The 28th of February 2021 marked the official first Sunday mass held by the Filipino Catholic Community of Gouda (FCC-Gouda) & Surroundings at the H-Josephkerk as the community has now moved to this new location at Aalberseplein 2 in Gouda. To also officially bid farewell to the community’s old location, last month’s 4th Sunday service was held at the O.L.V. Hemelvaartkerk, which actually served not only as a venue for church services but also as a home for FCC-Gouda in the past 23 years. Marking this transition from old to new, this month’s eucharistic celebration also highlighted the celebration of married couples, who gladly received prayers for blessings of joy, strength, empowerment and love from the community.
Led by Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, the following prayer and blessings were bestowed not only upon the couples who were present that day but also to all couples watching from home as well as all couples from the Filipino Community of Gouda & Surroundings, the Parish and all those who worship at the H-Josephkerk.
“Dear God, we are praying for all couples in this community and also all couples in this parish—the Dutch community and all who worship here. Father, we ask you who planted the love in them and right from the beginning to refresh and renew their love for one another. Give them the heart to love and to forgive. Give them the grace to forgive. Strengthen them, empower them and be with them in their times of pain. Be with them in their times of confusion. It is your great will that they continually have fulfilling love relationships. Don’t abandon them and don’t leave them. Come into their lives. Renew, bless, uplift, strengthen, and empower them. Let their love for one another grow everyday and let them be a sacrament of your presence who is love Himself. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!”
As the song entitled “Through the Years” is being played as background music, each married couple received a rose and a nicely crafted token made with love by Jenny Luna and all courtesy of the FCC-Gouda administration.
The FCC-Gouda Sunday services continue every 4th Sunday of the month with strict compliance with the COVID-19 regulations. The number of people allowed to attend masses in person is restricted to 30 people, but those who stay at home can follow the mass on live streaming. You can find the recording of this month’s celebration HERE.
The Filipino Catholic Community of Gouda and its Surroundings (FCC-Gouda) turned over a new leaf in February, 2021, by having their monthly 4th Sunday mass in the H.- Josephkerk in Gouda. The transfer from the OLV Hemelvaartkerk to the much bigger H.-Josephkerk is marked by the enthusiasm of volunteers to make the Mass Service more meaningful for the whole community.
Elpidia Gutierrez, Irene Hameete, Marlyn Rontal, Rena van Kleunen and Jenny Luna volunteered to train as flexible sexton ( koster) and acolyte. Their training was guided by no less than Fr. Dick van Klaveren, (Sint Jan de Doper Parish Priest) and Ms. José Ligthart. The volunteers spent two Saturdays to get acquainted with the Do’s and Don’ts of the church protocols. They also learned how to properly serve and assist the priest during the mass. The orientation, lessons and actual practices and procedures of being Kosters and Acolytes were eagerly met by both parties. Meanwhile, Mr. Hans Oosterwijk spent time learning the mechanics of doing Live Broadcast under the tutelage of Mr. Cees Ligthart.
FCC Gouda volunteers with Ms. José Ligthart
FCC Gouda volunteers with Fr. Dick van Klaveren
On February 28, 2021, the new Kosters/Acolytes were presented and inducted during the 4th Sunday mass by the FCC Gouda Chaplain, Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp. They took an oath to acknowledge themselves as members of the Catholic Church, living according to the Catholic profession of faith, to devote themselves with love and peace to the service of God in the community, to render service for worthy celebration of the Holy Eucharist, and to do all the responsibilities and tasks where they are chosen for to do.
Oath Taking of new acolytes by Fr, Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp with Ms. José Ligthart. L-R: José Ligthart, Rena van Kleunen, Jenny Luna, Elpidia Gutierrez, Irene Hameete. Marlyn Rontal is also one of the newly trained acolytes but not on the photo.
Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe thanked all volunteers, blessed and praised them for answering and accepting the call of God to serve the community. He challenged them to offer their best to the Lord, to the Filipino Community and all the church communities which may require their services. Finally, he asked them to live a life in Christ and make Him known to all through witness, service and work.
The Filipino Catholic Community of Gouda and Its Surroundings (FCC Gouda) had the privilege to celebrate the first Holy Communion of their children on the 25th October 2020 at the O.L.V. Hemelvaartkerk in Gouda. The build-up to this event had taken a year of preparation for the six candidates. The community was careful to ensure observance of the COVID-19 regulations thereby ensuring that only the allowed number of persons (30) who had to register beforehand, were in attendance.
In spite of the barely empty church, the event was a beautiful one for the children who earnestly looked forward to it and actively participated in the liturgy. The two girls were dressed in beautiful white dresses, while the four boys looked handsome in their white shirts and suits. During the Mass, three of the boys went to the lectern to read the First and the Second Readings, as well as the Prayer of the Faithful. One of the girls recited the Prayer of Pope Francis for the COVID-19 Pandemic. At the end of the Mass, she also thanked the community on behalf of the First Communicants.
The peak of the celebration was the reception of the Eucharist itself. Accompanied by their parents, the children, having practiced every step, came forward individually with lighted candles to receive the Body of Christ from the priest. It was a great moment for both the children and their obviously proud and joyful parents.
The FCCG presented the children with First Communion certificates signed by Pastoor Dick van Klaveren, a Holy Bible, and other gifts. They equally recognized the effort of the teachers and volunteers who in many ways ensured the success of the event. However, in keeping with the COVID-19 pandemic, the FCCG had to cancel all planned celebrations after the Mass.
This was the first time that children of the community received their First Holy Communion. The Filipino Catholic Community of Gouda looks forward to these children’s Confirmation in a few years.
Eerste Heilige Communie bij de FCC Gouda (Dutch Translation) Door Mary Lynn and Kim van Dijk
De Filippijnse Katholieke Gemeenschap Gouda (FCC Gouda) e.o. was bevoorrecht om de eerste communie van zes kinderen te vieren tijdens de mis van 25 oktober 2020 in de O.L.V. Hemelvaartkerk te Gouda. Een jaar voorbereiding leidde tot deze gebeurtenis. De gemeenschap is zorgvuldig omgegaan met de regels omtrent het coronavirus door alleen het maximale aantal van 30 mensen de mis te laten bijwonen, die zich hier vooraf voor moesten registreren.
Ondanks de bijna lege kerk was het een prachtige viering voor de kindere, die er met smart naar uit hadden gekeken en heel actief hadden meegedaan in de liturgie. De twee meisjes waren gekleed in hele mooie witte jurken, terwijl de vier jongens er heel knap uitzagen in hun witte pakjes. Tijdens de mis, kwamen drie van de jongens naar voren om zowel de eerste en tweede lezingen voor te lezen, als de voorbeden. Een van de meisjes las voor het gebed van paus Franciscus over de pandemie. Aan het eind van de mis, sprak zij ook dank uit namens de eerste communicanten voor de gemeenschap.
Het hoogtepunt van de mis was het ontvangen van de eerste communie. De kinderen, elke stap geoefend hebbende, kwamen één voor één naar voren, met hun ouders aan hun zijde, met een verlichte kaars, om Christus’ lichaam te ontvangen van pater Marcel Uzoigwe. Het was een vreugdevol moment voor de kinderen en hun trotse ouders.
Later presenteerde de FCC Gouda de kinderen met Eerste Communie certificaten ondertekend door Pastoor Dick van Klaveren, een Bijbel, en andere cadeautjes. Ook erkende zij het harde werk van de leraren die de kinderen hebben voorbereid voor hun eerste communie, en het harde werk van de vrijwilligers, die hebben bijgedragen aan het tot een succes maken van deze gebeurtenis. Helaas heeft de FCC Gouda na de viering haar geplande activiteiten moeten annuleren door de COVID-19 beperkingen.
Dit was de eerste keer dat de kinderen bij de Filippijnse Katholieke Gemeenschap Gouda zelf zijn voorbereid voor hun eerste communie. We kijken uit naar de eerste vormselviering over een paar jaar.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS by FCC-Gouda Board
We are one big family in the church, in our community. We celebrate and glorify the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as one God. Our faith is a strong foundation which we will pass on to our children. We trust God that our Community will continue to support, nurture, and nourish our children in their spiritual growth and relationship with God.
We come together today to celebrate the important Sacrament of the Eucharist. We join in the joy of our children in receiving the Body of Christ for the first time.
In celebrating this milestone in Christian faith of the Filipino Catholic Community of Gouda and Its Surroundings (FCCG), we wish to acknowledge the efforts of the people who worked hard to make this event possible.
We thank, in a very special way, our First Holy Communion celebrants for taking this big step in their Christian Faith. This day is the beginning of more exciting events in your Christian lives. Congratulations on your First Holy Communion today!
We also thank the parents of the first communicants for their continued support, cooperation, encouragement and guidance during the entire process of the First Holy Communion preparation.
We say a big thank you to our Pastoral teachers, Elpi Gutierrez and Irene Hameete, who carried out the First Communion classes/seminars.
Thank you, Teun Blanken, for your assistance and help in arranging the venue for the First Communion classes.
To the FCC Gouda and Surroundings volunteers who in one way or the other, contributed to the success of this event, thank you very much, including Marlyn Rontal, Kathy Grimme and Suzanne Ventura for capturing the moments, Christy de Jong for providing the music, and Jenny Luna for ushering our guests and participants.
To all our sponsors and donors, thank you very much.
To our Priest Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp, we say thank you for all your hard work, guidance and ministry.
Finally, we wish to acknowledge and show our appreciation for the collaboration and support of the Parish Priest, Pastoor Dick van Klaveren, and the Parish staff members.
September 5, 2020 marked another successful occassion for members of our Catholic Community in Gouda! The community has successfully held its second Holy Retreat despite setbacks caused by COVID-19 restrictions. This time. Rev. Fr. John Onoja, C.S.S.p led and facilitated the said holy retreat, which was held at Aalberseplein, Gouda.
Songs of praises made the occasion solemn but lofty! As usual, the occassion began with a prayer, whereby attendees were given a time to reflect and write their prayer petitions on a piece of paper, which was later blessed. Afterwards, Father John gave a brief discussion on the meaning and significance of having a retreat.
In his talk, Father John explained that the word ‘retreat’ is commonly associated with the military. The General or Commander of the troop or battalion calls for a retreat because the enemy is gaining the advantage! And in many cases, the general has to withdraw his men from the battle field not only to save his remaining men from further injury or death but most importantly to have to rest, recuperate, and regain the strength needed to live and fight the next day. In a spiritual sense, having a retreat connotes setting aside one’s everyday routine to reconnect in a deeper level with God through prayers. It is the time to re-collect, re-member and re-examine one’s self in the light of the questions, “Who I am?”, “Where I am?“ and “What I am?”.
But how do we pray? Father John tackled the aspects of Praying. Silenceis a one aspect. With our culture being addicted to the noises and distractions of our televisions, internet, radios, friends , work and family, praying in silence seems unachievable. Praying in silence means to be quiet in mind and heart and being in a state of meditation . Only through praying in silence will we hear God speak. Only in nothingness can God fill you!
“ Come to me, all you are weary and burdened and I will give you rest . Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30.
Jesus calls for those who are weary and burdened. This means those who are physically or mentally exhausted from unmet dreams, financial burdens, sickness, guilt, regrets, trials and temptations to name a few. Some will seek a temporary solutions for the weariness by doing drugs , buying anti-depressant medicines, looking answers from fortune tellers, and many more unreliable ways of solving problems.
The Bible undoubtedly says follow Jesus. He is our perpetual and everlasting solution. He will want us to take his yoke for He will teach us and lift us up until we can find the inner rest we are seeking. But what is this “yoke” Jesus is telling us to carry with Him? Father John explained that back in days , farmers used a yoke, a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attched to the cart that they are to pull. It is to bind an older cow with a young cow or donkey . Because of the yoke the young cow with learn from the older cow on how to plough the fields. Just like Jesus ,our teacher and us , His students. He promised us that his yoke is light and easy to carry!
After the first talk, Father John gave us a moment of silent and meditation. Then we sung beautiful songs of praise and worship. Right after we went to the Blessed Sacrament for silent adoration and an apportunity for confession.
The second talk was all about ,”Keeping the faith in times of a pandamic”. The corona virus temporarily halted our daily routines, our vacation plans, family or friends visit , church activities and so on. This pandemic is temporary but it may feel like a forever struggle to slowly find normalcy in our lives and in our society!!
Jesus did not abandon us during this times , He was always with us! This pandemic gave us the realisation of the things we took for granted before because suddenly our movements are restricted and we hate it. Now, we call Jesus more than before , we value church gatherings like this retreat , we feel more closer to one other and we lend our helping hands and ears to people around us! And the most important message amidst the chaos this virus engender is that Jesus wants us to keep the faith. Keep it burning for He alone is our light and hope!
To conclude, the retreat ended with a Holy Mass and with participants happy to go home with a clearer understanding of what a retreat means and what it does to our spiritual growth. Among the general feedback are as follows:
“I understand clearly the meaning of retreat. At first it’s like hard to explain pag me nagtanong. Now, i understand very well.”
“The retreat is very fulfillin. It’s a time well spent and happy I went. I love the atmosphere, love the preachings, and love the time spent on praying.”
The regular 4th Sunday mass celebrated by the Filipino Catholic Community of Gouda & Surroundings is back! On July 26, 2020, the community happily celebrated the mass at OLV Hemelvaartkerk after months of COVID-19 lockdown. Every year, FCC-Gouda celebrates Family Fun Day, a social gathering of all members of the community and their families for merriment, fellowship, and communal dining. But due to COVID-19-related restrictions, this year’s Family Fun Day celebration is cut into an hour gathering with few games, just drinks, and the annual raffle draw fundraising event.
FCC-Gouda needed to raise funds and push through with the planned raffle draw despite the foreseen difficulty of selling tickets and possibility of a cancelled event. By God’s grace, the 4th Sunday mass at the church and the Family Fun Day gathering and fundraising went through successfully. Winners of the raffle draw are as follows:
GRAND PRIZE WINNERS
1st Prize (€75): Ticket # 101— Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe
2nd Prize (€50): Ticket # 384 — Eva Donaire Kroeze
Best Raffle Ticket Sellers: Marivic Adema & Susan Horn-Perez
YOU ARE ALL WINNERS! To all who supported us for this cause, from producing the raffle tickets to giving your donations for the prizes, selling the raffle tickets, buying the tickets with a cheerful heart, consolidating all sold tickets, drawing the winners, and making a financial report, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Together, we’ve raised a total of €465!
WORDS OF THANKS FROM THE FCC-GOUDA BOARD
Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
Thank you so much for your continuous support to our once-a-year celebration of Family Fun Day of the Filipino Catholic Community of Gouda and Surroundings. We are very happy to have you. Your donations have been able to help our activities & diaconal work. Your continuous support helps us build a strong foundation that fosters growth and enriches the worship life of the Christian community. You make the difference, especially in this time of crisis. Your help sustains our mission, and we are sincerely grateful for all your help and support.
Our special thanks to our volunteers and donors:
Marivic Adema
Myra Colis
Elpi de Clercq
Elpi Aziatisch Kleding Reparatie
Susan Horn-Perez
Mar Jane Streefland
Amor van Os
If you have any questions regarding our work and how the proceeds will be put to use, please do not hesitate to contact us.
