JOHOR BAHRU, MALAYSIA – Coadjutor Archbishop-elect William Goh of Singapore was a new face at a recent meeting of bishops from the region. The 91st Plenary Session of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei saw Msgr Goh speaking on the topic of vocations in Singapore. During the Jan 14-17 meeting, Msgr Marek Zalewski, Charge d’Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Kuala Lumpur, announced that Pope Benedict XVI has appointed American Archbishop Joseph Marino as Apostolic Nuncio to Malaysia and Timor Leste and as Apostolic Delegate to Brunei. (see other story) Msgr Marek noted that Malaysia and the Holy See officially established diplomatic relations on July 27, 2011. However, friendly relations had existed before that. During the meeting, the bishops discussed matters relating to liturgy, catechetics, social communications, justice and peace, seminaries and vocations.
The Catholic Prayer Society (CPS) Suntec’s lunchtime Mass venue at The Rock Auditorium will be moved to other locations in the coming months. Starting February, its Tuesday lunchtime Masses will be held at Le Danz on the third floor of Suntec City Mall, adjacent to The Rock Auditorium in Suntec Tower Three. From March, Masses will be held at Shine Auditorium in Shaw Tower as an interim measure while CPS works towards securing another venue in Suntec.
 “I am a needy Catholic,” said Ms Janet Ang, managing director (MD) of IBM Singapore during a talk she gave at the Church of Sts Peter and Paul on Jan 10. Ms Ang was the first speaker in a series of sharings by Catholic business leaders, organised by the Catholic Business Network (CBN) . In her talk, punctuated with humorous anecdotes, Ms Ang shared that she prays and depends on God for all her needs, and that this practice began when she was a convent girl at CHIJ Our Lady of Good Counsel.
SINGAPORE – The ninth annual Catholic schools principals’ commissioning was held at St Anne’s Church on Jan 26. Five newly appointed principals were commissioned following a pledge of commitment undertaken by all the principals of Catholic schools present. The event was organised by the Archdiocesan Commission for Catholic Schools (ACCS).
 A sharing by a HIV-positive woman and a call to Christians of different denominations to love one another were highlights of services held during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Christians need to “have a lot more love” for one another just as Christ loves all, Fr Anthony Hutjes, parish priest of Blessed Sacrament Church, told participants at the International Ecumenical Service held on Jan 18. He urged real kindness between denominations as this “generates kindness and will always be the best way to make at least a beginning in the restoration of our broken unity”.
 There have been mixed reactions among Filipino domestic workers to an announcement by the Philippine Embassy about changes to its work schedule. In an announcement to parishes, the embassy said it will cease its Sunday operations and revert to a Monday-to-Friday work schedule from March 17. Parishes were asked to disseminate this information to Filipinos. Domestic workers Ellen Elecanal and Emelia Eglarinda said the change would not affect them as their employers would allow them to take a week day off to process their passports and seek other consular services.
 “Eighty years is an achievement for which we can proudly give praise and thanks to the Lord,” said Archbishop Nicholas Chia during a special Mass to mark the 80th anniversary of St Patrick’s School. “From the land on which the school stands now, bought in 1898, and later when St Patrick’s School first took in the students on 16 January 1933, thousands of students and teachers have walked the corridors.” Archbishop Chia made these comments in his homily at the Mass, held in the secondary school’s chapel, on Jan 23.
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 After realising that there is only a handful of people serving the Catholic Mandarin-speaking community in Singapore, Ms Tan Lilian said she felt a call to serve the community, especially in the area of RCIA. “One year into service, I realised I have to deepen my faith knowledge and spirituality and made a choice to give up my career and paper chase for theology studies in Mandarin,” Ms Tan said in an email interview with CatholicNews. Ms Tan, who was baptised after attending the RCIA in Mandarin, went to Fu Jen Catholic University in Taipei, Taiwan, to study theology from 1996 to 1999.
 Several inspirations he received while on a pilgrimage and retreat convinced Mr Simon John Longman to take up a theology degree course. The former NParks director went on a pilgrimage to Italy in 2010 where he had several experiences of God at the Basilica of St Dominic in Bologna and at the Basilica of St Catherine in Siena. This was further reinforced at a contemplative retreat in Chung Chiau Island off Hong Kong.
 Ms Jane Tan, who has been studying at Taipei’s Fu Jen Catholic University Faculty of Theology of St Robert Bellarmine since 2011, says she wanted to look at her “Catholic faith more from the rational perspective, compared to simply believing what was taught”. Ms Tan who had worked with Hai Sing Pao, the local Chinese Catholic paper, as well as served in the Commission for Apostolate of Mandarin-speaking, added: “I would like to know more about the God whom I feel intimately related to, also to have a more holistic understanding of the Catholic faith in this world.”
 Studying theology was the “next natural step” in his spiritual formation, says Mr Alfred Pang, a Catholic educator who was also involved with the Charismatic renewal at the Church of the Holy Trinity. “It was something I had to do,” said the 36-year-old former Catholic Junior College teacher. Mr Pang, who is single, is in the second year of a two-year-long Masters of Arts in Religious Education programme at the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College, United States.
 It was out of a desire to know more about his faith and to transmit it more effectively to his children that made corporate lawyer Simon Cheong take up a distance learning course in theology. The father of three is currently enrolled in Franciscan University of Steubenville’s MA in Theology and Christian Ministry. Mr Cheong, 41, said that although he had grown spiritually closer to God after experiencing some “challenges” in life, he still felt “ignorant” about his faith.
More and more laypeople are apparently taking up such courses online and overseas. Darren Boon looks at this phenomenon.WHILE there are no official figures on the number of lay Singapore Catholics who have completed a formal education in theology, there appears to be a growing interest in the field over the years. On Jan 7, 14 former and current theology students met to discuss forming a network to support one another in the pursuit of theology studies as well to pool and share resources.
A bilingual, family-oriented evangelisation ministry is holding a concert in April to reach out to Christians and non-Christians. Clouds of Praise’s “Dream Concert” is scheduled to be held at the Raffles Hotel’s Jubilee Hall on April 6 at 8 pm. Programme details are being planned and finalised, says the group’s pastoral director Bernard Lim. More information and ticketing details will be made available later.
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