By Rosalin Sulit
Oct 21 2022
KENINGAU – Catholic nurses are called to be resilient and survive in adversities, said Matron Daisy Stanislas, a retired Sabah Public Health officer, who spoke on the Importance of Resilience in Nursing during the 51st Catholic Nurses Guild Malaysia (CNGM) Annual General Meeting (AGM) and seminar in Holy Family Retreat Centre Nulu Sosopon here.
The AGM and seminar organised by CNGM were hosted by Keningau, Tenom and Tambunan with the theme ‘Invest in Nursing and Respect Right to Secure Global Health’, which is also the theme for International Council of Nurses 2022.
It was an exciting and spiritually uplifting experience for 102 Catholic nurses gathered from throughout Malaysia, Sep 8-11, 2022 with another 28 participants joined in virtually.
Nurses face a lot of challenges especially during the recent pandemic which has caused stress and depressed conditions for many. Fr Dr Charles Chiew Andiu who was one of the speakers at the seminar, has outlined various measures on overcoming depression at the workplace during his talk entitled Depression in the Working Environment.
They were also introduced to ecological spirituality, Laudato Si, and the impact of global climate changes which aimed to create awareness on the impact of climate changes on the individual and the community.
Datuk Dr Christina Rundi, former State Medical Director, emphasized that the health of patients and health status of the community are a product of global health issues and that the effect of climate changes such as typhoons, flooding, drought, global warming affect individuals and the community, thus creating physical, mental and social problems.
Global health issues are crossing international boundaries, affecting the whole world and leading to climate refugees, said Dr Rundi during her talk on ‘Respect Right to Secure Global Health’. She is now a consultant – EPI and Health Promotion Support Sabah under UNICEF.
Another speaker, Claire Westwood said that effects of the climate change cause global warming and human is the root cause of the ecological crisis. Humanity has disappointed God’s expectations in looking after the ecological system and that we should look into ecological spirituality in experiencing a conversion and a change of heart in hearing the cry of the earth. Westwood is the Regional Director of the Episcopal Commission for Creation Justice of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei and the co-chair of the Laudato Si Action Platform Asia (LSAP).
Besides professional talks, the spiritual aspect of the event was not forgotten. Bishop Cornelius Piong, President of the Commission of Pastoral Healthcare, Catholic Bishop Conference Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei and the Bishop of the Diocese of Keningau, called on the nurses to be witnesses of Christ and to be like Mother Mary who is faithful and obedient.
The participants were led into spiritual healing through sessions with the sisters from the Congregation of Daughters of Carmel (Putri Carmel) Tambunan. The sisters gave a series of talk on Unlocking Gods Healing Power, Your Inner Man- A Mystery and Having a Healthy Mind – Harmonious Personality, before leading the participants through a session of Adoration and Inner Healing. The participants said they felt spiritually enlightened and uplifted.
To further enjoy each other’s company and the beautiful scenic environment, the participants went for recreational trips to Gethsemane Garden in Tambunan and Yit Foh Coffee in Tenom. The three days seminar ended with a closing Mass and a fellowship thanksgiving dinner which was graced by Bishop Cornelius and Fr Aloysius Fidelis, former national chaplain of Catholic Nurses Guild Malaysia.
The outcome of the Annual General Meeting shows a well-represented team of newly-elected EXCO-Committee 2022-2024, from the various CNG groups of West Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.
President : Jane Buncuan (Sarawak)
Vice President : Mary Ang (West Malaysia)
Rosalin Sulit (Sabah)
Secretary : Kathleen Rose (Sri Aman Sarawak)
Assistant Secretary : Velonthin (Taiping Perak)
Treasurer : Cecelia Lim (Kuching Sarawak)
Spiritual commission : Sylvia Richard (Kota Kinabalu Sabah)
Professional commission : Catherine Pero (Kuching Sarawak)
Social commission : Daisy Stanislas (Keningau Sabah)
The next meeting and retreat will be held in Sarawak in 2023.
