Fr Stephen Liew leaves Ipoh for Taiping

More than 640 parishioners of St Michael’s Church (SMC) and Our Mother of Perpetual Help Church here turned up for a thanksgiving dinner to show their appreciation of Fr Stephen Liew.

Oct 05, 2018

IPOH: More than 640 parishioners of St Michael’s Church (SMC) and Our Mother of Perpetual Help Church here turned up for a thanksgiving dinner to show their appreciation of Fr Stephen Liew.

Fr Liew will be transferred to Taiping Catholic Church effective Oct 1. His eight years of work as SMC parish priest knew no boundaries.

During his tenure at SMC, the Sahabat Orang Asli group was formed to serve the Orang Asli (which reached out to the whole of Perak) and is now under the Perak Deanery Orang Asli Apostolate under Bishop Sebastian Francis. Also, SMC’s soup kitchen for the poor was started, BECs became active, and formations were organised for the parish.

The columbarium area was cleaned up and pebble paving was done in the St Michael’s church cemetery, making it clean and beautiful. The Oak, which is the clubhouse for the Evergreens (senior citizens), was renovated and repainted, with a new additional funeral parlour built next to it.

Fr Liew has always kept a low profile, and his humble ways have touched many of the parishioners and newcomers to the parish.

Respectful to the elderly and helpful to others, his warm smile marks his style of reaching out to others. It is very easy to talk to him about anything, even difficult family problems, because he has a sympathetic and compassionate heart.

He has always encouraged others to do their best to “be the face of Christ to others.”

Fr Liew was presented with a small gift by Parish chairman James Lau. A short video of St Michael's church and its parish activities and charitable work during Fr Liew’s eight years was highlighted during the dinner.

Fr Liew, in a short speech, thanked his office staff, the security guards and the parishioners for all their contributions and the support they had given him, describing his eight years as the best ones he experienced as parish priest.

Present at the dinner was Bishop Emeritus Antony Selvanayagam; Redemptorists Fr Joseph Stephen, Fr Paul Ki, and Fr Robin Lomangkok; Fr Arul Segar from India; and SMC priest-in-residence Fr Robin Andrews.

Guest of honour was M. Kulasegaran, who is Member of Parliament for Ipoh Barat and Human Resources Minister. In his speech, M. Kulasegaran said he wanted to thank Fr Liew personally for doing his social duty during the GE 14.

Fr Liew had organised talks to educate the people and explain the significance of voting. “This is an important social duty for everyone and especially for a church to do this.”

“It is how we educate others to choose the people to lead and direct the country,” Kula said. Kula said even though he was not a Catholic, he had Bible Studies as one of his school subjects. “We were very poor, and I admit the reasons I came was for the food and singing, which I loved,” he said.

Later however, he was touched by the many ways the church contributed towards the education and welfare of people.

“I thank the Catholic Church for the great schools and the important role they played over the years to educate so many Malaysians.

“I want to remind Malaysians of their contributions, and let us do our part. We are in a bleak situation now but God will shine and show us the way,” he said.

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I am in Australia I like to contact Fr Stephen Lies.please help me.