Dr. Michael Thio, President General describes his time with Fr. Gregory Gay, Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission, on an 18-hour stopover in Singapore onSaturday, 21 January 2012, on hisway to Port Moresby, Papua NewGuinea. He spent the day with Dr.Michael Thio, President General, and his wife, Rosalind.
They visited St. Joseph’s Home,a home for senior citizens, and Fr.Gay celebrated mass in the chapel with the nuns, residents and friends. The Home caters for the poor and needy and also for those who needs nursing care in their old age. The Home also provides for hospice care. The Home is under the auspices and management of Catholic Welfare Services(CWS) but administration is in the care of theCannosian Sisters of Charity. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul(SSVP) has some joint
programs with the Home.
The Sisters hosted us to a sumptuous lunch. Dr. Michael Thio is on the Board of CWS and the Management Committee of the Home. Fr. Gay also visited St. Vincent’s Home, a Home for poor senior citizens who are abledbodied and do not need nursing care. This is the only senior citizen Home located in the centre of the city and the residents can move about freely during the day in the city and not confined to the Home. This is a joint project between CWS and SSVP.
A courtesy call was made to Archbishop Nicholas Chia, Archbishop of Singapore, who is the local patron of SSVP. A useful exchange of dialogue ensued between the Archbishop and Fr. Gay. Some sightseeing was squeezed into Fr. Gay’s day program with visits to Chinatown,
little India, Mount Faber(overlooking the harbour on one side and the city on the other), passing through the satellite town of Jurong and some parts of the city and the harbor. A little tired but relaxed Fr. Gay left Singapore for Port Moresby in the evening.
Picture: Fr. G. Gay, Dr. Michael Thio & his wife, Rosalind, with the Sisters in St. Joseph’s Home.
Tags: Gregory Gay, Thio
