By Jennifer Duarte
IPOH – On New Year’s Eve, many churchgoers gathered at the Church of St Michael (SMC) for the Mass celebrated by parish priest, Fr Aloysius Tan. He commended the congregation for choosing to come for Mass to express gratitude to God for the past year and to seek strength and hope for the coming year – the best place to be as the old year gave way to the new one.
Fr Aloysius’ homily focused on the first reading from the Book of Numbers, where the Lord instructed Moses to teach Aaron and his sons how to bless the Israelites. Fr Aloysius then offered the congregation the three-fold traditional Aaronite blessing:
1. “The Lord bless you and keep you” – praying that we always recognise Jesus as our Saviour and Creator, providing strength and comfort.
2. “The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you” – praying that God’s closeness, mercy, and love would be ever-present.
3. “The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace” – praying for God’s precious gift of peace to be experienced by all.
The Mass also marked the launch of the parish-level 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, proclaimed by Pope Francis. Fr Aloysius encouraged the parish to renew their faith and trust in God’s promises, despite the uncertainties of the future. He announced that the parish would celebrate its 135th anniversary in 2025, noting that the French missionaries had brought the Catholic faith to Ipoh and established SMC in 1890. This anniversary symbolises the church’s enduring presence in Ipoh as a beacon of hope.
In launching the year-long Jubilee celebrations, Fr Aloysius invited the parish to renew their commitment to works of charity, outreach, and evangelisation. He encouraged the community to share Jesus’ love by committing to at least 135 acts of kindness, both within and outside the church, through their families, BECs, and ministries.
A short skit, organised by the youth ministry, visually depicted the themes of the Jubilee Year of Hope and the upcoming 135th anniversary. The church was briefly plunged into darkness, with children’s voices expressing fear. Fr Aloysius entered, holding a lit candle, guiding the children to take the light and continue their journey in faith. A group of children, led by adults, proceeded up the aisle as the choir sang Christ Be Our Light. As they reached the altar, two banners were unveiled, one in English and one in Mandarin, symbolising the unity of the parish.
Reflecting on the skit, Mrs Annie Johnson, an evangelising catechist, shared, “As an adult, ushering the children from the darkness they feared to the light of the Star and Christ Jesus gave me a sense of responsibility and commitment to know, love, and serve Jesus more. I thank God for making me His witness.” – Herald Malaysia
