KOTA KINABALU  – “What is communication?  Does it derive from a feeling or a thought?”  Catholic Media Network (CMN) President Fr Francis Lucas directed the question to 90 participants during a media workshop in Kota Kinabalu recently.

The workshop featured dynamic talks of Fr Lucas, who helms the Catholic Media Network in the Philippines, composing of about 60 radio stations throughout the country.  An incardinated priest from the prelature of Infanta, he devoted most of his 40 years in his priesthood evangelizing and advocating for environmental, economic and agricultural development through media.  He is an active media practitioner as a news anchor in the nationwide radio program “CMN Veritas Philippines” and co-anchor in “The Forum”, a weekly media forum.

BUNDU TUHAN – One hundred and forty-five participants, comprising Primary 5 & 6 students and facilitators of the Joyful Weekend Gathering (Sunday School), as well as Children’s Liturgy English & Bahasa facilitators from the parish of Stella Maris, Tg Aru, attended a 3-day 2-night camp cum retreat at Bundu Tuhan Retreat Centre Mar 24-26.

This camp, organized for the second year, focused on Lenten themes as it was held during the season of Lent. Neil Mah, Catechetical Coordinator of the parish, facilitated as retreat master.

In the first session the children in their groupings were tasked to find out the saint’s date of birth and birth place, his/her life story, date of death, date of their feast day in the Church calendar and group(s) that they are patron of. This activity is made more interesting this year as more than half of the saints used were Asian and African saints.

BUNDU TUHAN – It has been sixty years since Brother Benedict Martin Snoeren mhm, fondly known as Bro Ben,  made his final profession as a lay brother of the Mill Hill Missionary Society.

In gratitude of his missionary work, the community of St Pius X Parish, Bundu Tuhan, where he has been serving for the last 57 years, celebrated his diamond jubilee with a Eucharistic celebration, followed by dinner at the Kinabalu National Park on the feast of the Solemnity of St Joseph Mar 19. It was a most significant day indeed as St Joseph is also the patron saint of the Mill Hill Missionaries.

LIKAS – A Lenten Retreat was held at St Simon Church Likas 20-23 Mar 2014 on “The Most Excellent Healing”.

The Retreat was conducted by the team from Putri Karmel comprising of Sr Maximillian Soon, Sr Geraldine, Sr Roswita, Brother Bosco and Brother Evan.

The talks focussed on the nature and effects of the 7 capital sins: Pride, Envy, Anger, Sloth, Gluttony, Covetousness, and Lust, which are great spiritual blocks that inhibit our relationship with God and one another.