At the mass
to celebrate the feast day of their patron saint St. Alphonsus Liguori on 1st
August Fr Paul Kee extolled the work that Redemptorist missions around the
world were doing to alleviate the plight of the marginalized.
Held at Our
Mother of Perpetual Help Church, Fr Paul Kee who concelebrated the mass related
the events some 200 years before of what transpired before St. Alphonsus started
the order.
It was in
1749 St Alphonsus and his friends went up the beautiful hills of Italy for a
break. There they were met by shepherds hungry for faith and pastoral care. It
was from that holiday adventure with friends that turned into a missionary
passion and vocation.
Thus some
269 years ago the Redemptorist Order was founded. Adopting the motto “Copioso
Apud Eum Redemptio” taken from Psalm 130 which means “With HIM (God) there is
Plentiful Redemption” the order had its headquarters in Naples, Italy.
In present
times Fr Paul Kee shared that 6000 Redemptorist from all over the world serve in 80 countries. He singled out 3 countries, Thailand, Phillippines and South
Africa because of the varied apostolate work done there.
In Thailand
there are 47 priests, 7 brothers, 2 Bishops and 100 seminarians in various
stages of formation, from novices till final year seminarians.
The Redemptorist
here catered to slum dwellers, leprosy patients, they ran a hospital for AIDS
patients in Bangkok, an orphanage , evangelize hill tribe and a computer school
for the blind in Pattaya. The Redemptorist also ran a parish, the Church of the
Most Holy Redeemer.
In the
Phillippines there are 2 large Filipino communities, the Province of Cebu
founded by the Irish Fathers and after a split in 1938 started in Manila started
by Australian Fathers.
The order in
Phillippines comprise of 82 priests, 9 brothers, 15 students and 11
foundations. There is National Shrine of The Mother of Perpetual Help or Baclaran
Church in Metro Manila which is open 24 hours each day.
Novena’s are
held every Wednesday throughout the day and can accommodate 2000 people seated
and another 9000 more standing.
To serve the
abandoned they minister to the street children, indigenous people and run a
fairly large youth ministry, prisoners, a leprosarium or leper colony and the
urban poor in the cities.
They are
also involved in inter-faith dialogue and discussions with other religions and
conducting missions.
The South
Africa foundation was started by the London Redemptorist in 1912 with 5 large
communities. It has 26 priests today.
Their
initiatives today include the tin sheds which are homes for workers in the
platinum mines, a hospice for AIDS patients and prisons.
Fr Robin
Lomongkok shared his experience being there before he was ordained.
He was with
the travelling mission team where they would conduct a two week mission.
Additionally he visited a hospice for AIDS patients where he gained firsthand
experience of who are the abandoned among society and helped him to understand
and journey with the abandoned people.
It seems
these Redemptorist priests are very proactive in assisting the abandoned true
to their calling.
In January
2010 the Redemptorist community of Ste-Anne-De-Beaupre and Port-Au-Prince Region,
Haiti was devastated by an earthquake destroy their chaping their monastery,
chapel and school.
 |
| 2010 at KLPAC. Fr Massang thanking guests for their support |
 |
| Scenes from 'The Reluctant Saint' |
Fr Patrict
Massang, then the Vice Provincial of Malaysia / Singapore participated in raising
funds for the Haitians by organizing a play entitled ‘The Reluctant Saint’
based on the life of St Alphonsus Liguori.
It was
performed both is Singapore and at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre in
Kl. Beside helping in the organizing Fr Massang also acted playing the part of the
father of St.Alphonsus.
Copioso Apud Eum Redemptio. It is
interesting to note the Redemptorist were living up to their motto and doing it
with gusto.
JAG
