Feast Day Celebration in Klang and Inaugural Mass in Penang

I was back in my home town in Klang on the 11th and 12th of February to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and also the 9th anniversary of my priestly ordination at my home parish. I was happy to be able to celebrate the Eucharist with Frs Michael Chua and David Arulanatham and the parishioners of OLL.

Despite the rain that Saturday, the feast-day celebration proceeded smoothly and ended with a procession in town. The following day, which was the anniversary of my priestly ordination, I celebrated two Masses and happily recalled that exactly 9 years ago, I stood at this very pulpit and gave my thank you speech.

In the afternoon I decided to treat my nephews, nieces and cousins to a movie. It was a first-time experience for all of us watching a 3D movie, ‘Journey 2 – The Mysterious Island’. Since I was already in KL, I extended my break for a couple more days to celebrate Valentine’s Day with my family and also to visit some friends.

I was planning to leave for Penang on Thursday evening (16th Feb), but something prompted me to leave early in the morning and I arrived in Penang around 10.30am. Just as I was about to go up to my room, I bumped into Archbishop Emeritus Soter Fernandez who told me that they would be celebrating the Inaugural Mass for the new academic year that evening at 6pm. When I heard this, I was happy that I had acted on instinct and left for Penang in the morning for I would now be able to join the priests and seminarians for the Inaugural Mass.

Bishop Antony Selvanayagam of Penang, who is also the President of College General presided over the Eucharist. In his homily he congratulated the students for choosing to offer their lives to serve Christ as priests. “Since you have chosen this path then you have to be prepared to meet the challenges to be like Christ – to suffer, to be rejected and to put to death,” he added.

The students were later welcomed and introduced to all present by the College Rector Fr Gerard Theraviam. This year we are pleased to welcome 13 students - Pre-Initiation Year (5 students), Initiation Year (2 students), 1st and 2nd Year Philosophy (6 students).

Mass was followed by dinner and recitation of the rosary at the grotto.

College General is one of the oldest seminaries in this region. A brief history of College General, since 1665…
PEREGRINATIONS OF COLLEGE GENERAL:
1665 – Foundation of the College at Ayuthia, Thailand
1680 - 1686 – College of the Holy Angels at Mahapram (10 kms from Ayuthia)
1686 – Constantinien College (Ayuthia)
1760 - 1765 – Burmese invasion forced the seminary to move to Chanthaburi, Thailand.
1765 -1796 – The seminary moved to Hondat (now ha-Tien) in Vietnam
1770 - 1782 – Virapatnam (5 kms from Pondicherry, India). Before the voyage to Pondicherry, the college was in Malacca (Peninsula Malaysia) for 2 months. It was closed for 15 years)
1808 – Reopening of the seminary in Pulau Tikus, Penang, Malaysia
January, 1984 till to the present – College General moved to Mariophile (Love of Mary), Tanjung Bunga, Penang).

The Present Staff of College General:

Rt Rev Bishop Anthony Selvanayagam (Bishop of Penang and President of the college)

Rev Fr Gerard Theraviam (Rector)

Rev Fr Julian Leow (Dean)

Archbishop Emeritus Anthony Soter Fernandez (Spiritual Father)

Rev Fr Edwin Paul (Formator)

College General has produced Saints and Martyrs:

Two canonised professors martyred in Korea in 1984 (Sts Laurent Imbert and Jacques Chastan)

Five canonised seminarians martyred in Vietnam in 1988 (Sts Philip Minh, Peter Quy, Paul Loc, John Hoan and Peter Lau)

Fifty beatified Vietnamese Martyrs.

College General Seminary in Penang

Back in Penang Seminary

I have not updated my blog for a long period of time and finally today I have decided to resume my postings once again. My enthusiasm in updating my blog was waning gradually due to certain circumstances. I was not sure where to begin my story line now. Let me take a deep breath! I reached Malaysia on 23rd Dec, 2011. I could not return to India after my Christmas and New Year break due to some issues with my visa and now if everything goes well I pray and hope that I can enter India again in June this year.

At the moment I am staying at College General Seminary in Penang. I have been here since 4th January, 2012 to do my studies through distance learning. I have not discontinued my studies just because I could not return to India. My Dean of Studies has allowed me to do my assignments and send them via internet to the respective lecturers in JDV Pune, India. I was given 3 assignments on Religious Pluralism; Hermeneutics in the Old Testaments; Guided Paper on Christian Anthropology. Thank God I have completed 2 papers within these past 5 weeks and I have one more paper on Christian Anthropology which I need to be complete by end of March. After that the JDV College in Pune will be closed for summer break. During the month of April and June, I shall continue to stay here in the Penang seminary and start doing my research on my final paper (Dissertation). When I return to India for my 3rd semester I shall also take extra efforts to do my final paper and return before Christmas for good. “Insha Allah! It is just a plan that I have in my mind right now.

Ever since I returned from India I felt a little upset for not returning to my college for studies on time. Initially I could not accept the fact that my visa problem is causing me to stay back in Malaysia till June. Then I realised that it is not my will but His will. Thank God, my studies were not interrupted. I must be grateful to my college dean and my lecturers for allowing me to do the distance learning. I am also grateful to the Rector of the College General, (Penang Seminary), Fr Gerard Theraviam and Archbishop Murphy Pakiam for permitting me to stay here in the seminary. During the day, I spend time in the library doing my studies and during the weekends I help out by celebrating Masses in the nearby parishes in the Penang Island and other places as well.

Since I came to the seminary in January, Fr Gerard welcomed me warmly and I was staying alone in the seminary because the students were on their semester break till 14th February. I occupied my time with my studies and assignments. Penang Island is not a new place for me. I stayed here for eight years for my priestly formation (1995 – 2002). Many lecturers and formators have formed my life in this seminary. This college has a lot of sentimental values for me. This seminary and Penang Island have also taught me what is life all about and I have found meaning in my life here. During my seminary days I loved reading spiritual and psychological books. One of the books that really touched my life during my early formation was “Man Search for Meaning” written by Victor Frankl, a psychologist. It was recommended by the late Fr Francis Regis and it was the last book that I found in the bookstore in Penang Island.

Life is moving as usual. The seminarians are now back from their break and I am following their programmes such as rising, attending morning and evening prayers, studies, games, manual labour and other activities. I hope that my daily routine will also serve as an example to our future priests.

Reflecting on Christmas

Soon we shall be celebrating Christmas. How do we explain the meaning of Christmas in just a few words? Well the best way we know is this:

Christmas is… “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life,” Jn 3:16).

Christmas means a lot of things to a lot of different people. To some it is:
-a time of shopping and spending
-a time of drinking and carousing
-a time of travelling and entertaining

But, what is the real meaning of Christmas? What message should it convey to you and I?

I. Christmas is... A TIME OF REMEMBERING
We remember the great love that God has for each and every one of us. He loved us so much, that He gave His only Son that we might be saved. It is also remembering all those great people surrounding the Christmas story - people like Joseph and Mary, Zacharias and Elizabeth, Anna, Simeon, the shepherds, the wise men, etc.

II. Christmas is... A TIME OF LOVING and GIVING
Make a special effort to be a little more concern of others and a little more generous during the Christmas season. It is a time for reaching out to others with love and care.

III. Christmas is ... A TIME OF FORGIVING
TIME OF God is willing to forgive us. He is willing to show mercy and compassion to us sinners. Do we possess His forgiving spirit or do our spirit is still a judgmental one that looks down upon others? Is there someone we need to forgive this Christmas?

VI. Christmas is ... A TIME OF CHANGING
He makes us new creatures. Our preparation during this Advent will promise us new life in Christ this coming Christmas. All things become new for us. We shall have new goals, new ideas, new direction and new hope. Christ changes people for the better.

VII. Christmas is ... A TIME OF REJOICING
- Rejoicing in God’s unmerited, undeserved grace
- Rejoicing in the release of forgiveness
- Rejoicing in a new life with a new mission

Don’t let God's only begotten Son become His only forgotten Son this Christ
Christ changes mas.

“What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.”

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2012.

After being in Pune, India for the past 6 months, I will be back in Malaysia on 12th December for my Christmas and New Year break and I will be returning to Pune on 2nd January 2012.

Recollection for Seminarians

On 12th November, I conducted a half day recollection for four final year students who are preparing for Diaconate early next year. They are from the Missionaries of Mary Immaculate (MMI) congregation. The recollection took place in their religious house, which is about 15 minutes walking distance from my college.

With the seminarians

I chose the theme “Chosen to Serve” based on Acts 6: 1-6. The ministry of Deacons initiated from the institution of the seven men, among them was St Stephen (the first Christian Martyr) in order to assist the charitable work in the early Church.

I also touched on the role of Deacons in the Catholic Church and the importance of praying the Breviary daily. The Breviary is a liturgical book of the Catholic Church for everyday use by Bishops, priests and deacons. This liturgical book has become famous among the laity today.

In Malaysia, a majority of people are familiar in using this prayer book daily in their lives which contain hymns, the psalms, short reading, intercessions and prayers. Our priests also encourage their parishioners to this prayer of the Church before or after the weekday Masses. It is nice to hear that our people are praying ONE with the Church.

I began the recollection with the prayer of the day from the breviary and concluded with the Eucharistic celebration for them. This was followed by lunch.

This is my first outreach in giving recollection to a small group of seminarians. In Malaysia, we always have the Monthly Recollection for the Clergy on the third week of the month. Since I left Malaysia, I have not had the chance to attend any recollections but I do faithfully participate in the morning Eucharistic celebration and pray the Breviary daily on my own without fail.

For those who are not familiar with the Church’s Liturgy of the Hours (breviary), the Psalms in the Bible is a beautiful tool to cultivate the habit of praying daily.

Rest and Relaxation in Bangalore and Mysore

After I came back from Varanasi I went to Bangalore and Mysore which is situated in the state of Karnataka – South of India. After an unpleasant and tiring experience travelling back by train from Varanasi, I left for Bangalore by flight. When I settled into my seat in the plane, I felt such a relief – what a vast contrast to the train ride!

I left Pune on 25th October (Tuesday) and was back on 28th October (Friday). Although it was a short trip, it was a relaxing one. I spent time with a newly acquainted family in Bangalore. This family was in Klang (my hometown in Malaysia) 27 years back. They left Malaysia and settled down in Pondicherry before shifting to Bangalore. I came to know this family through a former parishioner of mine in Seremban, Malaysia.

On the day of my arrival, they had a Diwali celebration in their house. In the state of Karnataka Diwali is celebrated one day early that is on the 25th while Tamil Nadu celebrated it the 26th of October. I enjoyed watching the fireworks in the neighbourhood and dinner with the family.

Children and adults alike enjoying the fireworks

The next day, I was taken on a tour around Bangalore town. We visited a huge wooden palace of Tipu Sultan which was built in the 16th century. This palace was a guest house for the Sultan those days.

The Palace of Tipu Sultan in Mysore

There were some restrictions in taking photographs of this palace. I was told that some of the scenes in one of the famous Tamil movie “Chandramukki” acted by well-known Tamil movie superstar Rajinikanth was shot in this palace. We also visited the famous Infant Jesus’ Church in Bangalore.

The Infant Jesus Church in Bangalore


On the third day of my visit, I went to Mysore. It was a 3 hour journey down south by car. I visited St Philomena’s Church which was built in 1843 and Mysore Palace.

The magnificent St Philomena's Church - built in 1843

The relic of St Philomena


Mysore has so many places to visit compared to Bangalore but due to the time factor I could not go around much.

The attractive Mysore Palace is cited as the largest palace in India and was the residence of Wodayar Maharaja of Mysore.

Mysore Palace

On our way back we stopped at the Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel and also toured the garden. This is where the Tamil movie “Muthu” was filmed which also starred Rajinikanth.

Lalitha Mahal Hotel

On the 3rd night I joined the family to go watch the Tamil movie “Velayuthaam” in the theatre. It was the latest Tamil movie released in India for Diwali. I got my first unforgettable experience of watching a movie in India cinemas. The noise was horrendous – with all the whistling and cheering, definitely nothing like Malaysia.

Overall, I enjoyed my trip to Bangalore and Mysore. It was a great time of rest and relaxation before I begin my 2nd semester in college.