KUALA LUMPUR: Thursday, June 11 to Sunday, June 13 were deeply significant days for parishioners of the Church of the Good Shepherd. Each day of the celebration was dedicated to a particular sector of the community beginning with the special needs of the unwell and the senior citizens, followed by the youth, then by the Family Life Ministry, and culminating with the Parish Community in general. The celebration also served to mark the end of the Year of St Paul, the Apostle.

The Triduum began significantly on the memorial of St Barnabas, the apostle who introduced St Paul to the Early Christian Community. Like the Apostle Barnabas, Parish Priest Fr Patrick Boudville ministered to the needs of the community, particularly the unwell and the elderly, anointing them with holy oils. Those who were unable to walk were brought forward in wheelchairs. Prayers were also offered for the poor, the downtrodden, the abused, the neglected and the rejected.

The youths were the focus on the second day of the Triduum, and holy Mass was animated by them, together with hymns and a Responsorial Psalm composed for the occasion. The highlight of the evening came with a musical presentation called the Ten Stations of St Paul which focused on the life and work of the Apostle to the Gentiles, beginning with his conversion, mission and his missionary journeys, theology and the relevance of the same. The beginning and ending of the presentation were sung in Latin, selected from the motet from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Requiem” — Pie Jesu and Sempiternam. As the life of St Paul was narrated, hymns of particular relevance such as Be Thou My Vision, One Bread, One Body, etc. were sung in tandem. After Mass, the youths adjourned for fellowship.

The family was the focus of the third day of the Triduum, with the Family Life Ministry animating the Sunset Mass. Prayers were offered up for parents and children, promoting peace and harmony within the family. Benediction was held on each of the three days, and parishioners were exhorted to pray for healing within the community, the family and within each and every one of its individual members.

Finally, all came together as One Community for Corpus Christi Mass celebrated in Bahasa, English, Mandarin and Tamil. Thereafter, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament commenced, led by all the BECs of the Parish, beginning from 10.30am, concluding with Solemn Vespers at 6.00pm, led by Fr Patrick Boudville together with seminarian, Gregory Chan. This was followed by a short Procession within the Church grounds and ended with Benediction, after which all present were invited to a fellowship dinner.