Blessing of the renovated Taiping Catholic Church

May 08, 2014

By Valerie Angus
On Easter Sunday, the parishioners of the Taiping Catholic Church were fortunate to have Bishop Sebastian Francis bless their renovated Church and the newly constructed columbarium. The congregation was in awe to see their termite-infested building transformed into such a beautiful place of worship.

The Mass was concelebrated by Parish Priest Fr Jude Miranda, and the two visiting priests from India assisted by Deacon Anthony Liew with his Mandarin translation.

Bishop Sebastian stressed on our encounter with the Risen Lord. “The Risen Lord does not want us to live in the past, that is at Calvary, where like the disciples we would be broken, discouraged and depressed. The Risen Lord wants us to be forgiven, to be healed and be prepared for mission.”

He reminded all Catholics beginning with the priests, religious, the young and old of the Diocese that we are “Called”, “Chosen”, “ To be Sent.” Therefore, from September we will all be on Mission — a Mission to the World.

For these 50 days of Easter we will pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit and ask for the grace to have a personal encounter with the Risen Lord.

How, when and where are we able to have a personal encounter with the Risen Lord? The Bishop gave three examples of a personal encounter:

--He shared how Mary Magdalene knew when the Risen Lord called her by name.
-- Thomas didn’t believe until he touched Jesus with his own hands. Jesus invited him to touch his wounds when he appeared to the disciples.
-- Peter, by the Sea of Galilee, when Jesus asked him to cast his net, had an encounter with Jesus. Bishop Sebastian concluded his sermon by reminding us of two important messages from the Risen Lord:
-- Do not be afraid.
-- My peace I give you.

He also reminded us to pray for the people of Taiping and all those unjustly treated, and for the soul of Karpal Singh, who had relentlessly been fighting for peace, social justice and fair governance.

Light refreshments were served after the ceremony, sponsored by the Taiping Catholic Youth and the Chapel Committee of our Lady of Fatima, Pokok Asam.