March 2022
“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
In this month's bulletin, we bring more good news and updates as we approach Easter with our coming Risen Lord.
Donations and Contributions
The laptops, grocery vouchers, EZ-Link cards, knee guards, backpack and pillows that you donated have gone to good use. These provided our FINS (Friends in Need) with better rest and better quality life as they go about their daily work and chores. Your generosity has blessed them in one way or another. Thank you!
Jubilee Solidarity Fund (JSF)
Click here to apply
In the first quarter of 2022, we have blessed many families with a total of $41K and in March alone, 10 families have benefited from the $14K allocated. Since the start of this project to date, we have disbursed $180K, close to 37% of the Jubilee Solidarity Fund.
These figures are not our sole motivation behind the efforts that go into the tedious processes and paperwork. We are encouraged by the beneficiaries who have reached out and expressed their heartfelt thanks. The arrears we cleared have helped them to channel their monthly salary to other resources such as seeking medical treatment and providing their children with regular pocket money for recess and lunch breaks.
We are still looking to serve anyone facing financial difficulties. Click HERE to apply or share this link with someone who may need help.
Closure of St Mary’s Night Shelter
As of March 2022, we have officially closed St Mary’s night shelter, where our classrooms were used to provide temporary short-term accommodation for the homeless.
The men and women have been relocated to a dedicated night shelter centre - which can house up to 36 individuals - run by Catholic Welfare Services. This is indeed a boon for these individuals, who can now receive one-stop support from onsite case workers and benefit from centralised resources.
With this, our classrooms are now freed up for ministry groups to return to church to hold their faith formation sessions and ministry meetings in the evenings.
Do pray for God’s blessing on the work carried out by Catholic Welfare Services, as they continue to provide shelter to the homeless and restore their dignity.
Closure of The Social Kitchen (TSK)
Our partnership with The Social Kitchen (TSK) has come to an end. What started out as a project to provide work opportunities for persons with special needs, has reaped fruits far beyond our imagination!
The opportunity to work in St Mary’s TSK kitchen provided them with hands-on experience that boosted their confidence and character building. These individuals have moved on to working in commercial kitchens serving the public.
So, what’s going to happen to Gubbio? Plans are in the works and Gubbio will be buzzing with activities soon. The rebuilding of the community spirit in St Mary’s is the parish’s priority!
Look out for our invitation to join in and be part of the community!
Mass for the Sick & Elderly
If you had the chance to participate and witness the Masses on 1st or 8th April, you would know how beautiful and prayerful the celebration of the sacrament was. We had more than 80 anointees with their caregivers and some of them have not had the chance to return to church for more than 2 years. With given permission, here are two testimonials that affirm the precious work of our Pastoral Care Ministry:
Testimony 1: "It was an emotional experience to be able to come to the Church. Very touched by all who made this happen. My tears flowed when Friar Michael greeted us with ‘Welcome home!’
During the anointing, it was a moving experience for me. It reignited my faith and I experienced (again) my heavenly Father’s deep and unconditional love for me."
Testimony 2: "Heartfelt thanks from my nearly 90-year-old Mum. Apart from my Dad’s funeral mass in May last year, the last time Mum attended mass was in Nov 2019 just before she fractured her hip. Today was ‘Coming Home’ for her.
She could not stop her tears from flowing as she was being wheeled into church. And to be anointed was an added blessing! Thank you all for the beautiful and precious time today. God bless."
‘Praise Be To You’ Formation Sessions
With the blessings of our Friars and collaboration between the Outreach and Youth & Young Adults Offices, we will be launching a series of 8 formation sessions entitled “Friday’s Catch”.
These 8 sessions will encapsulate the teachings our Holy Father’s encyclical letter, Laudato Si’, on the care for our common home. Many of us would relate Laudato Si’ to caring for Mother Earth, reducing plastic use, saving marine life, etc. But there’s more to it than just that.
Laudato Si’ highlights 8 elements in caring for our common home, and we will be inviting 8 dynamic speakers to break these down for us! These sessions will be held in-person in church, so hopefully we can meet our friends again over refreshments and fellowship, just like the good old days! So do stay tuned and sign up when registration opens!
So all in all, I hope this month’s bulletin not only serves as an update platform, but also brings hope and joy as you read. Do share the news with your ministry members and friends out of our St Mary’s community.
“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
What is YOUR good news to share as we approach Easter with our coming Risen Lord?
