Potta Retreat - a time of transformation (IC, Penang)

St Anne's BM to foucs on family life.
Redemptorists celebrates 50 years in Ipoh (OMPH Ipoh)

28 November 2010

After learning that the flood waters in Kedah were slowly receding, the Penang Office for Human Development (POHD) swung into action by launching the Kedah Flood Relief Operation. An immediate cash of RM10,000.00 was handed to the parish priest (Fr Vincent Paul) of the Church of St Michael, Alor Setar, Kedah on 8 Nov.

On 9 Nov, two staff. Stanley and Kevin, from POHD, with 4 volunteers in Penang, made a trip to Alor Setar.  They brought with them food supplies like rice, bee hoon, Milo, milk powder, biscuits, canned food and some toiletries.

PENANG: Visitors to the Christian Cemetery at Western Road, Penang, never fail to notice a group of energetic noisy youths doing a brisk business selling flowers and candles on Nov 2.

These youth are from the Penang Islanders Tamil Youth Network (ITYN), a group of Tamil-speaking youth leaders and volunteers from the different parishes in Penang. They meet regularly to plan activities for Tamil-speaking youth in the island of Penang. The Flower Sale during All Souls’ Day is their one and only fundraising project. One month before All Souls’ Day, the ITYN members can be seen selling coupons in all the parishes in Penang.

Fr. Andrew Stpehen ordained on Nov. 3 (Risen Christ, Penang)

Fr. Michael Cheah compiles SMC 120 years (St Michael, Ipoh)

Bishop Selva blessed new grotto at OLGH

Charismatic group celebrates 31 years (OMPH Ipoh)

Ensure communion in church, community (B. Gajah)

5 Nov. 2010

The 14th Asian Liturgy Forum (ALF), with the topic ‘Inculturation of the Baptismal Ordo’ was held on 11 to 15 October at the Stella Maris Retreat Centre, Penang. It was organized by the Liturgical Commission, Diocese of Penang, with Fr. Francis Xavier as its director.

There were 50 delegates from the countries of Singapore, Thailand, Philippine, Indonesia, Cambodia, Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia. 47 observers from parishes in Malaysia turned up, including ten committee members and several helpers. Over 30 priests were in attendance.

This is about the one and only pipe organ in Penang at the Church of the Assumption. Please read at UCAN.

OLOL's Family Day a success

OLOL parish urged to be an Our Father people

The splendour of truth can be found in the Catholic Church

Opening & blessing of the Church of the Divine Mercy (photos only)

Opening & blessing of the Church of the Divine Mercy

How the Sg Ara Church came into being

An interview with the Bishop of Penang by Lucia Lai appeared in UCAN. Please visit UCAN to read.

17 October 2010

PENANG: As there is a possibility that the General Election will be held soon, the students from the Campus Ministry Office in the Diocese of Penang, took on the initiative to register voters from some of the parishes in Penang. They started off with the Church of the Immaculate Conception on Aug 7 and 8 but due to the short notice, managed to register only 5 voters.

However during the Feast of the Assumption at the Church of the Assumption, they managed to register 14 voters. A voters’ registration booth was set up in front of the Assumption Church. Ten students from USM and one Campus Ministry Officer, Liew Man Lee, were involved in the voters’ registration exercise. The volunteers were helped by two Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) representatives.

On Sept 5, the Campus Ministry Officers, Anne Beatrice and Liew Man Lee, together with three USM students went to the Church of St John Britto. They were assisted by Martin Lim, SPR representative and managed to get 18 people to register as voters. All together, the students managed to register 37 voters. — By Maureen Chua

10 October 2010

PENANG: Modern day slavery exists in the form of persons being trafficked for bonded labour and sexual exploitation – the two most common forms of trafficking. This was what 61 participants from the church and NGOs learned from Greg D’Alesandro from the US Embassy during his presentation at the Anti-Trafficking In Person Workshop held on 18 Sept. at the Bayview Georgetown Hotel. Among the participants were the Counsels General from Thailand and Nepal, members from the Catholic church in Penang and civil society members.

The workshop was organized by Tenaganita in partnership with JUMP (Jaringan Utara Migrasi dan Pelarian), of which the Diocese’s Penang Office for Human Development (POHD) is an active member. The workshop got off to a start with James Lockhead from JUMP making the introduction. He said that refugees are very vulnerable to become victims to trafficking; therefore the workshop aims to inform and educate people, especially those working with migrants and refugees, on the latest progress made in our country in its fight against this menace.

10 October 2010

PENANG: Participants from the parishes in the Penang Diocese went through various activity-based workshops on methods, process and spirituality in building BECs. The participants learnt how the early Christian communities were formed, starting from very small groups. And this is how we should start, small, in our own BECs, and let them grow based on trust, patience, and mutual respect — bearing in mind the church’s mission which is reaching out and receiving others especially those who are different from us.

To achieve all these one has to have perseverance and willingness to learn to work and act as a communi ty, not allowing differences be a hindrance but instead a blessing. Eventually the sign of the spiri t is JOY amongst the members. The facilitators, Lazarus, Theresa, Felicia and Nicole created an atmosphere of easy interact ion where there was joy and laughter throughout all the sessions.

Photos taken by Lucia Lai. For professional photos, please visit the church's facebook album.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

The following is an unpublished report from Lucia Lai. Published report in Herald by Gregory Warrier about the t\history of the church, please click here.

After 41 years, a new church officially opened its door to parishioners on 28 September 2010.

The Church of the Divine Mercy at Sungai Ara, Penang, housed at the Christian Community Centre, is the 11^th church in the Penang state, which is under the Diocese of Penang.

The idea of setting up the Christian Community Centre and church came as early as 1989, when Mr H.R. Watts, donated a piece of land with an area of 3848 sq. meters along Kenari Road, Sungai Ara to the Roman Catholic Church.

As Kenari Road is nearest to the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, the task of constructing the Centre fell on the parish priests of the Cathedral. A committee was formed in 2003 when Msgr Stephen Liew was the parish priest.

17 September 210

IPOH:

Forty-seven Marriage Encounter delegates from 12 Asian countries participated in a special Mass held at St Michael’s Church on Aug 28. The Marriage Encounter Asian Conference Mass was celebrated by Bishop Antony Selvanayagam and 13 priests from various countries, at the conclusion of the 35th Asian Marriage Encounter conference held at Bukit Mertajam.

A notice from Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang (MPPP - the Penang City Council) was published in the Star paper dated 1st Sept. 2010. MPPP who is maintaining the Register of Burials, is now undergoing an exercise to update the register of burial rights. MPPP requires all the personal representatives and family members of the deceased buried at the Western Road Christian cemetery to provide them the following details:

5 August 2010

The Malaysian Church is fighting for justice for migrant construction workers whose companies allegedly deducted amounts from their salaries illegally.

The Penang Diocesan Migrant Ministry, with the help of two Catholic lawyers, is looking into the cases of 270 Indonesian and Myanmar construction workers who complained that such deductions have been going on for several years.

Kota Bahru parish sixteith anniversary

The transfer of parish priests had been officially announced at the August Presbyterium meeting. The transition will take place in October and by November, the new parish priests will be installed.

The Herald

9 May 2010

On 26 April, the Penang State government invited the leaders of all churches and Christian organizations  to a dialogue luncheon at the Caring Society Complex. About 400 people representing the various Christian denominations and organizations (eg. YWCA) turned up.

Bishop Antony Selvanayagam from the Catholic Church was called upon to lead the opening prayer to start off the dialogue luncheon.

According to the Chief Minister, YAB Lim Guan Eng, in his speech, the purpose of the dialogue session was to touch base with the churches in Penang so that there is an open communication between the government and the churches.

“It provides an opportunity for the State Government to listen to the issues raised by the churches and for us to establish linkages and to foster closer understanding.” said YAB Lim.

The Herald

25 April 2010

Today, many household and corporate companies employ foreign workers, therefore it is pertinent for the bosses to learn about foreign workers’ rights and immigration rules. Further, there are a number of NGOs and individuals who committed to helping these foreign workers when they faced problems.

In July 2001, Fr Paul Chin slipped into a coma when he suffered brain stem stroke.  Since then, he had been in a vegetative state. Apart from some movement in his eyes once in a while, there was no other  response or movement from him. On 2 March 2010, the Lord decided to end his ‘purgatory on earth’ and take him away to heaven.

In conjunction of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) organized a Penang Island Combined Churches Prayer Service on 22 Jan. at 8.00pm at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. About 250 people turned up

.

The theme for the night was ‘One Faith, one Baptism, one Body, one Spirit, one Lord, one God’.

The prayer service  began with a welcoming message by Rev Francis Anthony, the parish priest of the Cathedral.

Fr Francis Chao, 83, passed away peacefully on 24 Jan. 2010 at the Little Sisters of the Poor, Penang.

On 26 Jan,, Msgr Stephen Liew led the cortege, with two nuns from the Home, to the Church of St Anne. A group of people at Church of St Anne was on hand to greet the cortege and to pray for this gentle, humble man whom they had affectionately known for years.