Ushering in the Chinese New Year

Feb 19, 2016

By Bernard Anthony
Most parishes in the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur held Special Masses on Monday, Feb 8, to celebrate the Lunar New Year, when thousands of Chinese parishioners, including non-Chinese joined in the celebrations to pray for peace, prosperity, good health and happiness in the new year — the Year of the Monkey.

At the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, hundreds of Chinese parishioners, including many non-Chinese were present for the morning Mass, celebrated by Fr Martin Lam with parish priest, Fr Edwin Peter and Bro Dominic Tan concelebrating. The Mass was in Mandarin and English.

An ancestral tablet was also set up below the right side of the sanctuary. Later, Fr Lam led the parishioners in bowing three times before the ancestral tablet as a gesture of respect for their forefathers.

Parishioners prayed for peace, prosperity, good health and happiness as they welcomed the Lunar New Year.

After Mass, Mandarin oranges were blessed and distributed to the congregation after which, everyone adjourned to the main entrance to watch a lion dance performance.