Dear Good Shepherd Partners

Greetings from the Mission Link Committee!

Over 4 days in April 2009, the Mission Link Committee had gathered at the foothills of Mount Kinabalu in Sabah for a strategic planning retreat where we had the opportunity to have some quiet time to reflect on and review what we have been doing as Mission Link Committee.

We reflected on our call to follow Jesus the Good Shepherd and our task to coordinate and develop Good Shepherd Partnership for the continuity of the Good Shepherd Mission in the Province of Singapore/Malaysia.  We thank you for your prayerful support during that time.

1.  New Office of Vice-Chairperson of Mission Link Committee

In view of the tasks ahead, Morene Sim has been elected to the new office of Vice-Chairperson of the Mission Link Committee.

2.  Formation Programmes for Good Shepherd Partnership in 2009

In the first half of this year, four Good Shepherd Partnership gatherings had been organised for the following groups:

- Ipoh (43 attended)

Kuala Lumpur (38 attended)

Board of Management of Marymount Convent School (6 attended)

Lay Associates and Pastoral Ministries of Singapore and Johor Bahru (56 attended)

The gatherings incorporated the echo session of the Good Shepherd Asia Pacific Partnership Gathering which was held in June 2008.

Feedback had been positive and encouraging with requests for more of such sessions.  If you had attended the session we hope that you too had a meaningful experience at the session.  If you had not managed to join us then, there are still more events coming your way.

3.  Annual ‘Celebrating Good Shepherd Partnership’ Gathering

This year’s gathering will take on a new format as it will be held in three locations enabling wider participation from our Good Shepherd partners.

Three 2-day sessions are being planned.  The sessions at each location are similar and you may choose your preferred location/dates.  Please block-off these dates on your calendar.

Theme: “Our Good Shepherd Heritage - In the Footsteps of St Mary Euphrasia”

Focus: Origins and Legacy of Our Foundress and the Good Shepherd Mission

Facilitator: Sr Deanna Pereira, rgs from India

Dates: Kuala Lumpur - 22nd to 23rd August (Sat & Sun)

Sabah - 25th, 26th, 26th August (Tue, Wed and Thurs evenings)

Singapore - 29th to 30th August (Sat & Sun)

4.  Good Shepherd Retreat

Two preached retreats (weekend sessions) are being planned for Good Shepherd partners and will be held in October/November this year.

Theme: Living Good Shepherd Mission in Our World Today

Focus: Deepening of Good Shepherd Values through stories

Facilitator: Fr Philip Chircop from Canada

Date: October 24th & 25th Marymount Convent, Singapore

October 31st & Nov 1st Madonna Heights, Kuala Lumpur

5.  Good Shepherd Living Stories

To all who have responded to our invitation (in our previous newsletter), thank you so much for sharing your Good Shepherd story.  Our editorial team is now in the process of preparing them for publication.  The book is planned to be launched in the final quarter of 2009.  Keep a lookout for it.

6.  Congregational Chapter 2009

The Congregational Chapter has just begun.  If you wish to be kept updated on the Chapter proceedings, please click on the link to the Congregation’s website.

More updates and information will be sent to you on the programmes planned.

Thank you and God Bless.

United in the Compassionate Love of our Good Shepherd,

Mission Link Committee

 

 

 

2 February 2009

 

 

Dear Good Shepherd Partners,

Greetings from the Mission Link Committee and blessings for the New Year!

In our efforts to develop and strengthen Good Shepherd Partnership, we would like to dedicate 2009 as Good Shepherd Heritage Year.

St. Mary Euphrasia summed up in one sentence our heritage, “I only loved… but I loved with all the strength of my soul.” This statement is typical of her simplicity and single-mindedness.  Through the loving study of her life and an earnest endeavour to internalise her values, we Good Shepherd Partners today can realise in our lives something of the depth and breadth of her love.  It is a love within the reach in all of us, since the same Spirit has been poured out on us in our call to Partnership for Mission.  We have within us the seed of that same inner dynamism that moved her.  (Adapted from The Spirituality of St. Mary Euphrasia, 1980)

Let us take a moment to acknowledge with deep gratitude our Good Shepherd Heritage and Legacy, and the Mission that she had entrusted to us.  Let us make 2009 a special time to draw deeper from our own Good Shepherd Heritage and nourish our zeal for the Mission. 

In this newsletter we want to share with you some updates and upcoming events.  We invite you to join in our excitement and anticipation as we grow in our Partnership journey.

1.                  Invitation to contribute your Living Story

In conjunction with Good Shepherd Heritage Year 2009, we want to compile a collection of our very own Good Shepherd stories.  Hence, we invite you to contribute your experiences of Good Shepherd.  Please refer to the attachment for more details.  We hope to receive your contributions by 10^th March 2009.

2.                 Celebrating Good Shepherd Heritage, August 2009

This will be a celebration organised by the Mission Link Committee for all Good Shepherd Partners from Singapore and Malaysia.  We are in the process of firming up dates for the second half of August 2009 with the resource person.  We will be sending you more information in our next newsletter.   

3.                  Good Shepherd Asia Pacific Partnership Gathering – Echo Session

The inaugural Good Shepherd Asia Pacific Partnership gathering was held in Kuala Lumpur in June 2008 which brought together Good Shepherd sisters, staff and volunteers from Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia. Over the 4 days, we prayed and celebrated, we had conversations and meals, we listened and shared, we made connections with each other over our common passion – Good Shepherd Mission.

Our Province had 16 representatives at this gathering and they are in the process to “echo” this experience to all Good Shepherd Partners.  Sessions have already been held in Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur on 17 & 18 January 2009 respectively.  Sessions are also being planned for Kota Kinabalu and Singapore.

4.                  New Mission Link Committee Member

We welcome Morene Sim as our newest member of the MLC, joining us in January 2009.  As some of you would already know, Morene is a volunteer at Good Shepherd Restful Waters in Singapore and serves as the chairperson of its Working Committee.  We look forward to our working together in Mission.

5.                  Annual Retreat in October – November 2009

Good Shepherd Sisters will be having their annual retreat which will be led by Fr. Philip Chircop SJ, from Canada.  It will be a preached retreat and will focus on the Spirituality of Compassion and Reconciliation in line with the Congregation’s and Province’s direction. This retreat is open to all Good Shepherd lay partners and the dates are as follows:

20 October (morning) – 26 October 2009 (evening) @ Marymount, Singapore,

29 October (morning) – 4 November 2009 (evening) @ Madonna Heights, Kuala Lumpur.

In view that many lay partners will not be able to attend the full retreat, a 2-day weekend programme focusing on “Good Shepherd Partnership for Mission” has been arranged during the above retreats on the following dates:

Location	Dates
Singapore	17 – 18 October 2009
Kuala Lumpur	31 Oct – 1 Nov 2009

 

We will be sending you more details as the dates draw nearer, but do book these dates in your diaries.  

It has been an active start to this year and we have much to look forward to in this our Good Shepherd Heritage Year.  So, we conclude this newsletter with the words of St. Mary Euphrasia,

“Go forward in the spirit of God, I am relying on your zeal.”

 

 

United in the Compassionate Love of our Good Shepherd,

 

 

 

 

  Morene Sim, Dorothy Khaw,

 

  Joan Lopez, Theresa Symons,

  Cecilia Ee,

  Melina Ong, Chin Poh Choo,

 

  Anna Low, Susan Chia & Maria Dipal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GOOD SHEPHERD LIVING STORY: INVITATION TO CONTRIBUTE

 

Introduction

In conjunction with Good Shepherd Heritage Year 2009, we want to compile a collection of our very own Good Shepherd stories. All of you, Good Shepherd Partners, are invited to contribute a story relating your experience of Good Shepherd. Your stories will then be woven together by our team of editors and compiled into a book. 

 

Some suggestions

Here are some possible topics that you may choose to write on. You may also wish to add a symbol to illustrate your sharing.

i.                     Your experience of being attracted or drawn to the Good Shepherd Mission.

a.       How did you get involved with Good Shepherd Mission?

b.      What attracted you? How did it all start?

ii.                   A significant experience of Good Shepherd Mission as you worked or volunteered in Good Shepherd ministries.

a.       What strikes you most when working or volunteering in Good Shepherd Mission?

b.      What has been meaningful or memorable for you?

iii.                  Working or volunteering in Good Shepherd Mission.

a.       How long have you been involved in Good Shepherd Mission and what makes you stay on?

b.      What have been your significant joys, challenges, disappointments and surprises?

iv.                 The impact or difference being with Good Shepherd Mission has made for you.

a.       How do you think your involvement in Good Shepherd Mission has made a difference in your life?

 

Submissions

As we would like to include as many stories as possible, please send us your stories on an A4 page via email to the following representatives by 10^th March 2009:

Location	Send to	Email
Kuala Lumpur	Theresa Symons	tsymons8@gmail.com
Ipoh	Dorothy Khaw	dotkhaw@yahoo.com.sg
Sabah	Chin Poh Choo	2pohchoo@gmail.com
Singapore	Melina Ong	melinaong88@yahoo.com.sg
Johor	Joan Lopez	jolo_marie@yahoo.co.uk

 

Enquiries

If you have any questions or clarifications, please contact Melina Ong at melinaong88@yahoo.com.sg