Project Gift Coupon comes to a successful conclusion- part 3.

The members of the Parish Youth Ministry working hard to pick the lucky numbers.


The first prize, a Perodua VIVA Car, goes to.... Mr. Su-ut anak Seim!!!



Mdm Felicia Toh, wins the second prize, a Samsung 40" LCD Television set.


Mr. Alvin anak Dominic Josip, the third prize winner, receives the key of Modenas Kriss 100 from Fr. Gerard Victor, OFM.


Fr. Gerard Victor, OFM giving certificate of appreciation to Mr. Philip Siaw of Messrs Sin Thai Hin who donates the third prize, Modenas Kriss 100. Looking on is Fr Joseph Lee, OFM

Courtesy Visit to Honourable Datuk Michael Manyin

Recently, Friar Joseph Lee OFM led a five-member team to visit the Honourable Minister of Urban Development and Tourism, Datuk Michael Manyin at his office at 7th Floor, Baitulmakmur Building, Petra Jaya, Kuching. The other members of the team were the Deputy Chairman of St Ann’s New Complex Building Fund, Mr. Patrick Kiyok; Chairman of St Ann’s Parish Council, Mr. Robert Josem; Chairman of the Annual Community Dinner ‘09, Mr. Patrick Romas and Assistant Treasurer of St Ann’s Building Fund, Mr. Francis Satim.

The purpose of the visit was to express gratitude for the support and contribution of the Honourable Minister towards St Ann Church. We also took the opportunity to brief him on the progress of the fund-raising for the new St Ann’s Complex and to invite him to be the patron for St Ann’s Annual Community Dinner to be held on August 1, 2009 at Siburan Community Hall, Siburan.


Front row from left to right: Fr Joseph Lee OFM, YB Datuk Michael Manyin, Mr. Robert Josem
Back row from left to right: Mr. Francis Satim, Mr. Patrick Lomas and Mr. Patrick Kiyok

NEWS FLASH - RESULTS OF THE GIFT COUPON DRAW

The results for the draw of the Gift coupon on 26 April 2009 at St Lucas Center were as follows:

1st Prize Perodua VIVA 660cc 014323

2nd Prize Samsung LCD TV 40” 040314

3rd Prize Modenas Kriss 100 008546

4th Prize MEC Air Conditioner 106857

5th Prize LG Karaoke DVD Player 046295

6th prize Panasonic Stand Fan
014636 058195 082469 105068 107308 123249 146179 170670 181423 192551

7th Prize Panasonic Table Fan
026322 028135 054785 100059 117235 120679 122591 123939 181098 183102

8th Prize Sharp Blender
003406 021873 023470 058260 063705 066731 087971 109783 148012 199410

9th Prize Elba Gas Stove
049384 051451 070069 073860 077742 094527 096970 120121 143215 179896

10th Prize Panasonic Rice Cooker
008010 023281 031356 051666 075794 084231 101897 133790 139617 152391

11th Prize Homa Plus Rice Cooker
000283 008487 025218 029034 030794 065645 094131 113842 157044 177450

12th Prize Faber Jug Kettle
000991 013055 020800 058367 068928 089640 090767 110380 174313 198345

13th Prize Pensonic Blender
004999 043456 046401 061971 085674 090172 128383 149378 163207 192145

14th Prize Pensonic Toaster
021447 037968 055827 087161 112363 126285 150704 158681 171036 196116

15th Prize Faber Iron
001233 010548 042499 048176 059408 089373 103096 103874 129623 153382

We congratulate all the winners and all those who have supported the Gift Coupon project for over the past 8 months.

Catholics at RPR Landeh celebrate 6th Feastday

The Catholic community at RPR Landeh celebrated the feast of its patron, St. Polycarp, on Saturday evening, 28th February 2009. The Holy Mass, presided by Friar Moses Yap OFM was held on an open ground at Lane 3 of Phase 3, RPR Landeh under the protection of specially erected canopies.

The community of about 350 Catholics came in full strength to mark the occasion.

Mr. Christopher who is the Chairman of the community made a short welcoming speech soon after the celebration of the Eucharist. This was followed by Friar Moses Yap OFM, who thanked the community for their cooperation. After the speeches, the community and guests enjoyed themselves to a fellowship meal and entertainment by the community’s multi-ethnic youths with presentations of songs and cultural dances.

Mr. Barnabas Willie, the Chairman of the Liturgical Committee of St. Ann was also present.

Catholics at Sikog Village celebrate Feastday

The Catholic community of Sikog Village, celebrated the feast of its patron, Our Lady of Lourdes, in an evening celebration of Holy Mass, presided by Friar Gerard Victor OFM on Wednesday, February 11, 2009. This year the celebration is the 31st Anniversary.

The Village, situated at Km 35, off Kuching-Serian Road, has about 80 Catholic families.

Mr. Austin Johet, the Chairman of the community made a short welcoming speech soon after the celebration of the Eucharist. This was followed by the Rector of St. Ann, Friar Gerard Victor OFM, who reminded the community to remain steadfast in their faith. After the speeches, the community and guests enjoyed themselves to a fellowship meal.

Among the guests present were the Chairman and Secretary of St Ann’s Family Ministry, Mr. Francis Satim and Mr. Griffin Edem, and their spouses. Also present were Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Allas, who had graciously shared the four photographs used here.

RAYMOND ALLAS – SHUTTER BUG WITH A DIFFERENCE

Mr. Raymond has become a familiar figure here in St Ann Parish, Kota Padawan. An avid shutter bug who continues to help out at some of the Church’s functions like Weddings at the Baruk, Parish Council AGM meeting, St Ann feast day/parish sales and feast-day dinner.

Raymond has been awarded the APRS honour in 1968, the only Daya to receive such an honour, began his love for photography at the age of thirteen. By now, he has a huge collection of photographs that cover from the treasures and heritage of Sarawak (for eg. people from the different tribes and landscapes) to the beauty of Mother Nature (butterflies, pitcher plants). One could truly spend many hours browsing through his photos and admiring the handiwork of Raymond.

Last Christmas, I took the opportunity to visit Raymond and his family. After lunch he took out his collection of photographs and showed them to me. There was alot to digest and absorb at one sitting but Raymond was there to explain and point out some of the significance and background to that particular photograph. Some of photos gave me the feeling of going down Memory Lane especially in the late 50s and 60s.

There is something extraordinary about Raymond. He has a keen eye and a steady hand to capture the beauty of a particular subject. The end product is truly the work of a genius where his picture truly speaks a thousand words, in terms of composition and richness of colours. This man is able to show a unique side of the beauty of Sarawak through his lens.

Some months ago, I spoke with Raymond with regards to the sharing of his unique and wonderful legacy with others especially the people here in Sarawak. There is so much of the local treasures that is waiting to be unearthed and revealed to the people of Sarawak living in our modern times.

One practical way is to have an exhibition at a particular gallery so as to display his photographs. Raymond has also been gracious and wants to donate a part of the proceedings received to the New St Ann Church Building fund. Therefore his aim is two-fold that is to share his heritage with the local Sarawakian community and also support the Building of the New St Ann Church in Pasar Batu 10, Kota Padawan.

While this remains an idea to be pursued for the near future but there is a pressing need for some sort of assistance to help Raymond's dreams come true. Any persons interested to help Raymond can get in touch with him on his mobile phone @ 019-8883118 or St Ann Parish @ 082-611757

GIFT COUPON PROJECT ON TRACK TO REACH TARGET

The Gift Coupon project was given a boost by Mr. Frankie Heng, a parishioner from St. Peter’s Chapel, Simpok who made a personal gift of RM5,000 on February 10, 2009 at St. Ann’s Parish Office.
On hand to receive the cheque was the Rector, Friar Gerard Victor, OFM witnessed by Mr. Patrick Kiyok, the Deputy Chairman of St. Ann New Complex Committee.
The Gift Coupon, launched during the Feast Day of St. Ann on July 27, 2008, is one of the fund-raising projects for the new St. Ann Complex. The Committee anticipated raising RM400,000 through this project by April 2009.
We truly hope that the parishioners, friends and benefactors will continue to support our church building fund-raising effort.
Mother Theresa of Calcutta used to say that Christ calls us to give not from our surplus but from our need. This is the kind of giving God assures us He will reward "with good measure flowing over!"

CHRISTMAS MIRACLE AT KG STABUT

The parish of St Ann usually receives Christmas gifts from the parishioners of St Joseph and St Peter to be distributed to the parishioners in the rural villages in the Upper Padawan area.

In December 2008, one priest went to Kg Stabut to distribute the Christmas gifts packed in two big plastic bags. After the final prayer, the children were invited to come forward in a random manner according to the different age group. Most of the present were given out to the children who were present at the mass.

Not long after, one parent came excitedly to describe the Christmas miracle. Her daughter was totally overwhelmed when she opened her present and found a RM 100 together with a bar of chocolate. This family is the poorest family living in the village and this incident came as a real surprise to them.

Christmas is a time to give and receive and the Lord gave himself freely and unconditionally to us at the feast of Christmas. This miracle continues in our present time and in a very special way this poor family has experienced the Lord’s generosity and love for them in an unexpected manner.

NEWLY ELECTED ST ANN PARISH COUNCILORS

The newly elected Parish Councilors at the AGM Parish Council in December 2008 are as follows:

Chairman: Mr Robert Josem
Vice-Chairman: Mr Martin Nyibomb
Secretary: Mr Jose Geda
Assistant Secretary: Mr Lester Rijed
Treasurer: Mr John Raos
Assistant Treasurer: Mr Wilson Tamin

The above personnel will serve a 2-year term and they were introduced to the parishioners of St Ann on 4th January at the 9.30 am mass.

RESTORED STATUE OF ST ANN

The statue of St Ann has been restored and placed on the hillside that overlooks the road leading to Borneo Heights.

The background to this statue is that it was donated to Fr James Meehan MHM in 1975 by Corporeal Arulapan from the Army. The statue of St Ann needed some restoration after many years because of the usual wear and tear. Many of the parishioners would be able to remember the statue of St Ann placed at the back of the altar in the Baruk previously.

The statue was then given to a well wisher who took pains to restore the statue to her original beauty and she now sits majestically on the hillside.

Our Lady Comfort of the Afflicted celebrates her 1st Anniversary

The Legion of Mary, Our Lady Comfort of the Afflicted praesidium, St. Ann’s Parish, celebrated its 1st anniversary on 30 November 2008. In his welcoming speech, Br. President, Br. Johnny Lim explained that the praesidium’s first meeting was on 10 February 2007 at his house with 10 members. It has now grown to 27 active members and 16 auxiliary members.
Br. President thanked the tribunes, Br. Vincent Sayang and Br. Henry Garan for their guidance and support throughout its first year of existence. He also thanked the Rector of St Ann Parish for his continuous support and also for providing a place where the praesidium conducts its weekly meetings.
Fr. Gerard Victor OFM, Rector of St. Ann’s Parish and also Spiritual Director of the praesidium commended the members on their commitment and constant effort in bringing the word and the love of God to those who are in need. He also encouraged the members to continue to play an active role in the various ministries in the church.

St Ann Parish awarded First Prize for Natural Beauty and Environment Competition 2008

In line with the 2008 Natural Beauty and Environment Competition organized by the Padawan City Council, St Ann Parish emerged as Champion for the Church category. Fr Gerard together with Mr. Robert Josem (Parish Council chairman) and some parishioners went to SMK Padawan on 23 October 2008 to collect the prize money, Certificate and trophy.

This award reflects a true commitment and dedication by the parishoners involved in the gotong-royong and Mr. Simon Junal (Parish Gardener & Landscape) to make St Ann a place of worship and welcome for the parishioners and others visiting the parish.

Animal Blessing

In line with the Franciscan tradition of Animal Blessing, a paraliturgy was organized on 5th October 2008 at St Ann Baruk. A number of parishioners came to partake in the ceremony and are slowly becoming familiar with regard to the “giftedness” of animals in their lives.

Confirmation Mass at St Ann Baruk

Archbishop John Ha presided at the Confirmation Mass on 21 September 2008 at 9 am. A total of 318 candidates were confirmed and Bishop Ha was assisted by the two parish friars.

St Ann Feast Day 2008

The parish of St Ann celebrated her Ruby anniversary on 27 July 2008. Archbishop John Ha presided at the Eucharist together with the friars of the Custody Council of Singapore-Malaysia-Brunei. The highlights of the celebration were the launch of the Gift coupon in aid of the new St Ann Complex, the “Longest Hand Print Banner” project and the visit of 50 parishioners, mostly from St Mary of the Angels.

What was unique for this year’s celebration was the twin-celebrations of the Ruby Anniversary of St Ann (Diocese) and the 50th Anniversary of the Franciscan Presence in Singapore. The visitors from Singapore joined in the festive celebrations and were truly touched by the encounter with the local people.

Corpus Christi cum Pre-Gawai Mass at Upper Padawan Area

About 500 parishoners from various kampungs of St Michael Sub-Parish, Teng Bukap turned up for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi cum Pre-Gawai mass on 25th May 2008 at the community hall. The Eucharistic celebration was celebrated by Friar Gerard Victor OFM.

The highlight of the celebration included traditional dances accompanied by gong instruments and lively hymns sung by the choir from Kampung Sira. There was a short procession to the nearby “Gua Baju”, followed by the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. This event continues to remind the people of God’s love, presence and providence for his people on their faith journey

HISTORICAL MOMENT FOR COMMUNITY AT KG SAMPUN KELILI

The community at Kampung Sampun Kelili, Samarahan witnessed the Rite of Welcome ceremony on 19 April 2008. This was a historical and proud moment for the community where 26 catechumens participated in the Rite.

Even though the ceremony was celebrated in a simple manner but this event marks the progress and growth within the community. Prior to the Rite of Welcome, there were a lot of ground preparations done to ensure that the candidates were ready for the event.

After the Eucharist, there was a meal fellowship, prepared by the community, where there was opportunity to mingle with the members in the community so as to get to know them better and also support them in their faith journey.

FRANCISCAN CROWN AT TAMAN GREENWOOD

During the month of the Rosary in May, a decision was made by the Rector to recite the Franciscan crown at the different Tamans, under St Ann Parish. This was to build a closer rapport with the parishoners in the various Tamans at the grass root level.

The Rosary month kicked off with Taman Greenwood. The parishoners organised the prayers among themselves and took turns to lead the Rosary. There was a meal fellowship after the Rosary and then we had a cake-cutting ceremony to celebrate Mother's Day.

This was the first time where the Rosary devotion was held at the level of Taman and a good number of parishoners turned up for the event.

CELEBRATION OF MOTHER'S DAY

The Children Liturgy group of St. Ann celebrated Mother's Day in a simple yet visible manner. Led by Teresa Jita and her team, they started their project of wrapping single stalk Carnation flowers on Wednesday evening and worked through to Saturday afternoon.

Immediately after the 9.30 morning mass, the children gathered at strategic points to distribute the flowers to the mothers present. It was certainly a small effort to show their appreciation of all mothers who continue to play an important role in the life of the family.

ARMED FORCES MASS AT ST ANN

On 18 April 2008, 626 personnel from the Region Two Military Headquarters attended a Eucharistic celebration, celebrated by Fr Gerard Victor at St Ann Baruk (Kota Padawan), in line with their 75th Anniversary celebration.

This celebration is aimed at fostering close relationship among the personnel - who come from the various Christian denominations - in Kuching. According to Lt Col Selvaraj, he mentioned that this event was also to strengthen their faith in God so that they can discharge their duties better. There are also plans to hold special prayer services in other churches like Bau, Lundu and Serian.

After the Mass, there was a reception on the church's grounds, for the service men and women to mingle with one another.

SUNSET MASS/MANDARIN MASS

The timing of the Sunset Mass at St Ann has been changed from 7.30 pm to 6.30 pm with effect from 29 March 2008. A survey was done much earlier to find the response from the grass root level and the parishoners were happy to bring forward the timing of the Sunset mass to 6.30 pm.

Because of the availability of 2-Mandarin speaking priests on the parish, a decision was made in January 2008 to have the Mandarin mass so as to serve the Chinese community in Kota Padawan area. Both Fr Moses Yap and Joseph Lee take turns to help out with the Mandarin mass on Sundays at 5.30pm.

On 17th February 2007, the Ladies Guild of St Ann conducted the traditional Way of the Crosss, up Mt Sentah. The group gathered at the foot of the mountain, in the morning, and then made regular stops along the way.

It was a wonderful experience where the Ladies Guild from different kampungs took turn to lead the prayer and also carry a 5-foot wooden cross.

After reaching at the top of the mountain, the group rested awhile before celebrating the Eucharist. As usual, there was fellowship after the Mass and many felt good about the experience and hoped that there are more planned in the coming months.

VISIT TO HOLY SPIRIT, SUB-PARISH LUNDU

Some members of the St Ann’s Liturgical committee paid a fraternal visit to the Sub-parish in Lundu on 26 December 2007. The visit began in the morning where the members, together with their families, drove down in a convoy to Lundu.

They were welcomed by the committee members of the Holy Spirit Sub-parish of Lundu and had a short tea-break, where friendship was again renewed with each other. The group from the Sub-parish had earlier visited the Liturgical Committee members of St Ann Parish.

The Eucharist was celebrated by Friar Gerard, followed by a sumptuous lunch cooked by the Ladies Guild of the Sub-parish. It was an enjoyable affair and there were plans to arrange for more fraternal visits in the near future to other parishes.

Children Christmas Party at Teng Bukap

There was a pre-Christmas mass celebrated by Friar Gerard at Teng Bukap on 23rd Dec 2007 at 9.00am, followed by the eagerly waited Children Christmas Party. There were about 200 children present for the event.

Ms Maslinda together with other youths from Kampong Sira, organized the party for children. The children certainly enjoyed themselves with action songs, Christmas drama and games. The event ended with the giving of Christmas presents to the children by 2 youths dressed up like Santa Claus.

Life as Catechist

Working in the Lord’s Vineyard

Going to kampungs regularly to meet with people from all walks of life - young, old, rich or poor alike. People are eagerly waiting to see us and welcome us to their kampungs and homes. Sharing our faith and listening to them are the joys of being a catechist, though we also encounter challenges at times.

Meeting people from young to old is always full of joy and peace because our goal is to bring people closer to God and to help them experience God more deeply and intimately in their life.

New Team at St Ann Parish

Handing and taking over of Rector at St Ann.

The new parish team was installed by Archbishop John Ha at St Ann Baruk on 6 December 2007, that consist of Friar Gerard Victor as Rector and Friar Joseph Lee and Moses Yap as Assistants. There was a Welcome-Farewell event later in the evening. The parish welcomed friar Joseph Lee, who returned from his studies in Taiwan, and bid farewell to friar Joseph Goh, who will be going for his further studies in the United States.

In conjunction with the event there was also the launching of the Iban VCD by Jennario and Jenny Tan from Golden Pearl, in aid of the new St Ann Complex. We began the ceremony with the striking of the gong by Friar Gerard Victor followed by singing of songs from the VCD album. The huge crowd that came to witness the event certainly enjoyed the event with the occassional dancing and music.

Month of the Holy Souls Dawns on us once more...

Dear friends, in a few weeks time, we will be celebrating a day of prayer for all the souls of the faithful departed after the solemnity of All Saints on 1st November. The special day set aside to remember all our departed loved ones is 2nd November. As usual, many people have sent in names of their deceased loved ones to us, who will be remembered not only during Mass on 2nd November, but will be lovingly prayed for all throughout the month of November. If you'd like to join us, please contact us at stann10@streamyx.com or gerejakatolikstann@gmail.com. Please do also visit us at http://stannarwah.blogspot.com/

God bless!

May the souls of all departed parishioners of St Ann, Kota Padawan, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.