JULY, 01, 2012, Vol 62, No 13

w w w . c a t h o l i c n e w s . s g

SINGAPORE 50 CENTS / WEST MALAYSIA RM$1.20 MICA (P) 043 / 01 / 2012 PPS 201/04/2013 (022940) VOL 62 NO. 13SUNDAY JULY 1, 2012

HOMECharismatics converge in SingaporeLeaders from 14 countries attend course� Page 2

Camp bonds Mandarin-speaking kids Aims to raise leaders among them� Page 5

‘Balloon rosary’ over St Anne’s �� camp’s novel idea� Page 6

ASIAMore US troops in Philippines?Christian leaders criticise possibility� Page 10

FEATURECouples for Christ marks 25 yearsA look at its various ministries� Page 15

FOCUS‘Personal prelature’ for St Pius X Society?Reconciliation talks with Vatican still ongoing� Page 18

INSIDE

� Continued on page 11

It is through people’s sharing in the Eucharist that they come into communion with Christ and with each other. They also receive the pledge of eternal life to come, Pope Benedict XVI said in a video message released on the last day of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress held in Dublin, Ireland.

“The Eucharist is the worship of the whole Church, but it also requires the full engagement of each individual Christian in the Church’s mission,” the pope said. “It contains a call to be the holy people of God, but also one to in-dividual holiness.”

The papal video message brought to a close the 50th In-ternational Eucharistic Congress held in Dublin, Ireland, from June 10-17.

The theme of the congress was The Eucharist: Communion with Christ and with One Another.

The event is an international gathering organised every four years, and aims to promote an awareness of the central place of the Eucharist in the life and mis-sion of the Catholic Church.

The recent congress was held against a backdrop of anger over clerical abuse in Ireland as well as declining Mass attendance and a more aggressively secular society.

According to the congress website, the June 10 opening ceremony drew a crowd of more than 12,500 pilgrims from various parts of the world.

Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the pope’s representa-tive to the congress and the head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops, celebrated the opening Mass at the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) events venue.

��

providence, this gathering takes place here in Ireland. This is a coun-try known for its natural beauty, its hospitality and its rich culture, but most especially for its long tra-�� faith,” he said in his homily.

A “healing stone” was unveiled

during as a means of acknowledg-ing abuse of children in the Church.

The stone is a large piece of granite engraved with a prayer com-posed by a survivor of clerical abuse. The prayer was originally featured in the Liturgy of Lament celebrated in Dublin’s Pro-Cathedral in 2011.

The pope, in his video message, had said that “thankfulness and joy” at Ireland’s “great history of faith and love have recently been shaken in an appalling way by the revela-tion of sins committed by priests and consecrated persons against people entrusted to their care”.

He added that “evidently, their Christianity was no longer nourished by joyful encounter with Jesus Christ: it had become merely a matter of habit”.

The pope said that the Eucharis-tic Congress, like Vatican Council II, aims to “overcome this form of Christianity and to rediscover the faith as a deep personal friendship with the goodness of Jesus Christ”.

The theme of the second day was Exploring and Celebrating Our Communion through Bap-tism. Thousands of pilgrims at-tended morning Mass in their na-tive languages at 34 host churches.

Celebrating the value and cen-tral role of Communion in mar-riage and family life in the Church was the theme on June 12.

A Eucharistic procession during the 50th International Eucharistic Con-gress in Dublin, Ireland, on June 13. Some 12,500 pilgrims from around the world attended the weeklong congress. CNS photo

INTERNATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS

Sorrow over abuse expressed at congress

‘Thankfulness and joy’ at Ireland’s ‘great

history of faith and love have been shaken in an appalling way

by the revelation of sins committed

by priests and consecrated persons’.

– Pope Benedict XVI in a video message

2 Sunday July 1, 2012 � CatholicNews22 HOME

ARCHBISHOP’S DIARYJune 23 10.00am Church of the Holy Spirit Mass:

Founder’s Day (Opus Dei) 6.00pm Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace:

��June 30 10.30am Church of St Joseph (Victoria Street): Mass – 100 Years� ��!"#� ��$��%��&��July 01 11.00am Church of Sts Peter and Paul: Mass – Feastday 6.00pm Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour:

Mass – Feastday

By Martin See and

Gerard Francisco

Participants from different coun-tries who attended a weeklong Charismatic Leadership Training Course (LTC) in Singapore say it has helped deepen their love for the Church and their commitment to service.

The course was organised by International Catholic Char-ismatic Renewal Services (IC-CRS) together with the Singapore Archdiocesan Catholic Charis-matic Renewal (SACCRE).

It was held at the St Fran-cis Xavier Major Seminary and aimed at fostering leadership in the Catholic Charismatic renewal worldwide.

“The LTC has helped to deepen our love for God and His Church,” said Mrs Jessica Fran-cisco, chairperson of SACCRE, who attended the LTC. “To be servants to the Church especially in the area of evangelisation, not only do we need to be strong in our charisms, we need to be root-ed and grounded in what it means to be Catholic.”

Mrs Francisco was one of the 93 Catholic Charismatic leaders from 14 countries, which included Australia, New Zealand, China,

South Korea, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Qatar, who at-tended the June 10-16 course.

Twenty-two participants were Singaporeans.

“What I learnt from this course is the call to service to the com-munity, where there is a greater need for intercessory prayer,” said Mr Joe D Silva, who is living in

Sharjah, the United Arab Emir-ates.

“Before this course I never knew that the Church in China is growing till I met Chinese charis-matic leaders. I’m encouraged to pray for them and see the Church ��'�$��*��

The main part of the LTC pro-gramme were teaching sessions on the foundation and vision of the Catholic Charismatic renewal, ec-clesiology (study of the Church), baptism in the Holy Spirit, theol-ogy of mission and other topics.

The teachers of the course were ICCRS president Michelle Moran, ICCRS director of train-ing James Murphy and former IC-CRS president Allan Panozza.

According to Mrs Moran, IC-CRS is giving much attention to leadership formation in response to Blessed John Paul II’s call to all Church movements to grow in maturity.

Besides input sessions, partici-pants also experienced fellowship with participants from different cultures.

One China participant said the

LTC “helped me grow in my love for the Catholic Church and to serve closely within its structure”.

The course culminated in the ICCRS-SACCRE Ablaze Healing Rally which took place at Church of the Holy Spirit on June 16 and

transformation to open doors for renewal in our lives. To be really alive is to be open to God’s love.” Mrs Moran told the crowd.

“The coming of the Holy Spir-it never ceases to be out poured in the world. I believe the Lord

Speakers James Murphy and Michelle Moran at the ICCRS-SACCRE Ablaze Healing Rally.

Participants undergoing the Leadership Training Course at the St Francis Xavier Major Seminary. Photos: MIRLANI BUDISETIA

Course attracts Charismatic leaders from 14 countriesAims to foster leadership in the Catholic Charismatic renewal worldwide

‘To be servants to the Church ... not only do we need to be strong in our charisms, we

need to be rooted and grounded in what it

means to be Catholic.’– SACCRE chairperson

Jessica Francisco

which was open to the public. About 700 people attended.

Mrs Moran and Mr Jim Mur-phy gave talks on the theme, I’ve Come to Bring Fire to the Earth (Luke 12:49).

“We need to ask the Lord for

is calling us to be trailblazers that seek life in the worldly culture of death,” she said.

Mr Murphy shared his experi-��+��/��cold and rain, and meeting an old man who shared with his group ��+��8�� $�� other rain-drenched campers.

;��in your lives”, said Mr Murphy.

Ms Cecilia Phua, who attend-��/�� <��uplifting because of the speakers. I like what Jim said about pass-ing on God’s love and also about building the community.”

The rally ended with an indi-vidual healing session by SAC-CRE members. �

[email protected]

3Sunday July 1, 2012 � CatholicNews HOME

By Nicholas Lee

The celebration of the feast of Corpus Christi by the Catholic Spirituality Centre (CSC) marked the 10th anniversary of the estab-lishment of the Archdiocesan Per-petual Adoration Chapel there.

More than 500 people gathered at the CSC opposite the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the June 10 celebra-tion. It included a Mass led by Archbishop Nicholas Chia and a procession around the compound with the Blessed Sacrament.

In his homily, Archbishop Chia urged the congregation to prepare themselves well before receiving the Eucharist in order to be strengthened spiritually.

“It is not just coming forward to receive the host but coming for-

ward with deep faith and deep con-viction that we are really going to unite ourselves with God,” he said.

He urged the faithful to spend time in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. “Visits to the Blessed Sacrament will keep us in touch with the Lord,” he said.

Archbishop Chia reminded Catholics to pray for priests to be in touch with the heart of Jesus. The feast of Corpus Christi also highlights the special connection of the Eucharist with the ministe-rial priesthood, he said.

Concelebrating the Mass was Fr William Goh, CSC spiritual director. He thanked Archbishop Chia for setting up the perpetual adoration chapel 10 years ago and those who took part in an over-night vigil in the chapel prior to the Mass.

10 years ofperpetualadorationCatholic Spirituality Centre marks milestone during Corpus Christi feast

‘Visits to the Blessed Sacrament will keep us in touch with the Lord.’

– Archbishop Nicholas Chia

Archbishop Chia leads a procession with the Blessed Sacrament around the Catholic Spirituality Centre together with Fr William Goh. Photo: DOMINIC WONG

CSC ministry members and other Catholics had participated in a 24-hour vigil before the Blessed Sacrament in which the names of all priests within the archdiocese were read out so people could pray for them.

Catholics interviewed shared that frequent adoration of the Blessed Sacrament brought peace and joy to their lives.

“Adoring the Blessed Sacra-ment grants me peace, comfort and a feeling of oneness ... with

Christ,” said Mr Julian Soh, 27. “It also gives me an opportunity to listen to His voice in my heart.”

Madam Agnes Lau, 59, said she experiences Jesus’ “love, �� '��through me during adoration”.

Archbishop Nicholas Chia set up the Archdiocesan Perpetual Adoration Chapel shortly after his episcopal ordination.

The chapel is open for prayers 24 hours a day. �


By Martin See

SJI International student Nathan Darius has beaten thousands of other students worldwide in achieving the highest score in the November 2011 Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics paper.

The Cambridge International �� =��Education (IGCSE) is a popu-�� >$�� ?@[?\[��[��<��+��?@@�countries and in more than 2,900 schools around the world.

Darius received his Cam-bridge Top in the World award during his school’s scholarship ��]$��^��

8�� ?\[��[�� <��who joined SJI International in _��`�� {"?"�� $�� #$�-�$�� [�� <��Baccalaureate diploma pro-gramme at the school.

He told CatholicNews that SJI International “did a … lot in con-tributing” to his achievement.

He attributed his success in maths to his teachers, who prepared ��|��/��of maths problems, and the intensi-��+��|#��

_��+��<��$�� #�� #�� $-��<��/��$��of using before I entered SJI Inter-national,” he said.

Nathan, a Buddhist, shared that his parents and elder sis-ter’s support helped him do well �� $�� $�� life.

�� #�� +��`�-ance” between studies, “socialis-

ing with friends” and engaging in sports and games. Without enough sports or relaxation time, it would be harder for him to concentrate on his studies, he said.

The school atmosphere also ��#�� $##��`�� #��#��here, from the teachers, staff and ��$�� /�� and there is an … atmosphere of togetherness,” he said. �

[email protected]

SJI International student Nathan Darius receives his Cambridge Top in the World Award from principal Brian Christian on June 8.

Student’s maths score highest worldwide


By Stella Kon

The World Community for Chris-tian Meditation Singapore is or-ganising a forum to help teachers, catechists and parents teach medi-tation to children.

The forum, to be held on July 14 at St Joseph’s Institution (In-dependent) on Malcolm Road, is titled The Gift of Peace – Sharing Christian Meditation with Children.

“Teaching our children to medi-tate for a few minutes each day is equipping them with a life skill to deal with stress, to calm themselves, and to concentrate and pay atten-tion,” said Mr Peter Ng, national co-ordinator for the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM).

According to Benedictine monk Fr Laurence Freeman, di-rector of WCCM, meditation is a way of prayer that can be prac-tised by anyone regardless of age.

It is of great value to children who are at the beginning of their pilgrimage into life, he says.

Speakers at the forum include Dr Cathy Day and Mr Ernie Chris-tie, director and deputy director respectively of the Catholic Educa-��_��8��/��$��

Together they have developed and implemented a systematic practice of Christian meditation in all Catholic schools in the Dio-cese of Townsville.

Since 2006, 10,000 students �� /�� ?^� �/�� `��from this programme.

Local speakers at the upcoming forum will also share their experi-ence of introducing Christian med-itation to children in Singapore.

The Canossian family of schools in Singapore has been do-ing this since 1997.

At Canossian Convent Kinder-garten, Sr Joanna Tong has been practising meditation with the children for the past nine years.

“It makes the children more relaxed and mindful in all they do,” she says.

Catechism teachers at the Church of the Risen Christ and Church of St Bernadette Church have also introduced meditation to their students.

The forum costs $30 per par-ticipant. To register, go to www.wccmsingapore.org. For enquir-ies, contact Audrey ([email protected]) or Anita (9759 0925). �

Teaching kidshow to meditate

Catechism students from the Church of the Risen Christ meditating. A forum on teaching meditation to children will be held on July 14.

By Darren Boon

Mandarin-speaking children who took part in a Church-run camp recently said it has helped them to form friendships and deepen their faith life.

Ten-year-old Christina Tan said she learnt that every person is a “gift from God”, and if one has not treated one’s friends well, one should start treating them better.

Tan, who is from the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Vir-gin Mary, said one camp activity which saw participants led in a blindfolded walk around outdoor Stations of the Cross, helped her to experience what Jesus must have felt during His Passion.

Tan was one of 35 children from 11 parishes, from Primary Two to Six, who attended the June ^[?"��#�

The annual camp, to help chil-dren in the Mandarin-speaking community deepen their knowl-edge of God and bond with other children, was organised by the Commission for Apostolate of Mandarin-speaking in Singapore.

It was held on the premises of the Nativity Church and had the theme, Gift of Love.

Jonathan Cher, 15, a camp organiser, said the camp aimed to instil in participants the im-portance of community and help them take up leadership positions within the Mandarin-speaking Catholic community.

His co-organiser, Goh Yan

Tong, 16, noted that as the Man-darin-speaking community is rather small, the camp was also to help connect the children from across the parishes.

Activities included talks by Deacon Joseph Zhang on God’s gifts of love such as Jesus, life, people, the family and nature.

Participants took part in morn-ing exercises, prayer sessions and group games. They also went on a special prayer walk in which they

were led blindfolded around the church’s outdoor Stations of the Cross one night.

Participants said they learnt much from the camp activities.

Eleven-year-old Felicia Chai from Nativity Church said she now understands better that every person is a special creation of God despite his or her imperfections.

Eight-year-old Luke Pavril from the Church of St Bernadette said he enjoyed playing and praying togeth-er with the other camp participants.

A one-day camp for pre-schoolers was also held on June 9. It attracted 13 participants.

A camp for Mandarin-speak-ing teenagers has been scheduled for the end of the year. �

[email protected]

Camp helps kids strengthen bonds,deepen faith

One of the camp’s goals was to help

the children take up leadership positions

within the community.

Children from the Mandarin-speaking Catholic community took part in games and prayer activities during a June 8-10 camp.


By Darren Boon

A Caritas programme aims to get people to donate money monthly through GIRO, have them rope in several others to participate, and have them in turn recruit others to donate.

The programme, called Living Water Ambassador, was explained to about 50 potential donors on June 8 at Church of Sts Peter and Paul.

The scheme, started last year, is to allow the wider community to support the local Church’s charity programmes on an on-go-ing basis and reduce fundraising administrative costs.

During the June 8 presenta-tion, Vicar General Msgr Eugene Vaz led the attendees through a ��'��`��“living water” – to be blessed and to be a blessing to others.

An introduction to the Caritas Singapore Community Council and the Living Water Ambassador programme followed.

Caritas Singapore’s execu-tive director Bernadette Lau told CatholicNews that her organisa-tion hopes to “increase the giving from the community” through this “multi-level” model “as there is a multiplier effect”.

Caritas Singapore hopes to

raise another $300,000 from this project this year and a million dol-lars annually in the future.

More presentations are being planned throughout the year for potential donors.

Mr Jonathan Chan, a Catholic who attended the recent presenta-tion, said that he will consider be-ing a regular donor.

Caritas’ multi-level fundraising project

Living Water project brochure.

Mr Casey Chew, who is not �� #��-gramme meaningful and would make a donation to it. He would also try to encourage other friends to support the programme.

Those who wish to know more about the Living Water Ambassador project may email [email protected] or call 6337 3711. �[email protected]

A three-storey-high “rosary” made up of purple and gold he-��$[��`��-agers of St Anne’s Church during ��#��

The “balloon rosary” was the brainchild of Mr Luke Wong, one of the organisers of the camp, held from June 1-3.

“As St Anne is the mother of Mary and the rosary has always been a powerful tool for all Catho-lics, we decided to do a ‘living ro-sary’ made up of helium balloons,” Mr Wong told CatholicNews.

He added that he believed the “exceptional” activity had never been undertaken before in Singa-pore.

During the camp, organisers stressed the importance of prayer in the life of the 107 young par-ticipants.

The teenagers and volunteers were then asked to write their per-sonal prayers on slips of paper on June 2.

These were inserted into each of the 59 balloons representing the beads of the rosary.

Purple balloons were used for the Hail Mary beads while gold balloons were used for the Our Father beads.

�� over St Anne’s Church

A huge rosary made up of balloons �� camp.

The next morning at about 6 am, organisers pumped helium into the balloons. About two hours later, ��'��being secured to a church railing.

�� `�� they saw as an incredible experi-ence.

“When the rosary balloons with all our heartfelt prayers in-side were released into the sky, I felt like I had written a letter to God and was being transported to Him,” said Megan Michelle Tan.

“I felt really amazed and happy because I have never seen anything like that happen before,” shared Ashleigh Kavitha Das. “It was a meaningful experience.”

8��`��'��for about three hours before the helium ran out.

The prayer slips in them were later offered to Our Lady as peti-tions. �

PRIEST APPOINTMENTS: Fr Peter Zhang, CDD, has been appointed to the Church of the Holy Cross while Fr Joseph Zhang Wei, CDD, has been appointed to the Church of the Risen Christ.

Deacon Samuel Lim will be ordained a priest on Aug 9 at St Anne’s Church while Deacon Jo-seph Zhang will have his priestly ordination at the Church of the Holy Trinity on Aug 20. �

7ADVERTISEMENTSunday July 1, 2012 � CatholicNews

8 Sunday July 1, 2012 � CatholicNews HOME

By Darren Boon

St Anne’s Church has warned of the unlawful use of its Mass- offering envelopes recently.

The parish administrator, Mr Rodney Heng, told CatholicNews that he had received a complaint from a member of the public that a group of boys had approached the complainant to ask for Mass offerings on behalf of the parish.

The Mass-offering envelopes are easily available outside the �� and inside the church.

Mr Heng said he noticed that recently stocked boxes of enve-lopes had been depleted rather quickly.

The parish made a police re-port in the last week of May and highlighted the incident in its June

2-3 parish bulletin to warn parish-ioners of the matter.

“The Catholic Church doesn’t have such a practice [of soliciting Mass offerings on behalf of the church],” an announcement in the bulletin said.

“Mass-offering envelopes should always be dropped into the Mass offering collection boxes or passed directly to the parish sec-retary of the respective churches,” it added.

“The name of the church is at stake,” Mr Heng said, explaining why the parish made a police re-port. It is also to keep the police informed, he added.

Meanwhile, Mr Heng hopes that the alleged culprits would cease their unlawful acts. �

[email protected]

Parish warns of misuse of Mass-offering envelopes

By Darren Boon

Various parishes are working to keep neophytes – the newly bap-tised – engaged in Church and community life through small communities and other ministries.

At the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, neophytes, their godparents, sponsors and catechists have met in small groups in homes for Mystagogy, the post-baptismal catechesis pe-��RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) process.

There are seven groups of var-ying sizes.

The parish’s RCIA team want-ed a break from the classroom set-ting in church.

Since Mystagogy is a period for neophytes to deepen their faith, the team felt it would be bet-ter for neophytes to be in a small-group setting which is more con-ducive to personal sharing, said

Mr Xavier Woon, a catechist.Neophytes told CatholicNews

�� `�� and learn from one another in such a setting.

“It’s a more informal environ-ment … it’s more personal … you can share about stuff that is closer to your heart … it’s more comfort-able in a way,” said Ms Alicia Teo.

“Especially since our faith is new … it’s very important to have a community to hold us together, otherwise it’s very easy to drift away and be a Sunday Catholic,” she added.

“It feels like a family,” said another neophyte, Mr Gabriel Png. “You look forward to come to listen to each other and share.”

He said the group intends to continue meeting, once a month, because “there are a lot of things to share in the Gospel”.

Future sessions may involve their families and include birthday celebrations.

Reaching outto the newlybaptisedParishes use various means to help neophytes feel part of community

Neophytes at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour have been meeting in a home after their baptisms for Mystagogy. From left: Mr Gabriel Png, Mr Joel Teo,

Ms Alicia Teo, Ms Lois Kok and Ms Irene Chia.

Mr Mark Chan, one of the group’s facilitators, said the chal-lenge for the group is “to come up with more imaginative ways and means” of spiritual input.

At Church of St Mary of the Angels, some of the catechumens introduced to the parish’s Neigh-

bourhood Christian Communities (NCCs) during their RCIA journey have continued attending commu-nity meetings after baptism.

One of them, Mr Fachmin Fo-�� `�� an NCC helpful for his spiritual growth. It also allows him to get to know more parishioners.

“Through the NCC we … share our experiences” as well as read the Bible, Mr Folianto said.

The parish also encourages neophytes to join NCCs.

Ms Stephanie Chua, an RCIA coordinator from Novena Church, said its catechumens have been exposed to various services and ministries during their RCIA jour-ney.

While some join ministries in Novena Church after baptism, neophytes are also encouraged to join ministries in their home par-ishes, she added.

There is also a gathering about three months after neophytes’ baptisms to “touch base” with them, said Ms Chua.

Neophytes at the Church of the Holy Family are made aware of the NCCs in the parish, Ms Ur-sula Quah, a catechist there, told CatholicNews.

During the Easter season, they attend Masses with their sponsors while wearing their baptismal robes, she said. �

[email protected]

‘It’s more personal. You can share about stuff that is closer to

your heart.’– Ms Alicia Teo, on having

faith sharing in a home setting


By Darren Boon

Singaporean Catholics involved in a road accident in Sabah, Malaysia, say they are thankful to God for helping them survive the ordeal.

They were involved in the June 3 accident after attending a June 1-3 Mandarin retreat at Pertapaan Karmel, Tambunan, in Keningau diocese.

According to a news report, a tour bus carrying 34 of the 58 retreatants had a suspected brake malfunction. It hit the bus in front, carrying the other retreatants, be-fore overturning and crashing.

�� !@� #�� bus suffered injuries, with six se-riously hurt.

The 24 passengers in other bus were reportedly uninjured.

Fifty-six passengers were Sin-gaporeans while the remaining two were Malaysians working in Singapore.

The pilgrims were heading down a hilly road towards Kota Kinabalu when the accident oc-curred at around 4 pm, the report said.

The Singaporean pilgrims came from parishes such as the Church of St Francis of Assisi, Church of St Mary of the An-gels and St Joseph Church (Bukit Timah), according to Ms Teresa ��$��`$��

All the Singaporeans have re-turned home, except for one who remains hospitalised in Sabah, she said.

One passenger in the crashed

bus, who gave his name as Mi-chael, said he remembers the ve-hicle crashing into the other bus before swerving to the left, hitting the hill and overturning.

He remembers someone breaking the glass windows to help those trapped to escape. While he was waiting to receive medical attention, someone came to pray over him, he recalled.

Michael was later hospitalised overnight for a checkup. He told CatholicNews that he is grateful to God for being alive.

Ms Liu echoed similar senti-

Catholics involved in Sabah crash grateful for God’s help

The pilgrims were heading down a hilly road towards Kota

Kinabalu when their bus overturned.

ments. “I thank God for saving our lives,” she said.

She said she had feared for the safety of those passengers who were in their 70s and 80s, and her ��#�� -derly folks be injured”.

Another survivor, Ms Mary _�� <�� who saved us.”

If “it wasn’t for God” the bus could have gone over a cliff, she said, adding that since the narrow escape, she has learnt to appreci-ate God’s gift of life better. �

[email protected]

The well-known Cathedral Choir of the Risen Christ awarded med-als to some 60 members for their years of service just days after the group returned from a memorable pilgrimage to Italy.

During the 10 am Mass on June 17, apostolic nuncio Arch-bishop Leopoldo Girelli conferred bronze, silver and gold medals on 62 members with 10, 20 and 30-39 years of service respectively.

Three members were awarded the Emeritus Medal as well as a special papal blessing for 40 years of service.

According to choir director, Sir Peter Low, the 80-strong choir started this tradition when Arch-bishop Alberto Tricarico was ap-ostolic nuncio to Singapore. Later nuncios – Archbishops Luigi Bressan, Adriano Bernardini and Salvatore Pennacchio – continued the tradition.

“The medals serve to remind the members to use their God-giv-en talent in the service of God,” said Sir Peter.

The choir had just returned from their May 26-June 10 pil-grimage tour of Italy where they sang for Pope Benedict XVI as well as attended Mass at special religious sites.

These included the sanctuary chapel in the Duomo in Milan, the cloister chapel of the Basilica of St Anthony in Padua, the crypt of St Mark’s Basilica in Venice and the Pantheon in Rome.

According to Sir Peter, the choir “experienced the hand of Di-

vine Protection early in the tour”.On May 29, “for some un-

known reason”, he insisted that the group leave Padua at 8 am in-stead of 9 am as scheduled.

“One hour after our departure, an earthquake struck along the route from Padua to Assisi requir-ing the highway to be closed. We escaped the earthquake and be-ing stranded in Padua,” he told CatholicNews.

According to him, many people

ity on June 3, the choir sang for Mass at the Altar of the Chair in St Peter’s Basilica in the presence of Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, Presi-dent Emeritus of Vatican City State.

On June 6, the group arrived at St Peter’s Square for the papal audience. There they sang for the pope and the audience of more than 20,000.

“We were rewarded with a broad papal smile and applause from the seated pontiff” when the choir sang “Christus Vincit”, said Sir Peter.

On June 9, the group visited Monte Cassino Abbey, renown for Gregorian chant, where they sang an entire Mass in Latin.

“God looked after us the whole way through and we returned af-ter 16 days blessed with perfect weather and happy memories of our sacred encounters to last a lifetime,” said Sir Peter. �

Long-service awards,pilgrimage a boostto cathedral choir

Members of the Cathedral Choir of the Risen Christ pose for a photo with Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, President Emeritus of Vatican City State, at St Peter’s Basilica. Beside him is choir director Sir Peter Low. Chaplain for the trip, Fr Ignatius Yeo, is on the extreme left.

enjoyed the choir’s repertoire at the various places where they sang, such as in Lanciano where pilgrims from Vietnam, Korea and Germany were apparently moved to tears.

At the Scala Sancta Church in Rome, the Passionist Fathers re-quested that the choir sing in ado-ration of the Holy Cross instead of keeping the traditional silence as the group knelt its way up the Holy Stairs.

On the feast of the Holy Trin-

Many people enjoyed the choir’s

singing in Italy, such as in Lanciano

where pilgrims from Vietnam,

Korea and Germany were apparently moved to tears.

10 Sunday July 1, 2012 � CatholicNewsASIA

MANILA – Taking advantage of a growing preference for natural and indigenous wellness products, enterprising Catholic nuns in the southern Philippines are produc-ing their own brand of organic medicine.

The group of Catholic Sis-ters in Tagum City in Mindanao has been taking mangosteens and manufacturing them into cap-sules.

The Handmaids of Christ the

King (Ancillae Christi Regis) Sisters have been making the capsules by hand for almost two years, painstakingly pounding pieces of dried mangosteen rind into powder with the use of mortar and pestles.

Many people believe that the fruit has healing properties.

The income generated is used to sustain the processing facility and to support the nuns’ apostolic and charitable work. � UCANEWS.COM

Nuns producemangosteen capsules

BESIKAMA UTARA, INDONESIA – The Indonesian Church has rushed aid recently to hundreds ��`��`��'��'��/��#��Belu district, in East Nusa Teng-gara province, under water.

Heavy rain caused a breach �� \"[�� '��[�� on the Benenain River, with the ��$�� '�� $��agricultural land and 10 villages in the district.

Four villages in West Malaka sub-district were the worst hit with 625 families left stranded by '�� metre deep in some places.

On June 12, Caritas Indone-sia in cooperation with Atambua diocese’s Commission for Socio-Economic Development rushed �/�� ""� `�� cooking oil, tarpaulins and mos-quito nets to the worst hit families.

St John the Baptist Church, which serves the worst-affected

villages, was converted into a dis-tribution centre.

Local authorities had already distributed some basic supplies and were providing health care to ward off water borne diseases.

The church team coordinator, Mr Gregorius Amisa, said many people had lost everything in the '��

“[The water] has inundated houses and destroyed vast tracts of agricultural land,” Mr Amisa said.

“We want to build solidarity and show the people the Church really cares,” he added.

The team will also try to come up with a disaster management plan that will help local people protect themselves from future '��

He said the district govern-ment, the Church and local peo-ple will need to discuss ways of repairing the dam and ensuring it �� UCANEWS.COM

Caritas rushes ��

VINH CITY, VIETNAM – A diocesan �� province has condemned local au-thorities for their part in what he says was the violent suppression of Catholics attending a service at a layperson’s home recently.

Several Catholics were injured during violent scenes in Chau Binh commune on June 11 after �$�� $� �� other villagers prevented priests from blessing a new house.

8�� #��`��for violating religious freedom, injuring local Catholics and cre-ating divisions in the local com-munity. We strongly condemn their illegal actions,” said Fr Peter ��$�� $�� #��$��

In a June 16 open letter to of-��#��/��$��Chau district and Chau Binh com-mune, Fr Huong demanded that authorities deal with those respon-sible for the incident and compen-sate those who were injured or

had property damaged.He said the trouble began when

��/��`$�� $�� $�� who had invited several priests and local Catholics to bless the new ��̀ $��and villagers desecrated the altar.

The priests took off their vest-�� +�� a written statement about the inci-dent but they refused. The priests then dismissed the gathering and left the house.

Soon after, three of the vil-��`��$#��/��Catholics, putting them in hospi-tal, said Fr Huong, adding that lo-��$��beating but did not do anything to stop it.

He said there are 35 Catholic families in Chau Binh commune.

Fr Huong called on the gov-ernment to protect people’s reli-gious freedom and help reconcile Catholics with other community members. � UCANEWS.COM

��ban house blessing

COLOMBO – A Sri Lankan op-position lawmaker has appealed to the pope to put pressure on the government to diffuse a row in which alleged threats have been made against Bishop Rayappu Jo-seph of Mannar.

In a letter sent to the pope on June 13, Dr Jayalath Jayawardena said the bishop is coming under increasing attack by several gov-ernment ministers and the media.

��$��-logue with the Sri Lankan govern-ment to ensure his [Bishop Jo-seph’s] safety so he can continue his mission without threats, intim-idation and false allegations,” the United National Party lawmaker’s letter said.

8��`��#� ��$�� calling for an independent inter-national body to investigate alle-gations of war crimes committed by the government in a letter sent to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva earlier this year.

Some of the accusations be-ing levelled against the prelate are that he aspires to be the Car-dinal of “Tamil Eelam,” is in-volved in a conspiracy against the government supported by International Non-Governmental Organisations, and that he dis-

turbs Muslim-Tamil harmony.“Government ministers have

called for his arrest and prosecu-tion over the letter and a statement he made to the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission,” said Dr Jayawardana.

“The bishop was questioned `�� month. At no time has the bishop ever called for a separate country or a renewed armed struggle,” Dr Jayawardena said.

“He had also condemned at-tacks on journalists and human rights defenders.”

Pope Benedict and Sri Lankan President Maninda Rajapaksa met �� <�� known whether the situation regard-ing Bishop Joseph was discussed.

Meanwhile, Fr Jayabalan Croos, a priest from the bishop’s diocese has expressed appreciation for the large show of support for the prelate. � UCANEWS.COM

Battle scene between the Sri Lankan military and Liberation Tigers of Ta-�� -ternational body to investigate allegations of war crimes by the government.

MP appeals to pope ��

MANILA – Christian leaders criti-cised the possibility of more US troops arriving in the Philippines after President Benigno Aquino and US President Barack Obama agreed to increase military coop-eration between the two countries.

The Ecumenical Bishops Fo-rum said on June 11 the agreement would threaten Philippine inde-pendence and sovereignty, reported the Asian Church news agency UCA News.

“The return of US troops to Philippine soil undermines our peoples’ sovereignty,” the bishops said in their statement.

“The continued subservience of our political leaders to the US and its international instrumental-ities betrays our freedom and sov-ereignty,” the statement added.

In early June, the US Senate ap-proved a resolution calling for en-hanced defence and security coop-eration with the Philippines under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.

In April, approximately 6,000 US troops joined the Philippine army in joint military exercises in the country.

During their meeting in Wash-ington on June 8, Mr Obama as-sured Mr Aquino of the importance of strengthening the alliance be-tween their two countries in light �� '�� =�$��China Sea and the US expansion #��[��

The Ecumenical Bishops Fo-rum, an organisation of Catholic and Protestant Church leaders, said it was unacceptable for the Aquino administration to submit the country’s freedom to the US in the guise of mutual defence ties. � UCANEWS.COM

Philippine Christian leaders against more US troops

US President Barack Obama shakes hands with Philippine President Benig-no Aquino in the White House in Washington on June 8. Christian leaders criticised the possibility of more American troops arriving in the Philippines.

11Sunday July 1, 2012 � CatholicNews 11WORLD

� From on page 1

Among a series of popular workshops, talks, youth events and exhibitions, pilgrims heard Archbishop Luis Antonio G Tagle of Manila speak on The Abuse of Children: Accepting Responsibil-ity, Bringing Healing.

He spoke about clergy sexual ��$�� '��from Asia.

“The so-called crisis of the clergy unfolding these past years is immense in scope. It includes alle-gations of sexual misconduct, sus-picions about the clergy’s handling of money, accusations of misuse

of authority, inappropriate lifestyle and a host of other things,” he said.

�� this crisis seems to be about ex-plicitly sexual behaviour only. But a closer look at the actual cases reveals that deep theological, spir-itual, anthropological and pastoral issues are involved”.

On the evening of June 13, about 12,500 people participated in a Eucharistic procession through the streets of Dublin. Many carried banners representing their parishes, and the event included boys and girls who had recently made their First Communion.

Rain during the June 14 Mass

saw the concelebrants wearing plastic ponchos over their chasu-bles. Earlier in the day, a large screen was erected for those who were unable to get a seat at the var-ious workshops and talks.

The Congress celebrated the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 15, when speakers and pil-grims explored the theme of Com-munion in Suffering and in Heal-ing.

Patriarch Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, was the main celebrant at Mass. Christians in Jerusalem “need to realise that �� $�� $�-age in His presence,” he said in his

homily. “Though we are very few and diminishing in number, may we Christians in Jerusalem as well as all Christians remain faithful where the Lord has placed us!”

Pilgrims shared their views about the congress.

Ms Mary Walsh of Cork, Ire-land, told Catholic News Service the Eucharistic Congress had been “an opportunity for people to come together and share and celebrate the beauty of our Catholic faith”.

“People rightly criticise the Church for its failings,” she said, “but the fact that the faith is often inadequately lived does not take away from the truth of it.”

Mr Tom O’Sullivan of Bel-fast, Northern Ireland, said the congress was “allowing the silent majority of the country to come together and share their love for the Eucharist and the Mass”. He said he had been heartened and felt his spirits lifted by participat-ing in the events.

The event saw a few hundred speakers giving catechesis, person-al testimonies and talks.

There were altogether about 160 workshops during the con-gress.

The next International Eucha-ristic Congress, in 2016, will be held in Cebu, Philippines. � CNS

WASHINGTON – The Catechism of the Catholic Church now has a greater presence in the increas-ingly popular world of e-books.

The US Conference of Catho-lic Bishops (USCCB) has made the catechism available as a browser-based e-book at www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/index.cfm.

The catechism is a compendium of Catholic beliefs structured around the four pillars of faith: creed, sacra-ments, commandments and prayer.

The USCCB announcement about the latest e-book format comes at a time when more active readers are moving to e-books from traditional formats.

A US-based study conducted in February shows 21 percent of adults say they read an e-book in the past year, compared with 17 percent in December 2011 who said they had done so.

Additional research shows that overall e-book owners are more likely to read than those who read via print formats. � CNS

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican Sec-retary of State blamed an ongoing scandal over leaked Vatican docu-ments on unethical journalists and a spirit of hostility towards the Catholic Church.

“Many journalists play at imi-tating Dan Brown,” said Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, in an interview with the Italian magazine Famiglia Cristiana. “They continue to in-vent fables or repeat legends.”

Cardinal Bertone made his remarks as Vatican judges were investigating leaks to Italian journalists of dozens of docu-ments, including letters to the pope and encrypted ca-bles from Vatican embassies around the world, several of which hint at power ��$��-cials of the Holy See.

“The truth is that there is a malicious will to produce division” among the collaborators of Pope Ben-edict XVI, the cardinal said.

The Catholic Church “is an unambiguous point of reference for innumerable persons and in-stitutions around the world”, he said. “For this reason some try to destabilise it,” he said.

The cardinal likened the expe-rience of the scandal, for the pope ��$��|��

Noting that the publication of private letters violates the Ital-ian constitution’s guarantee of a right to privacy, Cardinal Ber-tone lamented that stories of the Church’s extensive charitable works have been “intentionally ignored or erased” amid heavy press coverage of the scandal.

The cardinal expressed sorrow about the case of the pope’s per-sonal assistant, Mr Paolo Gabriele, who has been charged with aggra-vated theft of documents in connec-

tion with the leaks.“This betrayal

of trust has been the most painful fact,” he said. “The pope him-self has asked several times, in a sorrowful manner, for an expla-nation of the moti-vations of the act of Paolo Gabriele, loved by him like a son.”

Addressing an-other controversy,

Cardinal Bertone denied that the dismissal in May of Mr Ettore Gotti Tedeschi as president of the Vatican Bank represented any resistance to efforts to increase transparency at the institution, formally known as the Institute for Religious Works.

��8��due to “a deterioration of relations among the board members caused by disagreements”, the cardinal said. “The desire for transparency of the [bank] is undeniable.” � CNS

VATICAN CITY – Catholics who act like their faith has nothing to do with daily life and a Church structure that is more bureaucracy than service are two impediments to the Church’s ability to proclaim faith in Jesus, said the working document for the next meeting of the world’s bishops.

“Every one of the Church’s ac-tions has an essential evangelising character and must never be sepa-rated from the duty to help others encounter Christ in faith,” said the document that will guide the work of the Synod of Bishops, sched-uled for Oct 7-28 at the Vatican.

Pope Benedict XVI chose as the synod’s theme, The New Evangelisation for the Transmis-sion of the Christian Faith.

The working document, re-leased on June 19, said the bish-ops and other meeting participants will focus on faith in Jesus as the heart of evangelisation, how changes in the world impact belief and the practice of the faith, how liturgy, catechesis and charitable activity do or should bring people to faith, and a look at particular ways Catholics evangelise and educate people in the faith.

The new evangelisation, it said, “will also involve the courage to ��$��-dals” within the Church and “to ac-knowledge faults while continuing to witness to Jesus Christ”.

Looking within the Church, the document said, “many la-ment the excessive bureaucratic character” of Church structures, which are “perceived as being far removed from the average person and his everyday concerns”.

The synod’s working document is based on responses to a long out-line and questionnaire published in

March 2011. The responses came from 114 bishops’ conference, 26 ��-al unions of superior generals of male and female Religious orders, said Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary-general of the synod.

“Some responses,” the docu-ment said, “complained of the excessively formal character of liturgical celebrations, an almost routine celebration of rituals and the lack of a deep spiritual experi-ence, which turn people away in-stead of attracting them”.

At a news conference on June 19, Archbishop Eterovic said the synod will attempt to respond to “the need for new instruments and new expressions to make the word

of God understandable in the lives of contemporary man”.

Pope Benedict called the syn-od to respond to a situation where, “because of a lack of faith, vari-ous particular Churches are wit-nessing a decline in sacramental and Christian practice among the faithful to the point that some members can even be called ‘non-believers’”, the document said.

During the synod, the Church also will mark the 50th anniver-sary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the launch of the Year of Faith called by Pope Benedict to energise Catholics and Catholic communities and promote a deeper knowledge of the essential tenets of faith. � CNS

Bishops to tackle ‘excessive’ ritualism,bureaucracy in Church World’s bishops scheduled to meet in October

‘Many lament the excessive bureaucratic character’ of Church structures, which are ‘perceived as being far removed from the

average person and his everyday concerns’.– A point raised in the working document for the meeting

Bishops attending the world Synod of Bishops on the Bible in 2008. CNS photo

Allowing silent majority to share their love for Eucharist

Catechism in e-book format

��journalists to Dan Brown

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone

File photo

12 Sunday July 1, 2012 � CatholicNewsWORLD

VATICAN CITY – Team sports such as soccer can educate participants and spectators in important val-$�� $�� [�� respect for one’s adversaries, Pope Benedict XVI said in a message to participants in the European Cup soccer tournament.

Group sporting events, he said, are “an important school for edu-cating one in the meaning of re-spect for others – including the op-

posing team – the spirit of personal ��group”, and in the importance of recognising the talents and skills of each person on a team.

<��#�#��team sports help people “over-come the logic of individual-�� characterise human relations, in order to make room for the logic of brotherhood and love, the only

things that can lead to promoting the common good on every level”.

Pope Benedict made his re-marks in a message to athletes, fans and tournament organisers.

He sent the message to Arch-bishop Jozef Michalik of Prze-mysl, president of the Polish bish-ops’ conference. The matches of the 2012 European Cup are being held in Poland and Ukraine from June 9-July 1. � CNS

Pope Benedict on Euro Cup 2012

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, USA – Young American Catholics �/�� `�� /��`�� $�� +��Catholic speakers, musicians and ��/��$#��#��

�� /�� =$�� anygivensundayproject.com) fea-tures 45 national Catholic youth �� #�� '��+�� +�� '��the participating personalities.

;�� /�� $��people, 13 to 18 years old, some-�� $�� #� #��#��them for Mass and to maybe

make it a little more interesting to them,” said Mr Bob Perron, executive director of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston’s Depart-ment of Youth Ministry.

��+��+��phone or on their computer and go ��/��=$��/��+�from me or a youth board member ��'��*��

The site contains background screens for youth, parish resources, information pieces on the site, links to Mass readings and much more.

The site also provides a mobile version; and visitors to the site may �$`��`��+��-��`�$��'�� CNS

New website for young US Catholics

VATICAN CITY – In her 60-year reign, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth <<��#��-ing example of Christian leader-ship and dedication to duty, Pope Benedict XVI said in a message to the monarch.

Congratulating the queen on her diamond jubilee, the pope said her reign demonstrated “a commit-ment to maintaining the principles of freedom, justice and democracy, ��+��#��`��/��the role of a Christian monarch”.

Queen Elizabeth concluded a four-day celebration of her anni-/�� ]$�� $��service and a carriage procession through central London.

The pope’s message, dated May 23 and published by the Vatican June 6, also praised the queen’s “personal commitment to cooperation and mutual respect `��religious traditions”.

Pope Benedict said her efforts “contributed in no small measure to improving ecumenical and in-terreligious relations throughout your realm”.

The pope ended his note of-fering prayers for the 86-year-old queen’s “continuing health and prosperity” and for all the mem-bers of Britain’s royal family. � CNS

Pope’s jubilee greetings to Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth and the pope in Scotland in 2010.

LONDON – Proposals by the Brit-�� /�� -riage to include same-sex couples �� +�� $��vulnerable to the risk of legal ac-tion, said the bishops of England and Wales.

Archbishop Peter Smith of =�$��+��#�+��`��the Bishops’ Conference of Eng-�� ;�� government that its assurances that ��$��$��`��#��to conduct same-sex marriage cer-��

8�� $��`�� any time, he said, and it might not ��$��-pean Court of Human Rights on the grounds that it contravened equal-�� /�� #��#�� $��|$��

The government announced ��in March and has given interested parties until midnight on June 14 ��+��#��+��

But it has also made clear that the consultation is principally `�$��$��$��̀ ��#�� they should be made at all.

“The government’s proposed safeguards for the institution of marriage as understood and con-ducted on religious premises

are not proof against subsequent changes to legislation and are at early risk of challenge,” said Arch-bishop Smith, chairman of the bishops’ Department for Christian Responsibility and Citizenship.

�� /�� $�� /�� +� �� $�� $�� could not come before a court today could be contested at any point in the future,” he said in a June 11 formal response to the government’s public consultation.

“No assurances the government

could offer about religious freedom ��$��̀ ��$��̀ ��`��negate the permanent risk they had created,” Archbishop Smith added.

��`�� #��-nent risk that any exemptions pro-vided for religious bodies may be ��#��$�$��if they have not already been over-�$��$��$��by domestic or European courts”.

Mainstream Churches are op-posed to the proposed legislation, and a petition of more than half a million signatures has been raised to defend the status quo. � CNS

Advocates of same-sex marriage cheer during a rally in San Francisco. The �� the Church in Britain vulnerable to lawsuits. ��

Bishops criticise Britain’s plans to ��

13Sunday July 1, 2012 � CatholicNews WORLD

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican has applied to control the new Internet address extension “.catholic” and thus decide who is allowed to use it.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, � ��#�� #�� -ordinates the assignment of Inter-net domain names and addresses around the world, announced the Vatican’s formal application on June 13 in London.

The corporation is overseeing a huge expansion in the number of Internet extensions beyond the standard .com, .org., .edu and .gov. The extensions formally are known as generic top-level do-mains. The assignment of coun-try-code top-level domains, like the Vatican’s own .va, will not be affected by the change.

Msgr Paul Tighe, secretary of �� $�� =��Communications, told Catholic �� =��/�� application to control the top-lev-el domain .catholic “is a recogni-tion of how important the digital space is for the Church”.

Controlling the top-level do-main “will be a way to authenti-cate the Catholic presence online”, Msgr Tighe said. The Vatican plans to allow “institutions and communities that have canonical recognition” to use the extension “so people online – Catholics and non-Catholics – will know a site is authentically Catholic”.

The Vatican does not plan to allow individual bloggers or pri-vate Catholics to use “.catholic”, Msgr Tighe said.

Use of the domain would be limited to those with a formal canonical recognition: dioceses, parishes and other territorial

Church jurisdictions; Religious orders and other canonically rec-ognised communities; and Catho-lic institutions such as universi-ties, schools and hospitals.

8�� $�� #-rate applications for new domain names, seeking to control “.catho-lic” and its equivalent in other languages using Latin letters, as well as the equivalent of the word “Catholic” in the Cyrillic, Arabic and Chinese languages.

The fee for each application �� =�?^��"""�� =�{!��"""��which Msgr Tighe said “is a lot of money, but if you think of the money you have to spend to maintain a Church structure” and then consider how important the

structure of the Catholic presence on the Internet is, it was a good investment.

Controlling the domain name will promote “a more cohesive and organised presence” of the Church online, “so the recognised structure of the Church can be mirrored in the digital space”.

At the London news confer-ence announcing the applications, Mr Kurt Pritz, vice president of the Internet corporation, said the application vetting process is ongoing. He added that entities that appear to have a right to the names and the ability to run new domains are unlikely to have any-�� `�� #�� {"?!�� CNS

Vatican applies for control of .catholic domain

Controlling the domain ‘will be a way to authenticate the Catholic presence online’.

– Msgr Paul Tighe, �� !�� "��

��#� ��"��

14 Sunday July 1, 2012 � CatholicNewsFEATURES

WE ALL have our faults, weaknesses, places where we short-circuit morally, dark spots, secret and not-so-secret addictions. When we’re honest, we know how universally true are St Paul’s words when he writes: “The good thing I want to do, I never do; the evil thing that I do not want to do – that is what I do.”

None of us is whole, saints through and through. There’s always something we are struggling with: an-�� `�� /��$��

lack of self-control (major or minor) with sex, food, drink, or entertain-ment.

And for most of us, experience has taught us that the bad habits we �/��/��$��`��+��<��/��the heart to want to break them, so deep have they become engrained in us.

We bring the same things to our confessor year after year, just as we break the same New Year’s resolutions year after year. And each year we ��$��`��exercise more, and stick to a healthier diet. Somehow it never works because our habits, as Aristotle said, become our second nature – and nature is not easily changed.

So how do we change? How do we move beyond deeply engrained bad habits?

St John of the Cross, the Spanish mystic, suggests two paths that can be helpful. Both take seriously our human weakness and the unyielding strength of a bad habit inside us.

��/��&�<��/��$��`��`��`��to attack it directly. When we do this, we often end up unhealthily fo-cused on the habit itself, discouraged by its intransigence, and in danger of worsening its effect in our lives. The better strategy is to “cauterise” our bad habits (his words) by focusing on what is good in our lives and growing our virtues to the point where they “burn out” our bad habits.

That’s more than a pious metaphor; it’s a strategy for health. It works this way: Imagine, for example, that you are struggling with pettiness and anger whenever you feel slighted.

Every sincere resolution in the world has not been able to stop you from giving in to that inclination, and your confessor or spiritual direc-tor, instead of having you focus on breaking that habit, has you focus instead on further developing one of your moral strengths; for example, your generosity.

The more you grow in generosity, the more too will your heart grow ��$��$��#��$��-ply won’t be room in your life for pettiness and childish sulking. Your generosity will eventually cauterise your pettiness. The same strategy can be helpful for every one of our faults and addictions.

St John’s second counsel is this: Try to set the instinct that lies be-hind your bad habit into a higher love.

What’s meant by that?We begin to set an instinct behind a bad habit into a higher love by

asking ourselves the question: Why? Why, ultimately, am I drawn this way? Why, ultimately, am I feeling this vengefulness, this pettiness, this ��$��+��|��/��<��what, ultimately, is this propensity rooted?

The answer might surprise us. Invariably the deepest root undergird-ing the propensity for a bad habit is love. The instinct is almost always rooted in love.

Just analyse your daydreams. There we are mostly noble, good, gen-erous, big-hearted, whole – and loving, even when in our actual lives we �� #��`�� [��$�� $��/��$��addictions.

We have these bad attitudes and habits not because we aren’t moti-vated by love but because, at this particular place, our love is disordered, wounded, bitter, undisciplined or self-centred. But it’s still love, the best ��/��+��$��

��/��$#��`��`�� $�� /��`��$��`��'��it. Then we need to reset this energy into a higher framework of love, a ��#��$��#��#��/��

And that’s a very different thing than denigration or repression of that instinct. When we denigrate or repress an instinct, this only increas-es its power in us and, most often, allows it to wreak a worse havoc in our lives.

Moreover, when we denigrate or repress an instinct that’s undergird-ing a bad habit we are in fact acting against our own health and we will then struggle, perhaps only unconsciously but without exception, to �/��`��`��

Energy must be honoured, even as we struggle to discipline it and set into a healthier framework.

=��`��+��$��`��`��;��`��$��'��`��higher love. �

Fortnightly newspaper of the Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore

2 Highland Road, #01-03 Singapore 549102.Telephone: 6858 3055. Fax: 6858 2055. Website: www.catholicnews.sg

IN MEMORIAM: Susan Lim: [email protected] SUBSCRIPTIONS: Richard Paul: [email protected] ADVERTISEMENTS: Elaine Ong: [email protected]: Medona Walter: [email protected] / LAYOUT: Christopher Wong: [email protected] Elaine Ong: [email protected]

Moving beyondone’s bad habits

MANAGING EDITOR: Father Johnson Fernandez: ��

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Christopher Khoo: [email protected]

STAFF CORRESPONDENTS: Darren Boon: [email protected] Martin See: [email protected]

EDITORIAL MATTERS AND QUERIES: [email protected]

Please include your full name, address and phone no. for all letters to the editor. Published submissions will be edited.

By Francis X Rocca

VATICAN CITY – Half a century af-ter the start of the Second Vatican Council, the reform of the liturgy initiated then has not lost its pow-er to stoke controversy.

On June 13, after years of on-again-off-again talks with the traditionalist Society of St Pius X, which effectively broke from Rome almost 25 years ago to pro-test the teachings of Vatican II and subsequent changes to the Mass, the Vatican announced that the traditionalists had been formally offered terms of reconciliation.

But the following day, the SSPX announced that unresolved ��$��*�� it to prolong negotiations yet again. Prominent among the outstanding issues it cited was the form of the Mass introduced by Pope Paul VI.

Even among the vast majority of Catholics who have accepted the Mass in its current form, de-bates often occur over aspects of worship that include choices in sacred music, the correct manner of receiving Communion, and, in the English-speaking world, the revised translation of the Mass, which was introduced last year.

Yet according to one distin-guished scholar, such disputes are largely rooted not in the liturgical texts themselves, but in contempo-rary misunderstandings about the very nature of Catholic worship.

Benedictine Fr Jeremy Driscoll ��#��Athenaeum of San Anselmo and the author of a guidebook for non-experts, What Happens at Mass.

��$��`$�+��regards as false dichotomies and oppositions, Fr Driscoll rejects a common complaint that the re-form has turned the Mass into a communal meal at the expense of �� -sion, or that it places excessive importance on the faithful instead ��$��

=�� *� ��says. “That’s the way in which ��#��#��*

=�� the assembly are inextricable in a proper understanding of the Mass.

��$��sends the Spirit for the sake of build-ing the Church,” the Benedictine says. “You can’t have Mass without in the end noticing the Church, that is to say, noticing the community.”

Yet a mistaken sense of sepa-��`��$-nity can occur, Fr Driscoll warns, if the assembly conceives of wor-ship as self-expression – a tenden-��#��his native land.

“We Americans,” he says, “have come naturally to think that in the liturgy we want to ex-press ourselves, and if it doesn’t feel like us, then we don’t want to say it. But the whole tradition of liturgy is not primarily expres-sive of where people are and what ��<��

it is impressive; it forms us, and it is always bigger than any given community that celebrates.”

One unifying element for Catholics around the world, Fr Driscoll says, is liturgical Latin – even though most Catholics now attend Mass in other languages.

Much of the controversy over the new English translation of the Mass, he notes, has surrounded language that strikes listeners as awkward, because of the transla-tors’ mandate to be faithful to the original Latin.

“The reason for that is that we’re translating ancient texts that carry with precision the faith that unites us around the world,” says Fr Driscoll, who was a consultant to the Vox Clara Commission, an advisory body that reviewed the new translation on behalf of the

Underlying causes of ‘liturgy wars’

Even among most Catholics who accept the Mass in its current form, debates often occur

because of misunderstandings about the nature of Catholic worship, says a Church scholar.

� Continued on Page 15

15Sunday July 1, 2012 � CatholicNews FEATURES

�� !��Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.

“If you don’t translate [the Latin] close-ly,” he says, “after decades the English-speaking Roman Catholic world winds up being considerably different from the Span-ish-speaking Roman Catholic world and the French-speaking or German-speaking Ro-man Catholic world. And ... that expression of the beautiful unity across many tongues is lost.”

Yet many aspects of worship allow for '�|�`��$��$��[��-bated question of which direction the cel-ebrant should face.

“If [the priest] is facing the assembly and the assembly is gathered around the al-tar, you’re making a kind of visual symbol,” Fr Driscoll says, “a symbol of the whole community united.”

On the other hand, he says, it would be wrong to describe a priest facing east, in the traditional style, as “turning his back to the people”.

“Christ the priest turns toward His father with His people behind Him, that’s what it means,” he says. “You can’t see what’s hap-pening, but in fact there is nothing to see. The mystery is invisible no matter which way you turn.”

Likewise, he says, kneeling to receive Communion is a “beautiful gesture of adora-tion”, yet standing for the same purpose is also a “tremendous gesture when it’s proper-ly understood; there’s nothing arrogant about it. I wouldn’t dare stand before God were I not standing with Christ. But in Him, I dare.”

;�� $�� #�� -ing over, Fr Driscoll says, liturgy is a legiti-mate subject for debate because it remains a work in progress.

Just as Vatican II merely initiated a re-form undertaken extensively under Pope Paul VI, the Church today continues to cor-��-ments of traditional usage.

“The Church lives on after a council and continues to do its work,” he says. And the Mass “is a living product that takes place under the guidance of Peter”. � CNS

� From Page 14

By Darren Boon

For the last 25 years, Couples for Christ (CFC) Singapore, a family ministry, has been working at re-newing and strengthening family life in the archdiocese.

Elmer and Miyen Lobusta say the community has been their “second family” since they relo-cated to Singapore from the Phil-ippines.

Through the CFC, they have gained greater parenting skills and helped them understand better God’s plans for them in marriage, says Mr Lobusta.

Mrs Lobusta also says she is glad that CFC’s Kids for Christ ministry helps her children learn about and love God from a young age.

CFC celebrated its silver ju-bilee with a dinner and dance on June 9 and a Parish Appreciation Dinner on June 7 to thank priests, parishes and other Church organi-sations for collaborating with it on family programmes.

CFC ministries

CFC conducts a 12-week Chris-tian Life Programme (CLP) com-prising talks, group sharing and fellowship aiming at spiritual re-newal for the individual.

This programme, for couples and singles, is conducted in sev-eral parishes twice a year, some-times at the request of parishes.

Following the programme, participants are invited to become members of CFC’s various minis-tries. These are:� The Couples for Christ main

ministry which caters to married couples. � Kids for Christ, which ca-

ters to children four to 12 years old, whose parents are members of CFC. � Youth for Christ, which ca-

ters to the 13-21 age group.

� Singles for Christ, which ca-ters to singles between 22 and 40. � Servants of the Lord and

Handmaids of the Lord, which are ministries for mature single men and women respectively. These people could be unmarried, sepa-rated or divorced, living as single parents, or with the other spouse working abroad.

Members are supported con-tinually on their faith journey, Mr Rene de Jesus, CFC Singapore’s National Council member, told CatholicNews.

Members meet regularly for household or cell group meetings, praise and worship, Bible sharings and teaching sessions.

Other activities include con-ferences on spiritual growth, courses on marriage enrichment, �� #� �� -tionship skills, and family bond-ing camps.

As CFC is an international ministry, members can continue their spiritual journey with the group even if they relocate to an-other country, as CFC is available in 120 countries.

Ms Kathy Castillo a member of Singles for Christ, was former-

ly a member of Youth for Christ back in the Philippines. She said that these ministries have helped her forget her shyness and discov-er her talents in song and dance.

Through these ministries, she has learnt to be more prayerful and appreciate her family more, she said.

Helping local parishes

��`��-nila, the Philippines, and later

achieved Vatican recognition in 2000.

The ministry arrived in Sin-gapore when it was introduced to the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. CFC has since been helping parishes build up their family ministries.

Its youth ministry has also helped out with the Church of Di-vine Mercy’s youth camp.

�� =��#�� -tian Life Programme here was conducted with most of the par-

ticipants coming from the Hou-gang area as the organisation’s base was then at Nativity Church Centre.

As of December 2011, CFC has about 1,579 members. The percentage of Singaporean mem-bers is estimated at 20 percent while the rest are foreigners, says CFC Singapore’s national direc-tor, Mr Patrick Thong.

Looking forward, Mr Thong says his organisation is looking forward to working “more closely with parishes … to build up fam-ily life”.

In addition to its spiritual pro-grammes, CFC has also assisted poor families in Singapore and sponsors the education of impov-erished children in the Philippines through scholarships.

CFC Singapore also sends vol-unteers to conduct the CLP and other CFC formation programmes in Timor Leste, Laos, China, Thailand and Australia.

For more information on Cou-ples for Christ, call 6284 1880 or email [email protected] �

[email protected]

Couples for Christ marks25 years in SingaporeThe ministry has been helping parishes strengthen their family life programmes over the years

A Christian Life Programme being conducted. A Couples for Christ cell group celebrates Christmas.

A Youth for Christ concert held last year.

16 Sunday July 1, 2012 � CatholicNewsFAITH ALIVE!

The family: a work in progressIs God there for ordinary, chaotic families, asks David Gibson

IS YOUR family holy?What a question! Perhaps

your response to it goes some-thing like this:

“Our family is imperfect. We’re certainly no model of ho-liness. Most days we race against the clock to get everyone where they need to be. Later we strug-gle to get dinner on the table and children’s homework done. It re-ally is chaotic around here.”

Our families are works in progress, and we know that.

Spouses usually realise there are steps they could take to es-tablish better communication in ��$��for each other.

Perhaps they also would ben-�� /�-rything that is good about their family.

But if holiness were ascribed only to peaceful, calm homes ��$��-tionships prevail, I have a feeling not many families would qualify.

The fact is that holiness, too, is a work in progress for families. But a lot that is God-like happens in families, includ-ing in imperfect ones.

Efforts to bring order out of

the chaos in a family are God-like. That, after all, is what God the creator did. Acting with love, God brought order out of chaos.

In May 2009 while visiting Nazareth, the Holy Family’s hometown, Pope Benedict XVI

said that in a family “each per-son, whether the smallest child or the oldest relative, is valued for himself or herself, and not seen simply as a means to some other end”.

In his speeches and writings,

he has described the Christian family as a place where:� Children learn to cherish

and respect others.� Mercy and forgiveness are

practised and learned.� Prayer and the ways of

faith are communicated.� Human life is received and

protected from its beginning to natural end.� Values develop that enable

people to live constructively and peacefully with others.�� =��[��/��

are the norm.� Children discover what

love is.Often the Christian family is

called a “domestic church”.However, life in the typical

domestic church is a complex web of hopes and expectations

woven by imperfect people who love and need each other, and who may occasionally let each other down.

Family life’s imperfections and intricacies do not make it unholy, however.

David M Thomas, longtime professor of family life, says that because families are imperfect, it is vital that they be communities of forgiveness and reconcilia-tion.

In his book, A Community of Love, he says that family mem-bers are connected so strongly that amid daily life’s confu-sions and stress, they easily can become sources of hurt to each other, even unintentionally at times.

But tensions, rattled nerves or a sense of disappointment do not signify that God is absent from a family. In this world, “God’s presence is somewhat concealed”, yet is “very close to the surface”, Thomas writes.

He stresses that the life of or-��and concludes that families need to look and listen attentively for Him amidst their daily complexi-ties. � CNS

Gibson served on Catholic News Service’s editorial staff for 37 years.

A lot that is God-like happens

in families, including in

imperfect ones.

17Sunday July 1, 2012 � CatholicNews FAITH ALIVE!

How faith is ‘caught’ at home

If children don’t learn about God from their families, there is little hope they will learn about God from the culture.

By Mary Eileen Andreasen

RAISING Catholic kids in our secular age is a huge challenge.

;��#$`��$��to teach our children about holi-ness so it’s up to parents to lead by example. If we smoke, they will smoke. If we read, they will read. If we are religious, there’s a good chance they will be, too.

If children don’t learn about God from their families, there is little hope they will learn about God from the culture. They are impressionable.

As parents, we can constantly frame ordinary experiences and #�� $�� -prints – who gives us the beauty of the sunset, a new baby, a kind friend or the blessing of forgiveness?

They won’t get this from the media. That’s why our families, our “domestic churches”, are cru-cial. The faith is “caught” more than “taught”.

Beyond the religious art adorning our walls, we should talk about faith at home.

We can discuss a good homily, good Catholic books or a favour-ite priest. We can plan a meal for a needy family. We can pray together before dinner. Our families provide a safe harbour amid a secular world.

When our kids were little, we prayed with them at bedtime. We would rotate through traditional Catholic prayers like the Hail Mary, Glory Be or (for an older child) the Memorare, so the chil-dren could memorise them.

After formal prayers, we en-couraged our children to voice their own petitions, saying something personal or asking for a favour. We were trying to expose them to the traditional prayers of the Church but also to the personal experience of God’s intimate love for them alone.

We were hoping they would soak up both. It makes a child resil-

ient to know that in the midst of any trial, he or she can always talk to God or use the prayers that are cen-turies old. Either will work. It helps in the stormy sea of adulthood.

When children are aware of God’s presence, they will be atten-tive to God’s action in daily life.

When tragedy strikes, they will not feel abandoned. When some-thing wonderful happens, they will pray in gratitude. When they need something important, they know who to ask. When they feel des-perate, they seek the prayers and support of other faithful people.

It’s important for children to know that wherever they are, they are equally close to God. They can understand that because they

We can constantly refer to God when

speaking about daily experiences to our

kids: Who gives us the beautiful sunset, a new

baby, a kind friend?

know that their parents, even at a distance, are loving, forgiving and welcoming, just like God.

Family bonds and uncondition-al love teach the mystery of God and a sense of the sacred. Theolog-ical knowledge is helpful, but it’s the family interaction that teaches the deeper reality that we are loved despite failures and mistakes.

That is how children are in-troduced to the spiritual life. The great mysteries of God are found in the family. � CNS

Andreasen has worked in a variety of ministry settings for 20 years. She lives in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, with � ��

18 Sunday July 1, 2012 � CatholicNews

Bishop Bernard Fellay, Society of St Pius X superior, at a Mass. The Vatican gave him a draft document ‘proposing a personal prelature as the most appropriate instrument for any future canonical recognition of the society’.��

Vatican offers St Pius X Societypersonal prelatureVATICAN CITY – The breakaway traditionalist Society of St Pius X (SSPX) has been offered a person-al prelature “as the most appropri-��$��*��$��recognition of the society.

Vatican spokesperson Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi told report-ers this on June 14, a day after the Vatican presented SSPX superior general, Bishop Bernard Fellay, with an evaluation of the society’s position on a series of doctrinal questions.

A personal prelature is a ��$�� $�� $�� -graphical boundaries designed to carry out particular pastoral initiatives. It is headed by a prel-ate, who is appointed by the Pope. �$�� $�� #��-sonal prelature is Opus Dei.

Bishop Fellay was given a draft document “proposing a per-sonal prelature as the most appro-priate instrument for any future canonical recognition of the soci-ety”, the Vatican said.

However, in a statement on June 14, SSPX said unresolved �� $��*� �� teachings of the Second Vatican ��$��$��subsequent liturgical reform could lead to a “new phase of discus-sions” over possible reconcilia-tion with Rome.

Fr Lombardi told reporters that “the ball is in the society’s court” to accept the Vatican’s response ��

When asked whether giving Bishop Fellay a formal proposal of a prelature was a sign the Vati-can had approved the bishop’s

response to an earlier doctrinal #��`��`��$�-nalists that all doctrinal differenc-es had to be resolved before any formal recognition could be made.

“However, evidently [the prelature proposal] was present-ed so that if the doctrinal issue is resolved, the canonical part is ready,” he said.

The Vatican added that it would be dealing with the socie-ty’s three other bishops “separate-ly and singularly”, and Fr Lom-`��#�Fellay was actively engaged in discussions with the Vatican.

While Bishop Fellay has been generally positive about the pos-sibility of reconciliation with Rome, leaked letters show that the society’s three other bishops have �� `�� $�� move.

In an interview published on June 7 on the SSPX news site, www.dici.org, Bishop Fellay had claimed that his group’s talks with the Vatican demonstrate that “Rome no longer makes total acceptance” of Second Vatican ��$�� for his group’s full reconciliation ��$��

Bishop Fellay said it was the Vatican that approached the soci-ety, and not the society that went to the Vatican, asking to begin the talks.

=��$��$�� not,” he said. “We were not the ��+�� the pope is the one who wants to recognise us.” � CNS

FOCUS

19Sunday July 1, 2012 � CatholicNews

Bible Triva:What are the three sacraments of initiation?

CHILDREN’S STORY:

By Joe Sarnicola

Zechariah, a priest, and his wife, Eliz-abeth, who was descended from Aar-on, the brother of Moses, obeyed all of the Lord’s commandments. They often prayed that one day the Lord would bless them with children. On a day when it was Zechariah’s turn to burn incense in the sanctuary, an angel appeared in front of him. The congregation and the other priests were outside the sanctuary praying, so no one but Zechariah saw the an-gel. And he was frightened.

The angel said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of (the) Lord. ... He will go before

Him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to-ward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, ��#��#��#��#��*�

Although Zechariah had been praying for many years for such a gift from the Lord, he doubted the angel. “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is ad-/��*�

Then the angel said to Zechari-ah, “I am Gabriel, who stand before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. But now you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be �$��#��#��*�

The words of the angel came true, and when the time was soon for her to have her son, she was visited by

Mary, who would later be the mother of Jesus. When Elizabeth saw Mary, she felt her child jump for joy in her womb, and she said to Mary, “Most blessed are you among women, and `��$��$��`�*

On the day Elizabeth’s son was born, the family felt he should be named Zechariah, after his father. From the time he saw the angel, Zechariah had not been able to speak a single word, so he wrote �� `�� ]�� *�Immediately he was able to speak

again, and he began to praise God. The friends and relatives were

amazed, and said, “What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of ��*��

Read more about it: Luke 1

Q&A1. Why did the angel take away

Zechariah’s voice?

�� speak again?

Bible Accent:John the Baptist said that he was the voice that was to announce that Jesus was coming. He lived a very simple life and wore a camel hair cloak circled by a leather belt. One of the most important moments in John’s life was when he baptised Jesus. John said that he was not important enough to even care for the shoes of Jesus, yet Jesus came to him for baptism.

With this act, Jesus set an example for us to be baptised and then He began His ministry on earth. John’s life and ministry are mentioned in ��$��#��<��#��#��]��are told that John the Baptist was to testify about a light, but he was not that light. The light refers to Jesus. �

SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS:Early Martyrs

PUZZLE:$�� important part of the message of John the Baptist. The groups of letters have been broken up for easier reading, and one letter has been selected from the ��#��%��&��

Dlfoy whtae rpoht aeerp re P _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

Answers to Puzzle: Prepare the way of the Lord.

Answer to Bible Triva: ��

COMMANDMENTSDo you know the 10 commandments? If you don’t, you should! ¡�$��`��&��|��$��?¢&�?\[{� �{"&?[?��

God gave Moses the 10 commandments and told him to teach the people to obey them.

We do not like rules and laws. Nobody likes to be told what to do or what not to do – BUT it is necessary to have them. Why? Because if nobody told you to what time to go to school, everybody might come at a different time and nobody would ever learn. Rules are good for all of us.

God gave people commandments (rules) so that they would know a good way to live on earth.

]��$��/��$��&��_��_£��_��ONE ANOTHER �

During the reign of Nero, the Caesar of the Roman Empire in the middle of ��$��`$��$��`��say that Nero played music and recited poetry after he saw the extent of the ��$��$��#��#��at least prevented it from being put out.

In order to draw attention away from himself, Nero blamed the Chris-��$��killed in extremely barbaric ways. Even some of the Romans who were used to the cruel games in the arenas felt sympathy for the Christians. We honour ��]$��!"��


21Sunday July 1, 2012 � CatholicNews WHAT’S ON

Crossword Puzzle 1061

Solution to Crossword Puzzle No. 1060

13 Two, in Paris22 “…for _____

and tooth for…” (Ex 21:24)

23 About, on a memo25 Members of a

religious order27 Dens28 Alphabet string31 “Give us ____ day

our daily bread”32 US state in which

the Diocese of Nashville is found

33 Blind as _____34 It was empty

Easter morning35 City in central

Texas36 “Granting that…”37 What Judas was in

charge of40 Capricorn

41 Certain keys43 Native of

Glasgow44 Word of praise46 Mixes dough47 _____ alai50 Cultural values51 Scandinavian52 Test answers53 The New

Jerusalem in Revelation was made of this

54 Wander55 City west of

Tulsa57 OT prophetic

book60 Alphabet string61 Turnabout,

familiarly63 Greek goddess of

the dawn

ACROSS1 One of the two

natures of Jesus6 Chilled10 Small nail14 Comment to the

audience15 One of the

theological virtues16 Come in last17 Microwaves18 “______ ideal

world…”19 Diocese of

Honolulu home20 A parish position

(abbr.)21 Green and Pekoe23 The ______ of

Forbidden Books24 St. Mary’s

Cathedral is in this New South Wales capital

26 Antelope29 Script conclusion?30 Fine sheep leather34 Esau and Jacob,

for example37 Catholic horror

actor38 NT book39 Clods40 The Swiss _____41 Frank’s daughter42 Roast hosts, for

short43 Arranges in groups44 Contraction45 A library stack47 Man of many

troubles48 Well-known49 Acquiesce

53 “…_____ one another with a holy kiss” (1 Cor 16:20)

56 Princess from Alderaan

58 Bare peak59 O’Neill’s daughter60 Informal test62 First prime

minister of India64 Put down65 Widespread66 Snare67 Molar drs.\^� 8��69 Donkeys

DOWN1 Pilate washed his

in front of the crowd

2 Exorbitant rate of interest

!� �#��electronically

4 Lemon or orange ender

5 Baby boomers are becoming empty ones

6 Hip bones7 Permanent state of

life characterized by the profession of the evangelical counsels

8 Mrs. Peron9 “…but you make it

a ___ of robbers” (Mt 21:13)

10 Light-colored hair11 _____ to Emmaus12 Stadium near Shea

EVENT SUBMISSIONSWe welcome information of events

happening in our local Church. Please send your submission at

least one month before the event.Online submissions can be made at

www.catholic.sg/webevent_form.php

Wednesdays June 13 to August 8 AN INTRODUCTION TO THE THEOLOGY OF THE BODY 8-10pm: 8-part DVD series. Discover a new way to see oneself, one’s faith, one’s relationships and the world. By Church of St Ignatius Young Adults Ministry. At Church of St Ignatius AV Room Sacred Heart Hall. Register E: [email protected]

Saturdays from June 23 to August 26 COUPLE EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM1.30-5pm: Learn the latest life skills to build a more emotionally intelligent marriage. At Church of St Francis Xavier. T: 9105 9921 (Victor/Annabelle), 9754 1561 (Philip/Sharon); E: [email protected]

Wednesdays June 27 to July 25 THE BEATITUDES 9.30-11.30am: Discover the qualities needed in Christian life as described in the Sermon on the Mount. By Church of the Holy Spirit Bible Apostolate Team (At 248 Upper Thomson Rd Rm A2-01). T: 8228 8220 (Clare), 9815 4098 (Genevieve); E: [email protected]

Thursday June 28HOLY HOUR FOR VOCATIONS 8-9pm: At Church of theHoly Family adoration room. All welcome.

June 29CHILDREN’S EUCHARISTIC ADORATION ��@�[¢#&�;��'��/��#�� readings and short teaching by Fr Paul Staes, CICM. At Church of the Holy Spirit. T: 9362 5408; E: [email protected]

June 30CATHOLIC SINGLES’ JB DAY TRIP 9am-6pm: Calling all singles. JB makan day trip. Meet at Woodlands MRT McDonalds. E: [email protected]

July 1AFTERNOON TEA FOR SINGLES 3-6pm: Afternoon tea for Catholic singles. By Singapore Catholic Connection for

RCIA/RCIYA journey for those seeking to know more about the Catholic faith. Baptised Catholics are also invited to journey as sponsors.

Saturdays from June 23RCIY@CHURCH OF DIVINE MERCY 2.30pm: For young people aged 14-21 years old. At Church of Divine Mercy (19 Pasir Ris St 72). T: 8133 3078 (Leonard); E: [email protected]

Thursdays from June 28RCIA & RCIY@NATIVITY CHURCH 8-10pm: At Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1259 Upper Serangoon Rd). T: 9685 6673 (Genevieve), 9745 1498 (Grace); E: [email protected]; Registration ��/��`��#��

Sundays from July 1RCIA@CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES (TAMIL)4pm: At Church of Our Lady of Lourdes (50 Ophir Rd). T: 6294 0624. Register `��]$��{@��#��

Wednesdays from July 4RCIA@CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER8-10pm: At Church of St Francis Xavier (63A Chartwell Drive). Register T: 9225 0713/6280 6076 (Gladys); E: [email protected]

Fridays from July 6RCIA@CHURCH OF CHRIST THE KING8-10pm: At Church of Christ the King Room 105 (2221 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8). E: [email protected]

Fridays from July 13RCIY@CHURCH OF THE RISEN CHRIST8-9.30pm: For 15-25 years old. At Church of the Risen Christ St Matthew Room (91 Toa Payoh Central). T: 9228 1158 (Jasmine), 9489 8086 (Jeremy); E: [email protected]

Singles. At Square 2 Food Court Level 4. Register T: 9336 6957; FB: http://www.facebook.com/groups/catholicconnectionsgp/

Mondays July 2 to September 3 LIFE IN THE SPIRIT SEMINAR 7.30pm-9.30pm: With talks, sacraments, sharing, prayer, scriptures and ministering. At Church of the Risen Christ. E: [email protected]; Register W: http://www.risenchristcpg.org

Wednesdays July 4 to November 28 GOD’S COVENANTAL LOVE THROUGH THE AGES7.45pm-9.45pm: How the Bible tells the story of God the Father’s love for His children and His plan for people to be one family. By SPI. At CAEC (2 Highland Rd). Register T: 6858 3011; E: [email protected]:

July 6160TH ANNIVERSARY – MARRIAGE BLESSING MASS8pm: 160th anniversary of Nativity Church. Marriage Blessing Mass with renewal of vows. Buffet dinner at $10 (adult), $5 (child 5-12yrs). At Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. T: 8121 1342 (Grace for enquiries), \{^"�"¢^"��#��

Fridays July 6 to 27BASIC CATHECHISTS’ COURSE SCRIPTURE LEVEL 1 7-10pm: Discover the fundamental principles that highlight the great themes of sacred scripture. Register T: 68587019 (Sylvia); E: [email protected] ��#��

July 8PRISONS WEEK MASS12pm: Roman Catholic Prison Ministry celebrates Prisons Week and 35th anniversary. Gather to pray for prisoners, ex-offenders and victims of crime. Main celebrant: Archbishop Nicholas Chia. At Church of St Ignatius.

July 8PRIESTS AND LAITY – AN INTERRELATIONSHIP FOR LIFE 3-5pm: Fr Timothy Radcliffe returns for this half day talk. Part of the 50th Anniversary of the Opening of Vatican II series. By SPI. At Church of St Mary of the Angels St Clare Hall. Register T: 6858 3011; E: [email protected]

Tuesdays July 10 to October 30 THE GREAT ADVENTURE – A JOURNEYTHROUGH THE BIBLE 7.30-9.30pm: Learn how God’s loving plan unfolds, resulting in a greater love for God and a deeper appreciation for one’s faith. By F.R.E.E Ministry. At Church of the Risen Christ Parish Hall. E: [email protected]; W: http://home.catholicweb.com/freeatrisenchrist

July 14MEDITATIVE PRAYER WITH THE SONGS OF TAIZE 8-9.30pm: At the Armenian Church of St Gregory the Illuminator (60 Hill St). T: 9837 7256 (Benny); E: [email protected]

July 16FEAST DAY OF OUR LADY OF MT CARMEL English Masses at 6.30am, 4.30pm and 6.30pm. Mandarin Mass at 2.30pm. At Carmelite Monastery (98 Bukit Teresa Rd)

Thursdays from July 26 to November 29 GUIDED TOUR OF THE BIBLE8-10pm: A series of 15 lectures from Genesis to Revelation. Presented by Sundaresh Menon. By Church of St Ignatius Bible Apostolate. At Church of St Ignatius Annexe Hall Level 2. E: [email protected]

Fridays July 27 and August 24 PREPARING FOR THE YEAR OF FAITH12.40-1.10pm: Msgr Eugene Vaz will ��/��/��+��$��of each month based on Pope Benedict XVl’s document, The Door of Faith. Talks

followed by Mass. By Catholic Prayer Society At Singapore Conference Hall (7 Shenton Way Level 2). E: [email protected]; W: http://www.cps.org.sg

Wednesdays August 1 to November 14 GOSPEL OF JOHN 9.30-11.30am: DVD-based programme. By Church of the Holy Spirit Bible Apostolate. At Church of the Holy Spirit Room A2-01. T: 8228 8220 (Clare), 9815 4098 (Genevieve); E: [email protected]

Thursdays August 2 to October 25 ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 8-10pm: Conducted by Fr Ambrose Vaz. By Church of Christ King Bible Apostolate Team. At the church’s basement chapel. Register T: 9832 1538 (Lene); E: [email protected]

Saturday August 4 to Sunday August 5 WHERE DOES YOUR NEEDLE POINT TO?For young adults 18-35 years old. Discover one’s life in the footsteps of St Francis Xavier. Cost: to be advised. By Verdum Dei Missionaries. At Good Shepherd Seminary Malacca. Register T: 6274 0251/9793 2605 (Sr Sandra); E: [email protected]

Saturday August 18 to Monday August 20 JESUIT VOCATION CAMP Fri (8.30pm)-Sun (5pm): For men 18-40 years old who are discerning a Religious vocation, especially with the Jesuits. Limited enrolment. At Kingsmead Hall (8 Victoria Park Rd). Register T: 9711 9717; E: [email protected]; W: http://www.mas-jesuits.org

Friday August 24 to Sunday August 26 COUPLE SPIRITUALITY WEEKEND Fri (8.30pm)-Sun (5pm): Couple prayer is the centre of married life. Experience a unique weekend with married couples. Cost: $250 (per couple) including lodging and all meals. By Marriage Retorno. At ME House (201B Punggol 17th Avenue). Register by Jul 30. T: 9655 3708 (Susie), 9011 2795 (Esme), 9819 1883 (Stanley)

QUIETING THE SOUL – CHIANGMAI RETREAT Five (Dec 2 to Dec 8) or eight days (Nov 29 to Dec 8) retreat in Chiangmai, Thailand. Dates include travel. With orientation day and recollection on Nov 3 at 2pm. By Cenacle Sisters and Team. Register by Oct 15. T: 6565 2895; E: [email protected]

C I T Y C Y R U S J O H NR O H E H E A T S A D U EO N E R R A G E S P E N TS I T R I S E N E A R T HS C A L E S S I G N

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PUBLISHED BY ARCHBISHOP NICHOLAS CHIA, 2 HIGHLAND ROAD #01-03, SINGAPORE 549102. PRINTED BY TIMESPRINTERS, 16 TUAS AVE 5, SINGAPORE 639340.

By Fabian Koh

Initial rain failed to dampen the spirits of the 32 altar servers’ teams from across the archdiocese who took part in the Archbishop’s Cup Challenge 2012.

The soccer tournament, held on June 9 at the Jurong Outdoor Futsal Centre, saw teams from 15 parishes competing in three cate-gories – the under-13s, under-16s and under-19s.

The Altar Servers Ministry of the Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea organised the event, which aims to foster closer ties among the various altar servers’ ministries in Singapore.

The annual competition un-derwent a facelift this year, tak-��/�[[��$��instead of the traditional seven-a-side match ups.

Despite some rain, competi-tors were in high spirits as many of their fellow parishioners came to support their teams.

“This is a good gathering for the altar boys to meet each other and bond together,” said Arch-bishop Nicholas Chia at the event. “This way, they are able to share their experiences of what being an altar server means,” he said,

adding that young people are the future of the Church.

The B team from Church of the Holy Cross won the under-13s title after defeating the team from Church of the Holy Trinity 3-2. The A team from Church of the Holy Cross came in third.

“I am very happy that we have won,” said winning team captain Ethan Kyle Chung. “I couldn’t quite believe it because there were very tough competitors.”

The team from the Church of

Our Lady Queen of Peace won the under-16s category, after beating the A team from the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour 1-0. The B team from the Church ��8��

Said winning team captain Al-len Woo, “We have trained every Sunday since the last tournament. What makes this even sweeter is that three years ago we won it, but lost it the year after. Now we have ��`�+¦*

In the under-19s category,

the team from the Church of the Holy Family emerged victorious against the team from the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The team from the Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace came in third.

“I am very glad that we came here and managed to go undefeat-ed throughout the whole tourna-ment,” said Nicholas Ho, captain of the Holy Family team. “This is a team sport, so I’m happy that the team worked well together.”

Fr J J Fenelon, parish priest of Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea, presented the prizes.

“Everything went according to plan, everyone competed fairly, and the weather did a lot to help keep things cool,” he said. “Also, �� #��-tion is in the futsal format.”

Altar servers can now look for-ward to the Archbishop’s Cup Chal-lenge 2013 which will be organised by the Altar Servers Ministry from the Church of the Holy Spirit. �

Altar boys bond over soccer��

Trophies for the winning teams."�� <��%��=��!�� >��[� ��"�� #�\� ��;��

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JULY, 01, 2012, Vol 62, No 13

Documents

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