FATIMA K.B. NEWS : We were at PMPC IV in Majodi !

Wednesday, 5 October 2016

We were at PMPC IV in Majodi !

PENINSULA MALAYSIA PASTORAL CONVENTION 2016 REPORT

Date: Sunday 2^nd – Wednesday, 5^th October 2016

Venue: MAJODI centre, Johor Baru.

Participants from Kota Bharu :

Fr. Francis Andrew, Gerard Yeo, Joseph Wang, Sr. Carol Gan.

MY NOTES ON THE PROCEEDINGS.......

Day 1: Registration at Majodi Centre, lunch, Opening Mass by Bishop Sebastian Dinner, 8.00 pm Indtroduction/Orientation by Fr. Clarence Devadass, Chairman of PMPC Organising committee followed by Keynote address by the 3 Arch/bishops. Ended with Holy Hour at 9.00 pm.

Day 2: After breakfast, Morning Prayer, Video presentation of Journey of PMPC 1976-2016, Plenary Session I: Malaysia 2016: New Economy, New Society, No New Politics yet... Wither the Chur ch? by Dr. Francis Loh, followed by Intervention/responses from the delegates.(Question-Answer session) Followed by Diocesan Assembly/Synod Report (by Fr. James Rajendran, Fr. Jude Miranda, Msgr Mitchel Anthony)

After lunch, afternoon prayer, followed by Workshop 1 where we were divided into 40 groups to discuss 2 Questions:

Q1. “What have been the significant contributions of the Church in Peninsular Malaysia and to society at large in the past 40 years?”

Q2. In the light of the keynote address of the Bishops, the Diocesan Synod/Assembly report, and current social realities, how can the Church in Peninsular Malaysia become Creative, Inclusive, and Bridge-building?”

Day 3: After breakfast, morning prayer, the Workshop I Reporting/Intervention/Resonses. Plenary session II: “ Becoming Missionary Disciples in Asia/Maslaysia” by Fr. James Kroeger, MM followed by intervention/responses from delegates.

After lunch, afternoon prayer, participants discussed in their groups Workshop II question:

“As we experience the PMPC IV, as a Pentecost in the Church in Peninsular Malaysia, what does the living out of this spirit-filled experience demand of us (clergy, religious, laity and together) in transforming the Chruch in the coming years?

The day ended with mass by Bishop Julian Leow, Dinner and fellowship.

Day 4: After breakfast, Morning prayer, we had the collated Workshop II report + plenary intervention. Following this, speeches by Archbishop John Ha (Kuching) and Archbishop Joseph Salvador Marino, (Apostolic Nuncio). PMPC IV ended with the concluding mass by Bishop Bernard Paul, and summation & Commissioning ceremony, ‘the ceremony of Light’

Conclusion:

It was a great experience to be able to come together with clergy, religious, and laity, youth and elderly, including the different language groups and differently abled. Daily mass and praying the Liturgy of the hours ending with Holy Hour at night was a new experience, especially for the Laity. The 2 inputs by the two speakers gave us food for thought and our little sharing in the workshops may have helped to contribute to the future direction of the church. We learned that the Church must be creative, inclusive, bridge-building and involved through the BEC in the process of Integral Evangelization.

(A detailed report of PMPC IV can be found in the Herald October 23 )

Report by Joseph Wang.