PENANG : On 7th April 2025, Cardinal Sebastian Francis, Bishop of Penang welcomed Fr. Pablo Trollano from the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE) along with Sister Maria Filia Docilis (Mary, Docile Daughter) and Sister Mary Joy of the Cross from the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara (SSVM) to the Diocese of Penang. Cardinal Sebastian wants them to inspire hope and imbibe discernment among the youths and prayed over them and blessed their mission. Their presence aims to strengthen the spiritual lives of the local Catholic community, with focus on the mandarin-speaking youths.
Fr. Pablo is originally from Argentina and currently serves in a parish in Taiwan while pursuing his PhD in Philosophy at Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei. Fr. Pablo expressed “that in today's world, it's important that we have the true and correct concept of a human being in order to fight against wrong ideologies. Our goal is to help the community grow in their faith and understanding of God's Will. We hope to provide guidance and support to those seeking a closer connection with the Divine."
Sr. Docilis, a daughter of Penang from the Church of the Immaculate Conception, is involved in Pro-life ministry in Taiwan, while Sr. Joy, from Sabah, serves girls in need in the Philippines. Sister Docilis explained, “we are committed to serving the spiritual needs of the community and through our presence and activities, we aim to foster a spirit of prayer and discernment that will enrich the lives of the faithful.”
From March 28 to April 1, a five-day retreat featuring the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola were held at La Salle Centre, Ipoh. This event marked the first time such a comprehensive Ignatian experience was introduced to the Diocese of Penang. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola emphasize that ‘Faith Ignites the Soul, Truth Illuminates Life’. Additionally, several formation sessions were conducted for working young adults. Unlike conventional talks, these sessions were delivered in an engaging dialogue format, making deep content more accessible and relatable.
The Conversation on Faith and Real-Life workshop tackled the real-life tension between faith and daily struggles, a topic highly relevant for today’s youth. The sessions covered topics such as: "Marriage? Not for me!” and “Can’t I just be a good person and skip the rest?"
Participants in the workshop shared their reflections, with feedback such as: ‘Surrender everything to God for anxiety is self-inflicted’, ‘I must firmly place God at the center of my heart’, ‘I now better understand my mission as a Christian is to set hearts on fire!’, ‘The priest’s sharing was humorous yet deeply insightful’, and ‘I used to think that doing whatever I want was cool, but now I see that Catholicism offers an objective framework to discern right from wrong’.
A two-day retreat titled "What’s more being a Catholic?" discussed about life choices, faith, and what truly gives us hope. One particularly memorable session featured a panel of four guests who represented both traditional and modern perspectives within Catholicism. Their candid dialogue about internal tensions and external pressures sparked reflections among the attendees, fostering deeper understanding of the Catholic faith’s relevance in contemporary life.
From the retreat the participants shared that: ‘I received new life through the priest, the sisters, and my fellow retreatants!’, ‘The spiritual exercises helped me rediscover the unique relationship between Creator and creature, and I now discern God’s Will with greater clarity’, ‘During the meditations, I experienced great consolation and inner healing, especially during the plenary indulgence where I felt the Holy Spirit at work, and some deep attachments in my heart found resolution’, ‘I didn’t know Catholicism could be like this, something understandable, something that made sense’, and ‘After the retreat, I woke up every morning with joy and eagerness to attend daily Mass where I never imagined I would ever long for that’.
IGNIS (‘Latin for fire’), the organizing team of young working adults, concluded that this retreat and workshop series, especially in this Jubilee Year of Hope 2025, was not only a spiritual recharge, but a true pilgrimage of conversion back to God and self. Through the silence and reflection of the Spiritual Exercises, the youths learned how to discern God’s Will. Additionally, through candid and thoughtful dialogues, we gained the courage to bring forward our faith in the reality of life.
We thank the Lord for His providence, and to the three Religious: Fr. Pablo Trollano, Sr. Maria Filia Docilis and Sr. Mary Joy of the Cross for generously sharing their time and wisdom. This event was a testimony to the vitality of faith in the Diocese of Penang. May we carry this grace forward and continue to live out the spirit of Christ in our daily lives, spreading His love and truth wherever we go.
By Clare Cheng and Christopher Kushi
