By Sr Esther Thomazios and Sr Margarete Sta Maria
KLUANG, Johor — The Church of St Louis hosted the 250th anniversary celebration of the birth of St Magdalen of Canossa on September 15, themed Set Life on Fire.
The main celebrant was Cardinal Sebastian Francis, joined by concelebrants Archbishop Julian Leow, parish priest Monsignor Peter Ng, and assistant parish priest Fr William Pillai. Also present on this auspicious day were guest priests Frs James Rajendran, Ryan Innas Muthu, Adrian Francis, along with Canossian associates from Malaysia and Singapore.
In his homily, the Cardinal emphasised the decades of humble work carried out behind the scenes for the least, the lost, the little, and the lowly — pastoral care and healing known only to God, often hidden from the learned and the clever. This journey has seen its fair share of squabbles, debates, and disagreements. From the light of the stars to the fire of love, truth purifies and sanctifies. The early missionaries brought the message of the Joy of the Gospel, along with the charism of St Magdalen, to the shores of Malaya and Singapore. Today, the Sisters continue their mission in Jinjang, Kuala Lumpur; Sungai Siput, Perak; Melaka; and Kluang, Johor.
St Magdalen was canonised in 1988, following her founding of the Congregations of the Canossian Sisters and Canossian Fathers in the early nineteenth century. She left behind a legacy of Sisters and priests in Italy, dedicated to serving the poor, opening charity schools for children, evangelising the Gospel, and caring for the sick. A century after her death in 1835, another Canossian saint, St Bakhita, was canonised during the Jubilee Year of 2000 and hailed as the “Saint of the Third Millennium” — our Universal Sister.
St Magdalen encouraged the Canossians to extend their mission to foreign lands. The first foundation was established in Hong Kong in 1860, followed by China, Macau, East Timor, India, Singapore, and Malaysia, where the mission has thrived for 119 years since 1905. Today, the Canossians serve across Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania, embodying St Magdalen’s belief that “Charity is a fire that ever spreads out.”
This celebration served to renew and strengthen our commitment to the ministries of evangelisation, education, outreach to the poor and those wounded in both spirit and body. Despite the many challenges and constraints in today’s world, we remain called to “Make Jesus known and loved.” As St Magdalen reminded her Canossian Sisters and Fathers, “Jesus is not loved because He is not known.”
