Mr Henry shared
Church of The Holy Name of Mary Permatang Tinggi ministered to more than 2000 parishioners. There are many poor families in the church peripheries who struggle to make ends meet. Almost every day after work, Caritas volunteer Mr. Henry will go to visit underprivileged families, to learn about their conditions and bring back the matters to the team so the church can facilitate a plan to help.
Tell us your name, age and parish.
My name is Henry John, I am 60 years old from Church of The Holy Name of Mary Permatang Tinggi.
What kind charity work are you involved in?
I’m involved in the parish Caritas team.
As a working adult, how do you find time to visit the poor in your busy schedule?
Right after work I spend the rest of my day visiting the sick, poor and people in need to know more about them and find out the help they need as well as collecting their details.
What do you normally do during your visit?
I usually start a normal conversation with them to make them feel comfortable first, and then tell the story of Jesus and His love for poor and sick.
What inspires you to reach out to the poor?
I do this as a way to bring God’s message to people who don’t know Him.
How do you motivate your children and bring them on mission together?
I use to bring my family together for visiting since they were young, so now we move as a family as much as we can, and they also reach out to people in need on their own way.
Do you pray for the family you met? How do you pray for them?
I pray for the family to not lose their hope and also for the Caritas team to be always able to help the poor and sick people.
Share with us an unforgettable moment during your mission as a family.
One of my unforgettable visit was my visit to a house of 2 brothers of 37 years old and another one is 35 years old where one of them was naked, i quickly find a shirt and clothed him, he is a mentally challenged man.
How do you see suffering Christ in the poor?
I remembered the story of Jesus, “I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.”
What is your advice for individuals or families who want to start a home visit?
Sometimes i bring along my friends to see how else we can help people apart from just giving money. Start visiting and talking to people in need, along with contributing money for charity – visiting and spending time with them will make them feel better, we give them hope by doing this and we bring God’s message to them.
Safeguarding is foundational to all Caritas’ work. This formation will equip you to identify different forms of abuse and exploitation, and teach practical steps to protect the people we serve and prevent them from further harm.
Parishioners across the Diocese of Penang rolled up their sleeves to aid those in need during the season of Lent. We are grateful for their efforts to give others hope through their actions!
Caritas Penang operates under the jurisdiction of The Titular Roman Catholic Bishop of Penang.
