Youth Camp

Sunday School activities for 2010 came to an end with a Youth Camp held on the 4th of December for Form 1 to Form 4 youths at the Catholic Center, Seremban. Themed "Youth Alive", it was animated by Mr Eric Brian from Church of Assumption and attended by 130 youths. The Ice Breakers and Praise & Worship sessions were conducted by the Y2Y facilitators.
The one-day camp consisted of 4 sessions namely Foundations of My Faith, Youth: Alive, Well & Kicking, A Christian's Call: Love and Our Commitment. The youths learned about love, how difficult it is to love and how to love someone more than one's self. They were also reminded that God loves us unconditionally. They also discovered that they needed to dig deep and find God in themselves first so that they can grow in their faith. Only then can they really understand and carry out their commitments to the Church.
Apart from this, they learnt to be creative, patient and work as a team through the activities conducted by Eric. The camp also gave the youths an opportunity to make new friends and to get to know each other better. It was indeed a fun and enjoyable camp. A big thank you to all who made this camp a success.

(Composed by Hevareena Jeganathan)

Y2Y Seremban

Visitation Youth Group

Youth 2 Youth (Y2Y)

The Visitation Youth group, Y2Y had its 1^st youth mass on Saturday 20^th November 2010. About 50 of the Y2Y members took part. It was an exciting event for all the youths - from the lectors, to the psalmist, the band member and the choir members as it was the first time they had participated actively in a youth mass. A big hand must be given to the band members comprising Daryl on the drums and guitarist Zeno, Calvin and Daniel as they put up a good show despite only practising together twice.

A BBQ was also held after the youth mass to enable the Y2Y members to mingle and get to know each other better. The main reason for the BBQ is to enable the youths to have an avenue to hold an activity within the church compound and to strengthen their bonding. It was a great night with a lot of activities planned by the youth facilitators and good food.

Y2Y was formed in October 2009 to encourage spiritual and social development of the youths of Visitation parish. It is open for youths from Forms 1 to 5. Y2Y meets every fortnightly on Sundays from 12.30 pm to 2.00pm. Y2Y currently has about 60 members. The group’s advisors are Peter T and Lavinia and they are assisted by a group of college students.

Y2Y have assisted in some of the formation programs organised by the Sunday School. They have taken charge of the ice-breakers and games for the Bible Camps organised during the school holidays, and the energisers and puppet show for the Joy Camp for the First Holy Communion students. They have also assisted in the sale of Bibles during our church Feast Day celebration, sold drinks during the food sale for the Christmas Campaign for the poor and are currently selling car stickers for the Church Restoration Fund.

CSS Annual Blood Donation Campaign on 17th October 2010

After about 2 years break, the Catholic Student Society (C.S.S.) of Visitation Seremban managed to revive the Annual Blood Donation Campaign on Sunday 17th October 2010. In the past this campaign was done practically every year, so much so it became the tradition of the parish. The support given by the parishioners were always good. This year’s campaign was held in conjunction with Mission Sunday. The aim of this campaign is to encourage the Visitation parishioners to donate blood and also to instill in them their responsibility as human beings in saving lives. It is indeed our mission as Christians to be charitable. This is also an out reach project done by the CSS. Approximately 100 parishioners responded to this campaign but only 66 were able to donate blood. Nevertheless the CSS members were very happy with the response given by parishioners. This event was graced by Mr. Teo the representative of YB Senator Dato Dr. Yeow Chai Tiam and the presence of the Lions Club Seremban made the event an auspicious one.

Visitation Tamil Youth Choir at Song Competition

A Stunning performance by Church of Visitation, Seremban Tamil Youth Choir in PAAMAALAI VILZHA 01 MAY 2010.

Video uploaded and contributed by Belinda Grace

Catholic Students Society (CSS) BBQ Fellowship

The Catholic Students Society (CSS) of Visitation organised a barbecue fellowship for over 20 college and university students and school leavers on Labour Day. This was the first major activity organised by the new CSS committee in order to promote CSS to new students and members. The barbecue dinner was preceded by games and icebreakers animated by the CSS committee members.

More photos on Facebook.

Tamil Youth Easter Fellowship ~ Uyirthellunthu vitthar Alleluia!

April 18 (Sunday) -- The Tamil Youth organised a special gathering-fellowship for its members and the Tamil speaking youth of Visitation, Seremban. 32 participants celebrated the Easter season with prayer, fun-filled games, group dynamics, food, and testimonies. A special segment of this gathering was the appreciation ceremony for senior members of the Youth group who are now on the threshold of married life. Thus, this Easter gathering served as a farewell to these senior members. Each of these senior members were presented with a special gift from the committee. During this last session, the senior youth members shared their own personal testimonies and gave words of encouragement to the new members.

The next project/activity of the Tamil Youth would be a visit to a welfare home. Stay tuned for further updates and announcements.

More photos on Facebook.

Visitation Chinese Youth Motivation Day

The Visitation Chinese Youth (基青), made up of school leavers and College students, organised a programme for the secondary Sunday School Students (Forms 1-5) today, April 11. The objective of the gathering was to foster a sense of church and mission among the secondary students and to also encourage them to join the activities of the Chinese Youth group.

Summary of Pope's Message for World Youth Day 2010 (Palm Sunday)

Theme: "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17)

Extracts from the Message are given below (prepared by the KL Archdiocesan Single Adults and Youth Office):

"The present 25th Youth Day represents a stage on the journey towards the next World Youth Day, which will take place in August 2011 in Madrid, Spain, where I hope many of you will come to experience that event of grace.

"To prepare ourselves for this celebration, I would like to suggest some reflections on this year's theme: "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?", taken from the Gospel account of Jesus' meeting with the rich young man, a topic already considered in 1985 by Pope John Paul II in a most beautiful Letter, addressed to young people for the first time".

1. Jesus Meets a Young Man
"The Gospel narrative effectively expresses Jesus' great concern for young people. ... His desire is to meet with you personally and establish a dialogue with each one of you".

2. Jesus Looked at Him and Loved Him
"In the evangelical narrative, St. Mark stresses how 'Jesus looking at him, loved him'. The Lord's gaze was at the core of that very special encounter, and of all Christian experience. In fact, Christianity is not primarily an ethic, but an experience of Jesus Christ Who loves us personally, young and old, poor and rich; He loves us even when we turn our backs on Him".

"The awareness that ... Christ loves everyone and always ... enables us to overcome any trial: ... sins, suffering or discouragement. In this love lies the source of all Christian life and the fundamental reason for evangelisation; for if we have truly found Jesus, we cannot but bear witness to Him to those people who have not yet encountered His gaze".

3. Discovering a Plan for Life
"The rich young man asks Jesus: 'What must I do?' The stage of life you are currently experiencing is a time of discovery: discovery of the gifts that God has lavished on you, and of your responsibilities. It is, moreover, a time of fundamental choices to create a plan for your lives. It is a moment, therefore, to question yourselves about the authentic meaning of existence and to ask: 'Am I satisfied with my life? Is there something lacking?'"

"Do not be afraid to address these questions! ... They await answers, answers that are not superficial but able to satisfy your authentic expectations of life and happiness. To discover the life plan that can make you fully happy, listen to God, Who has a plan of love for each one of you.

4. Come and follow me!

"The Christian vocation springs from a proposal of love from the Lord, and can only be fulfilled through a response of love. ... Dear friends, following the example of so many disciples of Christ, joyfully accept His invitation to follow, in order to live intensely and fruitfully in this world.

"The sadness of the rich young man of the Gospel is that which arises in the heart when a person does not have the courage to follow Christ, to make the right choice. However, it is never too late to respond to Him!

"In this Year for Priests, I would like to exhort boys and young men to be attentive as to whether the Lord is inviting them to a greater gift ... in ordained ministry, and generously and enthusiastically to make themselves ready to accept this sign of special predilection, undertaking with a priest or spiritual director the necessary path of discernment. Do not be afraid, dear young people, if the Lord calls you to the religious, monastic or missionary life, or to a life of special consecration: He is able to give profound joy to those who respond with courage.

"Moreover, I invite all those who feel the vocation to marriage to accept it with faith, committing themselves to laying solid foundations for a love that is great, faithful and open to the gift of life, which is a source of richness and grace for society and the Church".

5. Oriented to Eternal Life
"To ask ourselves about the definitive future awaiting each of us gives full meaning to existence, because it orients our life plan toward horizons that are not limited or fleeting, but broad and profound; horizons which lead us to love the world so loved by God himself, to dedicate ourselves to its development, but always with the freedom and joy born of faith and hope. These horizons help us not to make absolute values of earthly realities, aware that God is opening greater prospects for us. ... Dear young people, I exhort you not to forget this perspective in your own lives: We are called to eternity".

6. The Commandments, the Way of Authentic Love
"Jesus also asks you if you know the commandments, if you are concerned to form your conscience according to divine law and if you will put it into practice. These are certainly questions that go against the tide of the present-day mentality, which presents freedom as disconnected from values, rules and objective norms, and invites us to reject any limitation to momentary desires".

"God gave us the commandments because He wants to educate us to true freedom, because He wants to build with us a Kingdom of love, justice and peace. To listen to them and to put them into practice does not mean to be alienated, but to find the path of authentic freedom and love, because the commandments do not limit happiness, but show how to find it".

7. We Have Need of You

"Young people today find themselves facing many problems arising from unemployment, and from the lack of solid ideals, and of concrete prospects for the future. ... Despite the difficulties, do not let yourselves be discouraged and do not give up your dreams! Rather, cultivate great desires of fraternity, justice and peace in your hearts. The future is in the hands of people who know how to seek and discover powerful reasons for life and hope"

"In my recent Encyclical 'Caritas in Veritate' on integral human development, I listed some of the great modern challenges, which are urgent and essential for the life of this world: the use of the resources of the earth, respect for ecology, the just division of wealth, the control of financial mechanisms, solidarity with poor countries, ... the struggle against hunger in the world, the promotion of the dignity of human work, service to the culture of life, the building of peace between peoples, inter-religious dialogue, and the correct use of the social communications media.

"These are challenges to which you are called to respond in order to build a more just and fraternal world; challenges that call for an exacting and passionate life plan, into which to pour all your richness according to the design that God has for each one of you".

"In this Year for Priests, I invite you to study the lives of the saints, especially those of saintly priests. You will see that God guided them and that they found their path day after day, in faith, hope and love. Christ calls each of you to commit yourselves, with Him, and to assume your responsibilities to build a civilisation of love".

From the Vatican, Feb. 22, 2010
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

Y2Y School Break Gathering

March 14 - The Y2Y Catechetical Youth started off the first school term holidays with a blast of a gathering. The gathering started with a session of praise and worship and prayer which was then followed by several of the youth sharing the significance of Lent in their own personal lives. This was followed with a series of games and group dynamics. The Y2Y holds a bi-monthly gathering for youth ranging from Forms 1 to 5.

Join the Y2Y Facebook group and get the latest updates and information on future activities.

Catholic Students Society (CSS- Visitation)

The Catholic Students Society of the Church of Visitation had its first AGM today, March 13. At the same meeting, new office bearers were elected and the members brainstormed activities and events for the year. The first activity planned will take place next weekend at the both the English masses. CSS will be introduced to the parishioners and other College youth through a slide-presentation followed by distribution of pamphlets at the entrances of the Church. In line with the liturgical season, the CSS members will also be distributing pamphlets explaining a simple way to perform fasting and other penances.

The CSS-Visitation is open to all College youth and Form 5 and Form 6 leavers. Join the CSS-Visitation Facebook group and learn about our upcoming activities. Come and join us!

Catholic Students Society - Visitation

The Catholic Students Society of Visitation had their first gathering for the year 2010 on Saturday, February 27 at Visitation Hall. Sr. Amy IJ has been appointed the new advisor for CSS.

More photos on Facebook.

IFFAsia Mission Intership - Mission as Witness and Dialogue

12 interns of the Institute of Formation, Fondacio Asia, hailing from China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Philippines, Japan and Malaysia attended a 3 day workshop-cum-course (from February 25 - 27) on theology of religions and interreligious dialogue conducted by Fr. Michael Chua, Ecclesiastical Assistant of the Archdiocesan Ministry of Ecumenical and Interreligous Affairs (AMEIA) and parish priest of the Church of Visitation, Seremban. They were hosted by families living in Bukit Rasah area of Seremban.

The course introduced the interns to the Catholic theology of religions,i.e. the way in which the Catholic Church perceives and relates with other religions. On the second day of the programme, they were also invited to reflect on the relationship between proclamation and dialogue within the larger context of evangelisation. This was followed by a session which helped them explore personal ethnocentrism and obstacles to dialogue. The last day of the programme introduced the students to the four fold typology of dialogue and challenged them to find ways of meaningfully applying the principles they had learned during the course in their own respective home environment.

Apart from the various talks and workshops, they were also brought on a study tour of a Sikh Gurdwara and a Hindu Temple. Upon their return, Fr. Chua helped them to develop a methodology of observation, reflection and analysis which could be used for future visits.

On the second day of the programme, Dr. Patricia Martinez, the first non-Muslim Malaysian to have received a PhD in Islam, gave them a brief summary of the religion of Islam, its main pillars, and shared her own personal experience of studying Islam as a non-Muslim.

The interns will remain in Seremban until Sunday, February 28. On the last day of their stay, they will be assigned to several upper secondary classes of the Sunday School to allow them to share their own personal experiences and to interact with the students.

IFF Asia Mission Intership: Mission as Witness & Dialogue

A multinational group of 14 students/interns from IFF Asia will be visiting our parish from the 24th to 28th of February and staying with host families in Bukit Rasah BEC. They are here as part of their second semester immersion programme and will be attending a 3 day workshop on interreligious dialogue given by Fr. Michael Chua.

The Institute of Formation (IFF) is the training arm of Fondacio Asia (IFF Asia), a new ecclesial movement of the Catholic Church based in the Philippines. The IFF Asia offers a 10 month intensive formation programme for young adults from Asian countries which hopes to transform them into young leaders for a renewed Asian Church and Society.

Let us extend our Visitation hospitality to these students during their stay with us!

Y2Y - Creating Awareness and Appreciation Day - Feb 21

The Y2Y Catechetical Youth expressed their appreciation to parents, elders, catechists, priests and parishioners during the 9 am mass on February 21. This also served to promote the activities of the group and create awareness among parishioners.

Fr. Michael added that the entire parish must see the importance of this ministry which hopes to foster leadership among teenagers and instill in them a sense of community and church.

Y2Y is a catechetical ministry that meets every fortnight on Sunday and caters to secondary school students from Forms 1-5. It is animated by college-going Youth Mentors under the guidance of Mr. and Mrs. Peter T.

More Photos on Facebook. Join the Y2Y Facebook group and find out about the times for their gatherings and activities.

Tamil Youth Ministry

The Tamil Youth Ministry of the Church of Visitation is a vibrant ministry of working and college youth. Some of the activities planned for this year includes a 5 weeks Bible course, fund raising project, outreach project, fellowship programme etc.

Catechetical Youth Camp with Y2Y and Fr. Danny Matthews

Last Thursday, December 10, the Visitation Sunday School organised a single day catechetical youth camp for its students, ranging from Forms 1 to 4. 128 students participated in the one day event, which focused on Youth Outreach. The main presenter for the camp was the dynamic and charismatic Fr. Danny Matthews, who was an instant hit with the students. He was assisted by the Y2Y youth mentors and student leaders who animated the ice-breakers, games and group dynamics.

More Photos can be obtained from the Catechetical Coordinator, Mrs. Elizabeth Chong's Facebook album.

Christmas Campaign for the Poor - Car Wash

Our parish youth hard at work washing cars for the Christmas Campaign for the Poor.

Confirmation Camp with Martin Jalleh: December 4-6

100 over confirmation candidates from 3 language groups of the parish were challenged by Martin Jalleh to "Make a Difference." They were led to explore and reflect on their faith life, relationships with others, and their personal dreams for the future.

The camp began on Friday evening with icebreakers by the Y2Y youth followed by the opening orientation by Martin. The Y2Y youth also animated several games and group dynamics on the following day. On Saturday night, the whole group was led into a period of prayer and healing where many experienced healing of memories, especially of past hurts and disappointments. Fr. Michael Chua celebrated eucharist with the group that very same night after the Inner Healing Session.

The two and half days camp concluded with an open session on Sunday afternoon between Martin and the parents of the students. He explained some of the teenage challenges their children were facing and challenged them to provide wholistic options to their children as well as to ensure that their children's future is established on firm foundation, faith rather than things of the world. At the end of the talk, the students came in to present a song dedicated to their parents followed by a special moment of reconciliation.

Thanks to all the catechists, the Y2Y youth advisors and members, the parents' committee who cooked, prepared the food and logistics and chaperoned the children at night!

Here are some photos. More photos can be obtained from Facebook.

Negeri Sembilan District Altar Servers Camp 2009

Over 120 altar servers from the various churches and chapels within the Negeri Sembilan District gathered at the Catholic Centre, Seremban, for their camp. The camp started on Sunday, November 22, evening, with a video presentation on the life and ministry of St. John Vianney with a sharing by Fr. Clement Lim.

The following morning, Fr. Mari Arokiam from the Church of St. John Vianney, Tampin, celebrated mass with the boys. The first session of the morning was given by Fr. Michael Chua who spoke on the Gift of Serving. He used the story of Jesus healing the paralytic in Luke 5:17-26 and drew a distinction between the four friends who helped the paralytic enter into the presence of Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees who tried to exclude him.

The camp also saw many group dynamic activities, group sharing, praise and worship, drama presentation of biblical stories, and games animated by the senior altar servers of the Church of Visitation. The camp concludedtoday with a session by Fr. George Packiasamy who shared his vocation story. This was followed with a question and answer sessions with the district clergy. Many of the participants expressed their gratitude for new learning experiences and opportunity to make new friends. Some mentioned that they had learned teamwork and patience during the course of this event. Fr. Mari concluded by reminding the altar servers that their service is part of their calling, a "calling for interaction towards growth and integration."