MALAYSIA Diocese launches Year for Priests during feastday celebrationJuly 21, 2009
BUKIT MERTAJAM, Malaysia (UCAN) -- Penang diocese launched its celebration of the Year for Priests during its annual nine-day novena to Saint Anne.
About 30 priests of the diocese gathered at the Church of St. Anne in Bukit Mertajam on July 17, the start of the largest feastday celebration in the Malaysian Church.
During the event, Bishop Antony Selvanayagam of Penang called on priests and laity to reconcile with all people and encouraged them to participate in spiritual formation programs.
Pope Benedict XVI designated the Year for Priests to run from June 19, 2009.
According to diocesan chancellor Father Jude Miranda, Bishop Selvanayagam has announced that Catholics can obtain plenary indulgences on certain days during the special year, including attending Mass on July 17.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a plenary indulgence as full "remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven."
The diocese's organizing committee for the special year has decided to hold monthly Holy Hour devotions, with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, in all parishes to pray for priests and for more vocations to the priesthood. Catholics who attend are also eligible for an indulgence.
The committee has also produced prayer cards and leaflets on the Year for Priests in English, Tamil, Chinese and Malay. The diocese also plans to send some priests to Rome for retreats.
Penang diocese, one of nine dioceses in the country and the northernmost of three dioceses in peninsular Malaysia, has 45 priests, of whom four are retired and three are on medical leave. They serve more than 65,000 Catholics in a total diocesan population of 6.8 million.
Some local priests UCA News spoke to said one of their biggest challenges is to ensure that their vocations remain relevant in a "modern secularized world."
Father Anthony Pillai noted that some people “don’t see the need for a priest anymore.”
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Taken from The Herald, 3 Aug. 2009
Penang Diocese launches Year For Priests
About 30 priests of the diocese gathered at the Church of St. Anne in Bukit Mertajam on July 17, the start of the largest feastday celebration in the Malaysian Church.
During the event, Bishop Antony Selvanayagam of Penang called on priests and laity to reconcile with all people and encouraged them to participate in spiritual formation programs.
Pope Benedict XVI designated the Year for Priests to run from June 19, 2009.
According to diocesan chancellor Father Jude Miranda, Bishop Selvanayagam has announced that Catholics can obtain plenary indulgences on certain days during the special year, including attending Mass on July 17.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a plenary indulgence as full "remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven."
The diocese's organizing committee for the special year has decided to hold monthly Holy Hour devotions, with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, in all parishes to pray for priests and for more vocations to the priesthood. Catholics who attend are also eligible for an indulgence.
The committee has also produced prayer cards and leaflets on the Year for Priests in English, Tamil, Chinese and Malay. The diocese also plans to send some priests to Rome for retreats.
Penang diocese, one of nine dioceses in the country and the northernmost of three dioceses in peninsular Malaysia, has 45 priests, of whom four are retired and three are on medical leave. They serve more than 65,000 Catholics in a total diocesan population of 6.8 million.
Some local priests UCA News spoke to said one of their biggest challenges is to ensure that their vocations remain relevant in a "modern secularized world."
Father Anthony Pillai noted that some people “don’t see the need for a priest anymore.”
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Taken from The Herald, 3 Aug. 2009
Penang Diocese launches Year For Priests
BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Penang diocese launched its celebration of the Year for Priests during its annual nine-day novena to St Anne.
About 30 priests of the diocese gathered at the Church of St. Anne in Bukit Mertajam on July 17, the start of the largest feastday celebration in the Malaysian Church.
During the event, Bishop Antony Selvanayagam of Penang called on priests and laity to reconcile with all people and encouraged them to participate in spiritual formation programmes.
Pope Benedict XVI designated the Year for Priests to run from June 19, 2009.
According to diocesan chancellor Fr Jude Miranda, Bishop Selvanayagam has announced that Catholics can obtain plenary indulgences on certain days during the special year, including attending Mass on July 17.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a plenary indulgence as full “remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven.”
The diocese’s organizing committee for the special year has decided to hold monthly Holy Hour devotions, with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, in all parishes to pray for priests and for more vocations to the priesthood. Catholics who attend are also eligible for an indulgence.
The committee has also produced prayer cards and leaflets on the Year for Priests in English, Tamil, Chinese and Malay. The diocese also plans to send some priests to Rome for retreats.
Penang diocese has 45 priests, of whom four are retired and three are on medical leave. They serve more than 65,000 Catholics in a total diocesan population of 6.8 million.
Some local priests said one of their biggest challenges is to ensure that their vocations remain relevant in a “modern secularized world.” — By Lucia Lai
About 30 priests of the diocese gathered at the Church of St. Anne in Bukit Mertajam on July 17, the start of the largest feastday celebration in the Malaysian Church.During the event, Bishop Antony Selvanayagam of Penang called on priests and laity to reconcile with all people and encouraged them to participate in spiritual formation programmes.
Pope Benedict XVI designated the Year for Priests to run from June 19, 2009.
According to diocesan chancellor Fr Jude Miranda, Bishop Selvanayagam has announced that Catholics can obtain plenary indulgences on certain days during the special year, including attending Mass on July 17.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a plenary indulgence as full “remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven.”
The diocese’s organizing committee for the special year has decided to hold monthly Holy Hour devotions, with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, in all parishes to pray for priests and for more vocations to the priesthood. Catholics who attend are also eligible for an indulgence.
The committee has also produced prayer cards and leaflets on the Year for Priests in English, Tamil, Chinese and Malay. The diocese also plans to send some priests to Rome for retreats.
Penang diocese has 45 priests, of whom four are retired and three are on medical leave. They serve more than 65,000 Catholics in a total diocesan population of 6.8 million.
Some local priests said one of their biggest challenges is to ensure that their vocations remain relevant in a “modern secularized world.” — By Lucia Lai
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The challenges they face as a priests......
Below are some of the sharings by the priests in the Diocese of Penang on the challenges they face as priests.
Fr David Lourdes, 52 years old, priest for 20 years said that the biggest challenge to him as a priest is to try to cater to all kinds of people and be available to people when he is needed. He felt that, in this society nowadays, all type of people exists and it is not easy dealing with them.
Fr Edwin Paul, 45 years old, priest for 16 years, present rector of College General Seminary, Penang choose to look at the challenges on three-fold: self, church and society.
“Within myself, I’m challenged to be a disciple and to be credible; within the Church, challenged to go beyond function (doing) to relationships (being) and also challenged to mission instead of pious maintenance. Within the society,” he said, “I feel challenged to be relevant in the highly secularised world.”
Fr Anthony Pillai, 56 years old and 19 years in the priesthood felt that after many years in big parishes, and having transferred to a small parish, is itself a challenge. In his small parish, he said he has to do almost everything by himself.
“The Year For Priests is a good time for me to improve myself and make myself conscious of my vocation.” Fr Pillai said, “Also, the modern secularized world poses a challenge to me as many people nowadays, with what the world has to offer, don’t see the need of a priest anymore. Thus I have to made myself relevant to them.”
Fr Dominic Santhiyagu, 36 years old and only three years in the priesthood, said that he enjoyed being a priest as life as a priest is fill with joys, blessings and full of unexpectation.
“I enjoy celebrating the sacraments and ministering the people with faith and love. In short I am enjoying my priesthood and the ministry. I thank God for the gift of priesthood and for the many good people who support me in my journey as a priest.” he said.
Another young priest, Fr Simon Ee, CDD, 33 years old, had been a priest for three years too.. He is the assistant parish priest of Church of St Anne. He felt that as a priest, he must strive to be humble all the time. The biggest challenge to him is to integrate himself to become more Christ-like.
This was echoed by Fr John Anandan, OFM. Cap, 56 years old , and 29 years in the priesthood, who said it short and sweet that his biggest challenge is to be faithful to Christ and strive to be Christ-like.
Rt Rev Antony Selvanayagam said that he looked forward to many formation programmes in the Diocese during the Year For Priests for priests and laity, that will enable everyone to deepen the meaning of the priesthood. — By Lucia Lai
Fr David Lourdes, 52 years old, priest for 20 years said that the biggest challenge to him as a priest is to try to cater to all kinds of people and be available to people when he is needed. He felt that, in this society nowadays, all type of people exists and it is not easy dealing with them.
Fr Edwin Paul, 45 years old, priest for 16 years, present rector of College General Seminary, Penang choose to look at the challenges on three-fold: self, church and society.
“Within myself, I’m challenged to be a disciple and to be credible; within the Church, challenged to go beyond function (doing) to relationships (being) and also challenged to mission instead of pious maintenance. Within the society,” he said, “I feel challenged to be relevant in the highly secularised world.”
Fr Anthony Pillai, 56 years old and 19 years in the priesthood felt that after many years in big parishes, and having transferred to a small parish, is itself a challenge. In his small parish, he said he has to do almost everything by himself.
“The Year For Priests is a good time for me to improve myself and make myself conscious of my vocation.” Fr Pillai said, “Also, the modern secularized world poses a challenge to me as many people nowadays, with what the world has to offer, don’t see the need of a priest anymore. Thus I have to made myself relevant to them.”
Fr Dominic Santhiyagu, 36 years old and only three years in the priesthood, said that he enjoyed being a priest as life as a priest is fill with joys, blessings and full of unexpectation.
“I enjoy celebrating the sacraments and ministering the people with faith and love. In short I am enjoying my priesthood and the ministry. I thank God for the gift of priesthood and for the many good people who support me in my journey as a priest.” he said.
Another young priest, Fr Simon Ee, CDD, 33 years old, had been a priest for three years too.. He is the assistant parish priest of Church of St Anne. He felt that as a priest, he must strive to be humble all the time. The biggest challenge to him is to integrate himself to become more Christ-like.
This was echoed by Fr John Anandan, OFM. Cap, 56 years old , and 29 years in the priesthood, who said it short and sweet that his biggest challenge is to be faithful to Christ and strive to be Christ-like.
Rt Rev Antony Selvanayagam said that he looked forward to many formation programmes in the Diocese during the Year For Priests for priests and laity, that will enable everyone to deepen the meaning of the priesthood. — By Lucia Lai