had taken the trouble to organise the event and thanked the Lord for the gift of priesthood bestowed upon the five of them.
“When I reflect on my first year as a priest, I did not realise one year had passed so quickly. It felt just like yesterday that I was ordained a priest. Your continuous prayers, support and friendship strengthens me in my service.”
At the end of the Mass, Msgr Nicholas conveyed his gratitude to all the parishioners who pray, support, encourage and honour their priests. He noted that the presence of the parishioners for that fellowship as a big and united family is a reflection of a Christian community without barriers of language, race or custom.
A fellowship was held at the Fr Amandus Augustine Hall where Fr Joshua’s birthday was also celebrated.
