LABUAN – Totally convinced by the exhortation of Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium to live out the call of an evangelizing community, the Marvellous Light of Yahweh Covenant Community (MLYCC) took a leap of faith to reach out to 600 Catholic students currently studying at Labuan Matriculation College in providing foster-parenting care.
KOTA BELUD – Twenty-eight students and facilitators braved the storm in the early hours (5.30am) of 7 Sep 2014. Nothing would deter their mission to the Mother of Divine Grace Convent, Kota Belud. Everyone was on time. No one complained. The carrying of all the heavy goods for the convent in the heavy rain was not a bother!
Reaching Kota Belud, we celebrated Mass with the local parishioners at St Edmund’s Church. Fr Federick Raymond was the celebrant and though he had such a tight Sunday schedule, he made time to meet the students from Stella Maris Parish and he blessed them for their coming SPM exams.
LABUAN –One hundred and forty participants attended the recent Holy Spirit Youth Seminar 2014 organised by Followers of Christ (FOC) of Marvellous Light of Yahweh Covenant Community (MLYCC). The seminar with the theme “Faith Forward” was facilitated by Royal Ambassadors Youth (RAY) of Light of Jesus Christ Covenant Community, Kota Kinabalu. About half of the participants were students from the Labuan Matriculation College and the rest were the local youth themselves.
Abel Madisang: Whenever we talk about vocation to the priesthood, one thing that comes to my mind is ‘to offer oneself totally to God to continue his mission to share God’s love and compassion for the salvation of souls,’ as well as ‘to sacrifice the life of marriage.’
Frankly speaking, I have never thought of becoming a priest. I am just like the other youngsters. I have my own ambitions in life. I want a good job, a house for my future family, and also I want to get married. Therefore, becoming a priest is not in my list of ‘wants’.
Fr Rayner Bisius has just completed a 2-year study in Sacramental Theology in Rome and returned to Sabah to take up pastoral assignment in the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu. He is presently appointed as Chaplain to the Carmelite Monastery and Rector of the Initiation Year Formation House while at the same time he will be assisting the parish priest at St Catherine Inanam. On being approached by CS to share his experience in Rome, he graciously obliged.
In June 2012, I was sent to Rome to take up a 2-year course in Sacramental Theology at the San Anselmo University, which is privately owned by the Benedictine Congregation.
While in Rome, I stayed in the International College of San Paolo together with 200 student-priests from all over the world. As Italian was the main language, it presented a huge barrier for me. With God’s grace, I was able to complete my 2-year course.
KOTA KINABALU – Three IGCSE achievers did their alma mater proud.
Maktab Nasional is one of the few schools in Sabah that offers the Cambridge IGCSE (O-Level equivalent) examination as an enrichment programme besides the national curriculum (SPM).
Out of three students who took the exam in April/May this year at the British Council, Vincent Yong (17) scored 5As. The others, Robert Tan and Muhammad Al-Habib Yeo also managed to bag modest results.
This is the second batch of students from Maktab Nasional to attempt the Cambridge IGCSE. The first batch consisting of 4 students took the exam in 2013.
KG GOSUSU, Kota Marudu – The Light of Jesus Christ Covenant Community (LJCCC) assisted in the birth of a new mission outpost in 2011.
Kg Gosusu is a very remote pagan village, half-way between Kota Marudu and Kudat. With fine weather, it takes about 45 minutes by 4WD to reach the village from the road junction.
Alpheus Loinsang, a catechist and full-time lay worker of the Light of Jesus Christ Covenant Community (LJCCC), started to visit Kg Gosusu in 2011 and felt the call to bring the Good News to this village. The majority of the people there are pagans. In February 2013 he began to share and preach the Good News to the villagers. Some existing Christians in the village were a testament to other Christian attempts to convert the pagans some years back.
KOTA KINABALU – At the pronouncement by the parish priest, “I testify that he has been found worthy”, once again the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu is blessed with another deacon.
Witnessed by his parents, family members and relatives, parishioners from St Peter Claver parish, Ranau, as well as friends and parishioners from far and near, Archbishop John Wong ordained Abel Madisang to the order of deacons on 1 Sep 2014 at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Karamunsing.
KOTA KINABALU – Ecumenical delegation from Heilbronn Germany paid its 8th official visit to Sabah in August 2014.
Heilbronn is a city in the state of Baden WÜrttemberg at the southwest of Germany. It is part of the diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart. On 8th August, six Catholics and six Protestants arrived at Kota Kinabalu for a two-weeks’ visit. This is the 8th official ecumenical delegation to come here since the signing of the Sabah-Heilbronn Ecumenical Partnership (SHEP) agreement in 1990.
It is by God’s grace that we are gathered here today, to continue raising our “Mamangkis” as Anak Negeri of this land. We thank God for the unity of the churches in voicing out our common concerns. Indeed we are at the crossroad of many internal and external challenges to us as a multiracial and multi-religious society, and as a Christian community.
Threats from external forces invading our borders and threats from the huge presence of illegal immigrants have constantly reminded us of our vulnerability. However, many a time, our fears and cries are not seriously taken heed of by those in authorities.
Internally, our nation is confronted with unprecedented threat to our Christian faith. Attack on our religious beliefs and practices, even the language we use in our Bible, literatures and worship are under siege.