Finding God in Arts 📅 Dates & Workshop Sessions: Session 1: Weaving the Stars of Life — Saturday, 7 November | 10.30am – 12.30pm Session 2: Piecing Graces – From Mosaic Art to Ignatian Integration — Sunday, 8 November | 2.00pm – 4.00pm Session 3: From the Margins to the Center: An Ignatian Spiritual Cross Workshop — Monday, 9 November (Public Holiday) | 10.30am – 12.30pm 📍 Venue: Loyola Hall, SFX Church, Petaling Jaya 💵 Offering: RM30 per session 👥 Eligibility: Open to all ages (Attend one, two, or all three workshops — each session is standalone) Join us for a series of creative sessions and encounter God through the beauty of the arts. Guided by Br. Howard Tu, SJ—a Jesuit brother of the Chinese Province and devoted artist who has spent 26 years weaving together faith and beauty through Ignatian spirituality—these hands-on workshops invite us to awaken our senses and find God in all things. Workshop Highlights: Weaving the Stars of Life: A prayer workshop combining handicraft with Ignatian spirituality where participants weave a star using cardboard and rope to reflect on their life journey and blessings. Piecing Graces: A hands-on mosaic-making workshop using colorful fragments to create a coaster, serving as a metaphor for life integration and recognizing grace in everyday life. From the Margins to the Center: A spiritual cross-making workshop using disposable chopsticks and ropes, guiding participants to entrust their daily chaos and wounds to the love of Christ. Organised in collaboration by Church of St. Francis Xavier (SFX), MAG+S Malaysia, and Maranatha Janda Baik. Scan the QR code on the posters to register. For any inquiries, please contact Priscilla at 012-2299 836. All are welcome!
All are invited to join "The Spirit of Advent" on Saturday, 14 November 2026, from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM at the Church of St Jude, Rawang. Organised by ATLAC, this gathering features guest speaker Rev Fr Bonaventure Rayappan and provides an opportunity for reflection and fellowship as we enter the Advent season. Both breakfast and lunch will be provided, and a love offering of RM 10.00 is requested (payable on the day). For more information, please contact Louis Simon at 016-683 8534 or Bernard at 016-233 0606.
The Church of Our Lady of Fatima marked a historic milestone with the arrival and veneration of sacred first-class relics. These included a drop of blood from St. Padre Pio's glove and a piece of the body of St. Leopold Mandic. Parishioners gathered to honour these renowned Capuchin Franciscan confessors, celebrated for their ministry of reconciliation and highlighted by Pope Francis during the 2016 Year of Mercy. The relics of St. Carlo Acutis were also present for veneration. This sacred veneration was the centrepiece of an evening commemorating Our Blessed Mother's sixth apparition in 1917. The event featured a Holy Hour, the Rosary, a Mass emphasising the call to "Stand Firm," and a traditional candlelight procession around the church building. The occasion concluded with fellowship at Dewan Fatima, strengthening the parish community in their shared journey of prayer, mercy, and peace.
The Gospel isn't meant to sit in a glass case, it comes alive when it speaks to our real-world traditions and daily lives. Speaking on 'Faith and Inculturation' at the Church of Saint Francis Xavier, Fr Dr Clarence Devadass explained inculturation as the dynamic interaction between the Gospel and human culture, enabling the Gospel to take root within a specific community and its way of life. He emphasised that this process transcends mere adaptation, imitation, or assimilation. Instead, inculturation allows the Gospel to be expressed meaningfully across diverse cultural contexts while remaining true to the universal teachings of the Church. Drawing upon Church doctrine, Fr Clarence highlighted that the Church does not impose "rigid uniformity" in matters of faith. Cultural expressions and traditions can be integrated, provided they harmonise with the Gospel. "The challenge," Fr Clarence stated, "is to build unity without demanding uniformity." He cautioned against adopting a "holier-than-thou" attitude in discussions of faith, urging Catholics to engage in deeper reflection and discernment rather than becoming "keyboard warriors." Liturgical diversity, he clarified, should be viewed as a source of enrichment, as unity does not necessitate cultural uniformity. Fr Clarence stressed that inculturation extends beyond language, music, gestures, dress, and other liturgical expressions. It involves bringing the Gospel into meaningful dialogue with the values, traditions, symbols, and realities of each culture. As such, inculturation shapes Christian living, relationships, pastoral ministry, social engagement, and mission, not solely the manner in which Catholics celebrate the liturgy. He further clarified that inculturation is not simply translating words, adding local decorations to a Western expression of Christianity, uncritically adopting every cultural practice, or rejecting the universal dimension of the Church. Rather, it is a deeper process of encounter, transformation, and mutual enrichment. Referring to the International Theological Commission's 1988 definition, Fr Clarence noted that inculturation is the process by which the Gospel enters, engages, purifies, transforms, and enriches cultures, thereby enabling the Church to express its singular faith through the diversity of peoples and cultures. The talk concluded with a call for the Church to embrace greater inclusivity and welcome. Fr Clarence encouraged the faithful to listen to cultures, engage with people's worlds, recognise the "seeds of the Word" already present within them, proclaim Christ, and foster unity without demanding uniformity. Through this approach, the one Gospel can take root and flourish in numerous cultures, enriching both the Church and society. The event was organised by the SFX Social Communications Ministry.
