St Joe’s House : Turning Dreams into Reality
What you dream alone remains a dream, what you dream with others can become a reality.
(Edward Schillebeeckx, Catholic Theologian)
St Joe’ house of prayer became a reality because of the parishioners who came together to dream and make this dream a reality.
The opening ceremony of the House of St Joe was held to in a special way, with all donors invited to participate in the ribbon-cutting. A remarkable moment that demonstrated the power of the community in turning dreams into reality. Fr Dominic invited the parishioners to officiate the opening as this was their prayer house- a testament of their collective effort. He said it began with a thousand ringgit donation by him – a spark that caught fire – an inspiration that led to a restoration within 7 months.
Paul Raj, the chairperson of the project said the structure of the original building materials have been maintained. It is a blend of old and new addition. He thanked all for the restoration of the 90 year old building (built in 1935).
Fr. Dom during the blessing said that “God makes everything possible. Trust in Him and ask Mary to intercede.” He said before he started the project, he prayed at the Shrine of our Lady of Fatima and asked her intercession to build the St Joe’s House of Prayer.
St Joe’s house of prayer has two multipurpose rooms dedicated to St Anne and St. Joachim; a glass room with the Statue of St. Joseph and a museum. When he started the project, his target was to collect RM 500,000. The parishioners exceeded this target and succeeded in collecting RM 516,497.
Fr. Dom thanked all donors for their contribution and love for the parish. The house prayer embodies the spirit of “My Church, My Home”, of the parishioners of NBVM/SCIC. SR
Following are some of the heartfelt reflections shared by the parishioners:
“The grand opening of St. Joseph’s House was truly a remarkable event. What was once a run-down building has been transformed into a beautiful house of worship, radiating a sense of family and belonging. It now serves as a home for St. Joseph, St. Joachim, and St. Anne. It was a deeply meaningful moment for me, especially as everyone was given the opportunity to take part in the ribbon-cutting opening ceremony.” Stephen Francis
“I’m honoured to be representing Valtech on behalf of my father (Valentine) as one of the donors for the House of St Joseph project. It was fun to see all parishioners involved in the cutting ceremony and even got a tour by Father Dom, which was great to see the creativity and dedication put into this project. I hope that our parish NBVM/SCIC will continue to grow and flourish with God’s love and in His plan for the future.” Emily Valentine
“It was a memorable moment to participate in the opening of St. Joe’s House. An old building now restored to bring people together. Our church has been transformed into a beautiful haven for us and we we thank Fr. Dom for all his effort“. Josephine Chin
For more pictures, click on the following link:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AbE619FuY7zKNNhZLNMWPemFybcPdPWl?usp=drive_link