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).

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.

Some reflections for Ascension Mass are available at Commentary on Readings (5 pages).

Spiritual bouquets of ‘Deeds’ & ‘Petitions’ can be offered in respective boxes placed near Our Lady of Perpetual Help icon in church from now till 31 May. As hard copies of the song & prayer sheets are limited, click on image of Jesus & Mother Mary on the left to download the softcopy onto your smartphones or tablets for use during the procession.

Register online by clicking on Form. Click on Pentecost Video to view.

As part of the People of God in this Extraordinary Missionary Year, we are called as individuals and BECs to live out our baptismal role by carrying out the command of our Lord Jesus to go into the world and proclaim the Gospel. As we do so, we have to equip ourselves by knowing & living our faith (studying the Word of God & Catechism of the Catholic Church; regular attendance at Mass & partaking of the sacraments; doing spiritual & corporal works of mercy, etc). Two of the resources to help us in this direction are available at St Ignatius Church (SIC) Office. Firstly, we can donate RM12 to get a copy of the Catholic Directory & Ordo published by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei for 2019.

Apart from information on priests and religious, it is a compehensive publication listing the Mass & devotion times, addresses, contact numbers, office holders of churches, chapels, religious orders & organisations which Catholics will find useful. The Ordo section lists the Catholic liturgical calendar for the daily celebration of Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours. Hence, it is a useful guide for us to know what are the readings for Mass every day, the feasts/memorials for particular days, the liturgical season we are in, and concise information on significant celebrations e.g. Holy Week.

Also available for a donation of RM9 each are copies of The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) is a catechism promulgated for the Catholic Church by Saint John Paul the Great in 1992 which sums up, in book form, the beliefs of the Catholic faithful. Meanwhile, the Compendium is an abbreviated version of the CCC presenting its essentials in question & answer format. This format presents the entirety of Catholic moral teaching and the doctrine of the faith in a manner more accessible to all – compared to the CCC which may be too detailed & voluminous for some.

Every year throughout the world at Easter, adults who are received into the One, Holy, Catholic & Apostolic Church do so for a variety of reasons. Newly-baptised Elaine Annabelle Lum studied in a school run by Anglicans as a child, grew up mixing with people of different religions, and married hockey great Brian Sta Maria who represented Malaysia in three World Cups and the Munich Olympics in 1972. A mother of three who are Catholics, she reads the Bible and even attended Protestant church services but refrained from being baptised all these years out of respect for her late mother-in-law. According to Elaine, she finally decided to become a Catholic due to the prayers of her mother-in-law, the charity of her husband’s cousin-sister, and the witness & care of her BEC SS25 St Emmanuel members whose prayer gatherings she attend occasionally. Her family is now completely Catholic, including her daughter-in-law & two grandsons.

Elaine together with 33 other elects (29 from English RCIA & 5 from Bahasa Malaysia RCIA Classes of 2018-19) were baptised by St Ignatius Church (SIC) Parish Priest Fr Andrew Wong CDD and Assistant Parish Priest Fr Lawrence Ng CDD at the Easter Vigil Mass on 20 April which started at 10.30 pm. In addition to the English RCIA, SIC conducted an RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) class in Bahasa Malaysia for the first time. Fourteen candidates for confirmation (10 from English RCIA & 4 from Bahasa Malaysia RCIA) joined the newly-baptised to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation from Frs Andrew and Lawrence who anointed them with the Oil of Chrism to seal them with the gift of the Holy Spirit. This Sacrament provides them greater capability to practice their Catholic faith in every aspect of their lives and to witness Christ in every situation. Then a very special, unforgettable moment in the lives of the newly-baptised ensued when they received their first Holy Communion – the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ.

It is hoped that our new Catholics will maintain their fervour for the Catholic faith & all things Catholic – and realise that they are only at the very beginning of a spiritual journey that may last for decades until the end of their natural life. Continual conversion (metanoia) to not just imitate but also to become like Christ is an important part of the Christian life. All the graces and opportunities that one need to grow spiritually can be found in Christ and his Church. Catholics whether new or matured need to be nourished by the Word of God and partake of the sacraments – especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation.

Whichever Catholic church they choose to attend from now on, it is important that our new brothers-and-sisters in Christ make the effort to integrate into the life of their parish through serving in ministries and BECs (Basic Ecclesial Communities). Undertaking Bible & catechetical studies and formation programmes will help deepen their faith & knowledge in order to remain rooted in Christ. Last but not least, Christians need to obey the mandate given by Christ at the end of his earthly life for us to love one another and to make disciples of all nations. 

 

At the Easter Vigil Mass in Mandarin which started at 6.45 pm, 31 elects were baptised and five candidates were confirmed together with the elects.

More photos taken by the Parish Communication Team (PCT) are being processed and made available for viewing & downloading atand

SIC wish all Catholics a Blessed Easter!

Parishioners of St Ignatius Church (SIC) enthusiastically ushered in this year’s Holy Week as they celebrate Palm Sunday on 13 & 14 April by waving palms as they enter church. A procession through the covered car park area to the church building was held before the 6 pm Mass on 14 April. SIC Parish Priest Fr Andrew Wong CDD proclaimed the Gospel of Mark on The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, gave a short homily, and blessed the palms together with Jesuit priest Fr Joseph Ng. He then led the procession to church for Mass with Fr Joseph as concelebrant. A procession was also held before the 11.15 am Mandarin Mass on Sunday 14 Apr with Assistant Parish Priest Fr Lawrence Ng CDD as the celebrant.

Earlier in the morning of Saturday 13 April, about 50 volunteers turned up in church to help clean and cut 2,500 palms down to size.

This year’s Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday Mass at St Ignatius Church (SIC) which started at 8 pm on 18 April drew one of the biggest turnouts of parishioners in recent years. Marking the end of the Lenten season, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper also inaugurates the Paschal Triduum — from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday. Though chronologically three days, they are liturgically a single day unfolding for us the unity of Christ’s Paschal Mystery.

After the homily of this multilingual Mass at SIC, Parish Priest Fr Andrew Wong CDD and Assistant Parish Priest Fr Lawrence Ng CDD washed the feet of 12 representatives from the English, Mandarin & Bahasa Malaysia Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) class of 2018-19. This Mass also commemorates the Institution of the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Holy Orders (priesthood). Holy Thursday is also called Maundy Thursday with the word 'Maundy' derived from the Latin mandatum or mandate given by Jesus to his disciples at the Last Supper to love one another.

Shortly after holy communion, Frs Andrew & Lawrence led the procession to transfer the Most Blessed Sacrament from the tabernacle to the Altar of Repose on the first floor of Costantini Community Centre. The Blessed Sacrament was exposed for adoration till 6 am after which it was transferred to the prayer room downstairs where consecrated hosts are kept for holy communion during Good Friday services.

Despite the hot weather, there was a big turnout up for the multi-lingual Good Friday Way of the Cross @ Riverside on 19 April at 1 pm. Fr Andrew started off proceedings by carrying a wooden cross from the altar to the church entrance after which a group of communion ministers carried a bigger cross to the First Station. Fr Lawrence also participated in the event.

Apart from the Liturgy of the Word, the Good Friday celebration of the Lord’s Passion included Veneration of the Cross whereby parishioners come forward one by one to kneel before the crucifix and kiss the feet of Jesus. Spiritual communion within the SIC community was enhanced through Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration held from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday.

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

St Ignatius Church (SIC) Sunday school recently organised two Way of the Cross (WOTC) for its students which were well-received. A WOTC for primary children was held on Sunday 17 March whilst another for secondary level was held on Sunday 24 March, both at the Rooftop of Costantini Community Centre.

WOTC is held every Friday of Lent at SIC but having Sunday school children & youths themselves act out Jesus' final journey on earth (via 14 stations or scenes on the way to Calvary) makes it more immersive & meaningful for their peers watching. After its completion, several principal characters shared their feelings whilst acting out their roles and all were touched by the significance of Christ's sacrifice for all humanity.

The WOTC for primary children was organised by the Sunday school Support Team whilst the event for secondary students was planned by the class catechists of Forms 3 & 4 with youths providing support in operating the sound system. Costumes for the secondary WOTC especially the Roman soldier helmets & their attire were made by Form 4 catechist Marcia Yap and were used by the primary WOTC actors & actresses.

According to Sunday school coordinator Ivy Wong, it was heartening to see many parents joining both sessions as well as many children who were experiencing the WOTC for the first time. There were also positive feedback from parents. Ivy invites more parents to join the Sunday school support team as it consist of parents of students, and is thankful to have parents supporting the ministry & making it a fun, faith-learning place.

Click on Youtube to view a video of the WOTC for primary children. More photos taken by the Parish Communication Team (PCT) are available for viewing & downloading at