ROME(VATICAN RADIO).- Nov 26 – The Joy of the Gospel is the title Pope Francis has chosen for this first major document of his pontificate, putting down in print the joyous spirit of encounter with Christ that characterizes every public appearance he has made so far. The man who has constantly kept the media’s attention with his desire to embrace and share his faith with everyone he meets, now urges us to do exactly the same. To “recover the original freshness of the Gospel”, as he puts it, through a thorough renewal of the Church’s structures and vision. Including what he calls “a conversion of the papacy” to make it better able to serve the mission of evangelization in the modern world. The Church, he says, should not be afraid to re-examine “customs not directly connected to the heart of the Gospel” even if they may have deep historical roots.

KOTA KINABALU –  Arthur John, IY seminarian, writes on the closing of the academic year for archdiocesan formands:

Dec 11, 2014 marks the closing of our academic calendar year 2013 for the CAC Aspirants and the IY Seminarians.

It is by God’s Grace that we are able to complete our formation for the year. It seems like it was only yesterday that we began our journey in the CAC and IY Formation Houses. The period seems short but it is made up of many moments that filled our journey.

KOTA KINABALU – Sunday Samuel Worok, 27, hails from Kampung Pinangkau, one of the 13 outstations in the Paitan missionary area, and the only mission area in the Diocese of Sandakan. Kampung Pinangkau is some four and a half hours’ drive from Sandakan town on sealed road and another half an hour’s drive on gravel road. He is from the Sungai Tambanuwo indigenous community. Most of the Pinangkau folks are small scale farmers.

PAPAR(CS).- The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (FSIC) have all the reasons to rejoice and to glorify the Lord as they marked the end of the Year of Faith with their 6-day Annual Retreat at Pace Bene FSIC Centre for Spiritual Formation and Retreat, Papar from Nov 30-Dec 7.

KOTA KINABALU – Church of Mary Immaculate, Bukit Padang (CMI) celebrates its 21st anniversary on Sunday, Dec 8, 2013 which is the Second Sunday of Advent. Every year CMI would celebrate its feast day on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary on Dec 8, but as it coincides with the Second Sunday of Advent this year, CMI celebrated the feast day event on a smaller scale.