PENANG: The Feast of College General together with the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart was heralded in by the grand entrance of 11 celebrants. About 160 laity from across Penang, had filled up the old Chapel of the Sacred Heart. The chapel was adorned beautifully with an array of fresh flowers from the college gardens. The Dean of Studies, at College General, Fr Gerard Theraviam and choirmaster, Andre Ong, had patiently and with much effort prepared the choir, who were made up of seminarians, external students and friends of College General. The choir sang with their hearts and added much charm to the Mass celebrated that evening.

The main celebrant Fr Alan Pereira, a newly ordained priest of the Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese and an old boy of College General, celebrated his thanksgiving Mass. Fr Alan’s homily which was delivered with much vigour, had embedded deeply in the hearts of all present: the importance of faith and discipleship in our lives. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a conscious choice of God giving himself fully to man.

Before the final blessing of the Mass, the Rector of College General, Fr Edwin Paul, addressed the congregation with his speech on the new beginning of the age-old seminary, through the merging of the seminary and laity as a united community. Fr Edwin’s speech was followed by a brief and humble message by the Bishop of Penang, Bishop Antony Selvanayagam, who said that priests too are susceptible to weaknesses, but they strive to serve in communion with the body of Christ. His sharing was very significant as it was in conjunction with the Year for Priests.

There was a very warm and friendly fellowship amongst the laity, seminarians and priests, amidst light refreshments served at the college gardens. Everyone was revelling in the euphoria of the celebration. The Rector, Fr Edwin Paul, was most impressed by the fraternity and fidelity of the seminarians and formators, the new partnership between the external students, friends of College General and finally the huge number of people who came to celebrate this feast. He commended the commitment and ability of the staff and especially spoke of the contemporariness of Fr Alan. One of the laity, Tan Khar Hoay, had commented that “It was a beautiful Feastday.” For Joachim Robert, one of the seminarians , the preparation for the feast day was significant as it was a collaborative effort of both lay students and seminarians which only happened this year. He said that the feast day celebration gave him the confidence and assurance that all things are possible if we only trust in God’s providence. Madeline Ng, another laity said, “It was my first experience of the Feast Day celebration amidst the serenity and beauty of our College General Chapel. It reminds me to be thankful for the blessing of our priests and seminarians. They are truly God's gifts to us.”As was highlighted by John Tan, the working together between seminarians and laity in cleaning and preparing the chapel for the Feastday celebration made the event so much more meaningful. He shared that having stayed at the museum some 33 years ago brought back warm and beautiful memories for him.

As the evening came to a close, everyone's heart was filled with immense love that was radiated in the little chapel and grounds of College General. The fellowship left all with the conviction to truly live the Body of Christ as a community. The laity carried in their hearts the life of College General Martyrs who lived the Good News of Jesus risen. At the end, the day was truly a reflection of College General’s theme this year: Deepening our Discipleship by living in Communion through Fraternity and Fidelity. — By Anne Ramanathan & Gregory Chan