A small group of young Franciscan Friars from the Custody of St Anthony (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei) began 2024 in Danang, Vietnam.
Except for Custos Friar Derrick Yap, who guided the recollection, all of them are in their first five years of Solemn Profession or Ordination. This is one of the most volatile periods in Religious Life, when statistically most breakdowns happen. Hence this “Under 5” effort to accompany more closely Solemnly Professed “young friars” who are “under 5”.
There are seven Solemnly Professed friars “under 5” – two in Singapore, one in Johor Bahru, three in Penang and one in Sabah. Five of these seven went to Vietnam.
The five days (1-5 January) had a good balance of prayer, formation and fellowship. It was also an opportunity to experience the sights and sounds of Vietnam, as well as the local cuisine.
Friar Derrick used “Clowning in Rome”, which is a compilation of Henri Nouwen’s addresses to Religious Men and Women in Rome, to set the framework for the recollection.
In line with the Order’s desire for friars to be ‘Contemplative Fraternities in Mission’, the five young friars delved into the chapter on “Contemplation and Caring”. In the recollection, they were invited to recognise how their life of prayer is deeply connected to their life in ministry. Especially being young friars, there can arise a very real temptation and expectation to work and minister, and give more of themselves, at the expense of their prayer life and spending time in contemplation.
As Nouwen said in “Clowning in Rome”: “To contemplate is to see, and to minister is to make visible, the contemplative life is a life with a vision, and the life of caring for others is a life revealing the vision to others.”
Striking this balance of prayer and ministry, or “contemplation and caring” as the recollection material called it, has been a real challenge, as the friars shared vulnerably. Guided to re-centre themselves in the Lord in contemplation once again, the friars returned from this recollection renewed in their vocation, ministry and relationship with the Lord, as well as in fraternal love and support for one another.
“This recollection together with my batch mates in fraternity really helped me to begin the year on a right footing of prayer and fraternity. Now that all of us are in full-time ministry, more so we need to recognize that a solid prayer life is foundational in enabling us to minister effectively,” said Friar Gerald Tan
Lent comes from the Old English word for “spring season”. Although we do not have the four seasons in Malaysia and Singapore, we know of the astounding beauty of Sister Mother Earth coming alive again in spring with the blossoming of flowers (think Sakura cherry blossoms in Japan) and the eventual fruiting of trees.
We know that preceding this explosive flowering and fruiting is a period of hibernation and apparent lifelessness. As with Sister Mother Earth, so with our souls. We need a period of shedding off everything (Lent) to come to the essence of ourselves, which will result in a greater appreciation of the beauty of life and the mystery of new life (Easter).
Lent is a spiritual detox, a spring cleaning of the soul. What our souls are made of and made for is the life-giving freedom to love. Toxic energy and acting out are the antithesis of this life-giving and loving freedom. The good news is that toxic energy, such as jealousy, deep shame, spitefulness, insecurity and narcissism, can be transformed when we are mindful of our toxic internal programming, and when we intentionally and lovingly adopt a kinder, gentler and more compassionate demeanour, in other words, when we try to be like Christ.
When we enter into our own Lenten deserts intentionally, we reveal our desire to allow the Holy Spirit to penetrate the innermost core of our being and transform us from within, to reveal our true selves more and more. This is like the coming to new life of the springtime, our souls blossoming into our own Easter.
St Francis of Assisi, after his powerful conversion experience in the embracing of the leper, knew that God was leading him gradually into the death of his ego (the False Self), and that is why he did three to five Lents every year. This means he spent between 120 to 200 days a year in solitude and prayer in caves, intentionally entering into the cave of his own heart to discover God within. This is the secret of his powerful preaching (using words when necessary) and many miracles. You can read more about the Five Lents of Francis in the Spirituality page.
Francis emerged from these Lents renewed in the Spirit, and shared this new life of goodness and wholeness with all he came into contact with.
This is my dream for all the friars in the Custody of St Anthony. We resolved at our Chapter in 2022 to implement the Fraternal Life Project (FLP), which is meant to animate our fraternal life through community prayer, recollections, recreation and common ministries, etc. This year, I have strongly encouraged the friars to discern their Personal Life Project (PLP) – to connect with God more intimately (Prayer) so as to know what destructive aspects of our lives need to be transformed (Penance), and thus live our Franciscan fire with THE Essential without anything of our own (Poverty).
Prayer, Penance and Poverty. So thank you our friends and benefactors, for your continued prayers for our intentions and missions. Please be assured of our prayers as you journey through your own Lent into Easter. May you feel the guiding hand of God leading you to greater life-giving freedom to love first God himself, and then all of God’s beloved children.
It began with a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2019, the shared experiences and profound connections stirring in some of the young pilgrims a desire to be a community, a fraternity in the spirit of the Franciscan Friars. From that desire came forth a new fraternity called Franciscan Young Adults in early 2020.
Today, Franciscan Young Adults is one of four fraternities within Fraternitas, a ministry ministering to youths and young adults under the direction of Friar John-Paul Tan OFM, who led the Sequela Christi pilgrimage in 2019.
“The coincidences that brought about the formation of Fraternitas can only point to the hand of God in action,” said Friar John-Paul. “From the initial desire of some young pilgrims in 2019 committing to community together after their trip to the Holy Land, to the call from the General Chapter of the Order of Friars Minor in 2021 to journey with all young people, to the timely financial support of our many benefactors, here we are today.”
Guided by the Franciscan ethos, Fraternitas aims to nurture relationships akin to familial bonds, where individuals are embraced for who they are and journey together in authenticity, simplicity, and humility. It is one body comprising four fraternities – Franciscan Youth, Franciscan Young Adults, Canticle and Franciscan Families. Each has its own leadership team, and together these fraternities provide an avenue for spiritual formation and fellowship for youths and young adults as they journey through life. There are approximately 220 active members.
FRANCISCAN YOUTH
The Franciscan Youth fraternity, for post-confirmation youths aged 16 to 21, is committed to building long lasting bonds among members through activities such as beach outings, bouldering, art sessions, and shared meals. Recognising the need for social formation, Franciscan Youth offers platforms such as the “Let’s Talk” series to address contemporary challenges such as mental health and stress management. Through introspective exploration, youths can gain clarity on their life direction amidst the digital age’s myriad influences.
FRANCISCAN YOUNG ADULTS
The Franciscan Young Adults fraternity aims to foster collaborative partnership in church and society, guiding young adults, aged 21 to 35, to follow in the footsteps of St Francis and St Clare. As these young adults progress to tertiary education and the workforce, Fraternitas creates pensive experiences for them to journey in faith together, and find resilience in fraternity as they face the challenges of adulthood. The fraternity gathers weekly for formative sessions such as Lectio Divina, Franciscan Formation led by the Friars as well as for fellowship. The latest event, Laudate Night, was a night of music, contemplative prayer and eucharistic adoration. Members in Singapore convene within designated zones: West, East, and Downtown, and most sessions are also available on Zoom for those who are unable to attend in person, and those in Indonesia and Malaysia.
“What I especially love about FYA is the embrace of Christian freedom – it is a community that allows us to be our authentic selves without fear or shame, that embraces our individuality and gifts yet at the same time, we are striving to become more Christlike together and sanctifying each other as the mystical body of Christ,” said Benedict Wong, who joined after being received into the Catholic Church in 2023.
FRANCISCAN FAMILIES
The Franciscan Families fraternity offers a space for young married couples and singles. It hopes to help to co-create a fraternity of families seeking to discover and deepen the marriage covenant through Franciscan spirituality. From singlehood to married life to family life with children, Franciscan Families seeks to journey with young people through these key phases of their life.
In collaboration with the Couple Mentor Journey ministry team of the parish of St Mary of the Angels, Franciscan Families embarked on a nine-month long journey with our couples in September 2023.
CANTICLE
Canticle is the fraternity for young creatives, helping them journey together to discover and channel their God-given talents for self-knowledge, spiritual growth and ministry. It is inspired by St Francis’ Canticle of Creatures, a prayer expressing gratitude and reverence for all of creation as reflections of God’s beauty and love.
This Lent, Canticle collaborated with Joanna Tan, an art specialist, to organise SacroSpeco, Sacred Caves in Italian. St Francis spent much time in solitude and prayer in caves. For him, caves were sanctuaries that carried profound symbolism, representing the pierced side of Christ. Entering a cave gives the sense of stepping into the very heart of Jesus. This SacroSpeco programme is envisioned to be the sacred caves where participants can encounter the heart of God, and f ind solace through art.
Please pray for the Fraternitas team comprising Friar John-Paul, two staff and some interns, and the leadership teams of the four fraternities as they continue to discern the signs of the times, and where God is inviting Fraternitas to go.
Find out more about Fraternitas at fraternitas.sg.
KOTA PADAWAN — All glory to God for another moment in history at St Ann’s Parish, Kota Padawan as we have a newly ordained deacon for the Minister of the Word. Friar Nelson Evarinus Sipalan OFM was called to the Order of Deacons by Kuching Archbishop Simon Poh on 14 January 2024.
The Mass began at 6.00 pm with a traditional dance from the Bidayuh Community of Kampung Seratau at the entrance of the Church. The ordination Mass was also live-streamed via the YouTube and Facebook social media platforms of St Ann’s Church.
The main celebrant of the Holy Mass was Archbishop Simon Poh, and concelebrating with him were Friar Don Don Ramerez OFM (Rector), Friar Derrick Yap OFM (Custos), Friar David Au OFM, Friar Esmond Chua OFM, Friar Gerard Victor OFM, Friar Cosmas Francis OFM, Friar Rowland Yeo OFM, Friar Aiden Peter OFM, Friar Cruzander Alex OFM, Friar Joseph Nasanathan OFM, Friar Crispus Mosinoh OFM, Friar Sixtus Pitah OFM, Fr Stanley Goh SJ, Fr Galvin Ngumbang, Fr Nicholas Ng, and Fr Mark Bonchol.
Friar Nelson is a Sabahan who joined the Franciscan Friars of St Anthony Custody for Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. He started his pastoral work in St Ann’s Church for a year in 2017 as part of his formation and since then, it has always been part of his heart.
The Church was filled with St Ann’s parishioners and guests from Sabah, Johor, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore. Witnessing Friar Nelson at his ordination were also his siblings who represented their parents who were not able to come over to Kuching.
At the Mass, Custos Friar Derrick also announced that Deacon Nelson will be taking Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) for six months in Penang, to prepare him to serve the people of God better in the future. After Friar Nelson finishes his CPE, his ordination to the priesthood will be announced at a later date.
Later on, all the people celebrated with a fellowship at St Anthony’s Hall. The celebration of thanksgiving was filled with activities such as cake cutting, speeches, performances by the Sisters of St Francis of Sarawak (SSFS), dancing, and food.
Deacon Friar Nelson was overwhelmed by the whole celebration and thanked all parishioners, benefactors, family, and friends who had contributed to or supported him on this special journey.
We continue to pray for him as he embarks on his journey as a Deacon. May God bless us all.
Eight hundred years ago, in 1205, Francis of Assisi received the call from the Lord to “Rebuild the Church”. Francis responded to this call throughout his life. He began by rebuilding physical churches – San Damiano, Portiuncula (St Mary of the Angels), and San Pietro della Spina.
As Francis rebuilt these churches, he rebuilt his life. From the desire to seek worldly glory, he slowly transformed his life until all he desired was to seek God and God alone.
Francis’ love for the Gospel grew over the years after his conversion. The selfish love that he had for himself was transformed into self-denial and love of God. This transformation might not have come about if he had not gone through defeat, imprisonment, rejection, doubt, sickness, and other suffering. It was through the experience of God’s mercy that he moved towards the freedom to be who he was meant to be as a human. The mercy of God set him free, free to love God, to love himself, and to love others. The mercy of God allowed him to see goodness in everyone and everything. We are God’s creation, and thus, it is only right that we love and care for everyone and everything God created.
Towards the end of his life, Francis understood that the call to rebuild the church was to rebuild the inner life of the Church, to journey towards full conformity with Christ himself.
Eight hundred years later, the Franciscan Friars continue Francis’ work of rebuilding in their mission and evangelisation. Following the Gospel faithfully remains at the heart of our mission and evangelisation, and the Franciscan Friars have identified specific areas of pastoral care – education, parishes, sanctuaries, and ecumenical and interreligious dialogue – for renewed attention globally this decade.
In response, the Custody’s Office of Mission and Evangelisation embarked on the journey of renewal in 2023 with formation sessions in the parishes cared for by the Franciscan Friars in Singapore and Malaysia, and through the formation of aspirants to the Order in the two countries.
The focus of these formation sessions was to introduce the life and mission of St Francis and what this means in the context of our time.
Our world is very different from what it was during Francis’ time, but some issues remain and new ones have arisen through our own actions. Francis served lepers, and we have another kind of leprosy today. Francis dealt with different classes within society, and class and discrimination remain very real issues in society today. Today, we talk too about mental health issues: the causes, the prevalence and how these can be addressed. We are concerned now about issues that have arisen from the prevalence and widespread use of social media. We need to recognise our context today, and find new ways to renew and rebuild the way we live our faith as well as the way we share the Good News.
Pope Francis has invited us, as a Church, to renew ourselves. In Evangelii Gaudium (EG), he wrote: “Small yet strong in the love of God, like Saint Francis of Assisi, all of us, as Christians, are called to watch over and protect the fragile world in which we live, and all its peoples. (EG 216)
The Holy Father expanded on his vision in the encyclical letter Laudato Si (On Care for Our Common Home) in 2015. Care for the environment is urgent, and what we do is a reflection of our moral and spiritual responsibility as stewards and carers of God’s creation.
In 2019, Pope Francis signed a document on Human Fraternity (For World Peace and Living Together) with Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed El Tayeb, and in 2020, the pope published another encyclical, Fratelli Tutti (On Fraternity and Social Friendship) in which he states how urgent and important it is for us to watch over and protect human fraternity. The pope calls the world to live in solidarity and social love. He calls for everyone to have a change of heart.
Learning from St Francis’ experience, we invited the ministry leaders in the formation sessions within the parishes to reflect on two questions: (1) How can the people of God experience mercy today? (2) What kind of renewal and rebuilding is needed in each individual and as a community of believers?
In 2024, the Custody’s Office of Mission and Evangelisation will hold more formation sessions in order to reach out to more audiences in Singapore and Malaysia. We want to share the common vision, and foster deeper understanding of the need for renewal in the way we care for and serve one another, within the Church and beyond. With God’s blessing, this work will help Franciscan parishes to renew and rebuild.
Autonomy? Many have asked me what is different now that the Custody of St Anthony Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei is no longer under the Province of the Holy Spirit in Australia.
Honestly, nothing much has changed as the Australian Province gave us a high level of independence and self-management. The main difference is that now the Custos makes the final decision about legal and finance matters, and safeguarding issues, approvals for Professions and Ordinations, and more. Taking on this responsibility has been a journey of deep learning and serious discernment for me, both purifying and illuminating at the same time!
The new year ushers a new beginning for many, and for us friars, one of these is that we have a brother, Friar Nelson Evarinus, beginning the new year as a deacon. Diakonia means service and it is a beautiful time of exploring the grace of service at the table of the word, the table of the eucharist and the table of the poor.
Nelson’s attachment in Penang will enable him to deepen his self-knowledge and accompaniment of God’s people with the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Programme. He will be guided and supervised in his accompaniment of the people he meets in the hospital and in the parish of the Risen Christ which is under our care.
Speaking of formation, I am happy to report that an Asian Franciscan Formators Training Course is slated to begin in mid-2024. This course is designed to train those who will be forming young men and women in the Franciscan Religious Life in Asia. The idea was mooted at the Asian Franciscan Provincials Meeting in May last year, and I found myself raising my hand to volunteer to develop this course. I had no programme in mind, no professors, no students, no money, no venue, but I raised my hand in faith, trusting that the Lord would provide, as he always has.
In May, our Custody will host the Franciscan Lay Brothers’ Gathering for the South Asia, Australia and Oceania Conference (SAAOC) in Singapore. Lay brothers are friars who feel called to profess their lives into the Franciscan brotherhood, and do not feel called to be ordained as priests. Many exercise their ministries and craft in fields such as spiritual direction and retreat giving, arts and culture, teaching and forming lives and young religious. Many of our formators in the Custody are lay brothers. This gathering is meant to strengthen their identity as lay brothers and to envision the future ahead in the life and mission of lay brothers in this part of the world.
We often enter into the new year with excitement at the possibilities and yes, with a touch of uncertainty too, but we know we navigate the waters of our adventure together with you, and with God! Thank you dear friends and benefactors for your constant support and prayers!
