By Ivy Chai
KUCHING — The Religious Orders in the Archdiocese of Kuching celebrated the 30th World Day of Consecrated Life with a Mass at the Carmelite Chapel on 1 February 2026, although the actual day is 2 February, the feast of the Lord’s Presentation in the Temple. This year’s theme was: ‘Sharing Our Stories’.
Archbishop Simon Poh presided over the Mass. In his homily, he said we became children of God and disciples of the Lord at our Baptism. He reflected on the day’s Reading on the Beatitudes, saying the religious consecrated are people who “work for peace through dialogue, encounter and shared responsibility of reconciliation.”
The prelate said the consecrated life of the religious is a calling. They discern God’s presence and bear witness to the world, exemplifying the Beatitudes. They are committed to their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
In a world filled with conflicts, the religious seek peace and declare God’s peace to the world. They focus on “serving others in places of extreme poverty and political instability, becoming God’s witness and showing that God is close to the people.”
Archbishop Simon recalled how Archbishop Emeritus Peter Chung called the Carmelite nuns the “spiritual powerhouse of the Archdiocese of Kuching”. We don’t see them, but they are praying for us.
Jubilarians Share their Stories
At the Mass, eight Jubilarians celebrated the anniversaries of their Religious Profession. They were: 25 Years – Fr Ramon Borja, SDB and Fr Joseph Ng, SJ; 30 Years – Superior General Sr Rose Wong, SSFS; 40 Years – Mother Prioress Mother Marie Evelyn of the Mother of Sorrows, OCD, Sr Jane Mbang, SSFS and Br Robert Teoh, FMS; 50 Years – Sr Marcella Nosed, SSFS and Sr Mary Julia Yap, SSFS.
Fr Ramon Borja, SDB – Fr Ramon attended a kindergarten run by religious Sisters who treated him kindly. He was one of their favourites. Inspired by their example, he wanted to become a nun, but as a boy, that was not possible. Growing up, he was deeply moved by the warmth of the Salesian priests in his parish. He felt both “joy and at home” there. He admired how the priests not only “prayed and prayed” but were also “so handsome, so holy, so happy,” and engaged in activities like football and basketball. He made the decision to become a priest. He had benefited from God’s grace through the missionaries and nuns, and now, as a Salesian priest, hopes “to share, to give” those blessings, especially with the young people. Fr Ramon believes it is important not just to receive, but also to share Christ and be God’s instruments.
Fr Joseph Ng, SJ – Fr Joseph was actively involved in Church activities in his younger days. St Francis Xavier was nothing more than a name for him then. He felt a calling when he was in Form 2. Then when he was in Form 4 in a school run by the Marist Brothers, he was attracted by the good looks, demeanour and what a visiting Jesuit priest shared. He spent 11 years in the Society of Jesus (SJ) and has been a priest for 25 years, making it a vocation journey of more than 35 years. He studied Chinese Buddhism to expand his mission. Sent to Kuching in 2019, Fr Joseph’s focus is now on teenagers and the Chinese Christians. Being more seasoned and grateful now, he attributes his ability to settle in, to his Ignatian spirituality.
Sr Rose Wong, SSFS – Sr Rose recalled the two words deep within her heart on the day of her first religious profession on 3 June 1996 – “grateful and thankful”. Like St Francis of Assisi whose heart was gradually transformed by listening to the voice of Christ, she came “to understand that a religious vocation is not about greatness, but about availability – to be shaped, sent, and used for God’s loving purpose.” In total obedience to the Will of the Father, she had “learned to surrender—to remain faithful amid hardship, uncertainty, and limitation.” In moments of uncertainty and weakness, Sr Rose said she would be reminded of the Lord’s promise: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). Like St Francis who entrusted everything to Divine Providence, she “experienced the faithfulness of God time and time again.” She vowed to “continue to place my life in His hands,” confident that “He who began a good work in me will bring it to completion” (Phil 1:6).
Mother Marie Evelyn of the Mother of Sorrows, OCD – Mother Evelyn recalled her total ignorance about vocation and the Franciscan sisters and Carmelite nuns when she first heard about them during a Mass in her younger days. Despite that, she asked a friend of hers to write to the Franciscan sisters and she would write to the Carmelite sisters “just for fun”. If they received a response, that would be their “vocation”. She was the only one to receive a reply telling her to “come and see” if she was interested. A kampong girl, she didn’t know where to go. A priest brought her to the Carmelite monastery where she saw two “quite old sisters in the dark” who scared her. Although fearful, Mother Evelyn made a promise to join them if no one else came. If these sisters could “persevere” in such conditions, so could she. Today, she has been a Carmelite nun for 40 years.
The Jubilarians present were invited to a photo taking and cake cutting session after sharing their stories. The celebration ended with a fellowship dinner.
