Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Shalom! Wishing you all a very Blessed Christmas and a Peace-filled New Year.
2020 is a milestone year for our church. It was 50 years ago, in 1970, that the Church of St Vincent de Paul was officially opened at its present location along Yio Chu Kang Road. As we look back at these 50 years, our hearts are filled with gratitude and thankfulness to God for the many blessings we have received from Him. Indeed, “if the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labour” (Ps 127:1).
As we move into the future, let us continue to work together to build up our church. Not just the physical aspects but more importantly, the soul of the church: a spiritual renewal and transformation of our church to one that is vibrant, evangelistic and missionary. This is the vision of our Archdiocese for every Catholic Church in Singapore.
A vibrant church is one where every parishioner has personally encountered Jesus Christ, is joyous in daily living, and is constantly growing in faith and engaged with fellow Catholics as well as the broader community to build the Kingdom of God. In an evangelistic and missionary church, every parishioner is called to proclaim the good news of salvation in word and witness and to pave the way for others to encounter Jesus; and we are all missionary by virtue of our Baptism, sent to “make disciples of all the nations (Mt 28:19)”.
Surely there will be many challenges ahead but our faith in Jesus Christ assures us that He will empower us to carry out the mission that He has entrusted to us. “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:5). That is the promise of our Risen Lord. As we embark on this New Year, let us go forth together with confidence and unshakeable hope towards the fulfilment of this promise.
God bless all of you!
Fr Eugene Chong and Fr J J Fenelon
