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.
LIMBAHAU: “Merayakan ulang tahun pentahbisan empat paderi dan upacara kesyukuran seorang paderi yang baharu ditahbis menandakan keindahan Ekaristi.”
“Melalui Ekaristi, kita diingatkan bahawa Tuhan itu sudah bangkit dan Dia bersama-sama dengan kita. Oleh itu, dengan tertahbisnya seorang paderi, ini bermakna kita akan sentiasa bersatu dengan Tuhan dan sesama melalui Ekaristi,” demikian kata Fr Terans Thadeus, salah seorang paderi yang merayakan ulang tahun kepaderian kali pertama, pada Julai 31, di Gereja Holy Rosary, Limbahau, Papar.
Fr Terans yang ditahbis pada Julai 16, 2022 merayakan ulang tahun imamat pertama bersama tiga lagi rakan paderinya iaitu Fr Lasius Gantis (Ogos 4, 2022) dan Friar Gerard Terence Saimel OFM (Julai 2, 2022) yang masing-masing menyambut ulang tahun pentahbisan pertama serta ulang tahun kepaderian Friar Arul S Mariadass OFM yang ke-26 tahun. Friar Arul ditahbis pada Julai 18, 1997.
Turut diraikan pada hari itu ialah kesyukuran sempena pentahbisan Fr Elvost Lunchi MHM yang ditahbis pada Julai 22, 2023 di Gereja yang sama.
Perayaan Ekaristi lima dalam satu ini dipimpin oleh Fr Gerard OFM yang turut dihadiri oleh Msgr Nicholas Stephen, Fr Slyvester Wong, Fr Joshua Liew dan Fr Aloysius Fidelis.
Lima paderi (dari kiri Fr Elvost, Fr Terans, Friar Gerard, Fr Lasius dan Friar Arul) yang diraikan pada Julai 31, 2023 sedang merayakan Ekaristi bersama.
Homili disampaikan oleh Fr Elvost MHM yang “bagaimana mengasihi? Apakah itu kasih. Saya menyayangi ibu bapa dan orang-orang sekeliling tetapi tetap ada pertelingkahan dan perselisihan.
Oleh itu, Fr Elvost menumpukan kasih Tuhan yang sangat unggul. Kasih manusia terhadap Tuhan belum sempurna. Kerana kita semua adalah penziarah yang sedang menuju jalan kekudusan.
“Mari kita fokus kepada kasih Tuhan, kita tidak dapat berpisah dengan Seorang yang sangat mencintai kita, yang turun ke dunia untuk menjadi manusia dalam segala aspek seperti kita kecuali dosa, mengalami segala penderitaan dan sengsara sehinggalah wafat di kayu Salib. Ini adalah kasih Tuhan sehingga sanggup memberikan nyawa.”
“Kasih-Nya tidak berakhir di kayu Salib, tetapi bangkit dan hidup bersama kita hingga akhir hayat.” Selepas Misa Kudus, para paderi dan umat beredar ke Dewan Fr Augustine Amandus untuk acara makan bersama dan meraikan ulang tahun kelahiran Fr Joshua Liew.
GENTING HIGHLANDS: Seorang paderi Ordo Suci Sto Fransiskus dari Singapura telah datang ke Malaysia untuk memimpin retret bagi para Pelayanan Katolik untuk Orang Pekak (CMfD).
Fr Rowland Yeo Teck Heng, merupakan paderi Katolik pertama di Asia Tenggara yang melayani Pelayanan Katolik untuk orang-orang pekak di seluruh benua.
Seorang paderi Ordo Suci Sto Fransiskus dari Singapura telah datang ke Malaysia untuk memimpin retret bagi para Pelayanan Katolik untuk Orang Pekak (CMfD).
Beliau berbicara tentang ajaran-ajaran teologi yang dibahagikan dalam beberapa sesi tentang Berkat dan Sakramen-sakramen, Wabak, Perjamuan Malam Terakhir, Musa dan Yesus, Roti Kehidupan dan sebagainya.
Paderi itu berpesan kepada ahli-ahli CMfD agar saling mendoakan antara satu dengan yang lain, menyokong ahli-ahli sepelayanan demi kebaikan dan kesejahteraan bersama lebih-lebih lagi bagi golongan Katolik yang bermasalah pendengaran.
Melalui topik-topik yang di-sampaikan, para peserta memperdalamkan pengetahuan mereka bahawa iman Katolik telah memainkan peranan penting dalam sejarah manusia khususnya dalam bidang pendidikan, kesihatan dan sosial.
Fr Rowland juga menyatakan harapannya agar semakin ramai paderi yang menyedari keperluan rohani orang-orang pekak.
Katanya, pada masa ini, amat diperlukan para paderi yang tahu berbahasa isyarat agar golongan kurang pendengaran boleh mengikuti Misa Kudus dan melakukan Sakramen Pengakuan.
Retret pada hujung minggu itu telah membawa kebangkitan dan kesegaran iman di kalangan CMfD serta memperbaharui keinginan untuk meneruskan pelayanan untuk golongan pekak.
After three years of virtual meetings, the superiors of the Franciscan Provinces, Custodies and Foundations in Asia-Oceania were finally able to gather in-person for a meeting with the Definitor General for Asia-Oceania, Friar John Wong, and General Bursar, Friar John Puodziunas. Over the course of the meeting in Bali from 1-5 May 2023, they shared updates on the situation in their respective entities and discerned possible collaborations prayerfully.
Also, at the Franciscan Conference of Asia-Oceania (FCAO) meeting were the friar bursars and lay finance staff. Together the participants deepened their appreciation of the concept of fraternal economy and the stewardship of finances and assets.
Some of the pertinent decisions that came out of this meeting were:
• Regional Formators Course – Training for formators has always been a priority, and there is an impetus to revive the Franciscan Study Centre of Asia, based in Manila, with a course for formators. Friar Derrick Yap is in the team that will draft the course programme.
• Lay Brothers Gathering – The International Gathering of Lay Brothers will be held in 2025, and each conference is to organise its own gathering to begin conversations to prepare participants for the international gathering. Singapore will host the conference level gathering to be held from 13-17 May 2024.
• Missionaries for Papua New Guinea – To further boost the Franciscan presence and ministries in the various cities in Papua New Guinea, there is an appeal to send more friars, in particular those with leadership, administrative and formation competencies.
• Voluntary Solidarity Contribution – Franciscan entities all over the world are required to contribute financially to the running of the General Curia (Franciscan headquarters) in Rome, and the superiors deliberated on the most suitable contribution model to implement.
Our Custos Friar Derrick Yap returned from the FCAO meeting energised. “My time there felt like a time of retreat. It started with an amazing session on fraternal economy given by our General Economo (Bursar). Even though we were talking about finances, Friar John Puodziunas talked about the spirit of fraternal care as the way we can be good stewards of our assets. It was eye opening as well as heart opening,” he shared.
“This paved the way for more fraternal and honest sharing amongst us over the next few days, despite the fact that most of us were meeting for the first time. In the spirit of St Francis, we confidently made our needs known, and we trusted that our brothers had our best interests in their hearts.”
It is not surprising to see friars singing and dancing. You may have seen performances in various Franciscan Jam productions and in the Jerusalema Dance video. Truly, what sets a Franciscan friar apart is his sense of creativity and openness to bringing alive the word of God and the spirit of Francis in timeless ways. Magic fills the air when brothers pool their gifts and charisms together on stage. The recent Mother’s Day concert also paid tribute to the manifold gifts of the Holy Spirit among the people. It was a splendid evening of Franciscan joy.
One thing Franciscan formation seeks to do is develop a friar’s innate talents especially those of artistic expression. The Friars in Formation (FIF) are given opportunities to try different art forms and allow these experiences to shape their sense of Franciscan spirit. This aspect of formation enables them to explore their individual creative and affective capacity. It also helps them learn to blend and support each other in a fraternal environment. Hence, besides studying in the seminary and ministerial work, the FIF also put on concerts and other performances.
In early August, the FIF will present a soul-provoking theatre production to celebrate the gift of life and vocation. This original play is co-written and produced by the FIF. As part of their formation programme, the FIF took a speech and drama programme with the University of West London. Producing this play enables them to put into practice what they learnt, and it takes them out of their comfort zone. Our hope is that this experience will help form them to share the creative and joyful spirit of Francis with everyone they meet.
My heart is full as I look back on the first half of the year. I feel like I have been running non-stop especially from April onwards with the Spirituality Conference by Friar Wayne Hellmann, followed almost immediately by the declaration of our Custody as autonomous on 25 April, and the quick trip Friar John Wong and I made to Kota Kinabalu to show our Minister General Friar Massimo Fusarelli our latest mission. Then, with only a few days to catch my breath, I found myself in the thick of the Franciscan Conference of Asia-Oceania meeting in Bali, which you can read about in the News section.
In most of these trips, there was prior discernment and preparation to be done, work work work during, and follow-up action and more discernment after. But what anchored all this labouring was fraternal dialogue and intentional relating.
With Friar Wayne Hellmann for example, well, he and I have been in contact since he conducted a retreat for us in 2015. When I was in Rome for studies, Wayne made it a point to have a meal with me whenever he was there to find out how I was doing. This relationship and trust made planning the Spirituality Conference together so much easier. Accompanying him to each location was a joy. I felt I had a spiritual father and brother guiding and teaching me as we shared deeply about our prayer life and all things Franciscan.
I also found connecting with Friar Massimo very refreshing. It has never been clear to me how to relate to people in top positions, but Massimo was very brotherly and genuinely concerned about how I was doing and how the Custody was doing. There were several light[1]hearted moments in Kota Kinabalu where I saw a very human side of the man in charge of the entire Franciscan Order. He is my brother in Christ and in Francis, and I related to him from the authentic core of who I am, as Derrick. This is part of a deepening of my discovery of who I am and how I am to relate to those around me, simply as a brother, like Francis did.
Now that our Custody is autonomous, I am fully aware of the greater responsibility I have. The buck now stops at me, so to speak; no longer can I refer to the Australia Provincial for decisions and approvals. Fortunately I have a team of Councillors and office bearers who also desire a more authentic expression of Franciscan living.
I pray that this Franciscan spirit of fraternal dialogue and intentional relating can be experienced by everyone, especially those we friars encounter. We all journey together with St Francis who knew that these earthly fraternal encounters spark a deathless hope in our hearts.
So with these graced encounters in the past months, how can my heart not be full?
