Church of the Sacred Heart (1908)
21 Jalan Iskandar, 31900 Kampar, Perak
T: 05-4661484
Administrator: Rev. Vincent Paul
Sunday Mass : 11.00 am
Chapel:
Immaculate Conception Chapel, Air Kuning (1981) : 4.30 pm (3rd Saturday)
Mass Centre:
St. Peter, Malim Nawar: occasionally
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Involvement in youth movement steered path to priesthood |
| Posted by Diocese of Penang (pgdiocese) on Feb 16 2006 |
KAMPAR: Dominic Santhiyagu is the 7th child from a family of 9 siblings, whose father worked in the mines and his mother was a home maker. Since young, he had been active at the parish of the Sacred Heart Church. He was also involved in the Youth movement in his parish and also in the district. His involvement in the Youth planted the seed for his desire to enter into the priesthood.
He admired the works of his parish priests and in particular the late Fr Andrew Lau whom he describes as strict but gentle. While in secondary school, Dominic approached Fr Andrew Lau and told him about his intention of entering the seminary, but Fr Lau told him to concentrate on his studies. After completing his education in a technical college in Ipoh, he once again approached Fr Lau, who, this time told him to look for a job. It was indeed discouraging for the young Dominic.
Following the advice of Fr Lau, he found employment in one of the electronic companies in Kampar as a technician. As a technician, he was happy with his income and his career. Things were looking up for him and it was during this time that he met his dream girl.
However from out of the blue a call came from Fr Lau asking the young Dominic to submit his application to enter the seminary. Fr Lau informed him that if the Bishop accepted his application then it would be good for him but if the application was rejected, he could continue with his present job.
After much prayer and thought, Dominic with the blessings of his parents and girl friend, applied and was accepted.
Life in the seminary was different altogether. Here, life was structured, that is, there was a fixed time for everything and what he thought about the life of a priest earlier was also different. He thought that a priest’s only task was to care for the parish and celebrate Mass. At the seminary he had to learn about Spirituality, Community Living, Pastoral, Human and Intellectual aspects of life.
For his ordination, he chose the theme Do Whatever He Tells You Jn2:5 because of his personal experiences with our Lord. On one occasion while he was at Tanjung Malim attending a Youth camp, he had a dream which told him to read Luke 10.
Not knowing much of his dream, he awoke early and went to check what the verse was all about but he could not make any sense of it. Praying, he asked our Lord to give him a sign but none came even though he read the passage once again. Leaving the bible he walked around the parish grounds and when he was in front of the notice board, he noticed a verse which said “the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few” Luke 10:2.
At once he asked God if the message was from Him. But there was no reply. Even during his seminary days, before being called to be a deacon, he did talk to God, wanting to have confirmation that what he was about to receive was what God wanted. And once again the passage from Luke 10:2 was present.
After being a deacon, he was posted to the parish of Our lady of Lourdes in Ipoh. Here while assisting Fr Bernard Paul, he was involved with the Youths of the parish. This involvement with the Youths brought joy to him and lifted the spirits of the youths in the parish. He was also instrumental in organising youth programmes at district level and the most unforgettable one is the Bakat Belia. — By Gordon Hendricks
Last changed: Feb 16 2006 at 3:05 PM
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