KUCHING – The Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Kuching celebrated their 70th year of foundation with a Thanksgiving Mass on 22 December at their Chapel, with hundreds of friends and well-wishers who filled the Chapel to its brim.
The presence of the Carmelite Nuns in Kuching was the expressed desire of the late Monsignor Aloysius Hopfgartner, the then Prefect Apostolic of Kuching to the Carmelite Nuns of the then Jesselton, North Borneo (Kota Kinabalu, Sabah) to establish a new monastery in Kuching. When the Carmelite Monastery of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the foundation of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns in Kuching, came into being on 19 December 1948, his wish was fulfilled.
Quoting Monsignor Aloysius Hopfgartner’s desire for the Carmelite Nuns’ establishment in Kuching, he said: “I have instituted this Carmelite monastery and I desire it to be like a ‘spiritual generator’ for the church in this beloved land; I pray that it will supply heavenly grace – the spiritual energy to the Church for the great task of evangelisation among people of all races and languages in this land.”
To this, Archbishop Emeritus Peter Chung added in the Carmelite’s souvenir booklet message, “What he meant was that this new monastery would obtain abundant spiritual energy – grace and blessings of God through the lives of consecration, prayers and sacrifices of the Carmelite Sisters for bringing the great task of evangelisation to people everywhere in this land. I consider it a great prophetic message which is realised in our local church.”
The Thanksgiving Mass was presided over by Archbishop Simon Poh and concelebrated by Archbishop Emeriti Peter Chung and John Ha; visiting Monsignor Mario Codamo, the counsellor from the Vatican Apostolic Nunciature in Malaysia, and other local priests.
Monsignor Mario Codamo imparted Pope Francis’ Apostolic Blessing for the Carmelite Nuns and all the faithful at the Mass on this joyous occasion.
The nuns sang the Te Deum in praise and thanksgiving to God, to conclude the celebratory mass, followed by the faithful visiting the nuns at the parlour of the monastery. Refreshments were served outside the chapel.
Cynthia Lim
For the same news in BM: Perayaan Ulang Tahun Ke-70 Penubuhan Perkumpulan ‘Discalced Carmelite Nuns’ di Kuching
Today’s Catholic Vol.30 No.10 January 2019
[…] Berita yang sama dalam Bahasa Inggeris: Discalced Carmelite Nuns in Kuching Celebrate their 70th Anniversary […]