By Christina Lazaroo
KUALA LUMPUR – As Malaysians celebrated the ties that bind the nation, four men knelt before the altar to dedicate their lives to the service of Christ, the Church and God’s people.
Lincoln Lee Keng Chuan, Joseph Tan Yee Ping, Tony Bingkuan OFMCap and Albert Arputhan Maniam were ordained transitional deacons by Archbishop Julian Leow during a Malaysia Day Mass at the Church of the Divine Mercy on Sep 16.
Their vocation journeys began in different parishes and crossed several countries, but converged in one calling: to proclaim the Gospel, assist at the altar and serve those in need.
Deacon Lincoln, from the Church of the Assumption in Petaling Jaya, is currently based at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Bentong, Pahang. He studied philosophy at College General, Penang, before pursuing theology at St Peter’s College, Kuching.
Originally from the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Jalan Peel, Deacon Joseph now resides at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Setapak. He also undertook his philosophical studies at College General and his theological formation at St Peter’s College.
Deacon Tony, a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, hails from the Church of St Michael in Penampang, Sabah. He now lives and serves at Gethsemani Friary at the Church of St Francis of Assisi in Cheras. His formation took him from St Peter’s College to the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay, the Philippines.
From the Church of St Anne in Port Klang, Deacon Albert began his formation at College General and continued at St Peter’s College. He completed his theological studies at the National Seminary of Our Lady of Lanka in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
These different paths have brought the four to a ministry defined not by status, but by service.
In his homily, Archbishop Julian connected their ordination with the recent Malaysia Pastoral Convention (MPC2026), particularly its emphasis on families and young people.
He said their ordination on Malaysia Day highlighted the role of young people in shaping the future of both the Church and the nation. Their ministry, he added, must bring them close to families and people at every stage of life.
“Family here means from the womb to the tomb, from the unborn to those who are elderly and who are sick,” he said.
The archbishop urged the new deacons and clergy to respond to the needs of families, whose wellbeing has far-reaching consequences for the Church and society.
Extending his message to the wider congregation, he called on Catholics to become “nation builders” who foster harmony, unity and peace amid the forces that divide society.
Archbishop Julian also paid tribute to the families who had accompanied the four through years of discernment and formation. Inviting them to stand, he thanked them for their support and sacrifices — a reminder that no vocation is nurtured alone.
At the close of the Mass, Deacon Albert expressed the newly ordained deacons’ gratitude to their families, formators, parish communities and all who had journeyed with them.
“As we embrace our ministry as deacons, it is no longer we who live but Christ Who lives in us,” he said.
With those words, the four began a ministry shaped by the Word, the altar and charity — called to serve the Church and help build a more united and compassionate Malaysia. – Herald Malaysia
