By Kuching Archdiocesan Vocation committee
KUCHING — On 22 to 23 November 2025, Kuching Archdiocese Vocation Promotion Team had organized “Life Direction Weekend” at St John De Brebeuf Church Kampung Tematu, Kuching. Life Direction Weekend 2025 was organised to promote vocation for priesthood and religious life and to encourage young adults to response to their calling. There were various activities that have been carried out including talks, sing-along, participants’ interview with the priests and religious sisters and brothers and Holy Hour for Vocation. An opening Mass had been celebrated on the first day of the program with the main celebrant, His Grace, Archbishop Simon Poh and with him were Fr Robert Jissem, Fr Stanley Goh, Fr Peter Liston and Fr George Omuto, concelebrating.
There was a total of 34 participants, 13 Committees of Vocation Promotion Team and 20 Catholic Youth Movement (CYM) of Kpg. Tematu members. The program started with a brief introduction from Fr Robert Jissem describing the meaning of Vocation which is a life calling towards religious life and holiness.
The first session started with Fr Stanley Goh from Jesuit religious order, presenting about Prayer and Discernment. In his talk, he mentioned prayer is a guide on the way towards God. Prayer leads us to God. He also introduced a concept called “Where, How and Who am I?” to have a better understanding of vocation. He emphasised that we should know our environments, emotions, choices and sense of self, who we are before God. While discernment is the process of making a prayerful choice that leads to us living God’s will and live more fully. Fr. Stanley sourced his talk from The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius, “The Goal of our life is to live with God forever.”
The next item was presented by Mr Paul Wong on Married Life. He explained that the marriage covenant is naturally aimed at the good of the husband and wife as well as the birth and education of children. He mentioned marriage is a vocation which is a calling of a God’s will for the union of husband and wife to provide life to the gift of children and build a family in faith. Christian Marriage is a Sacrament. Mr Paul also revealed the contrasts between myth and reality of a married life which he described our spouse will never be as perfect as how we imagined. He emphasized that love in marriage required responsibility, religious and moral as well as empathy.
In the afternoon session, the program continued with Fr. Augustine Singh, a Claretian Missionary, shared about his community, the Congregation of Missionaries Sons of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as Claretian Missionaries Father (C.M.F). This congregation has been founded on July 16, 1849 in Vic, Spain by St Anthony Mary Claret and five other young priests. They are present in 71 countries around the world dedicated to rendering quality education, publishing of bibles and religious books, run parishes, uplifting and helping in the social welfare of the people and the care of our common home. Fr Augustine stated the mission statement of C.M.F which a Claretian is a Son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a man on fire with love who spreads its flames wherever he goes. He desires mightily and strives, by all means possible, to set everyone on fire with God’s love. Nothing daunts him: he delights in privations, welcomes work, embraces sacrifices, smiles at slander, rejoices in all the torments and sorrows he suffers, and glories in the cross of Jesus Christ. Fr. Augustine also shared some of his personal experience about his vocation story
After that, Fr Don Don Romero Ramirez, a Franciscan friar, presented about the Order of Friars Minor (O.F.M). Founded by St Francis of Assisi in the 1200s. Fr Don Don shared the community life and a daily life of the friars. They would attending daily mass, praying and do some outdoor activities. The friars have three vows; poverty which means commit to live simply and without personal possessions, chastity which living a celibate life, and Obedience in listening and responding to God’s will, lived out through the community and its leader. The Franciscans focus on poverty, humility and fraternity, care for the poor and the marginalized, and love for creation as inspired by St Francis. He also mentioned that there are more than 40 friars in Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore and most of them already become priests.
The last session of the day was a speech about Mill Hill Missionaries (M.H.M), presented by Fr George Omuto, a Mill Hill Missionary. His talk started with his sharing about the starting of Christianity in Borneo. He mentioned that there was no Christian before 1855. Until in 1881 when Rome asked M.H.M to take the word of God to the Borneo. The Founder of the M.H.M is Cardinel Herbert Vaughan. Their Headquarter now is located in Mill Hill, London. M.H.M is to love and to serve. They are also international and will go where the need is the greatest. They live like Diocesan where there are no vows. Fr George also share the M.H.M stages of formation. The first stage is the first year of English and introduction of spiritual formation followed by the second stage which focus on basic formation. The third stage is the first cycle stage usually 3 years in philosophy in Philippines before the fourth stage which is Missionaries Experience Program (MEP). Lastly, the fifth stage is 4 years of theology in Kenya or India before they receive their ordination.
Second day started with Sunday Mass then the session continued with Fr Andre Delimarta, a Salesian of Don Bosco, who shared about the religious life. He explained about The Hermits who are the very early Christians who chose to live in solitude, prayer, and penance, withdrawing from ordinary society in order to seek closeness with God. In his talk, Fr Andre mostly emphasized more about the history of a religious life. From the origin of the religious life to the recent year. He also shared a daily life of a seminarians, priests and sisters. They run schools, orphanages, youth centres and vocational training, and sometimes work with young people.
The meaning of Life’s Calling was further explained by Bro Addie Frank, a seminarian of St Peter College, in his speech. He mentioned that life’s calling is different for each individual and the catholic life calling is to lead to holiness. He also shared the teaching of The Catechism of the Catholic Church (KGK) which explains that Baptism, Chrism, and the Eucharist are the basis for the call of Christ’s disciples to live a holy life and proclaim the Gospel, until the end of life. Bro Addie also shared his life experience on answering God’s calling where he started as an alter server and a reader of word of God back in his hometown church. Despite him being very active serving to God, he still doesn’t understand well about faith and holiness. He still feels the emptiness of his soul until his heart had felt the calling after seeing the priestly ordination of Rev Fr Robert Jissiem in 2015, that he decided to join the Seminarians.
The session was concluded with a speech from Sr. Rowena Patrick, Sister of St Francis of Sarawak (SSFS), which she talked about the Sisters of St Francis Of Sarawak and further explanations about religious life. She explained that SSFS is an active congregation which mostly serving the church in various type of service such as teacher, catechism, nursing and socializing. While the Carmelite sisters is a contemplative congregation which they devoted themselves to God by praying and living in the monastery forever. The origin of SSFS was began in 1885 when 5 Sisters from FMSJ congregation arrived to Sarawak. Their Founder is St. Francis of Assisi. And just like the friars, sisters also have their vows; poverty, chastity and obedience as explained by Fr Don Don. Some of the sisters have four vows which the fourth vow is Silence, which mean live in prayerful life.
Life Direction 2025 was ended with participants’ interview session with the priests and sisters, a group photo and a Lunch. The program was successfully ended at 2.00 PM on 23 November 2025.
