Around the Neighborhood
When Ephrem choir members took off last weekend to attend an inter-ministry retreat, an unlikely group of musicians quickly took over to fill the void they left behind. Parishioners and ministry members gamely rallied together to form their very own ‘people’s choir’.
Comprising altar servers, youth, EMHCs, catechists, the children’s choir and even the teams manning the Religious Store and AV among others – they picked up instruments and lent their voices to praise God in song at the 10am Eucharist.
‘The youth and young adults came together when they saw that the church was in need of a choir,’ said Julie Rajendra, the choir conductor, who helps to man the book store at CSM. ‘As we are becoming a vibrant community, our coming together for the Eucharistic Celebration reflects the oneness of the parish to lend support to each other as disciples of the Kingdom of God, ‘she added.
‘I am not known for my singing ability, but it felt like the right thing to do when I was invited to participate,’ quipped Theodore Yzelman, an EMHC. ‘I was able to rope in my good friend Jordan to join us as well. He happens to be the one with an amazing voice,’ he said.
Some of the parishioners were moved by the spirit of unity and gave a thumbs up to the team. “It was awesome. Not only did they sing very well, but the team effort was great and they sang with all their hearts for the Lord, ‘ said Irene Koh. ‘All of them deserve special recognition from the congregation. This is what unity and community spirit are all about.’
Hands up if you want to see an encore performance?
By Cheryl Sim
CSM Inter-ministry Retreat
The very first inter- ministry retreat! The first batch of retreatants gathered for a retreat together over 21 – 22 April 2018.
Zumba! The Night Away
It was a night of fun and fitness for over 30 participants who came down for Zumba on 13 and 20 April. Madam Doris Ho exclaimed while catching her breath, “It was a very good session! I have never tried Zumba before and look at me, at how much I’ve perspired!” While Monica pointed out, “It’s so special to exercise with fellow parishioners, sisters and brothers in Christ, whom you know or see in church, instead of others we don’t know in classes held outside of church.”
It was also a family affair for a family of 6 where everyone came to support their mother, Esther Sng, who conducted the class. Esther, who is a professional instructor, is our very own CSM parishioner as well! Zumba is one way to educate parishioners how to live healthier and better lives.
What’s more, exercising together is a way for us to build close relationships with each other and also stay fit together. Even after an hour, a toddler and two other children were still spotted grooving to the high tempo beats. With this high energy in the air, it’s hard not to notice how our parish is making such a difference in our lives.
By Julianne Danielle Lim
Easter Children
On 8 April, after prayer and scripture sharing, the children had fun doing action songs and raced each other in an Easter Egg Relay. Afterwards they enjoyed food, fruits, drinks and snacks contributed by parents from our parish. Father John paid a surprise visit and interacted with the children. They were all very happy to see him and had photos taken with him.
By Julianne Danielle Lim
Did you Know?
Rabbits were known to produce abundant offspring. Thus, they became a symbol of abundant life at Easter