The first Sunday of the General Conference, 16th October 2022, began with morning prayers and a celebration of the Eucharist at St Michael’s Hall, Baan Phu Waan.
The Eucharist was celebrated by H.E. William Cardinal Goh, Archbishop of Singapore. In his homily, Cardinal Goh took inspiration from the readings, which provide principles and a way forward. He reminded his listeners that it was their responsibility to stand firm as shepherds of the Church, to fulfill their roles as discerners, guided wholly by the Holy Spirit. Calling his audience to be witnesses, to be true to their conscience, and to act when the time is right, Cardinal Goh stressed the importance of prayer, and the clergy and laity journeying onward, together.
The gathered representatives and delegates attended a live virtual ‘Talk Show’ with 16 panelists from 13 countries of Asia, who came from myriad walks of life and were invited to shine a light on the many realities they represented, including laity, religious men and women, inter-faith marriage, family, single parenting, politics, ageing, the differently abled, women, indigenous people, victims of climate change, the aftermath of terror attacks, and business relations.
In his introduction to the show, Bishop Allwyn D'silva asked his audience to consider, ‘who can I be a neighbour to’, requesting them to listen with an open ear. The panelists left their audience with valuable insights and potent messages of hope. In his message thanking the panelists, H.E. Oswald Cardinal Gracias said, ‘our hearts beat with you’.