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.
The Board of the Filipino Catholic Community of Gouda & Surroundings decided to cancel the mass this coming March 22. We continue to monitor the changing conditions related to COVID-19. Of any changes we will keep you informed and updated regarding our church services and activities.
We encourage members to pray and reflect this Lenten season, to continuously care and help one another, and to keep protecting yourself and others from any harm. We are all God’s sons and daughters. Rest assured that the love of Jesus is with us during this challenging and difficult times. Meanwhile, let Psalm 91 comfort and bring you peace amidst the ongoing pandemic we are in at the moment.
PSALM 91
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, 10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
Please be guided accordingly and stay informed by monitoring recent updates and developments via the website of the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM): Updates on novel corona virus (COVID-19).
This month’s theme during the 4th Sunday mass of FCC-Gouda is all about love, a four-letter word that also means four different kinds of love. Ancient philosophy categorizes these kinds of love into four: the romantic or intimate love (eros), the brotherly/sisterly or friendly love (philia), the unconditional or Godly love (agape), and the affectionate or familial love (storge). Interestingly, these classic four were revered to and celebrated by members of the Filipino Catholic Community of Gouda & Surroundings who came for today’s service despite the bad weather.
Couple’s Blessings
It was just a week past when many lovers and couples celebrated Valentine’s Day. The sweetness and warmth of this February 14 lingered on as Fr. Marcel called for all couples to come forward for prayers of blessings and years of happy and harmonious marriages with the Lord God as center of the couple’s relationships. The leaders of the church prepared roses for the women and nicely crafted jars (made by Jenny Luna) for the men.
Specially mentioned of all the couples were Henk and Marietta Boswinkel whose years of togetherness as husband and wife have just turned 32 this month of February! Seeing a couple reaching this far with their pledged love still shining bright from within has certainly brought inspiration not only to the couples present but to all who were there to witness the couple’s blessing ceremony (and picture taking).
Children’s Bible Corner
The theme of love continued from the service in the main hall to the children’s corner in the other room. When asked what love is, the children responded with words like “being nice to others”, “being friendly at school”, “giving a hug”, and “caring”. And they are absolutely right. They have just described philia, that friendly, brotherly or sisterly kind of love. Interestingly, when asked whom do they love, their answers covered all the four kinds of love as each one answered with the words “mother”, “father”, “oma and opa”, “girlfriend”, “my best friend”, and “God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit”. But when asked whether or not to also love that bully at school or that someone who is not treating someone nicely, the children unanimously shouted “NO”. And this is where John 13:34 was taught to the kids as Jesus told his disciples His new commandment, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you may love one another.” The children understood that loving one another also means loving even those who are not nice to us by simply praying for them to become better persons.
Preaching of God’s Word
If the children got the simplified version of speaking about God’s love, then the adults at the main hall received a more in-depth preaching about what love is. In Fr. Marcel’s homily, he spoke of the nature of our Loving Father, who spoke of us as His children. What then does it mean to be children of the Most High? God’s love is unconditional, and if we are God’s children, could we also love unconditionally like our Loving Father does? Are we indeed able to love our enemies or the mean people around us? Did you also know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? These questions were answered during the preaching of God’s Word and you can also find the full transcript of the homily by clicking here.
“Our homily today may sound idealistic, impossible and fantastic. But it is not. Take the example of a normal human behavior. When a person is interested in doing something or in achieving a goal, he/she can spend a lot of time and energy on it, without any external coercion or obligation. Think of football fans. They could stay in the cold winter rain to cheer their club during a football match. At such time, they would be so focused on the game that one may wonder if it is really cold outside. When we want to become like God our Father, our minds would be only focused on how to achieve our objective. In like manner, we abandon sin and do not remember to commit sin because all our energy is dedicated to becoming like God. Here is where we experience and feel the power of love. When we love, there is no obligation, we find an inner motivation to crave for what we love.” ~an excerpt from Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe’s homily
Family Fellowship
As usual, the church service is always followed by a family fellowship where all attendees of the day’s service could stay for a cup of coffee or tea coupled with some snacks (typically home-made Filipino snacks or dish) that were lovingly prepared and brought by some generous members of the church to share with the community. This tradition of sharing meals or simply spending extra hour to sit down and catch up with everyone has all the more enhanced this time of fellowship as children of God and, therefore, as one big family. Part of this fellowship time is also the communal celebration of the birthday celebrants of the month. For those celebrating their birthdays in February, those who were present to receive blessings and prayers were Elpi, Irene and Dirk!
22 December 2019 was the fourth Sunday of Advent, and the day the FCC Gouda held its last mass for the year at the Sintjosefskerk on Aalberseplein 2.
Father Marcel, who’d been in Africa last year, proved to be a very capable emcee (master of ceremonies). After a brief welcome, he invited everyone to have a cup or two of coffee or tea and some baked goodies.
After everyone was refreshed, it was time for Stephanie de Jong to sing along to “Last Christmas” by Wham.
Then the FCC Gouda dance group – with Luz van Starre, Elpi de Clerq, Christy Seno, Marietta Boswinkel and Marivic Adema – entertained everyone with their red Christmas outfits and dance.
Father Marcel then called for Elpi, dressed as Mama Santa, to come in front and distribute gifts to the children, with a large dash of humor that had everyone laughing.
Then came the first game, the Trip to Jerusalem, or Musical Chairs, for the children, with the child who failed to get a seat when the music stopped being eliminated. Each child received a consolation prize but Dirk van Rijn prevailed and with his proud parents, posed for a photo with Elpi and Father Marcel, and his prize.
Then it was time for the adults to play the same game. After a few very exciting elimination rounds, Myra Zymelka-Colis, who with quick thinking, and very good timing, managed to sit on the last chair, and won the prize.
Gifts of appreciation to the (male) volunteers were handed out by Maryjane Streefland: to Teun Blanken, for being our koster and our staunch defender on those occasions when the Dutch church group meets; to Piet Hoogendoorn, who is always behind the counter, ready with cutlery and plates to use at each of our after-Mass eating occasions; Martin Streefland, always ready to provide us with liquid refreshments, and who was also rewarded with a kiss from his loving wife, Maryjane; and to Arjan Camfferman, who has supported us by allowing us to use his audio equipment at every occasion we needed it. And last, but not the least, to Father Marcel, for his hard work and dedication to our spiritual needs as a group. Tony Farma, and Noriel Santiago, respectively, our guitarist and pianist, already received their gifts of appreciation during the Mass.
Pascal Kroeze was our disc-jockey for the evening, and when he played music from Saturday Night Fever, he got (almost) everyone to go to the dance floor and groove. Eve Donaire took photographs and filmed some of the dancing which was pretty good.
The highlight of the evening was the Manita-Manito, the Filipino version of Secret Santa. All those who had picked out names gathered in a circle, sang and swayed to the “I love my Manita, yes, I do” song with the gift giver presenting his/her gift to his/her Manita/Manito at the end of the song.
This was followed by another dance by the FCC Gouda dance group in their green elves’ outfits. And more dancing by the rest of the group followed, to some Latin music.
Everyone could say that it was a wonderful evening, and that everyone is looking forward to a similar event in 2020.
Merry Christmas to all and wishing and hoping that 2020 will be a great year for the FCC Gouda and for each of us.
FCC-Gouda dance group in action
Dirk van Rijn posing with friends as he shows off his prize
On featured photo above: Most of the FCC Gouda members singing Christmas songs with the beautiful Christmas wall decorations created by Marivic Adema and Luz van Starre.
