In appreciation of His guiding hands

In appreciation of His guiding hands

On 11 November 2019, Catholic Foundation held its annual Thanksgiving Mass at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd.

About 500 participants,ranging from contributors, volunteers and representatives of various archdiocesan organisations, gathered at the cathedral for the Catholic Foundation Thanksgiving Mass concelebrated by His Grace Archbishop William Goh and Rev Fr Joachim Chang.

The Mass was held to praise and thank God for guiding the work of the archdiocese since the launch of the GIFT (Giving in Faith & Thankfulness) campaign three years ago during Advent 2016.

During his homily, His Grace took the opportunity to stress the importance of investing in the youth, noting that a vast majority of catechumens had encountered the Catholic faith either at school or with good Catholic friends.

He said, “The Holy Spirit stirred in their hearts the gift of faith even at a young age. We are investing what the Catholic community has given to us, particularly in the work of various archdiocesan organisations that work with children and youth, and empowering them to do more.”

He added, “To build a more vibrant, evangelising and missionary Church, we need to be not just well-formed in faith but to also have a deep,
life-changing encounter with Jesus. Let us pray that more hearts will be touched by God and join us in promoting the gospel.”

At the offertory, the Foundation’s Deputy Chairman Dr Lim Cheok Peng and his wife Anne presented the gifts of bread and wine, and
organisations funded by the Foundation presented a special jigsaw puzzle.

The individual pieces of the puzzle were offered by representatives of the Archdiocesan Commission for Catholic Schools, the Archdiocesan Commission for the Family, the Catholic Foundation, the Catholic Theological Institute of Singapore, the Office for Catechesis, the Office for the New Evangelisation, and the Office for Young People.

Each uniquely shaped piece displayed a collage of photographs of the staff, volunteers and the people ministered to by each organisation, symbolising the crucial work of the respective organisations in working towards the pastoral vision.

These pieces came together to form a cross, reminding the organisations who they ultimately serve – Jesus, who is at the heart of what they do – and that all are a part of the Body of Christ.

At the end of Mass, the congregation had a preview of the GIFT 2019 appeal video. It reminded the faithful that each person received the light of Christ at baptism, and that as one Church, all are called to bring hope and joy to those in darkness.

Juliana Foo, Executive Director of Catholic Foundation, addressed the congregation and expressed her gratitude to God for His guidance and fruits. She said, “Looking back to 2016 when GIFT was first launched, it is indeed by God’s grace that what had seemed impossibly difficult then has now become a platform for rallying Catholics behind the archdiocese’s pastoral plan.”

After Mass, attendees adjourned to a reception at the Cathedral’s annex building. The reception was kindly sponsored by a contributor who asked to remain anonymous.

Congregant Ryan Tay said, “The Thanksgiving Mass was a beautiful experience for me – the Church gathering to pray intentionally for
the organisations working to strengthen it, and for its mission.”