Young Priests gather in Melaka-Johor Diocese for YPG

By Fr Stanley Goh

“You’re not superheroes. You’re not the saviour of the world. Someone’s already done that and you’re serving him.”

MELAKA — This powerful reminder came during one of our sessions of the Young Priests’ Gathering 2025 (YPG) held in the Melaka-Johor Diocese from 6-10 October 2025. It was a fitting reminder to us priests not just to focus on the one who called us to our current state of life but also of our own vulnerabilities and weaknesses as human persons. It wasn’t just the little nuggets of wisdom and consolation such as this that made the YPG such a valuable programme for all of us involved.

The YPG is an annual event that brings priests who have been ordained for 5 years and under from the dioceses of  Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei together for several days of meeting, seminars, prayer and fellowship. This year, the organisers from the Melaka-Johor Diocese brought us on a pilgrimage from Johor Bahru to Melaka, via Kluang, stopping at the pilgrimage sites of the diocese and celebrating Masses at the various parishes that we visited. The generosity and hospitality of all the families and parishioners we met was quite overwhelming and that too gave an insight into the role of the priest in the lives of the people we minister to.

The other moving aspect of the YPG was the convivial sense of collegiality that we all experienced. Being able to be with others who have also experienced the ‘growing pains’ of initial priestly ministry gave us the space to share the joys and challenges of who we are and what we do. It was a privileged moment of grace as we were able to both give and receive encouragement on our journey as priests, knowing that we have companions on our journey, despite being spread throughout the dioceses and parishes that we minister in.

A highlight of the programme for many of us was the homestay and programmes with the parish of St Mary’s in Ayer Salak, Melaka. Being able to stay with and interact with our host families and seeing the vibrancy of the parish as we prayed and ate together allowed us an insight into the lives of the very close-knit Catholic community there. 

We left Melaka with hearts filled with gratitude for the people we met and experiences gained but also with a renewed sense of mission, to bring everything that the YPG offered to us back to our lives and ministries. We thank God for the gift of the priestly vocation and also for the gift of all the people who support our priests through assistance, work and prayer.

Fr Davie Entalai reflected that “whole experience of the 2025 YPG leads me to contemplate the call to remain faithful in prayer and to cherish the gift of fraternal accompaniment in the priesthood.”

Echoing his sentiments was Fr Henry Jimbey who said that “the Young Priests Gathering (YPG) has become something I truly look forward to every year. For me, it’s not just another program, it’s a much-needed breath of fresh air. It’s a rare chance to step away from the constant demands of ministry, slow down, and simply be present with God, with others, and with myself. Meeting brother priests from all over the country reminds me that I’m not alone in this journey. Their stories, their honesty, their struggles: they challenge me, but also comfort me. They help me readjust my mindset and reconsider my approach to ministry, especially when I feel stuck or overwhelmed. What I love most is how it gives me permission to just relax – to laugh, to rest, to share meals and stories with other priests who truly understand the joys and struggles of ministry.”