Church of the Immaculate Conception (1819)
1 Lorong Maktab, Pulau Tikus,
10250 Pulau Pinang
T: 04-2278297
F: 04-2277032
Email: iccpenang@gmail.com
Parish Priest : Rev. Michael Cheah
Assistant Parish Priest: Rev. Mark Michael
In residence: Rev Edmund Woon
Sat. Rosary, Novena Prayer: 5.30 pm
Sat. Sunset Mass: 6.30 pm
Sunday Masses :
8.30 am and 6.00 pm
11.15 am (1st & 3rd Sunday in Tamil )
10.45 am (2nd & 4th Sunday in Mandarin)
Weekday Mass :
Mon, Tue, Wed & Sat. at 7.00 am
Thu & Fri - 6.00 pm
Every 13th of the month Rosary & Mass at 7.00 pm
Chapel - St. Joseph's Chapel, Hong Seng Estate: Mass at 8.00 pm (2nd Wednesday)
============================================================
Potta retreat — a time of transformation |
| Posted by Diocese of Penang (pgdiocese) on Dec 30 2010 |
PENANG: For more than 90 people who attended the five-day “Potta” Inner Healing and Growth retreat in Penang on Nov 30, it was a time of transformation and renewal. In a most creative way, the two Vincentian priests who conducted the retreat, Fr Varghese Parackal VC and Fr Joseph Rojan, made the retreat interesting and wonderful when sharing the Word of God. Both priests are based in Perth, Australia.
With help from the Gloria Patrie Ministries from Singapore led by Joseph Fernandez, there were also lively praise and worship sessions. The retreat was organized by the Church of the Immaculate Conception, in conjunction with the Parish’s bicentennial celebration this year and its feastday on Dec 8. From day one, participants who came from all over Malaysia, Singapore and Australia were told to make full use of the time given to them.
Time was spent in reading and reflecting on God’s Word, prayer, daily rosary, Mass, Divine Mercy devotions and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament as well as praise and worship sessions. There was also the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In between the talks given by the priests on the Word of God, there were other topics including the Holy Eucharist and Married Life. One of the great things about this retreat is the opportunity one gets for silence, since it was a silent retreat.
Even mealtimes were in silence which at first felt uncomfortable since there was only the sound of cutlery on china plates. But after some time, most people felt quite at home in the silence. Fr Varghese constantly reiterated the need for silence, to concentrate only on God and listen to God. In silence, it is possible to hear what God wants to say. The other great part of the retreat was the deliverance from and inner healing of painful memories and our deepest hurts.
This involved revisiting our spiritual history, deep soul-searching and repentance and prayer. Then there was the laying of hands and infilling of the Holy Spirit. During the last session, Fr Varghese warned participants there was a danger of falling back to old ways. “It is important to remain spiritual in the grace of God. Since you have changed, show the difference in your life,” he said. He advised participants to pray daily, say the rosary at least three times, and attend group prayer (BECs).
They should also attend prayer meetings. At testimony time, many participants were eagerly awaiting their chance to speak of what the Lord had done for them at the retreat. All confessed to experiencing great joy and peace. Fr Varghese reminded participants to do their best for the Lord in their own parishes, using the small group of people from Immaculate Conception parish as an example. “They wanted others to experience the same joy and peace, and organized this retreat. It involved a lot of sacrifice, time, money and pain on their part, but they persisted. In the end they tasted othe Lord’s goodness,” he said.
Last changed: Dec 30 2010 at 9:06 AM
Back