2014-4

BUNDU TUHAN – Father John Prior of the Divine Word Society facilitated the annual clergy retreat at the Bundu Tuhan Retreat Centre here on 15-18 Sept 2014.

Anything can distract a person from God; both in the physical and spiritual realm.  Priestly life, though dedicated to serving and loving God, can also be affected.  Priests are also distracted from the very source of their vocation because of their busy schedule, with many things to be done and many people to be served. This is the very reason that priests are in need of their annual retreat to listen to God’s Word and to support and encourage each other in their common vocation.

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.