Fr Anthony Liew ordained priest at St Michael’s Church, Ipoh

Jun 19, 2014

IPOH (Herald Malaysia): Deacon Anthony Liew was ordained a priest by Bishop Sebastian Francis at St Michael’s Church (SMC) during the 6.30pm Eucharistic Celebration on June 6.

Amidst a packed-to-capacity Church filled with Archbishops, bishops, priests, religious brothers and sisters, seminarians, his own family members and relatives, as well as people from overseas and in Malaysia, Deacon Anthony Liew received the seal of the Holy Spirit from Bishop Sebastian, marking him by the Sacrament of Holy Orders to be a minister of Christ and the Catholic church.

The whole proceeding was broadcast via a live feed to the parish hall nearby which was also crowded with people.

Other brother priests also laid hands on Fr Anthony to invoke assistance to help him exercise his ministry effectively in the Church and community. Over 70 priests and religious from all over Malaysia and overseas made the journey for the ordination and to give thanks to God.

The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Sebastian, and concelebrated by Archbishop John Ha of Kuching, Archbishop William Goh of Singapore, Archbishop Emeritus Murphy Pakiam, Archbishop Emeritus Anthony Soter Fernandez, Bishop Emeritus Antony Selvanayagam and priests.

After the rite of ordination, Madam Agatha Lee, the mother of newly-ordained Fr Anthony Liew, carried up his chasuble in offertory and presented it to Bishop Sebastian.

Fr Liew then donned it with the help of Fr Edmund Woon.

Following the bishop’s brotherly hug, other priests followed suit, and the congregation erupted in congratulatory applause and great joy.

The BECs of SMC and the Chinese Apostolate presented Fr Liew with souveniers.

In his speech Fr Liew thanked all who came to the Mass on this special occasion and those who had prayed and supported him during his formation and pastoral year. “I am truly touched and grateful to God when I see the number of people who came to participate in this Mass.

“It shows that no matter how far away we are, the Catholic Church is a universal Church,” he said.

Described as having been active and joyful during his youth life in church, Fr Liew, who is from Kanthan, in Chemor is a graduate in accountancy. He has been in SMC for the past one month. Prior to this, he was in Singapore, Kuching and Hong Kong for pastoral training.

More than 30 parishioners from St Peter and Paul Church and the Church of the Annunciation in Hong Kong, came for the ordination Mass. They were led by Fr Peter Leung of the Church of the Annunciation in Hong Kong. Fr Peter is also the diocesan ecumenical commission chairperson in Hong Kong.

There were five busloads of people from various parishes including Singapore, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Chemor.

Fr Liew admitted to being anxious and excited in the month leading to his ordination.

“Do you think I am good? If you do, it is because of everyone whom I encountered in my journey towards the priesthood.

“Everyone has had an effect on me, and I thank God for those who planted the good seed in me, and who helped support, care and pray for me during my seminary years, which were very challenging at times. I will treasure all my experiences,” he said, in his homily delivered in English and Mandarin, and at times in Bahasa Malaysia.

“Now I am going to all those people to whom He sends me. I thank God for his great love which caused me to come to this day and to Mother Mary, who helps me.”

“It is because of God’s love for me, that I can love others,” he said.

He added that when he chose his theme for the Mass (Jesus says, Do you love me? Feed my sheep) and the Gospel reading, it turned out to be the reading for June 6.

“It is truly God’s arrangement,” he said.

Fr Liew spent his training mainly at the Penang diocese seminary and SFX major seminary in Singapore. He made his retreat under Most Rev Dato John Ha, the archbishop of Kuching.

“Let us continue to journey together and pray for all priests. Please continue to pray for me so I can be strengthened by God to carry out my duties of the priesthood,” he said.

He was grateful to the Cannosian sisters who minister to the small community at Chemor and Sungai Siput,

Fr Liew gave his first blessings to his mother and siblings, and their relatives. He thanked his mother and family in Hakka, for the gift of faith. As a gesture of love he presented his mother with the cloth used to wipe his hands after being anointed by the bishop with chrism oil.

Bishop Sebastian, in his speech, asked the people to unite in prayer for a just decision in the court’s ruling on the ‘Allah’ case on June 23.

After Mass, all attendees received bookmarks and souvenir notebooks, and were invited to partake of a light dinner outside the church. Scores of people lined up to congratulate Fr Liew and asked for a blessing.

St Michael’s Church also had the privilege of having Fr Anthony Liew say his first Mass on June 7.