For photos of events from 2019 onwards, kindly refer to our parish's official Facebook page.

For updates on Sahabat Orang Asli (SOA) outreach mission, click here.

61ST NOTIFICATION & UPDATES FROM THE DIOCESE OF PENANG - 1ST MAY 2026

Click on the picture to get further details of the latest updates and notifications (in pdf format) from the Diocese of Penang.

PARISH ASSEMBLY 2026 - 26TH APRIL 2026

INTRODUCTION

The parish assembly for St Michael’s Church, Ipoh was held on 26 April 2026 from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm. Approximately 240 people, both Chinese and English-speakers, attended. Participants were warmly welcomed to the assembly by Martin Jalleh (in English) and Alex Choong (in Mandarin). The afternoon began with a short praise and worship session with English and Mandarin hymns, invoking the Holy Spirit to guide, inspire and unite all participants. Martin likened the parish assembly to the call of prophet Joel (Joel 2:15-16), where in the early days, people gathered together to listen to God’s voice and act upon his decrees. The Word of God was then enthroned before the whole assembly with the hymn ‘Jesus, we enthrone You’. The reading from Acts 2 : 42 – 47 was then proclaimed, first in English, and then in Mandarin. The assembly then recited the Parish Prayer, after which our parish priest, Fr Aloysius Tan, gave his opening address.

PARISH PRIEST’S ADDRESS

Fr Aloysius began by thanking all participants for their presence. He also congratulated the parish for its continued growth as a community and as a parish, in mission and in unity with the diocese and the Universal Church. He commended the parish for looking beyond the walls of SMC. Fr Aloysius presented three objectives of the Parish Assembly:

a) that the parish community would take time to pause, evaluate and discern its objectives and plans, so that a clear direction for the future may be set.

b) that the assembly might motivate the parish community to continue to grow in the mission of God, notwithstanding the changing social dynamics.

c) that the parish structures and organisations will be strengthened. For example, Caritas SMC mooted in the last PA was, later in the year, formed to be the umbrella body overseeing the works of mercy undertaken by the various outreach groups at SMC.

In his 17 months as parish priest of SMC, Fr Aloysius noted the following strengths of the parish:

i. Generosity of time, talent, effort and resources among parishioners;

ii. Strong bonds were formed through some ministries and BECs and a shared identity;

iii. Our history of 135 years in the parish which we carry with pride and commitment.

He also noted the following areas with opportunities for further growth:

i. Need for greater involvement of the wider parish community, with a view to having each parishioner participate in only one ministry (not the same few parishioners doing everything).

ii. Need to cultivate a deeper spirit of prayer and listening to God, like Mary and less emphasis on being busy with activities like Martha (the Gospel of Luke);

iii. Need to grow into an even more welcoming and inclusive community;

iv. Need to strengthen our missionary focus.

Fr Aloysius shared his experience about visiting the Catholic churches in China. He noted that in one church, after Mass, the priest sent off the people with three scripture verses that would reflect the mission and mindset needed to share the Gospel with all peoples -(Matthew 28:19-20), (Rev. 3:16) and (Lamentations 3:22-23). The spirit of evangelization and mission was very strong despite experiencing constant persecution. Fr Aloysius reminded that the road to evangelize will be filled with setbacks and progress but it is an ongoing mission. All BECs or church ministries should welcome new people with creativity and Christ-centered vision, to breathe new life into the mission.

Fr Aloysius set out 3 priorities for growth of the parish:

i. Have on-going formation sessions for all ministries and BECs;

ii. Devote more time and resources to cater to the pastoral needs of the youth;

iii. Encourage change in leadership to get different people and more participation from the wider parish community.

He proposed that the parish take a pastoral direction to have a special pastoral charity action, that is, pastoral sabbatical. Since even parish priests take leave to refresh and recharge, long-serving leaders of ministries and BECs should also take pastoral sabbaticals and allow new leadership to flourish. Fr Aloysius also explained why there was an urgent need for growth. The parish must be prepared for:

i. the 1st Malaysian Pastoral Convention (MPC) in September 2026 which will set the direction for the whole of Malaysia and

ii. the Jubilee Year of Redemption in 2033, which celebrates 2000 years after our Lord Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.

SUMMARY OF TTT REPORT

Martin (with Alex as translator) explained that after the Pastoral Assembly in 2025, Fr Aloysius commissioned a parish Think Tank Team (TTT) to collate the feedback from the people. The TTT discussed, discerned and deliberated in the spirit of solidarity to come up with practical ways and suggestions to meet the needs of the people and encourage spiritual growth. Based on the book Christo Fidelis Laici by Pope John Paul II, the TTT placed last year’s suggestions for parish improvements into the framework of the four callings of the laity:

1. Call to Personal Holiness (sanctification)

1.1 We are called to grow in our prayer life and deepen our relationship with God. There is a need for personal conversion. This also requires a change of personal mindset, to stop “naval gazing”, i.e. being too self-focused.

2. Call to Community

2.1 We are called to build a synodal parish culture of listening, participation and co-responsibility. We must be inclusive, uphold unity and cater to all, irrespective of language and race. Our BECs need to be strengthened and we need to encourage more youth and children’s involvement. More efforts need to be made to reach out to inactive members through BECs. Martin also explained that although in the last assembly, there was an urgent call to support families with special needs children so that they and their children could be a part of parish activities, due to the unique behavioural and physical needs of these special children, it was proposed that expert help be sought in this area. For the newly baptised, RCIA teams should continue to follow-up with them even after baptism.

3. Call to Ministry and Mission

3.1 We must encourage more active participation and co-operation in missionary activities. Leaders must learn to engage with inactive members to include them in missionary or evangelization activities. There is also a need to improve catechesis through better training, lifelong learning, etc.

4. Call to Spiritual Maturity.

4.1 As Christians we are called to grow in love for the sacraments and scripture. A matured Christian will emulate Christ in character, i.e. being humble and self-sacrificing, practising discipleship and service. To build our spirituality, all are encouraged to attend formation sessions and bible classes regularly, as building our spiritual maturity is an ongoing process.

The TTT then came up with 4 major proposals for the parish:

1. Personal holiness – to build a praying community

2. Communities – to build inclusive and united communities

3. Ministry and Mission

4. Spiritual maturity – to deepen discipleship and practise on-going discipleship.

While the TTT was deliberating over the proposals, the Parish Pastoral Council came up with the following mission statement for the parish for 2026: Discipleship through Sanctification, Mission and Community.

By God’s grace, the TTT report and SMC mission statement resonated with the vision of the upcoming Malaysia Pastoral Convention 2026, which calls forth a united, synodal and prophetic church. It is through holiness (sanctification), mission and community that our church will encourage unity and discipleship. A slideshow featuring the Progress Report of SMC (that is, the achievements of parish initiatives) since the Parish Assembly 2025 was then shown to the assembly. The parish initiatives were put in 7 categories namely:

a) Spiritual and Liturgical Celebrations

b) Formation, Talks and Faith development

c) Community building and parish Life

d) Outreach, charity and social mission

e) Pilgrimages and devotional journeys

f) Family, youth, etc activities

g) Environmental initiatives

A group photo was taken before a short recess was announced.

SPIRITUAL MOTIVATION ON UNITY

Martin and Alex then related the story of the paralyzed man and his friends in the Gospels of Mark 2 : 1-12 and Luke 5 : 17-25 to depict the eight elements one needs to possess in order to grow in ministry and mission, and to work together in unity. They are:

1. Compassion (have a heart to care for the many needs around us);

2. Choice (we need to choose to care and to be part of a team);

3. Creativity (we need to be creative in our groups, helping others and growing);

4. Communication (members need to dialogue to work well together);

5. Co-operation (members in a team need to work in tandem with each other and not be a solo operator who ignores the rest);

6. Commitment (despite the many challenges, members need to be committed);

7. Centred on Christ (Christ must be the primary focus and motivation of all that we do)

8. Charisms (use the gifts from God).

Martin ended this reflection on the Gospel reading of the paralysed man by referring to Mark 2:12 and Luke 5:25. After being forgiven and healed, we should obey God’s command and offer praises to God.

ADDRESS BY PPC CHAIRMAN

PPC Chairman Ms Jennifer Duarte (with Angela Wong as translator) presented the proposal and theme for this year’s parish assembly which was formulated by the Parish Pastoral Council i.e. To achieve Discipleship through SMC – Sanctification – Mission – Community. Jennifer shared a personal reflection of her own spiritual life. She reflected that perseverance and engagement despite personal feelings yields spiritual growth. If one is rooted in prayer, the call to discipleship will transform one’s life. Discipleship calls us all to grow, to serve, to love and become more compassionate, more joyful, more generous, more courageous and humbler. Communities through BECs and ministries matter as they work together and support each other through good and bad times. Discipleship calls us to “enlarge our tent” (Isaiah 54:2). It does not call us to live in isolation.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION

The participants were then divided into 15 designated groups – 5 Chinese-speaking and 10 English-speaking. Four groups comprised BEC leaders and members and 11 groups comprised Ministry heads and their members. All groups had to discuss, discern and decide on one project which could be undertaken by a BEC or Ministry or the parish which would help achieve the goal of Discipleship through SMC (Sanctification-Mission – Community).

After a half hour discussion, a representative from each group presented one idea which they felt a BEC or ministry could undertake to achieve the parish goal for 2026.

1. BEC Online rosary session

2. Inter-BEC gatherings

3. Post the obituary announcement on SMCs Facebook page to encourage more people to participate in corporal works of mercy

4. Inter-language group projects

5. Activate lapsed Catholics through BECs

6. Form a mobile prayer group that will go to houses to pray

7. Work with other ministries / BECs to create SMC Community garden: make own compost, grow own garden / vegetables, repurpose recyclable items

8. Have Bible study sessions

9. When welcoming newcomers to the parish at Mass, give coffee morning vouchers or gift vouchers to collect small gifts from the religious articles shop) in order to engage with them beyond the mass greeting

10. To bridge the intergenerational gap, youth can assist seniors with IT-related issues e.g. online bill payment

11. Organise pilgrimages to the South of peninsula Malaysia.

12. Have BEC gatherings during Winter Solstice /festive occasions

13. BECs collaborate with other ministries to follow up with newly baptized and lapsed Catholics

14. Have Inter-Ministry activities（Youth & Choir)

15. Organise Thanksgiving / Reconciliation activities (e.g. Chinese tea ceremony)

Since the goal of the parish was Discipleship through Sanctification, Mission and Community, the leaders of BECs and Ministries were asked to commit their group to do one project to achieve this goal between May 2026 and April 2027. To show their commitment, all BECs and Ministries have to fill up the Post Parish Assembly Commitment Form about their project and return the form to the parish office by 11 May 2026.

Q & A SESSION

An interactive session was held where the participants were invited to ask questions, offer comments or provide feedback.

a) One participant asked: How do we reach out to lapsed Catholics, to which Fr Aloysius suggested that we could begin by not labelling them as “lapsed Catholics”. He commended the Homebound team of Eucharistic Ministers and the Bereavement (Wake) group who had made some headway in reaching out to those who had stayed away from church. Fr himself had personally reached out to these people but he also asked for the assistance of all leaders and BEC members to give the relevant information needed to seek out those who had fallen away from the faith.

b)A participant made a request for a directory of all ministry and BEC leaders with their contact information to be made available so that anyone could contact the relevant people when they needed to.

c) Another question posed was a request for help in instilling commitment among members.

d) There was also a request for the names of all members of the church maintenance team.

CONCLUSION

The assembly ended at approximately 6.00p.m. with a prayer and a blessing by Fr Aloysius. Participants then adjourned to a buffet style dinner catered by the parish.

LENTEN CAMPAIGN DONATIONS ANNOUNCEMENT - 26TH APRIL 2026

CONCLUSION OF GROW TO GLOW II PROGRAMME FOR 2026 - 12TH APRIL 2026

Congratulations to the five young people who actively participated in and completed the Grow to Glow II programme. They are : Abigail Vaishnavi, Jonathan Ho Rui Sheng, Brendan Joseph Victor, Ashwin Jerome Jeremiah and Rihanna Anitra. May God bless them and continue to help them discern their future paths.

PRAYER FOR PEACE - 11TH APRIL 2026

In solidarity with Pope Leo XIV's call to pray for peace on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday, Fr Aloysious convened a Divine Mercy Prayer session on the evening of 11th April 2026, starting at 11.45p.m. In light of the dire situation and escalating violence in the Middle-East, Pope Leo XIV had called for all the faithful to come together to pray for peace and a return to dialogue by leaders of opposing nations. Due to the late hour, the parish saw a small gathering pray the Divine Mercy chaplet in Mandarin and English, together with Fr Aloysius for the prayer intentions of peace, sustenance for those suffering from the conflicts and an end to violence.

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF CHRIST - 4TH APRIL 2026

60TH NOTIFICATION & UPDATES FROM THE DIOCESE OF PENANG - 1ST APRIL 2026

Click on the picture to get further details of the latest updates and notifications (in pdf format) from the Diocese of Penang.

LENTEN RECOLLECTION TALKS - 21ST - 23RD MARCH 2026

This year's lenten recollection session in SMC was facilitated by Fr Xavier Andrew, parish priest of the Church of the Visitation in Seremban. The theme was Lent : Returning to Hope. There were approximately 105 participants who registered for the sessions. We thank Fr Xavier for taking the time to enrich our spiritual journey this Lent over the three days of sharing.

On the first night, Friday 20 March 2026, Fr Xavier reminded us that we need to have a positive mindset. Indeed, Lent is a time when we are made more aware of how we live since Jesus is in our lives. Is he really in our hearts? It is not enough just to know about God, we must know God, experience Him and feel His presence in our lives every minute of every day. It takes discipline and practice. We must develop an awareness of what we are seeking, surround ourselves with like-minded people and be optimistic, passionate and enthusiastic about our goal. If we surrender to God and are thankful for everything He has done for us, we will have the confidence that He will take care of us. Enjoy every moment because we are blessed. With this positive mindset, we become more hopeful and will be a blessing to others.

After speaking about having a positive mindset at our first session, Fr Xavier went on to speak about being pro-active (not reactive) at our second session on Saturday afternoon 21 March 2026. When we are pro-active, we take the initiative, but if we are re-active, we watch and wait for others to take action. He explained that we are conditioned in our lives through genetics, psychology and the environment, but we can train our minds to elevate our lives by conscious endeavour. Unlike animals, we have self-awareness, imagination, a conscience, an independent will and most importantly the freedom to choose to be pro-active. We are not bound by our thoughts but can change our lives through conditioning. To take ourselves to the next level of spirituality, we must thirst for Jesus and take the initiative to listen and pray. We cannot only be religious in our actions but must understand what faith in Jesus really means. We need to be responsible and make the right decision in our choices in life. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can be values-driven in shaping our thoughts, behaviour, habits, way of living and perceptions. Being proactive, we must take responsibility for whatever happens, and not blame others or the circumstances for the situation that we are in. The paradigm shift from being reactive to pro-active depends on the three values of experience, creativity and attitude. Reactors always feel victimised and out of control. They blame outside forces for their situation. So, we need to listen to the language that we use. ‘There’s nothing I can do’ versus ‘Let’s look at other alternatives.’ ‘That’s just the way I am.’ versus ‘I can choose a different approach.’ ‘She makes me so mad.’ versus ‘I can control my feelings.’ Which are pro-active and which re-active? Fr Xavier also pointed out that we have mis-used and abused the word ‘love’. It is a verb and not a feeling. It is an act of sacrificing oneself for others. Love is a value that is actualised through loving actions. (Reference Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Peter 4:8, Colossians 3:14, 1 John 3:16) Fr Xavier then went on to the topic of Christian leaders as Disciples of Hope where we put our love into action. He explained that we are all leaders whether at home, in church or at the workplace. As Christian leaders, we should aim to be Disciples of Hope, living in a positive relationship with others. Our actions of love are in the form of service to our fellowmen. We prioritize people in our lives and are not rooted on worldly notions of success. As Christian leaders, we must have great habits, praying continually (Reference Daniel 6:11, Acts 20:7, Psalm 119:164) and reading the Word of God (Reference Psalm 19:10, Romans 10:17) so as to experience the love of Jesus Christ and to be in love with Him. Faith, he re-iterated, comes when we speak the Word of God (Reference Luke 6:45, Proverbs 17:27-28, Matthew 12:36-37) To progress in our spiritual life, Fr Xavier encouraged all present to be with the right people: those who are good, inspired, informed, praying and holy. He also encouraged all to be more committed and take the time to go one step further in our spiritual lives - to train, to mentor, to inspire and to motivate others.

On the third day, Fr Xavier delved into the complexities of the meeting between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. (John 4:1-42). There were three barriers that Jesus broke down:

• Socio-ethnic (Jew and Samaritan),

• Gender (Male and Female) and

• Moral and religious (Rabbi and an outcast)

The story is also our story. The husbands are the false gods that are in our lives (pride, jealousy, anger, etc). We need to get rid of these idols as it spoils our relationship with God. We receive the light in Holy Communion to be illumined by Jesus Christ. We are responsible for our own faith. The 5 former husbands in the story of the Samaritan woman can be our 5 senses – to see, hear, touch, feel and smell – that can cause us to sin. We need to be detached.

Lessons learnt :

1. The Samaritan Woman was the first female evangelist. The apostles took Jesus for granted.

2. We need to rely on God. He will care for us. He sees and hears. If we open up to Him, like the Samaritan woman, he will give us more graces in our spiritual life. We need to make a difference – have a deep spiritual thirst.

3. A fresh start is always possible. Don’t bother what others say. The only opinion that matters is God’s. Be a woman with purpose. (Reference Genesis 18:14 Psalm 68:5 Jeremiah 29:11 Psalm 34:18 Psalm 113:9)

4. God helps you find your voice in the quiet, in moments of solitude. Walk with God and you will find your voice. God will use you as strength for others. Put yourself in the shoes of the Samaritan woman and see the transformation: live boldly, speak truthfully and follow faithfully. Our legacy is our faith life.

Other valuable truths :

1. Only through Jesus can we obtain eternal life (John 4:13-14)

2. All people are valuable to God. He ministered to those outside of the Jewish society (John 4:7-9, Matt 5:44)

3. Jesus is the Messiah (John 4:25-26; Matt 27:22, Luke 2:11)

4. Those who worship God, worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4: 23-24, Psalm 145:18)

5. He will reveal our sins (John 4: 39-42).

Salvation comes to those who - have a desperate need. We must be spiritually thirsty.

- Confess and repent of our sins.

- Hold on to Jesus as our messiah. (John 14:6)

We are all called to be pilgrims of hope and builders of peace. Put aside differences and preconceived ideas. Feel the pain of others and be committed.

COMMISSIONING OF FAITH FORMATORS - 8TH MARCH 2026

Faith formators of SMC which encompasses RCIA facilitators, catechism teachers and children's liturgy facilitators were commissioned and blessed by Fr Aloysius on the morning masses of 8th March 2026. The Chinese Apostolate faith formators were similarly commissioned and blessed during the Chinese mass on the same day. We thank the faith formators for their unwavering commitment and tireless efforts, which help to form and illuminate the faith of our youth and catechumens.

59TH NOTIFICATION & UPDATES FROM THE DIOCESE OF PENANG - 1ST MARCH 2026

Click on the picture to get further details of the latest updates and notifications (in pdf format) from the Diocese of Penang.

COMMUNITY CPR & AED TRAINING AT SMC - 22ND FEBRUARY & 1ST MARCH 2026

St John Ambulance of Malaysia (SJAM) was on hand on 22nd February and 1st March, 2026 to train approximately 100 interested participants over the course of two weekends on the basics of administering CPR and mastering the use of the Automated External Defibrillator (AED). SMC in partnership with SJAM has installed an AED at our parish office and it was timely that this community training was held in SMC. All participants sat through the presentation by Bro Kevin of SJAM. He highlighted how the use of the AED machine and knowledge of CPR had saved many lives in the past. Participants were trained to follow the prescribed steps using the acronym D-R-S-A-B-C-D when administering aid.

D = Danger (Assess situation, ensure safety of aid-giver and casualty) ;

R = Response (Check casualty for response) ;

S = Shout (Shout or call for help, Call 999 and be specific, get an AED) ;

A = Airway (Open airway, head tilt, chin lift of casualty) ;

B = Breathing (Observe 10 seconds for breathing signs) ;

C = Compression (Start chest compression if no breathing; 5 - 6cm deep, 100 - 120/min);

D = Defibrillation (Apply defibrillator, Follow AED voice prompts).

Participants were then led to the dummies to get a practical hands-on training of administrating CPR and use of the AED machine. We thank the team from SJAM for taking the time over these two weeks, to provide us with these valuable life-saving skills.

LAUNCHING OF LENTEN CAMPAIGN 2026 - 21ST & 22ND FEBRUARY 2026

Fr Aloysius Tan launched the Penang Diocesan Lenten Campaign on the 1st Sunday of Lent masses in SMC. A short video by Caritas was shown before the launch with the theme for this year being "Hope in Action". Apart from donations to our diocese's lenten campaign, Fr Aloysius highlighted other initiatives within the parish where all may participate either individually or as a group (Ministry or BEC). Details of the initiatives are listed below. (Please click below to read in pdf format.)

CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS - 16TH & 17TH FEBRUARY 2026

Fr Andrew Wong, CDD concelebrated the Chinese New Year Eve mass with our parish priest Fr Aloysius Tan on 16th February 2026. For more pictures of the CNY Eve and CNY day celebrations, please refer to our official Facebook pages.

VISIT BY PENANG CHESHIRE HOME - 8TH FEBRUARY 2026

Our parish of St Michael, had the honour of welcoming visitors from the Penang Cheshire Home, Cerebral Palsy Association of Penang, Sekolah Pendidikan Khas Jalan Hutton, School for NeuroDiverse Children, Caring Rehabilitation Society of PWD Penang together with their carers and scouts from Penang Cheshire Home Scouts from 62nd George Town South, on the morning of 8th February 2026. Three buses and one van full of these guests arrived at around 8.20am in the morning, while the Sunday morning mass was ongoing. The visit was part of the group's 3-day 2-night 18th Penang Cheshire Agoonoree, a specialised scout camp for young people with disabilities or special needs. Hosts from SMC comprising 3 groups of volunteer parishioners were on hand to welcome the visitors and give them a guided tour of our parish and its facilities. There were approximately 40 OKU and 50 volunteers in total. Visitors were first led to the Parish Activity Centre to have a rest and some water, as the group had just departed from their hotel after breakfast. Current PPC Chairperson Ms Jennifer Duarte gave a brief presentation about the history and interesting aspects of our church, including the first class relic of St Padre Pio and the grave of local war heroine, Sybil Kathigasu. Goody bags were also prepared for each guest. The guests were also shown around our Religious Articles Centre, church gardens and interior of the church after the English mass ended. Fr Aloysius managed to greet our special guests after he had finished celebrating the English-language mass. The visitors then took some group photos by the porch and continued on their journey to the Ipoh railway station to catch their train to Taiping.

Click here to read the letter of appreciation which we received from Ms Veronica Pau, Penang Cheshire Agoonoree and Penang Cheshire Home Organising Chairperson.

BLOOD DONATION CAMPAIGN - 1ST FEBRUARY 2026

This year's annual blood donation campaign at SMC was organised by Caritas SMC in collaboration with Hospital Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Bainun, Ipoh and Fatimah Hospital, Ipoh. Thank you to all who generously participated in this campaign. 50 pints of blood were collected in total.

58TH NOTIFICATION & UPDATES FROM THE DIOCESE OF PENANG - 1ST FEBRUARY 2026

Click on the picture to get further details of the latest updates and notifications (in pdf format) from the Diocese of Penang.

COMMISSIONING OF LECTORS, COMMENTATORS & SCRIPTWRITERS - 25TH JANUARY 2026

In conjunction with the Sunday of the Word of God, all serving members of SMC's lectors, commentators and scriptwriters ministries were commissioned by Monsignor Stephen Liew, after the homily in the morning English and Mandarin-language masses on 25th January 2025. Monsignor Liew explained that the Sunday of the Word of God which is commemorated every third Sunday in Ordinary Time, was instituted by Pope Francis. The first Sunday of the Word of God was celebrated on January 26th, 2020. Monsignor Liew reflected that the Word of God is something not only to be listened to but something to be acted upon and lived out. He recounted our Blessed Mother Mary's response to the Word of God she received from the angel Gabriel. He reminded that we are all called to Receive, Reflect and Respond to the Word of God that may come to us in different ways. The lectors, commentators & scriptwriters commissioned in front of the whole church congregation made their public commitment to serve faithfully and responsibly in the spirit of prayer and co-operation within the Church.

PONGGAL CELEBRATION IN SMC - 17TH JANUARY 2026

Click on our official Facebook page to view more pictures from the Ponggal celebrations in SMC.

This year's Ponggal celebrations was a joyful affair with the Filipino Group and other non-Indian parishioners joining in the festivities organised by the Indian Community of SMC. Parishioners of different ethnicities participated in the traditional boiling of rice and milk in new clay pots at the church porch before the sunset mass and watched Fr Konstend bless the boiled "harvest". Fr Konstend also presided over the sunset mass. A choir of Tamil speaking parishioners sang the offertory song in Tamil while a liturgical dance was performed by four youths in sarees. Offertory gifts offered with praise and thanksgiving embodied the spirit of abundance, gratitude and hope for a prosperous future for our parish. The gifts offered were Oil Lamps – the lighting of oil lamps is a sacred act and the light overcomes darkness and brings enlightenment. The freshly cooked Pongal rice was offered to express our gratitude and thanks to God for the sweetness of life. A basket of vegetables and fruits was also offered as appreciation for nature’s bountiful gift. Many parishioners of different races were also dressed in traditional Indian attire in solidarity with the Indian community. The second reading was in Tamil. After mass, parishioners were treated to a delicious buffet feast of traditional Indian cuisine and feted with entertainment by the young children of SMC from the Indian and Filipino community. There was a flower tying competition and fashion show by the children, and award each for the best traditionally Indian attired attendee in the male, female and children category. Thank you to Ms Ritamary and her team of volunteers who made this happy event possible! May these cultural celebrations help foster greater co-operation, understanding and harmony between the different ethnicities which make up our diverse parish community.

CREATION JUSTICE MINISTRY - PSA ON 10TH & 11TH JANUARY 2026

In 2026, let us strive to practice the 7Rs in our lifestyles : Refuse - Reduce - Reuse - Repurpose - Recycle - Redesign - Regenerate. Everyone is encouraged to bring their own bags,crockery and cutlery for meals in SMC.

57TH NOTIFICATION & UPDATES FROM THE DIOCESE OF PENANG - 1ST JANUARY 2026

Click on the picture to get further details of the latest updates and notifications (in pdf format) from the Diocese of Penang.