Parish Assembly 2026: Discerning Together in the Holy Spirit

About a hundred parishioners gathered for the annual NBVM/SCIC Parish Assembly held on Sunday, 8 March.

The assembly began in praise and prayer, followed by a scripture reading from Acts 15:22–33. Br Melvin then gave a short reflection on the reading. He first set the scene: the early Church met in what we now call the Council of Jerusalem, where there was much debate on key issues that would shape the life of the faithful. The leaders did not rush. They spoke, they listened, and they sought the truth together.

In the end, they made a choice not based on pride, fear, or self gain, but on what would serve the good of all. They said, “it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us,” showing that their choice came from prayer and from a shared search for God’s will. Br Melvin urged us to do the same in our parish life today. When we face tough calls, we must ask: are we holding on to our own wants, or are we seeking what is best for all? True discernment means we pause, we pray, and we let the Holy Spirit lead us, so that our plans bring peace and not harm, unity and not strife.

The assembly continued with a keynote address by Parish Pastoral Council Chairman, Mr Gerald William. He spoke about the present, the future, and how we can navigate between the two. In this Year of Peace for our parish, he shared that our challenge is to find the presence of Christ amidst the many conflicts we face, both personally and globally. He also reiterated Br Melvin’s call to discern the will of the Holy Spirit in our decisions and shared that this year’s assembly would take a different approach, focusing on prayerful conversations with the Holy Spirit on how we can become ambassadors of peace.

This was followed by a breakout session, where groups spent time prayerfully discerning how we can be ambassadors of peace in our homes, parish communities, workplaces, and the wider community. Group members were invited to reflect in prayerful silence on one area where they could promote peace, and then share with one another. This process encouraged listening and communal discernment, as each group worked towards a single collective response, which was then submitted to parish leaders to help shape the parish roadmap for the year.

Subsequently, representatives from the Parish Finance Committee, Mr Paul Raj, and the Parish Pastoral Council, Ms Karen Teh, provided updates on the parish financial report for 2025 and planned parish activities for 2026, respectively. The assembly concluded with a brief question-and-answer session.

May the fruits of this assembly guide our parish as we continue to walk together in faith. (KA)