Programmes at CSC

New series of 4 talks by Rev Fr. William Goh on “Is Your Family A Christian Family?”

Nov 20: Talk 1 - The State of the Family Today vs The Design of God for Humanity
The family today is beset with challenges that have affected both society and culture.  The identity and institution of the family are undermined by contemporary values that question the fundamental meaning of marriage and family life.  Unless we know the truth and the value of marriage and the family, society will fall apart since the family constitutes the basic foundation of society.  It is thus necessary tore discover the plan of God for marriage and the family in the context of revelation.

Nov 27: Talk 2 - The Christian Family Exists for the Service of Communion and the Service of Life
The mission and role of the family flow from its identity as a communion of life and love. Every family which is given life by love is called to be at the service of love in a community of persons, between husband and wife, parents and children, siblings and relatives. The service to love is complemented by the service to life, which takes the form of the transmission of love and the education of persons especially on the essential values of human life and dignity.

Dec 4:   Talk 3 - The Christian Family at the Service of Society and Church
The family is the first and vital cell of society; the first school where personal and social values and virtues are cultivated.  Families are called to place themselves at the service of society whether in social, economic or political activities. The Christian family must be connected and rooted in the life and mission of the Church.  Only when grafted onto the Church, can the family become a miniature church of God, receiving love and life from Christ and his Church so that it can fulfill its role of being a believing and evangelizing community.

Dec 11 - No Friday Growth session because of CER 15 (Dec 10 - 13). Please offer prayers, sacrifices, mortifications and masses for upcoming CER 15 retreat.

Dec 18: Talk 4 - Pastoral Care of the Family
Recognizing the importance of the family and the challenges it faces, the Church exists to support the Christian family in every stage of life, before and after marriage. Whilst seeking all ways to protect the family, the Church is also painfully aware of the difficult circumstances facing families e.g. separation, divorce, mixed marriages, raising up children, abandonment, loneliness, death, etc.  In reaching out to such families, she models herself after Jesus the Good Shepherd.

Dec 25 - No Friday Growth session, it’s Christmas!

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Note:
There will be praying over for those in need after each Growth Session in Jesus Room. 
All Prayer Petitions and Thanksgiving Letters can be submitted in the boxes provided at the Help Desk. 
In view of the growing attendance, it is requested that those who stay on for fellowship after the Growth Session to park their cars closer to the entrance/exit points.  For those who wish to leave immediately after Growth Session, please park your cars in the field (subject to weather conditions) or at Nativity Church carpark at Upper Serangoon Road.
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CSC Kidz Ministry

Calling all parents/guardians!!
Come and attend the Friday Growth Sessions and leave your children (age between 4 - 12 years) in the good hands of the Children’s Kidz Ministry between 7.30pm - 10.00pm. Your children will be guided and occupied with activities, movies and teachings of the day’s Gospel reading.

Date:  Saturday, 26 December 2009
Time:  6.45pm to 10.00pm
Celebrant: Rev Fr William Goh

Come & Join us in our celebration of Jesus’s Birthday! 

Theme: "Healing Family Relationships in Christ"

The family is called to be a community of love and life modeled after the life and love of the Blessed Trinity.  Yet the reality is that there is so much division and estrangement in relationships within the family.  Instead of an ambience of love and support, it has become a cause of tension and unhappiness.  What is the root cause of family division?  It is due to the fact that we are born with original sin from which generational sin, personal and societal sins spring.  Healing the family requires that we heal our family tree, our inner selves and restoring the brokenness of humanity in Christ.  Only when we ground our relationships in Christ, submitting to his Lordship can we find stability in our relationships.

8pm – 12.30am, celebrated by Rev. Fr William Goh

Come, let us give thanks to God for all that He has done, and for all that He is going to do! All are welcome!

• Praise, Worship, Thanksgiving
• Mass     
• Countdown to 2010

A pocket-size calendar designed and produced by CSC highlighting all its key activities for 2010 is now available! 

Ideal as a Christmas gift for friends and relatives. Get your copies from CSC now. 

Love offerings welcome, all proceeds will go to the CSC Expansion Fund.

Friday Growth Session @ CSC
From 7.30pm to 10.00pm (with Mass)

Jan 15:          Talk 5 – The Christian Family Exists for the Service of Formation And Education 
Jan 22:          Talk 6 - The Christian Family at the Service of the Mission of the Church
Feb 5:           Talk 7 - Pastoral Care of the Family

Please note, effective Monday, 9 November 2009, all email correspondence to the Centre’s Admin Office should be addressed to: admin@csctr.org

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Invite your friends to register for our weekly email broadcast and be informed of our up-to-date events. Just send in the email address to us. 

The long-awaited dates are here. Register early to avoid disappointment! Registration opens two (2) months prior to start of each retreat.

CER #16 Jan 28-31 - REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN.

CER #17 Mar 18-21

CER #18 May 06-09

CER #19 Jul 29 - Aug 01

CER #20 Sep 09 - 12

CER #21 Nov 04 - 07

CER #22 Dec 09 - 12

Check-in    9:00am Thursday
Check-out  7:00pm Sunday

click here for Registration Form.

Missed out on some of the talks held at the Catholic Spirituality Centre? Or perhaps the talks were so good that you want to share with your friends? Come, buy a CD. CD list available here. Click. Call the Centre for enquiries. Tel: 6288-7901.

The following CDs are now available:

• Prepare the Way of the Lord (Part 1 & 2), by the Intercessors of the Lamb
• The Theology of Death, by Rev Fr William Goh

Those who have placed orders for the above may collect their CDs from the Media desk at Friday Growth or 4th Saturday services, or from the AVA Room on weekdays (between 10.30am and 5.00pm).

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more CD titles can be found at http://www.catholic.org.sg/csctr/images/PriceCD.pdf

Please pray for our Conversion Experience Retreats. Suggested prayer below:

PRAYER FOR CONVERSION EXPERIENCE RETREAT

LOVING FATHER, we pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all participants at the Conversion Experience Retreat at CSC, that every heart be open to experience Your love personally in a powerful, life-changing way. May You bless everyone abundantly with all the graces they need for total conversion of heart. Lord, fill them with Your Spirit and love, and grant graces of forgiveness, reconciliation and healing in spirit, soul and body.  May You transform every heart and mind to be renewed in Your Spirit.

O Holy Spirit, anoint and empower Fr William Goh and the ministering teams to be Your effective instruments abounding in love, wisdom and discernment. 

Lord, protect all Your people from the wickedness and snares of the devil, from harm and danger.

Holy Mary, our Blessed Mother, we ask for your powerful intercession for everyone at the retreat.                        

To You O Lord, we give glory and praise because of Your constant love and faithfulness. We make this prayer through
Jesus, our Saviour and Redeemer.  AMEN.

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All are encouraged to join in our Corporate Prayer every Monday praying the rosary at 10pm and Corporate Fast every Wednesday on bread and water.

Here are some testimonies from past Retreatants:

   "I have encountered the love of GOD. I can’t put into 
 words how our Lord has touched me, both spiritually and
 emotionally; but… He has given me so much Love".

   "I realised that many things I do in life are not right in the
 eyes of God and I want to make a difference after this
 retreat. I know that despite all my pain, frustration and
 fear, our Lord is always here with me to love and protect
 me".

   "I was humbled and experienced spiritual and emotional
 healing. My pride had kept me from acknowledging my
 sins. The realisation struck me with horror and my spirit
 was for the first time truly sorrowful and repentant. The
 sweet embrace of the Lord, the depth of His love has
 softened my hardened heart and touched my spirit".

  "I truly feel forgiven of my past sins and have received so
 much encouragement and support from God to live my
 new life. God has become a personal God for me".   

When St Paul had his conversion experience a light from the sky flashed around him, and he fell to the ground (Acts 9:3-4).

When 149 participants (comprising both priests and the laity) had their conversion experience at the Catholic Spirituality Centre (CSC) from 4th to 7th December, 2008 there were no flashes but each individual saw their own iniquities as starkly as if seven suns were shining in the sky.

Joseph Lum, a retreatant from St Anne’s Church summed up his conversion experience, which was shared by many, as follows: 

"I have experienced a deep conversion.  A conversion of my heart.  A conversion that is beyond baptism.  I encountered the love of God…I was blind.  But now I see.  I encountered the power of the Holy Spirit….I had longed for my heart to burn with the love of God again.  I had longed to walk closely with Jesus again.  But I was blinded and my heart was hardened.  I have learnt to truly praise God.  With all my heart.  For how much He loves me…I thought I understood.  But I had never fully understood.  Today, I am alive again.  I have been reborn."

Indeed, no one was spared the touch of God, not even the seven priests from Indonesia, India and Kenya, nor the two friars and a seminarian from Singapore.  Fr Simon Kithinji, a priest from Meru, Kenya emerged from the retreat, radiating joy in all its glory: 

 
Fr. Simon Kithinji from Meru, Kenya

"I was experiencing some burnout in my spiritual life, and sincerely needed refilling.  I came feeling very empty at heart, but now, I feel happy and full of joy.  The preaching (was) a tremendous reawakening of faith and hope in Christ.  I came wounded but I am now healed."

The Retreat, which was into its eleventh run, is the cornerstone programme of the CSC.  It is conducted four times a year, in March, June, September and December by Rev Fr William Goh, CSC’s Spiritual Director.  The next Conversion Experience Retreat (CER #12) is scheduled to take place from 12th to 15th March, 2009.  To avoid disappointment, interested participants are encouraged to book early.  Registration opens one month ahead of the Retreat.

His Grace Archbishop Nicholas Chia made a surprise visit to his flock during the #11 CER.

What is the Conversion Experience Retreat?

Please pray for our Conversion Experience Retreat.

Testimonies of other CERs
Albert, CER#6

Sylvester, CER#7

Trixi, CER#7

Alicia, CER#8

Spiritual books and CDs/VCDs/DVDs available for loan.

Library Opening Hours
Fri  : 8.30pm - 10.30pm 
Sat : 2pm - 5.30pm
Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays.

Loan of CDs, VCDs and DVDs will be charged as follows:
CD : $1.00 per CD (for 2 weeks)
VCD : $2.00 per VCD (for 2 weeks)
DVD : $3.00 per DVD (for 2 weeks)

Please return all loan items promptly to the library.

Email address: csclibrarysg@gmail.com