New Year's Eve Vigil - Countdown, Fireworks Display and Fellowship after Mass

There will be a countdown and fireworks display followed by fellowship after the 10.30pm New Year's Eve Vigil Mass on Friday 31st December 2010.

The Hospitality Ministry have been asked to help with the following:

a) to keep the parking lots clear for the fireworks display and,

b) at least 4 HMs are needed to help with serving the refreshments during the fellowship.

Christmas Eve Vigil Mass 2010

Just a gentle reminder to all HMs on duty for the Christmas Eve Vigil Mass at 11pm (cantata to start at 10.30pm) that no extra plastic chairs are allowed into the church (air-condition areas) other than those already in place.
We shall arrange the required no. of chairs to be brought into the church on Christmas Eve morning and thereafter, to avoid congestion, no additional plastic chairs will be allowed in.

The HM dress code for the vigil is white (light colored) shirt/blouse/dress and black (dark colored) pants/skirt.

Thanks and God Bless

Thank You and Best Wishes to Brother Benjamin

On behalf of all the HM Brothers and Sisters, especially the Saturday Sunset Mass Team, we wish to express our deepest thanks and gratitude to our brother Benjamin Siew for the service and support he has given us over the years.

Brother Benjamin has moved to Australia with his family and we wish him every blessing and success.

Clean the Grotto Session - Saturday 18th December 2010

In preparation for Christmas, the next Clean the Grotto session will be held on Saturday 18th December 2010, starting at 8.15am.

It will also be a "gotong royong" day for all BECs to clean and decorate the church for Christmas, which will make it a very lively and fun occasion for everyone.

PJ District Penitential Service, December 3, 2010 @ SIC

Help is needed at the PJ District Penitential Service at SIC @ 7.00pm on Friday December 3, 2010.

All HMs, please be there to help if you can.

If there is anyone who can arrive early and take charge as the HM Leader, please inform Erwin

God bless.

Next 2nd collection at weekend Masses - 27th & 28th November 2010

The next 2nd collection at all weekend Masses will be on the weekends of 27th & 28th November 2010 for the Gunung Merapi Volcano Victims as requested by His Grace Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur.

Next 2nd collection at weekend Masses

The next 2nd collection at all weekend Masses (for the Migrant Ministry under the AOHD) will be on the weekends of 30th & 31st October 2010.

The 8.45am Mass on Sunday 31st October 2010 will be sponsored/animated by the JYM.

Clean the Grotto Session - Saturday 16th October 2010

The next Clean the Grotto session will be held on Saturday 16th October 2010, starting at 8.30am.

2nd Collection @ Masses on 2nd & 3rd October 2010

There will be a Second Collection at ALL Masses on the weekend of Saturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd October 2010 for the St. Vincent De Paul Society.

The St. Vincent De Paul Society will require support from the wardens for the following:

1) Distribution of phamplets before mass
2) 2nd collection
3) Distribution of donuts after mass

Changes in Mass Times

Just a gentle reminder on the changes in Sunday morning Mass times starting from 3rd October 2010 as follows:

Sunday 7.00am Mass to be moved to 6.45pm

Sunday 9.00am Mass to be moved to 8.45pm

Sunday 11.00am (Mandarin) Mass to be moved to 11.15pm

Evening Masses for Saturday and Sunday remains at 6pm

2nd Collection @ Masses on 18th & 19th September 2010

There will be a Second Collection at ALL Masses on the weekend of Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th September 2010 for the flood victims in Pakistan.

Revised & Updated HM Duty Roster

The HM Duty Roster has been revised and updated as follows:

Up-coming 2nd Collections

All HM leaders, please note that there will be a second collection (for the Migrant Ministry under The AOHD) at all the weekend masses of:

• 29th & 30th May 2010
• 29th August 2010 (no evening Mass 0n 28th August)
• 30th & 31st October 2010

Next Clean the Grotto Session

In view of the SIC Parish Feast Celebration, we will be holding another Clean the Grotto session on SATURDAY JULY 31ST 2010 starting at 8.30am.

SIC Parish Feast Day 2010 Program

The upcoming Parish Feast Day Program is as follows:

Thursday July 29, 2010 @ 8pm
Sponsored by BECs
No collection
BEC to supply 6-8 HMs to monitor communion

Friday July 30, 2010 @ 8pm
Sponsored by: JYM (Junior Youth Ministry)
Collection
JYM to supply 8-10 HMs for collection and to monitor communion

Saturday July 31, 2010 6pm
Sponsored by: Liturgy Group
Usual HM duties
HMs to assist with distribution of food during dinner/fellowship after Mass.

UV Filter for Grotto Aquarium

UPDATE: A new Ultra Violet (UV) Filter has been installed at the Grotto, compliments of our kind parishioners!

The Ultra Violet (UV) Filter in Our Lady's Grotto Aquarium is out of order. Due to gradual wear and tear over the years, the seal for the filter casing has deteriorated and the joint is broken. Our Brothers Vincent and Dominic are attempting to repair the joint using a water resistant sealant but it is not expected to be a lasting solution even if they are able to put it back together.

The purpose of the UV Filter is to prevent algae from growing in the aquarium. Algae grows very quickly and in the absence of a UV Filter, the water in the aquarium will turn murky green in a short space of 2-3 weeks, and emit a foul odour.

If there is any kind parishioner out there whom have the expertise in repairing UV Filters or aqua casing seals in particular; or someone whom would like to sponsor a New UV Filter, please ring 012-208-1650 ASAP.

May God bless the kind soul through the Intersession of Our Lady of the Grotto!

An example of what a UV Filter looks like is shown below:

BECCOT Sponsored Mass - Saturday 26/06/10 6pm

The BECCOT (BEC Coordinating Team) will be sponsoring the 6pm Mass on Saturday 26th June 2010 and will assign their own Offertory Couple and Wardens.

HM leaders for the Saturday Evening Team kindly stand by to back up and assist. Thanks.

Suggestions on Choice of Offertory Couples

We have received some comments that the same offertory couples are being used all the time.

As such, here are some suggestions of offertory couple combinations we can try to use:

1) An offertory couple (preferably related to each other) can comprise of either:
a) Husband & Wife (most common)
b) Father and Daughter
c) Mother and Daughter
d) Mother and Son
e) Brother and Sister
f) 2 sisters (or cousin sisters) - they can both be single
g) Grandfather and Granddaughter (preferably after confirmation or teenager after 1st Holy Communion)
h) Grandmother and Granddaughter (preferably after confirmation or teenager after 1st Holy Communion)
i) 2 Mother In Laws

2) Basic requirements for Offertory Couples
a) Both are Baptized Catholics
b) Preferably adults after confirmation
c) For young people - preferably teenagers after 1st Holy Communion

3) Dress code
a) Decently Dressed
b) For men - preferably slacks and shoes
c) For ladies - no mini skirts, bare backs, low cuts and etc.
d) For both men and ladies - no shorts and slippers,
e) Jeans - only if no other volunteer can be found
f) "Wrap around sandals" for men - only if no other volunteer can be found

We welcome further suggestions and if you can think of anything else to add to the guidelines for offertory couples, please feel free to send Erwin an e-mail.

Reading of Bible on hand phones during Mass

There have been many questions asked about the reading of the Bible on hand phones during Mass.

The following is an extract from the Minutes of the 1st SIC Parish Coordinating Council Meeting for 2010 held on 28th January 2010:

#7.0 - (5)
Reading of Gospel passage and Word of the Lord on the hand phone is not allowed even for valid reasons because of ruling of no hand phone usage in church during Mass. A number of Sunday Missals are available in church. They are to be returned after use.

Trust the above is self explanatory.

Rosary @ the Grotto - Monday May 31, 2010

The details of the Rosary at the Grotto are as follows:

Date: Monday, May 31, 2010
Time: Procession starts at 6.00pm followed by Mass
Route: Procession is around the church building only (not passing through Training Centre)
Liturgy: Weekday Mass, No collection
HM Tasks: Communion & Monitor Procession

Any HM leader/s who can make it on Monday 31/05/2010 evening, please let Erwin know ASAP.

Next Clean The Grotto Session - Saturday 29th May 2010, 8.30am

May is the Month of the Rosary and it will end with the ROSARY AT THE GROTTO in SIC on Monday 31st May 2010 at the 6.00pm evening Mass.

Therefore, we are proposing another CLEAN THE GROTTO session on Saturday 29th May 2010 starting 8.30am.

Of late, quite a lot of silt seem to be accumulating at the bottom of the pond. If there is anyone out there whom is a drainage engineer or is well versed with aquarium maintenance, please offer help and advice on how we can clear out the silt.

Updated HM Duty Roster

We extend a very warm welcome to our young sisters Jennifer and Lyn whom have volunteered to serve as HM Leaders for the 9.00am mass every 1st Sunday of the month. Let us lend them our fullest support.

Our updated Duty Roster is as follows:

Masses for Pre Ascension Day 12/05/2010 and Ascension Day 13/05/2010 - Updated

The following are the HM leaders for the Pre Ascension and Ascension Day Masses:

Wednesday 12th May 2010
7.30pm - Anthony Francis

Thursday 13th May 2010
6.30am - Agatha Chang, John Breneman, Alexander
1.00pm - Zoe Lo, Ken Cham
6.00pm - Francis Khoo

There will be collection (single collection each mass) at all the masses mentioned above.

However, there will be no welcoming of 1st time visitors.

Marian Congress 2010 - Update

The HM of SIC have been invited to assist at the upcoming Marian Congress on 15th and 16th May 2010 at Wisma MCA KL, 8.00am - 7.00pm.

If you have registered as a participant for the Congress, please notify Erwin as soon as possible because we will need volunteers to assist in collections and holy communion during the masses at the Congress on both days.

Easter Vigil

Strict Instructions:

i) No candles are allowed upstairs for safety reasons

ii) Children are NOT allowed to hold candles (due to wax being dropped all over the floor/pews and the lack of volunteers to clean/remove the wax afterwards).

iii) A sufficient amount of plastic chairs will placed inside the church (on Saturday morning) and NO extra plastic chairs will be allowed into the church before or during mass.

As usual, the HM dress code shall be light (preferably white) colored shirt/blouse/dress and dark (preferably black) colored pants/skirt

Good Friday (Mass times to be advised later)

Collections will be made during the Good Friday services. HM volunteers will be needed. HM leaders are kindly requested to inform Erwin which mass they will attend and volunteer for duty.

Maundy (Holy) Thursday

There will be a collection during the Maundy Thursday evening Mass (Mass of the Lord's supper) on April 1, 2010. The pews behind the altar servers in front of Our Lady's portrait are to be reserved for those who participate in the washing of feet. Those whose feet will be washed during the mass will be seated on plastic chairs in front of the 1st pews at the beginning of mass until the washing of feet. The plastic chairs will be removed (by the HMs) after the washing of feet and they will move over to be seated at the pews behind the alter servers.

Gotong Royong Thank You

A big thank you to all the Brother and Sisters whom have helped with the cleaning of the palms and the grotto. We had several Brothers and Sisters from other Ministries (Traffic Wardens and etc.) and BECs (BEC Kelana Putri) who helped with the cleaning of the palms and we thank them for their helping hand.

HM Lent Outreach - "Gotong Royong" Saturday March 27, 2010

In addition to cleaning the palms, (and as part of this year's lent outreach) we will be organizing our usual "gotong royong" to clean Our Lady's Grotto at SIC this coming Saturday March 27, 2010 starting at 8.30am.

We look forward to seeing more of our Brothers and Sisters this Saturday and we can sure do with as many hands as possible for both the cleaning of the palms and Our Lady's grotto.

Cleaning of Palms - MOST URGENT

As per tradition, the Hospitality Ministry have been requested to clean the palms for Palm Sunday.

The cleaning of the palms will take place on Saturday March 27, 2010 and volunteers, please be at SIC (behind the training center next to the funeral parlour) at 9.00am.

The palms will be "dry cleaned" using a brush, which we kindly request that all volunteers bring one from home. Long palms need to be cut into 2 or 3 smaller pieces and therefore, please bring along a large scissors and gloves if possible.

All HMs are urged to assist because we need as much help as we can get.

Please re-visit this blog for any updates or contact Erwin.

Penitential Service March 17, 2010

The Penitential Service at SIC is on Wednesday March 17, 2010 at 7.00pm. Volunteer HMs are needed and encouraged to come and help serve as well as go for the sacrament of reconcilliation.
We will be printing LIMITED COPIES of the Guide to Confession (see below) for distribution to parishioners. Therefore, please advice the parishioners to share and/or return them to the HMs after their confession so that we may hand them to others in the queue.

Current Issues

a) HM leaders, kindly remind the wardens (at least try) to collect from the following:
i) Communion Ministers
ii) Commentator
iii) Pews behind altar servers
iv) Choir
v) Person in charge of projection
In short, don't leave out anyone except the Celebrant and Altar Servers!

b) Agreement have been received for the last pew where the HM sashes are kept and the last pew before the table for the host, water and wine, can be reserved for the elderly during the WEEKEND and any special occasion masses. They should be free for all during the weekday masses. Therefore, the HM will need to design a mobile/removable "FOR THE ELDERLY ONLY" signage to be placed on the pews. Please let us have your ideas and suggestion on how we should design/produce the removable/mobile signage.

c) Warden Sashes
Our Brother Jason and Sister Grace have very kindly assisted to have the gold and red sashes washed and ironed. We are very grateful and thank the Lord for their service. We have made on order for about 50pcs of new green/purple sashes, but time will be needed to get them done.

The Catholic Business Fraternity Love (Jumble) Sale

The Catholic Business Fraternity (CBF) will be selling coupons for this event at the entrance of SIC church on 20th/21st March 2010. The Love Sale will be held on 9-11 April 2010 at Atria Shopping Centre and these coupons will be used on the day of sale. Please support this effort to initiate a fund for disaster relief. For more information, please contact Erwin at 012-208-1650.

BEC Sponsored Mass 2010

The following is an updated list of BEC Sponsored Masses. The list can also be found on the notice board in front of the church.

Calendar Cards 2010

The SIC Calendar Cards 2010, to be given to Newcomers during Welcoming are now ready and available in the HM pigeon hole in front of the church office. Only limited quantity is available. Please give sparingly. What we have will need to last us the whole of 2010!

Lay Leaders Retreat

The details for the next Lay Leaders Retreat is as follows:

Date: Sat 13/03/10 to Sun 14/03/10
Venue: Port Dickson
Cost: RM75.00 (total cost is RM150.00 but 50% subsidy by the church)

Please inform Erwin ASAP if you wish to attend

Ash Wednesday 17/02/2010

A few notes for the Ash Wednesday Masses

• There will be NO collection
• HMs to standby for communion only
• Imposition of ashes after the final blessing
• Mass times: 6.30am, 1.00pm & 6.00pm

Formation for Liturgical Group

The next formation for the Liturgical Group is as follows:

Topic: Lent & Holy Week
Speaker: Fr. Leonard Lexson
Date: 27/02/2010
Time: 9.00am - 4.00pm
Place: 1st Floor Training Centre
Closing Date for registration: 20/01/2010

All participants are to confirm their attendance by 20/02/2010 so that food can be catered. Those who register and don't turn up will be charged a penalty of RM10.00.

Duty Roster 2010

The following is the 1st Draft of the HM Leaders Duty Roster (subject to confirmation) and it will be updated regularly. Please check for updates and changes on the church notice board and here in the Blog. If there are any changes to be made to the schedule, please contact Erwin. Thanks and God Bless.

Write Up for SIC Website

We have submitted the following write up for our page on the SIC Website:

SIC Hospitality Ministry Coordinating Team

Following the meeting on Saturday February 6, 2009, we are pleased to introduce to you the SIC Hospitality Ministry Coordinating Team as follows:

Coordinator: Erwin Ho
Mentor & recruitment: Vincent Yee
Advisor: Anthony Au
Training: Raymond Yeap
Finance: Faustina Kam
Outreach: Shawn Menon

Invitation to attend Wardens & HM Leaders Meeting

All Wardens and Hospitality Ministry Leaders are cordially invited to a meeting as follows:

Date: Saturday February 6, 2010
Time: 2.00pm
Venue: SIC Constantini Community Center Room 1.1

The proposed agenda is as follows: