Fr Ned Columba giving the Confirmation Sacrament to one of the recipients
By Clarence Dol
Sep 27 2022
RANAU – A total of 169 candidates received their Sacrament of Confirmation during the feast day of St Peter Claver Sep 22, which was conferred by the Archbishop of the Kota Kinabalu Archdiocese, Archbishop John Wong Soo Kau here recently.
In the event, the prelate also congratulated the parish for successfully organising the anniversary celebration of St Peter Claver this year after two years of quiet celebration due to the pandemic.
“For the 169 brothers and sisters who just received their Confirmation today, these past two years have not been an easy journey for you, and the facilitators especially, due to the Movement Control Order.
“That is why I urge you to cherish this moment, and ask you to go to your facilitators and sponsors, and thank them for their efforts. After that, make sure that you always come to church and be active in any church activities and ministries,” he said.
Meanwhile, the outgoing parish priest, Fr Nicholas Stephen who will be transferred to Papar parish beginning Oct 1 and take up the post as Monsignor, was thankful to God because once again after two years of pandemic there is a celebration in the parish.
“We are thankful that we are still alive after two years of dealing with death and uncertainty in our lives. We are also grateful for the opportunity to witness our brothers and sisters receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.
“On this occasion, I would also like to say a thousand thanks, especially to those who have guided our brothers and sisters until now. I also thank Fr Maximilliano Hontor and Fr Ned Columba Moujing, who have helped in the ministry over the years.
“May the festival we celebrate this year bring blessings and history to our lives because for the past two years, we have not been able to celebrate our patron feast together due to the pandemic,” he said.
Fr Nicholas thanked the Ranau Parish Pastoral Council (MPPR) who have walked together during the pandemic season until now, for having done and given a lot to the ministry to help the priests carry out the vision and mission of our parish and diocese.
“This year also the Pope encourages us in every parish, all over the world, to have the character of a synodal church, to walk together, and listening to one another.
“All this works, if we are together and give ourselves to be used by God for our church and parish to be made a synodal church. Hopefully through the synodal process, it can help us to mature as Christians,” he said.
Fr Nicholas took the opportunity to thank everyone who participated in serving the church, especially for the last eight years that he had been the rector at the parish.
“I also want to apologise for my mistakes, faults and weaknesses over the years. I have done my best and although I am a priest, I am also a weak human being who has many weaknesses.
“Pray for me, so that I can continue to serve wherever I am. I am very happy to be able to serve you even with all my limitations and weaknesses. May this feast bring us closer to God.
“Let the St Peter Claver Feast we celebrate today make us realise that we live in a big family, as a living Catholic Christian community, which has a living and merciful God,” he said.
The Most Reverend Datuk John Wong, Fr Nicholas, Fr Maxmilliano and Fr Ned Columba with the 169 Confirmation recipients after the Holy Mass
