By Alexandrea Wilda William, 11th Kuching Girls’ Brigade
KUCHING — In conjunction with the parish’s feast day of Corpus Christi, the Parish Youth Ministry of Blessed Sacrament Church (PYMBSC) held a meaningful and enlightening exhibition, “The Corpus Christi Eucharistic Exhibition 2023” on 11 June as well as on the subsequent Sundays, 18 and 24 June, at the Rev. Dato Lawrence Chua Hall.
It was held with the full intent to draw the parishioners into a deeper understanding of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and of the teachings of the Church. This exhibition has now become an integral part of the parish’s annual feast day celebrations. Last year, the exhibition was themed “Eucharistic Miracles Exhibition: Project Carlo 2022”. It was well-received by the parishioners and visitors alike.
This year, the exhibition’s highlight was on the promotion of the teaching and doctrine behind the Eucharist. Additional posters and display items were added to the existing collection on the Eucharistic miracles. The new items included the display of the Sacred Vessels and chasubles worn by the priests during Mass.
Additionally, there were beautiful reproductions of the paintings that depicted the events that foreshadowed the Eucharist in the Bible. The paintings were arranged in a timeline. Beside each painting was a description of the painting with a reflection question that allowed the viewer to appreciate each artwork and ponder on their spiritual significance. Thus, these new items further enhanced the understanding of the teaching of faith and doctrine of the Eucharist.
About 600 parishioners visited the exhibition. The visitors included groups of Sunday School pupils. The displays at the exhibition became a source of information for the pupils who were tasked to visit the exhibition during their lessons and complete their projects. It is certainly a great joy to know that many parishioners were able to learn and appreciate more of the life-giving gift of the Eucharist.
The Parish Youth Ministry of BSC consists of four groups: The Chinese Youth Ministry, The English Youth Ministry, The Boys’ Brigade and The Girls’ Brigade. It is without a doubt that through the active collaboration and support the ministries had for one another, they were able to bear good fruits as the exhibition was a success.
Below are feedback and reflections from some of the parish youth volunteers who had lent a hand during the exhibition.
“It was my first time going to an exhibition that is related to the feast day of Corpus Christi. When I was in the room, I was in complete awe as I read the information on the many posters related to the Eucharistic miracles. I was once again reminded of the fascinating miracles that were told to me when I was younger. At the end of the exhibition, I had a fun time working together with the other volunteers to pack up the exhibits. I am grateful to have been able to meet new people as well as to have a clearer insight about the Eucharistic Miracles. I surely wouldn’t want to miss the exhibition next year!” >Pr. Alexandrea Wilda William, 11th Kuching Girls’ Brigade
“When I was looking at the posters at the exhibition, I saw something interesting. The square cloth placed under the Sacred Vessels used for the Eucharistic Liturgy is called ‘Corporal’. ‘Corporal’ came from the Latin word ‘corpus’ that means body. It is used to catch the bits of the Eucharistic body of Christ if they fall during the Mass. In a sense, we, being the NCOs (Non-Commissioned Officers) that include the Corporals and Lance Corporals, also form the body of the Boys’ Brigade, which is a very significant part of the organisation.” >L/Cpl Benjamin Tan Ding Xuan, 11th Kuching Boys’ Brigade.
“It’s always fun to learn new things. I’m glad that I volunteered because I get to learn about and understand God better. I feel happy to see other people who are curious and interested in knowing God. The most significant thing that I learned about the Eucharist is that God is present in the Eucharist. When a priest consecrates the bread and wine, they are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. It is proven real through the Eucharistic Miracles from different places, priests’ witnesses, and scientific investigations that show identical results.” > Desmond Teo Yong Ping, Emmaus English Youth Ministry
“On 18 June, I had the honour of helping out during the Corpus Christi Eucharistic Exhibition. I, along with my partner on duty, Pr. Tricia Teo, welcomed visitors into the exhibition room. The bustling atmosphere touched me deeply as it showed that many people were interested and willing to discover the work and ministry of Jesus. Overall, it was a really enjoyable experience, albeit a little tiring. I had lots of fun and am definitely looking forward to the next event!” >Pr. Nicole Liu Shan Xuan, 11th Kuching Girls’ Brigade.
“I stood around the entrance of the Church after Mass to promote the exhibition. The promotion at the entrance of the Church wasn’t that easy, but praise the Lord, there were people who went to the exhibition after Mass that Sunday and the next Sunday after that.”
“I found out that some of the paintings were additional materials that were not there last year, and I found those paintings interesting, especially the painting that depicts God transcending time. On the left of the painting, the scene was drawn depicting Jesus’ time, and on the other side, the scene was drawn depicting the medieval time in Europe. I assume that was the painter’s era.”
“Praise the Lord! This year, I was able to help Our Father in heaven to share with others about the Holy Eucharist. This project enabled our brothers and sisters in Christ to get to know more of the importance of the Eucharist, and ways to prepare ourselves before receiving Holy Communion. These are very important things if we are Catholics. For the non-Catholics, they could satiate their curiosity in regards to the teachings of our Church. They would know more about Blessed Carlo Acutis and what he did to make people know the importance of Holy Communion.” >Feedback from a group reflection, Chinese Youth Ministry
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