Ignatian Online, Website of St Ignatius Church, Petaling Jaya

Some reflections for this weekend's Mass readings are available at Our Sunday Readings (2 pages) and Commentary on Sunday Readings (5 pages).

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A Kaamatan and Gawai Festival was held on Sunday 7 July 2019 at the Rooftop of St Ignatius Church (SIC) to introduce Sabahan amd Sarawakian culture to locals in Peninsular Malaysia and also to strengthen the bond between parishioners from various churches. The festival is celebrated annually in the state of Sabah and Sarawak. Kaamatan is a Kadazan-Dusun term for “harvest” and is celebrated for the whole month of May. It is normally celebrated by the ethnic Kadazan-Dusuns, as well as by other related ethnic groups in the state on 31st of May. Whereas Gawai Festival is celebrated on 1st June, with colourful rituals, traditional music, cock fighting, feasting and games. During this festival, almost everyone dresses in traditional costumes while the elders perform traditional dance.

Organised by the KUBM (Komuniti Umat Bahasa Malaysia) SIC, about 200 people showed up for the event, including SIC Parish Priest Fr Andrew Wong CDD, Assistant Parish Priest Fr Lawrence Ng CDD, Chairman of PPC (Parish Pastoral Council) Lourdes Abishegam, parishioners from various parishes, and also Sabahan & Sarawakian parishioners. The ceremony began with the welcoming of the two SIC priests and Fr Andrew signalled the start of the celebration by hitting a gong. 

Gongs are Sabah’s most iconic indiophones that are found throughout Sabah, particularly among the Kadazan-Dusun and Murut ethnic groups. Made of either brass or bronze, the gong is considered the backbone of the traditional musical instruments found in Sabah. It is usually thick with a broad rim and produces a distinct muffled sound of a deep tone. In the olden days, it was originally traded in from Brunei. The celebration then proceeded with a short speech by Ms Elsie Jane Anthony and blessing of the food by Fr Andrew.

We then proceeded with the best part of the event – food! Yes, thanks to the committees and organisers of KUBM SIC, some of us took the extra effort to bring local delicacies of Sabah and Sarawak all the way from the East to West! Among them are bosou ikan, bosou babi, ayam pansuh, tuhau, bambangan, ambuyat, hinava, ikan masin lada putih, rebung ikan masin, sup nangka babi, sinalau bakas pucuk ubi, and serunding. 

Alongside that, attendees also had the opportunity to savour traditional desserts such as lipat pisang & ubi. Not forgetting the tasty rice wine (tapai) prepared by our very own KUBM youth of SIC – Kane Ariel – and also tuak. Tuak is quite similar to chinese rice wine but differs in the purpose. Chinese rice wine is used in cooking while tuak is used in social and ritual events of the Dayak tribes in Borneo. Tuak is also made in Sabah but known by a different name – lihing. Other rice producing countries in Asia also have their own version of tuak.

Furthermore, the youths of KUBM SIC also teamed up to perform Sabahan and Sarawakian traditional dances during the event. There were also lucky draw sessions and a best dress competition at the end of the event. Last but not least, the most exciting part of the activity we had was the arm wrestling competition (mimpulos), where men from different age groups come together to test not just their strength but also technique & leverage.

The highlight of the event was tarian magunatip. Magunatip, more well-known as “Bamboo Dance”, is considered as one of the most popular traditional dances in Sabah. The name “Magunatip” is derived from the word “apit”, which means “to press between two surfaces.” In the dance, dancers need good timing and agility to put their feet between the clapping bamboo poles, without being trapped. To create more fun, the music tempo and the clapping speed of the bamboo becomes faster and faster and FASTER (so is your heart beat), such that the audience will be super-impressed by the exciting ending.

In the past, Magunatip was a warrior dance to welcome the return of Murut headhunters. Today, bamboo dance is commonly performed in cultural functions and celebrations for entertainment and socialising purposes. At the end of the performance, we invited Fr Andrew, Fr Lawrence, and a few from the audience to join in the tarian magunatip and also the “menyumpit” session where they use a traditional pipe to pop the balloons. To sum up, we are glad that everyone had fun and had the opportunity to try the local delicacies of Sabah and Sarawak. We hope that this event was a memorable experience for everyone. 

Before the event during the Bahasa Malaysia (BM) Mass, parishioners turned up dressed in traditional costumes and Kadazan, Iban & BM were used in the readings and singing of hymns. Thanksgiving gifts comprising fruits of the harvest were brought to the altar during the Offertory. Fr Lawrence was the celebrant at this BM Mass.

More photos taken by the Parish Communication Team (PCT) are available for viewing & downloading at

During last weekend’s Masses celebrated by SIC Parish Priest Fr Andrew Wong CDD at St Ignatius Church (SIC), several slides were projected during his homilies to help parents inculcate good values in their children. Click on wikiHow to view the remaining 18 slides.

Founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church is the largest church in the world encompassing people of all nations, races and backgrounds. All the means and graces one need to grow spiritually and for one's salvation are there in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Baptised Catholics who have not received the Sacrament of Confirmation are also welcome to attend. And RCIA need sponsors to journey along. The application form is available for downloading & printing at . More information on the programme is available at RCIA.

I would like to share my joy as the result of a recent visit to the Taman Megah Handicapped & Disabled Children’s Home organised by seven BECs (Basic Ecclesial Communities) of St Ignatius Church. What I saw moved and comforted me. I saw how each one of us in a community of communal love gathered together in one body of Christ (each one of us in our little acts of love and generosity) brought so much joy to the children that some of them invited us back.

And they looked forward to our next visit. As we sing and dance, giving praise and thanking the Lord & through hugs and touch, the children felt the Lord’s love and joy in us. We could see this expressed on their faces as they smile and laugh & felt our love and joy in being with them.

One of the ways Catholics evangelise the world is by sharing our lives and love for Christ. We received God’s spirit through baptism and His graces in the sacraments, & we bring Christ to others. As we share the spirit of love, peace & joy that dwells within us, I saw how happy the children were with our presence – the joy in the children’s hearts enamoured Christ’s joy into my heart.

We hope that we can continue to be disciples of Christ by helping children in need, especially those with disabilities, to experience the love of God. Glory to the Holy Trinity. Amen.

St Ignatius Church (SIC) held an outdoor candle light procession on Sunday 23 June 2019 as part of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ or Corpus Christi. The event started off with Mass at 6 pm with SIC Parish Priest Fr Andrew Wong CDD as the main celebrant and Fr Albet Arockiasamy (Parish Priest, Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe) as concelebrant. After Mass, Fr Andrew carried the Eucharistic Exposition and boarded a pick-up vehicle decorated with flowers to begin the procession. Some 650 parishioners joined in the procession around the Taman Mayang neighbourhood which is a rare occasion when Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament exited the church and is brought into public view.

Along the way, parishioners joined altar servers, communion ministers, flower girls, wardens and other volunteers in proclaiming the presence of Our Lord through Gospel readings, recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and singing hymns in English, Mandarin, Bahasa Malaysia & Tamil. Fr Andrew, SIC Assistant Parish Priest Fr Lawrence Ng CDD & Fr Albet took turns to hold the Blessed Sacrament during the journey.

With the theme Encountering Christ, the 2.37 km procession stopped at four locations signifying the four corners of the world. Apart from terrace houses, the procession passed by Oasis Food Court, Plaza Mayang and some shops before turning back towards SIC. Shortly after 9 pm, parishioners followed the Blessed Sacrament to re-enter the church building for Benediction. A fellowship dinner was held after its completion.

More photos taken by the Parish Communication Team (PCT) are available for viewing & downloading at. Click on Corpus Christi Procession 2019 to watch a video of the event.

Are you going to share the gifts of the Holy Spirit by helping those in need or are you going to keep them for yourselves? His Grace Archbishop Julian Leow addressed this probing question to 69 confirmands from the St Ignatius Church (SIC) English Sunday school and 27 confirmands from the Mandarin Sunday school during his homily whilst presiding over the Sacrament of Confirmation at SIC on Saturday 22 June 2019. He urged the confirmands to respond to the needs of those around them and to follow the example of Jesus who always gives in abundance exemplified by the Feeding of the Five Thousand recorded in all four Gospels. This weekend's Masses celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body & Blood of the Lord or Corpus Christi.

Archbishop Julian was the main celebrant with SIC Parish Priest Fr Andrew Wong CDD & Assistant Parish Priest Fr Lawrence Ng CDD as concelebrants. Probably for the first time in SIC, each sentence of Archbishop Julian's homily in English was immediately translated into Mandarin by Fr Andrew. Accompanied by their godparents, the confirmands were anointed with the Oil of Chrism which signifies reception of the seal of the Holy Spirit to mark their total belonging to Christ and their enrolment in his service forever. With Confirmation – the completion of Baptism – the baptised are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.

In addition to bread and wine, confirmands offered up their talents and gifts for which they have been blessed with (music, songs, sports, love, sincerity, kindness & joy in serving others), and faith experiences encountered through Sunday school lessons, Renewal in the Spirit Seminar, service projects, Confirmation Camp and other activities. The Mass was very well attended with parishioners taking up space even on the roads surrounding the church building. A fellowship dinner then ensued after Mass for the confirmands, godparents, family members & catechists as well as the celebrants.

More photos taken by the Parish Communication Team (PCT) are available for viewing & downloading at

by Fr Lawrence Ng, CDD & Ken Cham

It started off with just three cycling pilgrims travelling only to Negeri Sembilan back in 2017. This year’s bike touring pilgrimage has grown to 18 pilgrims travelling to not just Seremban but to as far as Malacca, Tangkak, Tampin and back to Seremban with the intention to proclaim the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ through their actions & charity. The cycling pilgrims also carried parishioners’ prayer intentions which they offered up for prayer at every church and chapel they stopped at. The pilgrims ranging in age from 23 to 64 were led by St Ignatius Church (SIC) Assistant Parish Priest Fr Lawrence Ng CDD who acted as the spiritual director.

This year's event particularly is more meaningful as it is in line with Extraordinary Missionary Year 2019 initiated by some dioceses in Malaysia culminating with the celebration of the Extraordinary Mission Month convoked by Pope Francis for October 2019 with the theme Baptised & Sent: The Church of Christ on Mission in the World. We are being reminded to “Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News” (Mark 16:15). Along the 350 km route, they make their presence felt at a Catholic Orang Asli Kampung Bekoh in Tangkak & the Infant Jesus Sisters Home in Taman Bakti, Malacca. They also visited a church ruin of more than 400 years old beside the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Krubong, Malacca.

One of the cycling pilgrims from Seremban Church of Visitation, Spencer Sequerah said: “Most pilgrimages I have been to are in the comfort of a bus. Once at the church we usually pray but there is not much effort being put in. This Cycling Pilgrimage brought us to so many churches & chapels that I may never visit on my own. The effort of cycling against the elements gave us a sense of accomplishment.” He continued that “becoming a true missionary is difficult but our group tried very hard to upkeep & be proud of what our jerseys stated: Powered by Jesus & Empowered by Jesus.”

Another cycling pilgrim from SIC, Bernard Tan shared: “During pilgrimage, I was able to break away from my daily life or comfort zone to be with God. I was able to be affirmed by and felt the presence of God in my experience (cycling pilgrimage) despite the suffering.” He added: “I think to me it’s not a matter of whether it is easy or not to be missionary. It is more of whether we are willing or not. Through my experience of this pilgrimage, I learnt that I am able in a small way to become a missionary! I can use my life as a light and salt to people around me. Through my actions and words, people will feel a difference – The Love of Christ!”

Fr Lawrence shared that, “to lead this group comprising people of different ages and attitudes is not easy. But with strong faith and trust in God, with daily spiritual input and reminders that ‘We are Missionary’, I was able to help them grow in spirituality through cycling. By the way cycling is just a kind of method of evangelisation. There are many kinds of it, but we found this method can be a good destress method to help all of them to get away from their busy lifestyle, and build the good relationship in Christian brotherhood and sisterhood.” He added: “In all we do, trust in God is very important.” For instance, three spokes of his bicycle wheel were broken but thankfully there was someone available to help replace them.

All who participated were thankful to the Lord for giving them strength, endurance, good weather & protection throughout the pilgrimage. Throughout this Bike Touring Pilgrimage, all pilgrims live out the teaching of Congregatio Discipulorum Domini (CDD) founder Cardinal Celso Costantini’s words: “I am with the spirit in your midst and I pray that God assist and bless you. Just like the star that lead the Three Wise Kings to Christ, so you have to be shining stars, which light up the way for many pagans to arrive at Christ.” (Put God’s Armour On, Chapter 24, verse 1).

Click on Bike Touring Pilgrimage 2019 to view a video.