Catholic Sabah News

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.

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.