By SOCCOM CBSL
LABUAN — ARCHBISHOP John Wong’s pastoral visit this year to the Church of Blessed Sacrament Labuan to celebrate our parish Feast Day, the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, was cramped with events. It felt like catching up on lost opportunities due to the two-year COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
As much as the Archbishop was eager to catch up with his flock, the faithful were perhaps even more longing for their shepherd.
Upon arriving in the late afternoon on Jun 17, the Archbishop’s visit kicked off with a meeting with the Church building committee, who updated him on the progress of the upcoming construction.
A breakfast meeting with representatives from the parish ministries and apostolates ensued after morning Mass the following day. The open discussion gave the Archbishop an opportunity to hear at first hand the sentiments and aspirations of the parishioners.
In response, the Archbishop helped the parish to better understand the challenges faced by the Archdiocese and the Catholic Church, both in specifics and in general.
As is the tradition of the Archbishop’s pastoral visit, he conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation on 85 candidates during the Sunset Mass.
On Sunday Jun 19, the parish celebrated its patronal Feast Day, the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ – Corpus Christi. The Eucharistic celebration was presided by the Archbishop, and concelebrated by parish priest Fr Thomas Madanan.
Corpus Christi (Latin for Body of Christ) is a centuries old feast which celebrates the real presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. It has long been a tradition in the Catholic Church to hold a procession on Corpus Christi Sunday with the Blessed Sacrament, giving a public witness to our faith in Christ, truly present in the Eucharist.
Our procession began from the multipurpose hall turned church immediately after the 8.00 am Mass and, after stopping at two stations along the way for Gospel reading and prayers, returned to the hall where it concluded with benediction.
Throughout the procession, the Litany of the Blessed Sacrament with other hymns were sung. Beautifully attired flower girls alongside the boys’ participation, trailed by various ministries holding banners and a throng of parishioners, created a captivating and rejuvenating scene.
Archbishop was heartened to see a vibrant parish. In conjunction with Father’s Day, also celebrated on the same day, he reminded fathers the importance of being the head of the family and to model the virtues of St Joseph.
He also congratulated the confirmands, now made “soldiers of Christ”, voicing up his hope that some would answer the call to priestly or religious vocation.
Following Mass, the congregation proceeded to the ground breaking site. After prayer, Archbishop Wong mounted the excavator and performed the ground breaking ceremony for the new church, much to the delight of parishioners.
A poignant and stirring moment when the bucket of earth was raised, marked the commencement of the construction of the long-awaited church. The construction of the RM7.2 million church would commence on 19 July 2022.
Immediately after the feast day cake cutting ceremony, packet food was distributed to all parishioners at the Cuarteron Hall, followed by an auction on Archbishop’s personal items.
The parish appreciated the Archbishop’s parting with his prized possessions to support the cause of fundraising for the new church. The atmosphere was exciting and fun, competitive and awe when the final bid was closed.
Parishioners were encouraged to adjourn to the parish canteen where food stalls, BBQ and drinks stands were set up displaying various local delicacies prepared by various ministries. All monies collected from the sales were in aid of the building fund.
Not to be beaten, Archbishop and Fr Thomas had their own stalls too. It was a fascinating sight watching leaders of the church, properly attired, and exhibiting their culinary skills.
Live band and performance by several groups livened up the festive atmosphere. It was a humbling and bonding experience.
Preparing for these multiple events was itself an experience. The juggling, rehearsing and coordinating the various tasks, though challenging, helped nurture and build relationship among the parishioners.
The involvement of the young contributed not only to their social development but in their understanding the traditional practices of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Futuristically, they are our hope and how they carry the torch of our Catholic faith is depending on the way we mold them today.
After two years of dormancy due to COVID-19 restriction, our penned up zeal has been reawakened this week to honor the Lord.
