By Sisters of St Francis of Sarawak (SSFS)
KUCHING — On Saturday, 3 February 2024, the various religious communities (SDB, FMS, OFM, SJ, CMF, CDD, SSFS, Carmelite Sisters and OCDS) and some youths gathered at the Carmelite Chapel for a half-day programme (9.00 am – 1.00 pm), to celebrate the 28th World Day for Consecrated Life on the Feast of the Lord’s Presentation in the Temple.
The actual scheduled day of the World Day for Consecrated Life was 2 February. But for practical reasons, the organising team held it on 3 February, with the theme: “Pilgrims of Hope on the Path of Peace”.
The programme started with the welcoming address and opening prayer led by Br Robert Teoh, FMS. The youth of St Ann’s Church, Kota Padawan led the opening hymns.
Fr Ramon Borja, SDB as the co-ordinator for the First Session, invited the participants to recall the experiences of Malaysia Religious Assembly (MRA) in June 2023 at MAJODI Pastoral Centre, Johor Bahru. He gave a brief explanation of the MRA preparation and the MRA from 8–11 June, 2023.
After that was sharing time. One representative from each religious congregation / order had to share their own and their members’ experiences on the gathering in MRA. All religious congregations took part in the sharing. Most of them shared and expressed their sense of gratitude for the opportunity given to them for this programme. The feeling of immense gratefulness for our religious consecration has been strengthened through the enriching encounter with our fellow religious in MRA.
The Religious came together to celebrate the beauty and uniqueness of different religious charisms in Malaysia. As we listened to one another, we learnt and acknowledged what is happening to family, Church, society and our Mother Earth / nature today. The assembly opened a small window where a ray of light shining through had given us hope, for we are not alone on the journey. By the grace of God, we will be able to live out our religious vocation and our founders’ charisms faithfully.
After the short coffee break, the programme continued with Session Two. There was the input from Archbishop Simon Poh on the theme and the pastoral plan ‘Journey with the local Church as part of synodals people of God’. In his sharing, he challenged all the religious present to be courageous to get out from their comfort zones and reach out to the new areas especially to those who are in the peripheries, as one of the pastoral plans in the respective religious pastoral plan of action. After the input, there were three questions for reflection to help us to reflect upon:
1. From the sharing of the Archbishop, what are the points that have touched me, given me new insights into the life and mission of the Archdiocese?
2. How can I and my congregation respond to the pastoral needs of the Archdiocese?
3. From the outcome of the MRA or from the sharing of the Archbishop, what will bring about new life to the Archdiocese?
The programme ended with the Eucharistic celebration, presided by Archbishop Simon Poh and concelebrated by the religious priests present. Lunch pack was later served to everyone present.
 and some...){kind=link}